The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-02-13

!. Rainbow Divizicn. the 26th is number
led. they being considered tho firxt sou
veteran divisions Of our great Amer
can Expenditionary Forces. and
would be glad TO have the people o
New England know tha. their division
the first Of the National Guard troop
to embark oerseas, bore itself With dis
tinction and gallantry, and that II con
tributed on every battlefield to Ameri
cas- real participation In the fighting
and the unbroken success Of oul
isrms.'
/ General Mareh's Statement
| Gen. Pcyton c. March, chief OF staff
provided Mr.. Barrett with the follow
ling summarized chronological state
ment Of such activities Of these troop.
us are now available in the war de.
partment."
"The Vermont troops were incorpor-
ated into the 26th Division, the mem
bers being distributed through the
i0Ist Machine Gun Battalion, 102nd
Machine Gun Battalion, l02nd Infant
ry Regiment, l03rd Machine Gun Bat
talon, l0lst Ammunition Train and
the 57th Pioneer Infantry Regiment.
October s, 1917, Division Head
quarters left Boston. October 81,
1917, arrived at U. s. P. o. No. 100,
training area No. 2, artillery at Coet-
quidan for training. Division trained
intensively in these areas until early
part of February. February s, 1918,
entrained for front. Spent one month
of trench instruction north of scissors
with headquarters at Cousrelles. Di-
ision was placed with the French 11th
Army Corps.
"March IS, 1918. Withdrawn to Bar
Sur Aube. March q, 1918. Upon
completion Of months tour ordered to
line northeast Of Toul to assist in the
emergency. Division headquarters at
Reynel. In this sector the division
held portion Of the line usually
assigned to two divisions. Was at
tackled twice by picked troops.
"April lo-1l, 1918. The l04th was
attacked In the forest Of Apremont.
April 1921, 1918. The l02nd Infantry
was attacked at Seicheprey. Both at.
tacks were repulsed. From this date
until June 30 the 26th Division held
the Toul sector with more or less
activity on both sides.
about July z, moved to the Marhe
front. July II, 1918. Sind Brigade
Of 2Gth attacked and took Torcy and
Belleau. July 10, 1918. Whole division
attacked, reaching Bois d-Etrepilly.
"July %, 1918. Withdrawn for rest.
Month OF August resting. First part
Of September ordered to line at st.
Mihiel.
"Scptembet 10, 1918. On line near
St. Hilaire. Usual trench warfare in
the vicinity of FIesnes until October
%.
October %, 1918. Attacked. Cap
tured Bois de Belleau, Bois de War
vile and Bois d'Etraye.
"Noember IL, 1918. Attacked.
Halted by the armistice.'
How glorious, appropriate and typ
ical of Vermont and New England men
Is that last entry: "Attacked--Halted
by the Armistice" In other words,
,he Vermont and New England boys
were IN and It it to the very last
minute. They stopped fighting only
under the orders of the armistice and
lfter repeatedly beating and driving
back the enemy. Had the cessation Of
he conflict not then come, ! am sure
.hat today the Green Mountain and
New England boys would be in Berlin!
Let me, as a native son of Yer
mont whose New England ancestors
On both sides Of his family fought in
.he War of the Revolution, and who, in
.hese recent days, did everything in
MS power on the international firing
inc at Washington, so to speak, to
make sure that the other American
nations co-operated with the United
States in backing up the Vermont and
New England boys overseas, urge,
irst, that the returning troops be
,hown every consideration possible,
10Th in the hearty welcome extended
md in the immediate unemployment {
PROVIDED for them, and, second that |
iot only Vermont but every State OF |
Sew England shall thoughtfully and /
Enthusiastically plan and erect fitting
memorials % those who were killed in !
lattle, died Of wounds, or otherwise |
,erished ia the war service Of their
ountry.
Let US make sure that we will build /
or all tinlc-that such memorials viii /
atisfy not only the living, but meet, 1
n our Imagination, the approval Of
hose who have gone to the realms a