Gunnison news-champion., 1919-05-30
VERY INTERESTING LETTER BY
CORP WM. II. BENNETT

CORP WM. II. BENNETT
The following remarkable letter tel
ling what the Marines have done" is
written by Corporal WM- H. Bennett,
machine gun company of the Fifth
regiment of marines.
"Thre are eight of US in this COM
pany, fellows who shed their blood,
gave their lives, and suffered untold
hardships and privations always wear
ing a smile. We led the attack at
Belleau Woods, Soissons, St. Mihiel
Champagne and in the Argonne- Meuse
battle. Yet, having been in all these
offensives very little has been said
concerning the marines. Here are
some of our records
THE Second Division captured one
fourth Of the prisoners l2,02s), one
fourth the artillery (343 pieces, l.
$50 machine guns), advanced n dis
tance of sixty kilometers, and receiv-
ed one-sixth Of the d. S. C.s awarded.
(646) Suffered one-tenth of the total
losses, (25 ,60S) or so per cent of the
division.
"We being a machine gun company,
weren't given any cannons, but start
ed hiking on the first of June. After
covering more than 6s kilometers
within two days, we were picked up
by the returning camions and rushed
I forward. That evening we passed
hundreds of refugees; old men, women
and children who were not able to
walk. Some Of them had few house
hold goods, some of them carrying on
their backs their sole worldly posses
sions.
"The stiffness was continually brok-
en- by the roar of the heavy artillery,
and also we knew We were sent there
to stop them and we would do il. That
night was terribly uncomfortable; 26
men with all their guns and ammuni-
ton TO each cannon, yet every fellow
wore a smile, even thinking of the
ones would not be with US when we
returned
"Now the distant roar became sharp
explosions, flares could be seen in the
distance where farm houses and whole
villages were burning. Ambulances
/ filled the roads toward Paris only 6S
kilometers south. We passed thru
one town that was nearly demolished
by shell-fire. The dawn was appear
I ing and we could hear the purr Of the
airplanes.
"Orders came TO unload and seek
cover. Later we came to field hos
( pital filled with French soldiers, some
who had given their lives for France,
others who were torn and mangled by
shell-fire, but the expressions on their
faces changed from suffering to q
smile when thew saw the Americans
filing by. Now the roar was deaf
ening explosion and the singing of the
II a Nkr, nj
an exploding shell had passed, we
heard a groan and rushed to the side
of the first of our men to be hit, but
were too late, he was dead. We COW
cred him with q shelter. Oh! the eX-
preston on his face-a smile that no
one could erase or foroet.
ave passed many groups Of French
soldiers, and how tired and weary
they looked. Some fell by the side Of
the road and slept as they fell; others
were trying to tell US how near the
Germans were, and the expectations
of an attack that day. At one O'Clock
on June 3, we took up our position in
q broad valley covered with wheat
Just as we were finishing our gun-pit
the Boche barrage began. The all
was full of machine gun bullets and
H. Els, which seemed to blow the
earth up and the sky down. At last
4 the barrage ceased and the French.
man who was at our gun began firing
| and all the other fellows took up theil
positions and began firing also. The
4 Germans were advancing in masseC
formation. One could certainly se<
the effect Of our fire. As we wert
firing at 800 meters, our aim was al.
most exact. They soon began to SLOW
up and run under shelter Of some tres
or stump. Twice more thew tried Il
and failed, ~ they retreated. They
had met defeat and their advance ha<
lbeen stopped by . thin line of marines
Our losses were not 30 large this time
about Is in our company.
Il The Marines At Balleau Woods
j aWe ATTACKED the Balleau woods OF
the 9Th Of June and participated in Il
Of the following offensives east @
Fismes. Finally on November 10th
I'VE were lying in reserve south O
4 Beaumont when orders came to NOV
! forward. The roads were very mudd!
and were used by the first division
, who had relieved part of the eighty
J ninth and part of the second divisions
I've slowly travelled southwark keep
ling near the woods. Time went yer,
: quickly and ut nine o'clock we stop
i ped. Troops were all over the coun
} ltry-the 89th on our right. The zer
Ihour was 1t $50, 80 we started. Gu
Z engineers, the famous Second, hA
+ lbuiit platoon bridges- As soon ~ on
rIbarrage began the Germans opene
-iup With all their reserve batteyis, IN
/: lmy God! the effect Of that fire. Me
/, ,lwere lying in piles q twelve and d
), ',Iteen-all "Eone west" Twice the
lltried to cross the Aeuse and twic
-lthcy were driven back. Finally th
. IenGineers formed . line, hand in hana
!. ~ kuided the fellows over every fos
: lof ground swept by machine gun III
9 ard high explosives, yet our moral
: vne unbreakable and We succeeded