The Colorado statesman., 1919-02-22

coming troops, bent upon giving the
returning heroes II cheer or two Mt the
Long Island City terminal.
The 369th made three false starts
for France III the late autumn of 1917.
The first was on Nov. l., when the
machinery of their transport broke
down and they had to put back to
New York. They started again ON
Dec. 3 and then the vessel on board
which they We're caught fire and put
back. On Dec. Is, the day after their
third start, their transport was in col
lision, and again they had 10 put back.
Finally, on Dec. II, 1917, they sue
ceeded in steaming for Brest and in
remaining at sea, arriving at the
French port ten days later.
1t was the only National Guard reg
iment To remain under its original III
tie after leaving the United States,
which it did for ninety days. On March
II, 1918, it became the 369th. 1t never
served in Il brigade with American
troops. but always with French divi-
sionS, which accounts for the 369th, as
well us the 310th regiments speaking
French so fluently.
Longest Service With French.
Another thing that distinguished the
old Fifteenth was that it happened to
be the American regiment with the
longest service to its credit as part of
IL foreign army. 1t was organized,
armed and equipped as II unit of the
French forces, joining the Sixteenth
division of the Eighth French army
corps on March II of last year. II had
less training than any other American
regiment, its principal training having
been while it was doing police duty at
Il. IL
worth. The Negro infantrymen
trained for two weeks with the French
and We're then put in the fighting line
in the Champagne SECTOR April s,
1918.
Maj. David A. L'Esperance of Pei
ham Manor. ~ V, who commanded
the Third battalion, being promoted in
the field for bravery, and whose wife
is Il niece of Chaumcey NJ. Depew, said
that the 369th had the lowest percen-
tage of diseases and drunkenness of
any other organization in the Ameri-
can eNpeditionary force.
During April. 1918, the 369th held
20 per cent of all ground held by
American troops, although, numerical
ly, the regiment consisted of but | per
cent of the total allied forces in the
field on the western front. The 369th
received the CroiX de Guerre as n reg
iment, in September and again in Oc-
tober of last year, for gallantry in ac-
tion. and there have been 132 citations
for bravery of officers and men, in
Guiding the Legion of Honor and the
CrOiX de Guerre, for exceptional indi-
vidual gallantry in action.
Another thing distinguished the
369th. 1t was the first regiment in the
entire allied army to reach the Rhine.
The regiment left Thanh on Sunday,
Nov. II, 1918, marching as an advance
guard, with the 16lst French division,
and reaching Blodesheim on the left
bank of the Rhine, on Monday, Nov.
1S.
Was Under Fire 1e1 Days.
The 369th has record of 19l days
under fire in trenches and in the
field. 1t took part in the actions mt
the Butte de Mesnil-Dormans, the Ar
gonne Forest, Ripont, the Nosges
mountains, the Aisne, the Tourbe, the
Champagne, at Fountaine and on the
Bellevue ridge. On one occasion the
369th penetrated ninety miles into the
enemy line and Major l'Esperance
pointed with considerable pride to the
fact that New York Negro fighters
never lost prisoner, never lost
trench and never lost n single foot of
ground once taken.
Taking prisoners became an obses-
sion with the men of the 369th. They
would do everything to bring back
prisoners and they were mighty proud
and envied by their comrades
when they succeeded in marching
batch of Huns back to the American
lines.
The men of the Third battalion who
returned yesterday pointed to the in