Norwich bulletin., 1919-03-27
TRIBUTE TO NORWICH
 SOLDIER. HERO (Continued rem Page Eiaht)

the Germans, heavily reinforced, had begun counter- attack of their own. As the marines advanced the enemy npened fire at once. and the air seen ed to be full of red-hot naIis. Even before reaching the enianglements, men fell on every hand there in the open, leaving great gaps ii the line But it was at the barb wire defenses, | there at the harrage, that inc slaugh | ter really begun. The harrage was raining shell Of every calibce from l. pounders to 9-inch howitZers. Classes, shells and shots filled fs'" air. How i any of the marines mace their way through that hell was indeed mira cle but number of thert did. Among them were Captain CAardler-the other officers had been lOst--and Israel Cohen. And now the marines legan to take | toll for the slaughter of their com rades. For straight at the machine sun nests. bare chested, shouting the marine battle cry of Ea-e- ia-h-y-y-y they charged. they charg- ed and won. The grey clad hordes and fell back. And tho marines went cn. Ca-tain Chandler had fallen dead and a sergeant was leading the IT ell. They drove the Germans. daz- l ed, staggering before them. Now the marines were within the little village which had been their goal
 Hut they did not stoy there. On they rushed, up the slopes Of the last 1 hill beyond the village. And there, Of the hill. charging into mnrderous lnachine-gun fire, fearless, unselfish, Israel Aaron Cohen gave up his glo
 rious fife. Shot through the breast, with the words Sfrema Yisroel, Hear c Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One'' Israel Cohen bredthed his last while his comrades were press ing the demovalized enemy beyond the | last hill of Mont Elan" Ridge to the level ground beyond it. That night, the marines were relieved by the 36th Division. but there were TO longer a1y marines to tc relieved. Of the hun dred heroes of the 18th Company that had entered the valley of death that morning. only four survived to answ- CT the roll call in the evening.
 The full import of the victory gain ed by Israel Cohen an1 his comrades can be judged by the following official order:
 Officers and Men of the Second Di-
 vision:
 T. is beyond my powers oe expres- sion to fitly describe my admiration flor your heroism You attacked mag
 rifcently, and you seized Elanc Mont
 Ridge, the keystone of the arch con- stitutfng the enemy's main position.
 You advanced. beyond the ridge, , breaking the enemy lines, and you held the ground gained with a tenaci-
 tv which is unsurpassed in the annals
 of the war.
 As a direct result of your victory,
 the German armies eas. and west of Rheims are in full retreat. and by drawing on yourselves several German divisions from other parts of the f front, you greatly assisted the victo- i ricus advance of the aliie1 armies be-
 tween Cambrai and St. Quentin. , Your heroism and the heroism of
 your comrades who died in the bat t!efeld will live in history forever, and
 will be emuIated by the young men of our country, for genera tions to come, To be able to say, when the war is , finished: T belonged to the Second Division. I fought with it at the Bat , tie of Blanc Mont Ridge" will be the highest honor that can come to any
 man.
 JOHN J. LELUENE, , Ma General United States | Marine Corps. Commanding. . And we. the friends and relatives of I israel COnGl1, Cdl- HOW LdNN ONCI illl1 honor that lio so well deserves. We
 can glory in the fact that he was ours
 born and brought up anl0ne' Us. We i can be proud of his nobia spirit of de-
 votion and self sacrifice. ot his bray
 cry and daring. For il was natural
 for him to have joined the marines il vas natural for him to have volun- teered for irrme diate service on the n firing line, ard-it was in Inc line of
 things that he should have been kill
 ed rife in ha1d, facing the enemy.
 His friends recall hiu as that stal- f wart smiling lad whose very frank I ness and sincerity brought confidence I and affection. His cheerful iauPf : still resounds in my ears, for where
 ever he went. cheer and gIatfness ac' : ioompanied him. And the high sense r of loyalty anl uuselftshness. his con- : stant readiness to sacrifice his cor1fort for others--is there 0ne who knew f him who did not love him n The regard and affection 1f his com q rades-in- arms can he seen from the = following letter received short time = ago:
 e American Revolutionary Forces. q Army of Occupation,
 ,l Honningan, Germany. if January 7e, t919
 Dear Mrs Cohen: Tho compan' q commander has given me your lette e t., answer as Y2ur son was a yer! l. good friend of mine.
 = He was a fine chap anG was ver'