The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1919-03-20
CROSSES MEUSE RIVER
ON LAST NIGHT OF WAR
Sergeant Eylar Staight of Lynden
Describes Hot Fighting That End
ed HOstilities

How Sergeant Eylar Staight OF
Lynden crossed the Meuse River in
the midst of heavy fighting on the
last night OF the war, is described in
a letter received in the city this week.
Sergeant Staight describes the af-
fair as follows:
I'VE jumped off on our last attack
of the war Nov. l, just north of the
Argonne Forest. We broke thru the
Krimhelda lines (Which formed the
last of the old Hindenburg system)
without much trouble and headed
straight for Sedan on the Belgian
frontier 40 kilomcters away - we
went s of them the first day, taking
lots of provisions and guns. From
inen on, we were up against rear
guard action only composed mostly
of machine guns and sacrifice artil-
lery. November 10 found us east
of Buzancy on the west side of the
Meuse, held up by a we'll organized
line on the right bank. Our engi-
neers worked all night throwing a
pontoon bridge across. Our orders
were to cross on the pontoons and
attack the hills on the east bank
The night was one of the darkest
I've ever seen and to make it worse
it was raining. Our bridges consist
ed of a foot plank laid on floating
ties. We had three of these. Under
the conditions naturally we were
quiet as possible and everything was
lovely till some recruit hit the muz-
zle of his piece against his helmet.
Almost instantly We heard German
sentry shouting something in Dutch
and we knew in a short time it would
be anything but pleasant in that vi
cinity. The head Of our column had
barely reached the opposite bank
when their machine guns turned
loose and in few minutes their ar
tillery had also spotted us, and about
the third seabag hit one of our pom
toons amidships = l could also tell
the machine guns were doing their
+. bit by the constant splashes OF bodies
IN the river. Some of the fellows
who would receive only small
blighty would get excited and fall
overheard. We were greatly incum-
bered by our heavy marching order
rolls and two bandileers OF ammuni-
tion: with this added weight man
stood a very poor chance in twenty
feet of ice cold water. By daylight
our first and End Bait. had effected
a crossing and dug in. and there we
were, the only Americans on that
side of the river with the kaiser's
army in front Of us. 1t was lmpos-
sible for anybody to cross the river
in daylight. A blind man could have
picked us off at that distance (4OO
yards.D We spent the morning dou-
bled up like a jack-knife in our holes
and sniping back at the Heinies.
Their machine guns kept us pretty
well down, but they didn't have the
nerve to come down and get us.
Its hard telling what the out
come would have been but about
eleven a. m. we heard the darndest
racket and looking up the hill we
ccould see the ferries dancing and
singing and throwing helmets in the
air. We all stood by thinking it was
a counter attack till German offl-
Ger was seen approaching our lines
waving a white flag. then we knew
the armistice had gone into effect.
1.-The German officer spoke good
English and about the first thing ne
wanted to know was how the devil
we got over there? Then noticing
our emblems he said, so you're Ma
rines? Well, that accounts Tor II.
"A few of us walked up to their
lines, snapped few souvenirs theh
came back and turned in for the nrst
peaceful sleep in eighteen months.
That night the heinies celebrated Dy
throwing up red, white ana piue
flares, while we sang, It's long
way from Berlin to Broadway
I'VE are billeted in private houses
with German families now along the
Rhine. We get along very well =
it is impossible to buy single ar
tic,e to eat in this country except po-
tatoes. Can you imagine the u o.
in that condition?
EXPERT TO TELL LYNDEN OF
-,x,rNc ANN SpRAyING TREES