New-York tribune., 1919-02-06
Unlneralded Steamer
Arrives Here Will,
l,762 U. S. Troops
Transport Duca d'Aosta,
From Marseilles, Gets Only
Faint Welcome, but Men
Find joy in Getting Home

Bands. welcoming committees and
Red Cross workers were just prepar-
ing to set out 10 greet several return
ing transports early yesterday morn
ing, when the great hulk of the Duca
d'Aosta moved up the bay and landed
It's cargo of 1,762 American soldiers
at Fiftyseventh Street.
1t was the first ship to bring troops
from Marseilles, which port the Duca
d'Aosta left on January 20, STOPPING
at Gibraltar oil January 23.
The slender welcome extended bv
Inc few who got down to the pier in
tlme to greet the Homecoming troops
dld not serve to deprcss them. On
the contrary, they grinned their ioy at
the evident f&5 that they had stolen
a march on those who had planned
10 act as reception committee.
Ok the 1862 men aboard the ship.
there were 122 casual officers. S4 Of
whom belonged to the air service, who
could boast Of taking an actual hand
IN the war. There were two complete
field artillery outfits, whose members
complained that Germany had col
lapsed Just two weeks too soon. Had
the war continued they would have
reached the front
Those who feel that they have a
grievance against the Germans that
no no. indemnity can repay belong to the
33lst Field Artillery of tho S6th
Dlvision, consisting of 60 officers and
l,2s2 men. under tho command of
portion Of the 339th Field Artillery,
sSth Division. Both left Immediately
TOR Camp Merritt, where they will re-
main until they are ordered West
Colonel Lambd'n's command is com
posed of draft men from Wisconsin
and Illinois, who reached France in
August. Three hundred members of
the unit were sent forward as replace
ment troops the remainder going into
training. Practically the same ex-
perience awaited the men Of the 339th,
nelghboring states.
Among the interesting figures
pointed out by the returning soldiers
was Lieutenant Martin T. Constanti-
neau, who left his home in Lowell,
Mass. in January of last year as a
private. Rare bravery under fire re-
suited in his prom otion and the con-
ferrins on him Of the Distinguished
Service Cross.
at Chateau Thiorry, the platoon he
commanded was ordered forward. He
went forward with such speed that
his little group penetrated the German
line and was surrounded. One by one
his men were shot down. Tho cor
poral continued to fire at the circle of
foes about him, says the official record,
until he was rescued by another de-
tachment that came to his relief.
On the return trip the corporal was
passed Notwithstanding his own
weakened condition, he made three
trips across No Mans Land, bringing
an unconscious private back with him
each time. After the third trip he col
lapsed and was himself dragged within
the American lines.
The experience of Lieutenant Frank
i. Hughes, of Atlanta, was another of
the stories that men on the ship de-
lighted to repeat The youthful lieu
tenant was sailing over the German
lines, 10000 feet above the ground,
when the chance shot of an anti-air-
craft gun brought him down. He
landed IN No Mans Land, where he
was greeted by salvo from a group
of machine guns. He rushed to shell
hole to escape the rain of bullets,
where he was forced to remain, with
out food or water, fol three days un-
der a constant fire of enemy shells.
On the morning of the fourth day he
was rescued
Lieutenant Clare Maxwell, who was
star pitcher for the University of Chi
cago, was among the returning avi-
atOrS.