The Washington herald., 1919-02-27
Boys Trained at Camp
Meade Comprised 3l2th
Machine Gun Battalion
and Parts Of Other Com
mands-Were In Front
Lines.

Lines.
Both Gen. Pershing, commander-in-
cklef of the A. z. F.. and Brig. Gen.
JSeph E. Kuhn have commended the
soldiers OF the District of Columbia
~sAo fought with the first army.
These boys train at Camp Meade,
ware members of the 3l2th Machine
Gun Battalion and were among the
Personnel OF the 313th, s14th. 315th and
seth Infantry regiments. They want
Into action during the middle Of Sep
tstaber with troops from Maryland
ard Pennsylvania and were contin-
udlsly in or about the front line or
communicating trenches until the
aFnlstice was signed.
Captured Montfuueon.
They captured Montfaucon, a posi-
ton which had been stubbornly held
by. the Huns against earlier assaults,
and captured the Borne du Cornoullier,
a Stronghold on the heights east OF the
Meuse during the final drive north Of
Nrrdun.
General Pershing's order in part
reads:
II - WIN q StISt Ol EIdllluut lOt
its splendid accomplishment, which
Will live through all history, that /
record in general orders a tribute to
tae victory Of the First Army In the
Neuse-Argonne battle.
STested and strengthened by the re-
duction of the st. Mihiel salient, for
more than six weeks you battered
against the pivot of the enemy line
on the Western front. 1t was a posi-
ton Of imposing strength. stretching
on both sides OF the Mo-
from the bitterly contested hills of
Nerdun to the almost Inl.,,
forest OF the Argonne: position.
moreover. fortified by four years of
labor designed to render it impregna-
bic; a position held with the fullest re-
sources of the enemy. That position
you broke utterly. and thereby has
tened the collapse OF the enemy's mill
tsry power
Soldiers of all the divisions en-
gagged. you will be long remembered
for the stubborn resistance of your
progress. your storning of the obsti-
nately defended machine-gun nests,
your penetration, yard by yard. Of
woods and raYines. your heroic resis-
tance in the face of counter-attacks
supported by powerful artillery. For
more than a month, from the initial
attack OF September %, you fought
your way slowly through the Argonne.
through the woods and over the hills
west of the Meuse: you slowly en-
lsrged your hold on the Cotes de
Meuse to the east, and then, on the
hrst OF November your attack forced
the enemy into flight Pressing his
rafrn9f rIaara1 ha naff
bank Of the Meuse south of Sedan,
and then stoTmed the heights on the
right bank and drove him to the plain
beyond.
Your achievement. which Is scarce
ly TO be equaled in American history,
must remain the source of proud sat-
isfaction to the troops who partici-
pated in the last campaign of the
war. The American people will re-
member 1t as the realization of the
hitherto potential strength of the
American contribution toward the
cause to which they had sworn AL
ieslance. There can be no greater
reward for soldiers memory"
Comme nded Mt Meuse.
Those who took part in the final
onenstye east OF the Meuse are thus
commended in the letter OF Gen.
Kuhn:
From Commanding General to c. O.,
asth Infantry. through c. G., 15Sth
Infantry Brigade; subject, Com
mendation OF Regiment.
Cd In the final offensive on the
hssghts east OF the Meuse and north
OF Verdun the task Of breaking the
enemy's resistance at the Borne du
Cornouiller (Hill 3T9 devoIved upon
the dsth Regiment of Infantry. Stub
oorniy defended by the enemy. this
tac1ically strong point presented an
OBSTACLE OF the most serious charac-
ter. In spite of all difficulties the
regiment succeeded after three DAYS
heavy 1ghting-November 4 to sin
capturing and finally holding the
BONE du Cornouiller, in breaking the
enemy's resistance and contributing
materially to driving the enemy from
thelheights east of the Meuse a few
days- later.
- ~ Numerous authenticated in
stances of gallantry. tenacity and en-
dtrance have come to the command
ins generals notice. proving beyond
question that the regiment acquitted
ttsef with the greatest credit and
In . manner worthy Of the best Amer
lean traditions.
@ The commanding general takes
great pride in the achievements of
the regiment and directs that YOU
orfnz this letter to the attention of
your command.
JOSEPH E. KUHN.
Major General, United States Army.