The citizen., 1919-02-27

was in the midst Of il and made a
name for themselves Of which we
are all proud.
On July %, my division was re-
lieved and drawn back in the rest
area, and here we received our re-
placements, which were mostly
from the 10th Infantry formerly
the 26d Kentucky, and some OF
them were from my home county.
Leaving the rest area we were in
reserve at st. Mihiel, the first all
American attack, and as we already
know il was crowned with success.
In this drive we liberated hundreds
Of the people who had been held as
prisoners OF war in Germany, and
this was my first time to see so
many people who had been in bond
age for so long and from the ex-
preston on their faces they were
proud TO get back under French rule.
From this sector we were re-
moved TO the Argonne Forest, the
last and hardest battle of the war.
am not able TO describe the
scenes | saw and experienced in
this sector. II looked as though
one could not live for any length
Of time, shells were bursting every
where, machine gun bullets coming
from all directions, poison gas, and
everything that was destructive.
have seen dead men in piles, smells
make direct hits on men and blow
them into thousands of pieces, but
in the face of all this the Americans
continued to advance.
In this sector some of my best
friends were killed and wounded
On October 2ist, was wounded in
my right arm by a machine gun
bullet, and sent to a base hospital
in Paris.
was not confined TO a hospital
ward very long, so with my arm in
sling, / would go out every day
for sight seeing trips in Paris. This
city is said TO be the most beautiful
in the world, and | have TO right to
dispute it whatsoever, for it is GER
tainly beautiful.
While in Paris saw many ancient
and historical things. visited
NapOleon's tomb, Eiffel tower, some
of the largest and oldest churches
in the world, the sight of the Bastile,
the place so famous in the French
Revolution, the home of Victor
Hugo, the Arch of Triumph that
Napoleon had built in honor of his
armies, and | also walked up and
down the streets on which Benjamin
Franklin and Thomas jefferson lived
while they were in Paris.
was in Paris the day the armis-
tice was signed and never before
have | seen so many people so joy
full at one time, their happiness was
supreme, and they were sure enough
celebrating the ending of the war.
On the Place of the Concorde there
were two statues erected to the
honor Of Lille and Strassburg, but
had been covered in black Grape
Supposed to be in mourning) since
those places were lost to Ger
many in 1870. When the armistice
was signed the crowd Tor mob)
rushed at those statues and tore
the Grape away and decorated them
with flowers. From every window
hung the flag of all the Allied Ma
tions, and everywhere one could
hear "Vive la France" and "Vive Ia
Amerique."
In Paris also saw all the rulers
CT all the Allied countries, the Kings
Of England, Belgium, and Italy, the
Presidents OF the United States and
IFrance.
After spending a very merry
Christmas in Paris | returned 10 my
division which is now keeping
watch on the Rhine. We boys are
proud that our divisions were
chosen to help form the "Army Of
Occupation" but now that the war
is over we will be prouder still to
return home.
| like army life all right and since
| enlisted have tried to make the
best OF everything that came my
way. Once | have been recommend
ed for the Officers Training School
and twice | have been transferred
back to the States as a Sergeant in
structOr in a machine gun school,
and just after each recommenda-
tion the Boche would start some
thing and | would return TO the
front.
My experience has been a great
one TO me, and one shall never
forget. | am glad that had an op-
portunity 10 serve my country and
now want to see the time come