The Monroe journal., 1919-05-20
SKETCHES
BY JOHN BEASLEY.

/ mlstlce was signed, he found. by hard
experience. lacking Ii is true. there
are few thrills the doughboys came
/ face TO face with death when they
went ''over the top: but 20 the big
majority of the American Expedition
AIRY Force war was only a matter of
Bill. rain. mud and pup tents. all ac-
companied by continual moaning
tune from the big shells passing over
their heads. Often the shells would
burst near them. but aside from fore
ling them TO duck into nearby shell
holes. they passed and fell unnoticed.
Just as our outfit entered the Ar
gonne-Meuse front the latter part OF
september. when the big drive was
Oh. German and an American avi-
ator staged a little show, not for our
benefit. though we took il all in.
which gave us a little taste of that
excitement which We believed would
be our daily experience. We had
started TO pitching tents in the deep
woods after strenuous hike. All of
MS were thoroughly tired. but when
the Boche machine suddenly sailed
down low over our heads. we became
astir with excitement, and openly ex-
posed ourselves TO machine gun fire
in our eagerness 10 get a GOOD view
of il. While the aviator was soaring
over our heads, evidently seeking to
locate some hidden battery. an Amer
lean machine. seemingly appearing
from nowhere. swooped down upon
him, firing fusillade of machine gun
bullets. The Boche machine ducked,
returning the fire. Over and over
they maneuvered. each seeking 10
down the other. The "zip-zip" of the
machine gun fire was sweet music TO
our ears. This was the real thing
We thought. Then the Boche aviator
changed his aggressive tactics, and
sought to elude the American ma
chine. High up in the clouds he
would go. closely followed by the
American. who continued his fire.
Down he would drop. cutting such a
series of loops that he excited our ad-
miration. even though he was an ene-
my aviator. The American flier was
fully as daring. He pursued him re-
lentlessly. and when the two ma
chimes disappeared from our gaze the
American was in close pursuit. At
terwards we heard that our aviator
| finally got him.
Naturally we went 10 sleep that
night with feeling of elation. Al
last we had reached the front. where
adventure abounded No more tire
some drills, a relaxation of the army
iron discipline was imminent, and all
We had TO do was to win few ID. S.
C.'s, Croix de Queries. and various
other medals TO be real heroes. We
were in the fight. Hadn't we just
witnessed thrilling exhibition of II ??
In this frame of mind, we made the
last laps OF our hike the next day in
quick order. We camped on the side
of hill which had just recently been
captured from the Germans. So re-
cent had been its capture that we
found the body of a German. in an
excellent stateNof preservation. which
the boys. in their rush forward had
neglected TO bury. That night there
came series of gas alarms. of which
! | have already related. The neXt
morning when | awoke my thoughts
/ ran like this. "War isn't so bad
there's plenty doing all the time. SiN
months of it won't seem long" The
bugler disturbed my reveries by blow
ing reveille. When | had dressed anC
stepped into the ranks | received my
first disillusionment. piled high II
front of me were innumerable picks
and shovels. | looked at them anC
gasped. Visions of roads and ston,
quarries arose. became respondent
Yes, il was true. Those picks ant
shovels We're for our use. Shortly af
ter mess that morning we wer,
marched up the road to a point where
a big shell had exploded, blocking VI
the road. Grimly | grasped pick
striking wildly at the debris of dir
and rock. Eustace Helms. from Tn
ion county. who was working near
tried to show me how TO WELD th'
Ipick effectively. | listened attentive
ly, but couldn't grasp the essentials
Pretty soon found myself working
alone at one end of The job. ! wa
so wild with the pick that the fellow,
all moved away. They seemed oh
livious to the shells that were fyini
all around; that pick in my hand
was a source of more danger, ii seem
ed, than Fritzies offerings.
! All that day worked. a disillusion
ed, disappointed man. My hand
soon blistered; my back ached.
too, soon conceived contempt TO
the shells. Then believed II woul
be relief to be struck by one o
them. You who have never handle
pick can understand if you'll try
whole day for the first time.
| mention these little incidents I
show you that war is not a mixture o
music, heavy guns and aeroplane'
The multitudes performed hard wor
under trying conditions. There wa
little reward; just the satisfaction
knowing that you were doing some
thing for the cause.
| nauxiIIa n,aI Nnus