The Washington herald., 1919-01-05
Fighting D. &. Battalion
Is Nearly Annihilated
Corp. Isemann and Private
Bolceine Give The Herald
First Real Story Of Bat
ties on Verdun and Other
Fronts.

Sufficiently recovered from their
wounds. Corp. William Isemann, IA
Eleventh street southeast, and Pri-
vate Albert E. Bolceine, 1867 East
Capitol street, yesterday told and COL
laborated the first detailed and con-
secutive story of the fighting 3I2th
Machine-gun Battalion. composed en-
tirely of District boys. which grap-
Piled with the Hun against overwheim-
ing odds for fifty-six days or up
until November II, the day the ar
mistice was signed.
With a somber CLINT in their eyes
these boys yesterday recalled for The
Washington Herald treasured bits Of
information concerning the brilliant
fighting and sacrifices which the Ma
tional Capital will write proudly when
this city's part in the great war is
finally recorded.
They tell how the 312th Machine
gun Battalion was cut into by a nest
of Hun machines and nearly annihi-
lated
They tell how, often going into bat
tie ahead of the infantry and against
concentrated fire of German artillery
and machine guns, the District bat
TALON lost scores of its men through
casualties day after day in some Of
the hardest bits of fighting done by
the American forces.
Routed Entire Batteries.
They tell, with pardonable pride,
how. on one occasion this peerless
battalion even put entire batteries OF
enemy artillery out of action.
For the first time these boys stories
accurately give the locations of the
312th Machine Gun Battalion from
its first landing in Brest, when It was
housed In a barn, until six days be-
fore cease firing" was ordered on
November II.
For the first time these boys sto-
ries give at first hand the intimate
overseas history of Corp. William
Compiler. William Eopulucci, Private
Harmon Young, Private Owen Grin
der, Sergt. Jack Stanley. Sergt. Jack
Kelley, Sergt. Harry CLANCY, Sergt.
Harry Penn. Lieut. E. NJ Newlin.
Lieut.. Dwight Duryea, Capt Tim
Jordan and others.
This unit, over which more concern
has been felt than any other, was
composed of District of Columbia "se-
lectives" who were trained at Camp
Meade with the 18th division.
As Sergt. Isemann was seriously
wounded six days before the armis-
tice was signed he reminded, as did
Private Bolceine. that there must be
more chapters TO tell when all OF the
members have returned home.
Called 100000 Private,
Recalling the names Of Washing
ton boys who wore killed and wounded,
Corp. Lsemann said:
You remember Corp William Com
pher. whom the boys used to call the
800, 600 private because he was left
some such sum of money by an uncle
in California. Well. Compiler, who
was a policeman in Washington, was
seriously wounded but has recovered
since and may be coming back pretty
soon to marry one Of those hundreds
of pretty girls who wrote him a,
Meade after the newspapers started
the story that he wanted a wife to
share his riches.
Then there was Private William
Eopulucci. also OF Company C He
was killed by a piece OF shrapnel. He
was the last remaining son in his
family. which lived in Washington.
The President offered him his dis
charge when he was drafted. but he
refused 1t. He said he wanted to
CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE.