Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-03-07
BATTERY B HAS
BOY MASCOT
&C m p D0dger" Tells How
Brave French Lad Joins
Americans
Camp Dodger" News Service


ike. Leo is mascot Of Battery r, 121st
Field Artillery. SSH Division, and pet
of this whole regiment of Wisconsin
troops.
But for his size. one couldn't tell
Leo from a soldier. Like a veteran he
wears his American uniform. cut down
oh, very much cut down-to fit him.
And is he not a veteran? lie has been
With American troops for more than Il
year. and has seen service in-but |
promised 10 let him fell his own story
in his oWn way. You shall read.
Only be warned Leo has picked up all
the usual soldier habits. including that
Of exaggerati0n. Here is his story:
Il am Il little Frog boy, fourteen
wears old. My home was Nesoule. near
Belfort. but my father was killed in
the war and my mother died of sick
ness | am all alone. and | join the
345th battalion Of the American Tank
Corps. That was back in the 5. .. ).
We learn how to run the tanks. Then
we go to the st. Mihel 'front.' In the
meantime l write to General Pershing,
asking can go over i'll the tanks, But
we move before | hear.
Anyhow. stay III tank. some
times with the major. sometimes with
the driver. One night we camp 100
meters from the front line, in a woods
- 4 I,o !
can't run the tank. because my legs
are too short but I can shoot. And |
shoot the millimctre gun, and the Fritz
he ran like h mean like every
thing. We capture the first and sec
ond lines and we capture Essey and
panncs. We stop to eat hard tack and
red willy; l wish it is bread and
cheese.
We start again. The tank is going
two llilos and it stops. No gas. We
get Out and the BOche are shooting
with machine guns and artillery. Mon
Dieu. it was the dickens how the dirt
was flying. The driver he hides and
I run to the L. c. to tell the major send
another tank Because | am small
and the driver is big and it is harder
for the Flatheads TO hit me.
Il was Il little scared. but / say: L
don't need to be afraid, for | am a
man
And afterwards we find beaucoups
souvenirs. They are LugerS. helmets,
belts and German beer. We have some,
time
when the drive is over we go to the
Argonnc. There / ride in n motor
cycle and am gassed But | don't go to
the hospital I don't want to lose the
outfit But one night | lose the outfit
anyhow, up near BuZancy when they
move ahead And find Battery +.
The top soak he take me to Capt.
Drum. The captain he ask me do
want to stay with him. | say jake.
That's how | am here. And fell the
big newspaper to send me some
copies
Leo-his last name is Gerard-wears
two service cheyronS and one wound
stripe. the latter for the gassing. He
fits about the regiment as busily as a
bumblehee Besides being d mascot
he is self-confessed clerk. courier in
terpreter and gold brick.
He is sufficiently experienced not to
let himself be overworked. The other
day he wrote out, in approved military
form. a communication to Capt. Drum
saving that he could not efficiently he
both orderly and interpreter. Oh, he
has the nerve Of an American, all
right
He doesn't stop for anyone. Like
the prOverbial thing called Death, he
is 10 respecter Of persons. The first
sergeant is to him the top soak; the
captain is the skipper !: the colonel
is the "old man; the brigadier gen
eral is "gigadier brindl' and the com
mander-in-ch is BLACK Jack The
other day he was found addressing an
envelope to the vice admiral of the
United States navy.
"Oh. | just see his picture and [
think | write to him." he explained.
Leo is a busy letter writer. His writ
ten English is quite as creditable as
his spoken "American." which is satur-
ated with the picturesque slang of the
army. Leo writes to the relatives of
several Battery Il officers and men.
And he writes to Renee. That's his
little romance When Leo was at ST.
Mihiel he entered building to find
temporary shelter from shell fire. He
heard someone move. and shouted:
Who's there The answer was.
Only a little French girl Leo re-
piled Come here. little French girl, :,
and since then they have been CORE
spending.
Leo signs the payroll and his rank
is given as mascot first class. Asked
how much he expected to be paid. he
said he would collect one frame from
every member of the battery. That
would give him $50 francs per MONTH
neat little compensation to lay by
for an education in America. Leo OK
poets to go back to the states with the
boys.
However his status is as vet unset
tied. Unless he is legally adopted by
some officer. he will have to remain in
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