The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-02-19
FIRST DIVISION WON GLORY
ON MANY BATTLEFlELDS
By WEBB MILLER,

WITH THE AMERICAN THIRD
ARMY ON THE RHINE, Feb. 2-(By
Mail when "the boys get back"
and the folks at home begin to hear
the real story of the war from the
lips OF the fighting men, there is
going to be a lot of talk about the
-th division or the -th division and
the fighting qualities thereof. Then
about 10000 men are going to he
proud to say they belong to the First
Division.
Owing to the censorship and the
rush and stress during the fighting,
little has been heard Of the accom-
plishments of the various divisions
except in brief official announce
ments. Herewith is brief resume
Of the activities Of the destined-to-
be-famous First Division.
The division is composed of the
Sixteenth, Eighteenth, Twenty-sixth
and Twenty-eighth regiments OF in
organizations with histories
dating back to Revolutionary war
DAYS. At the outbreak OF war these
regiments were stationed along the
Mexican border Under the reor-
ganization plans the original outfits
we're split up and the skeleton or
ganizations filled up with new men
from every part of the United
States.
After a 2,O00-mile journey half way
across the continent, the First en-
barked for "a French port" at a.
M. June 10, 1917. The gruelling
training was continued even on board
ship. Upon landing at st. Nazaire-
the first division to set foot upon
French soil-the troops were hurried
across France to training areas. -Four
companies Of the Sixteenth were di-
verted and marched through Paris
on July a. Then followed weeks OF
stiff training in the Gondrecourt area
under the tutelage of the Attn
French Chausseurs. Then the un-
forgettable entry into tine trenches in
the Sommerviller sector. For ten
days the First changed places by
battalions with French troops and
got it's first closeup glimpse of the
Hun. 1t was a battery of the First
that fired the historic first shot OF
the war" On Jan. Is the division
was considered to have graduated
and was entrusted with the Toul sec
tor, which the old-timers considered
"rest area" but was enlivened
with trench-raids and frequent artil-
lerying. The next tour of duty in
the trenches began late in April in
the Chantigny sector, which was con-
siderably more active. For some time
the Germans threw over an average
of 10000 shells per day upon a mar
row front, with the American artil-
lery replying with will.
On May 2S, the Twenty-eighth in
fantry smashed over the first real
American attack, capturing the vii
lage of Cantigny, and dealing the
boche a stiff blow. After an intense
artillery preparation which reduced
the village to dust, the Twenty
eighth went over" at GAS in the
morning on front Of about one and
one-half miles. Within 40 minutes
the Americans had reached every
objective and pushed ahead to
depth of about a mile in some places,
capturing 220 men and five officers.
Within few hours after the attack
the Germans launched seven distinct
counter-attacks which were repulsed
after desperate fighting. But the
First had proved to the satisfaction
of the world that it could lick the
German.
After a few days the division was
Withdrawn to rest area. Marsha
Foch was now preparing the great
blow which was to send the Ger
mans reeling back from the salient
which was menacing Paris-and the
First was assigned to a place Of
honor in the line.
On one of those breathless days IN
July when the fate of civilizat OIL
was hanging in the balance, cane
the orders to move. In the evening
endless lines OF motor trucks roare
into the rest area and the troops
were jammed abroad. Throughout
the night the columns of trucks hur-
ried along the roads toward the
front. At dawn the division de-
trucked in forest about 1219 miles
behind the trenches, and camped |
during the day hidden from the pry-
ing eyes of Germau flyers.
The march was resumed at night |
fall Through three lines of hurry |
ing traffic the First pushed on rap