Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-03-13
DIVISION INFORMATION
BULLETIN

THIERRY HOTLY DEBATED
Newsports Say Regular Army Mes
Did the Trick.
"Who saved Paris 2" is questiss
which has started the first red hss
after the war controversy Bostes
has been acclaiming General Ed
wards 26th Division as the saviors.
Corporal Clarke wrote a letter tse
other day telling of the large part
played by the 101st Infantry in the
fight at Chateau Thierry.
Now comes Rowland A. Gibson Of
Newport declaring that this versio~
is misleading because There wers
Others" and prior to the Goth. M
Gibson says:
During the high tide of the Ger
man advance a certain division was
rushed in trucks around through the
outskirts of Paris and along the road
towards Chateau hierry. Passing
through Meaux they began to meet
refugees crowding the roads and the
French Territorials, who had bees
giving away slowly but steadily.
This Division was thrown in the gap
on June 1st directly across the Paris
Metz highway, where the Germans
were nearest Paris.
This was the End Division of reg
ular army troops, consisting of the
9Th nd 9th Marines and the 9th and
23rd Infantry Regiments. And this
is the best Division in any Army u
the field. Without any artillery at
first, and no food except emergency
rations, they stopped the Boche con-
pletely and held the barrier all thru
June.
after this first day other Divi-
sions came up Strengthening the line.
and SO can truthfullly say that they
were at Chateau-Thierry and get a.
way with it. But the one that ac-
tually saved Paris, in the darkest
hour smashing into Hindenburg,s
picked troops and fighting in the
real American way for the first time
in the open threw back superior
numbers of the enemy, and held
them-this was the End Division.
And to celebrate this almost unbe-
lievable achievement half of them
paraded in Paris on July 4th amidst
widest enthusiasm of this populace
for these battle SCARED heroes
parading in full kit, tin hats
and all, with the dash and swagger
typical of the United States Regular.
This is not heresay, but straight
facts Official records will show H
to be true. 1t has been somewhat ex.
asperating all summer to read the
wll-intentioned but slightly erroneous
rejorts sometimes published when one
was in a position to know the real
facts. But now, with the censorship
ban lifted, there is no excuse for suck
misstatements. 1t is a shame to let
such matter be made the subject of
claims and counter-claims by indi
vidual and rival organizations when
the newspapers can easily enough get
the straight facts from General
March's report.
Il am what you might call an out
slider, quite disnterested. But
it is going to be the same old story
again, Just as at the end of every
other warm the pride of various
localities over their gallant citizens
soldiers, and the men who have left
home to fight in the regulars are
entirely forgotten-and this reg
ular army is after all the backbone
Of all our military establishments
Fortunately in this war glory e.
nough for all. Certainly there are
Divisions that stand out prominently
for their splendid valorous records.
! These are the LIST and End regulars.
42nd Rainbow, and the New England
| boys-the 26th Division. These are
all veterans, shock troops and quite
the flower of our army But the one
| above all that France viii long re-
member with the deepest love and
respect is the SECOND"
On the Champagne front the sec
ond Division took a hill that the
frogs" or French, you call them,
couldn't take in five bayonet charges
on the Hill and the last front on the
Meuse River. The American army
failed to gain their objective the
famous And Division. They told US
when we took up their positions. they
would bet us seven dollars to one We
couldn't take the ridge, that they
had failed several times, and the old
water dogs" laughed at them. We
went over the top the next morning
and here we are in Germany never
stopped until we finished them, that
is the great old second Division.
The above letter sent by Ralph D.