Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-22
LIEUTENANT WHO COMES TO THE
LOCAL ARSENAL DISTINGUISHES
HIMSELF IN ACTION IN FRANCE

Lieutenant william R. Manager.
who distinguished himself in the
Argonne when he continued to feed
artillery guns in the face of a
heavy German barrage. has arriv-
ed at Rock Island arsenal to as
sumo his duties as motor trans
port officer
He served under Colonel H. B.
Jordan previous to the world war,
at San Antonio arsenal. He lives
in San Antonio The San Antonio
Express in relating the expert
ences of Lieutenant Manager, says
as follows:
with the ammunition dump, of
which he was in charge, swept by
a terrific German barrage for a
period of many hours, First Lieu
tenant William r. Manger, San An
tonic officer with the ammunition
supply service of the American
First army, continued to serve the
artillery with shells in the battle
of the Argonne.
From minute to minute, it
seemed inevitable that the store of
ammunition would be set off by
the enemy's bombardment-135 di-
rect hits were made by the Ger
mans in the dump area during the
action-yet the officer and his men
stuck to their posts. The result
was another advance in the bitter
fighting, which marked progress of
the Americans through the Ar
gonne forest.
For his heroism in this engage
ment Lieutenant Manager received
a citation and was recommended
for the distinguished service cross.
1t is understood that the priced
decoration will be awarded to the
gallant San Antonian in the near
future
Arriving from France a few
days ago, Lieutenant Manager has
come to San Antonio on leave to
visit his mother. Mrs. Lille Man
ger, who resides at 219 Daniel
street. Upon expiration of his
leave ne will report for duty at
the Rock Island arsenal, where
Colonel Harry B. Jordan is in COM
mand. Colonel Jordan formerly
was stationed here as commander
of the San Antonio arsenal and it
was under him that Lieutenant
Manager first served, when he en-
listed in the ordnance department.
Lieutenant Manager saw service
in the three great operations by
which the Americans smashed the
fighting power of the Hun until it
finally gave way-Chateau Thierry.
st. Mihiel and the Argonne. In all
of these fights Manager was engag-
ed in the hazardous work of artil-
Iery ammunition supply. At Cha
teau Thierry he was attached to
the French army, but in the st. Mi
hieI drive and the heavy fighting
in the Argonne he was with the
American forces
His is the distinction of having
established ammunition dumps
closer to the actual fighting front
than was ever before attempted. 1t
was while the Argonne offensive
was under way; the great drive
had started and the determination
of the Americans to keep going
forward was evidenced by an order
Lieutenant Manager received to es-
vance of the artillery. to insure an
adequate supply of shells for the
guns as they went forward. This
he did, placing his dumps between
the third line trenches and the
first line of batteries; composed of
French ISIS.
After the armistice was signed.
the Germans divulged the fact that
time fuses were set in several of
their abandoned ammunition
dumps. The explosion of these
fuses would mean widespread de-
Fused shells in the big
dump at Mezy and Fismes and the
several smaller dumps in the Cha
teau Thierry sector were timed to
go of some time in January, ac-
cording to the statement of the
German offers.
ION Jan. 8, Lieutenant Manager
received orders to destroy these
dumps. He was given a force of