The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-09

Time and again in Paris somebody or other not of the Second Division would recall this reputed harmony between the regulars and Marines of the Second Division and put 1t to the test when encountering a Second on the street. One sighting remark against the Seconds of the opposite branch of the service and the fight was on, Hey, Rube"' Is the call of the circus hand when attacked, and 1t draws them all. But Indian Head!" cry of the Second, brought 'em all, too.
 Artillery Loved Infantry.
 Another thing: Artillery usually hates infantry and vice versa. But the infantry and artillery of the Sec ond Division went through so much together they love each other like brothers. They say so, loud and strong.
 But the most wonderful part of all this is the standing of the Second En- gineers.
 Engineers really are noncombat- ants. But not in this mans war. Gen eral Byng's pickup army in Flanders had number of Americans who dropped their shovels to shoulder
 
 Coughs retreating troops created Ths Engineers of the Second Division did the same, and then some more.
 Why" said a Marine Lieutenant 'Tve seen those birds come along to help dig us in, and what happens? |? The 1eathernecks get mixing it hot and the Engineers drop their shovels and grab rifles and hop to it. Combat Engineers, that's. what those birds were. Time and again they'd get to going so strong that they'd hate to quit fighting in order to dig, and some of the Marines would have to turn to and dig while those birds enjoyed themselves shooting at Heinie.'
 Leave "Quiet'' Sectors.
 Of such troops then was the Second Division comprised when, after get ting a taste of war on quiet sectors along the Verdun front. it was sent to Chaum ont -en-Vexin, May 13, 1918, to be trained for large scale opera tions in relief of the First Division at Montdidier.
 Not long was the stay at Chaumont- en-Vexin. The Germans were putting everything they had into their final punches and they had the allies grog- gy. Here in America, now that vic tory has come, 1t is pretty hard to realize what those terrific blows and that steady onslaught of the Ger mans meant in France at the time Even the Second Division, isolated in camp and with only fragmentary news of what was forward, could not have an adequate realization. Yet from French comrades and towns people in the little villages in their area, they gathered that the menace was great. The very air seemed charged with despair.
 Then came the morning of May 31 and orders for the Second to climb into camions and get on the move. It didn't know where it was going. only that 1t was on its way. But the French chauffeurs. of these camions knew. From them the men of the mans had blasted through the an uncontrolled flood toward Paris. Chemin-des-Dames and were rolling
 Stirred by the Refugees.
 At first that morning the towns people in the villages through which poured the camions with their khaki host cheered enthusiastically. But as the Second drew nearly to the front, as the far off throbbing of the guns swe11ed into a gigantic dispasion that seemed to read the very universe, all this changed. The people stared at them alphabetically, immersed in their own dread, too much to even real ize that here went the saviors of France and the world, bowling cheer fully along the road.
 Worse and worse grew the confu- sion on the roads as the camiors neared the front Refugees packing all their little belongings on their backs or in hand carts formed a flood pouring in the oposite direction that hourly thickened and c1ogged their path. Pitifu1 scenes grew too numer- ous to count A dispossessed people upon whom war had visited it's worst for four long years, now fled before a wrath greater and more terrible than any the world had ever seen.
 Jollity vanished. Badinage died away. The Second had started out eagerly, joyously for the front. But now the doughboy gripped his gun, set his face grimly, and tried not to think too much of the sorrow around him. Every refugee encountered laid up trouble for the boche.
 Camions Abandoned.
 At the town of Meaux, across the Marne, and on the Meiz-Paris high way, along which the Germans were driving, the press of refugees became so enormous that the camions could no longer make their way. They had to be abandoned.
 The doughboys jumped down, tight ened their belts-for there was no chow that night-chewed on hard tack, and set out afoot. Through the fields and in the ditches by the side of the road the Ninth Infantry hikei ahead. The balance bivouaced by the roadside for the night
 All the next day of June 1 the doughboys of the Second Division liked by forced marches, with the earth trembling beneath them at the 1 cannonading. The Ninth was caught up with, for 1t. too, had slumped in it's tracks for a bit of rest. And Ninth and Twenty-Third Infantry, I Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Marines, | they hotfooted it on toward the front. Finally Reach the Line. That night, tired, footsore. hungry, l thirsty, but filled with an 1ndomita bIe 1 courage and rage at the sights | among the crowds of refugees that | passed all bounds, the doughboys pulled up to the line where they were