Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-01-09

Weeweree hsfds1sers until about four
IN h afternoon and were ordered
forward. WI advanced about three
miles to IA small wood,Awhere we
stayed all night under constant shell
fre. We lay in shell holes. We were
with Cp. G but were divided with. b
Co. the next morning and started out
to find them. Here !. saw my first
dead American and how 1t made ones
blood boil. We wanted to get up and
get = crasek at q Dntchman. About
just moving, so we fell right in line
and went about q mile and were
halted at what; had been q German
supply dump. There was 'lots-of am
munition and supplies and some big
guns. We stayed here till afternoon
about four, then We moved forward a
mile in the shelter of a big hill in kind
OF a gully. This was as IA. as we
could take the mules and carts, SO we
each grabbed two boxes Of ammuni-
ton and started. Just then a German
plane flew over and dropped q bomb.
but luckily 1t dropped at the tail end
Of u column and no one was hurt.
We advanced over this hill and down
across a fiat and were behind another
hills We camped here this being the
second night of the drive, Next morn
ing was ou.' time to go over the top.
As I lay there wondering where my
own company was we heard someone
pull in, so asked who they were and
a sergeant said it was Co. I, 140th. l
was o. X then. 1 knew we would all
go over together. At 5 a. m. we were
all lined up and ready. 1 heard the
lieutenant Of Co. I say Lets 60" and
we went. advanced about a half mile
NTH 1,oVvy 1i$<1o ehn1l 49, l,,k AZ hAx,~
in the lead went ove a hill and the
fun commenced. We had to halt and
hold right where we were. The in
fantry was on top Of the hill. We had
to send back for the tanks and 1t
took about two hours TO get them
here. They went " first. with the
infantry close behind. Talk about ar
tillery fire: We sure got it. We ad-
vanced about a half mile through this
fire, but were checked for some. time.
We run into a woods filled with ma
chine guns. We iayed u between two
strips of woods in heavy artillery and
machine gun fire all afternoon. That
night we fell back In the woods and
stayed all. night. Next.morning we
got reinforcements and started.
This was one of the worst battles a
man ever witnessed. "the battle Of the
Argonne Forest" stayed with them
u%ntil-about noon, but for the life of
rhae L can't tell how I am able to be
here writing this letter. I woke up
in the hospital some time in the after
noon. a field hospital. That evening
we We're taken in trucks back to q
base hospital at Nube$ Court. You
know how long / was, there. But
when I heard the news that the 35th
division had taken the woods, I was
sure proud to think I had been with
them as long as I a. %
After I left the hospital I went back
to my company at Froidan. There we
were held in reserve for four days,
then we linked to Verdun, stayed there
that night and hiked nearly all next
day and night and where do you think
we landed but back at the hospital at
Nube Court. L went down and got a
good square meal; the. bunch was
somewhat surprised to see me again.
We stayed there two days, then pulled
out again and hiked all day and land
ed at Rupt. : Here we were told we
wouldshave to go in another drive on
Metz, but at the 18th hour Of the 18th
day of h 18th month the arn1istice
was signed and we didn't have to go.
and believe me we were all glad. :
Quite a lengthy letter; but I AM we'll
n hope to get back to good cid
North Dakota some time o
Love to all.
Russell e. Kennedy,
Co. I, 140th Infantry,
American E. F.
OF Rock Lake, N. d. r