The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-05-17
MAJOR C. A. MARTIN
PRAISES ACTION OF
SECOND DIVISION.
They Were the Stumbling Block
in the Germans Advance
Toward Paris.

i Major Claude A. Martin arriv-
ed in Welsh last Saturday eve
ming and has since been busy re-
ceiving the joyous welcome of his
relatives and many friends who
have anXiOuSly watched the rec
lords of his army career.
Immediately following the emit
| ry of the United States into the
conflict Claude offered his SER
vices and on June Goth, 1917 was
commissioned Lieut.. in the medi-
cal department. He left Welsh
July u, going to Washington, ID.
c., for a short training course.
He was assigned to the famous
23rd infantry, End division, en-
barking for France on Sept. 9TH.
He was soon promoted to Capt.
and on Feb. 4, 1918 to The rank
of Major. He rendered a very
good account of himself through
out his service and his record is
a matter of deep pride to the peo-
lple of his home town.
| Claude received a distinguished
service cross from the Americans
and two citations from the
French, with the Croix de Guerre.
Speaking of his army career and
particularly of the record of the
famous Second Division, with
which he served, he had the fol-
lowing to say:
II reported to Washington, ID.
G., for duty July 1917 and stayed
there about eighteen days at the
army medical school. About the
middle of August reported to the
famous 23rd infantry for duty in
Syracuse, N. Y, preparing to sail
overseas. We sailed from HO-
boken Sept. 9TH for France. While
crossing, the sea was rather
rough. We had to zig-zag across
to dodge The submarines and
were fortunate in not being at
tackled by one.
1--WE arrived in st. Naziere Sept.
2lst and stayed there for eight
days, then we left for Bourmont,
Haute Marine, for training with
the French. Some of the diviS-
ion went to build railroads and
some were cutting wood part of
the winter while others were
training. About the middle of
January we started extensive
training under the 129th French
infantry. :,
"In Mar, 1918, the End Division
left it's trainin area for the
trenches on the heights of the
Mouse, southeast of Verdon. We
stayed in that sector about six
weeks. Then we came out of
the line and went to rest area
in the neighborhood of Bar lie
Due.
"Just west of ChateauTierry on
June LIST the 2ndJ Division was
thrown into the lines across the
Paris-Metz Highway, where the
Germans were nearest to Paris.
The End Division held the barrier
against the German advance all
Through June and on the LIST day
of July made an attack on Vaux,
capturing their objective in thirty
five minutes. While operating
an aid station near Vaux, which
was partly destroyed by shell fire,
killing one assistant and wound
ing the other assisting doctor,
held my post until all the wound
ed were taken care of and evacu-
ated to the rear. ! received a
distinguished Service Cross from
the Americans and a Croix de
Guerre from the French for nv
work in the aid station.
About July 10th the whole di-
vision was relieved by the Goth
Division. We moved a few kilo-
meters back of the line in support
OF The 10Th Division; also train
ing some new requirements until
the 10Th of July, when we got in
CamionS through the famous
scissors drive. We arrived on
the night of July 18th, when Mar
shall Foch electrified the world
by his vital blow in the offensive
south OF scissors. We captured
beaucoup prisoners and lots of
dead square heads were on the
ground. II was a sight to see the
wounded French, American and
German soldiers coming to the
aid station arm in arm, helping
each other as best they could.
We were relieved on the Goth
by The English troops. The End
Division suffered very heavy
casualties and had to have many
requirements to retain its power
and strength. 1t took up the task
OF training thousands of raw re-
placements.
August 9th we moved into
the Marbache sector, a very quiet
CnNfnN L.,