Trench and camp., 1919-04-10
HIS LOYALTY
BY DYING BRAvELY
Gunther of 313th Infantry Fell
as Last Shot Was Be-
ing Fired.
BY PRIVATE JAMES vi. CAIN.

SOU1LLY. France (by maiD Febru
ary 22.-The last man to be killed in
action in the 18th Division, and per-
hapS in the whole American Army.
was Henry N Gunther, Company A.
3l3th Infantry. Gunthers home was
in Baltimore. and he was killed at
one minute of IL o'clock on Novem-
ber IL, trying to take a German ma
chine gun position. according to the Bal
timore Sun
Until a short time before the 313th
finished it's period of training at
Camplitte, Gunther was supply SER
geant of his company. few days
before the regiment left for the front
he wrote letter, home complaining
of certain things about Army life,
and. as this was a violation of the
censorship regulations. he was re-
duced to the grade of private.
According to his companions, Gun
ther brooded great deal over his re-
ddction in rank. and became obsessed
with determination to make good
before his officers and fellow soldiers.
Particularly he was worried because
he thought himself suspected of being
a German sympathizer.
The regiment went into action a few
the start he displayed the most un-
usual willingness to expose himself to
all sorts of risks and to go on the
most dangerous kind of duty. He
acquitted himself splendidly in the
MOntfaucon fight, and on the drive
east of the Meuse he was selected to
act as a company runner-particular-
ly dangerous work, for runner Is
the bearer of important messages and
must get them delivered, even If his
ha OF
try.
Showed Scorn of Danger.
In the role of runner Gunther
proved to be a man of the finest met
tie. He repeatedly volunteered for
duty when communication had to be
established over terrain raked by ma
chine guns and subject to heavy she'll
ing. A few days before hostillties
ceased he was carrying a message
when German bullet passed through
his wrist. He said nothing about his
wound, however. when one of his
officers, noticing his exhaustion. asked
him what was the matter ~iavlng
already bound up his arm with first
aid bandage. he replied that he was a
little tired, and thought he would
take rest. The next day he report
ed for duty and went on as usual.
On November II he was still on duty
as runner. His company had been
ordered to ADVANCE on Nllle-OSNdHt-
Chaumont in the extreme right of the
79th's sector. and several parties Were
already in the town. Gunther, with
one or two other runners and an ad-
vanced party of rifiemen from his
company, was just on the outskirts.
The order already had come that hos
tilities were to cease at II o'clock.
Directly ahead there was visible
German machine gun nest Gunther,
according to the men of Company A.
must still have been fired by desire
to demonstrate, even at the last min
ute that he was courageous and all
American. Alta few minutes to J. he
announced that he was going to take
that machine-gun nest, and though
his companions demonstrated and told
him that in few minutes the war
would be over" he started out. armed
with Browning automatic rife.
Germans Waved Him Back.
When the Germans saw him coming
they waved at him and called out, in
such broken English as they could, to
go back, that the war was over. He
paid no heed to them. howNVer, and
kept on firing a shot or two from his
automatic as he went. After several
nAf m Ina r.