Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-02-22
OUR :, BOYS
OUR C0UN1RY'S SERVICE

The following IS from Augusta par
les.
People IN This state and Augusta in
particular should not forget there Is
besides the 1p5 Infantry there IS an
other Maine regiment overseas. This
s the 18th Pioneer infantry or rs Il is
perhaps better known the AiillIken
Regiment This outfit. one of the
companies Of which was recruited n
Augusta. is credited with having some
Of the states best boys IN It's personnel
and su-ei. played il hard luck start
ing from Maine is a 1eavE Held ar
tiliery regiment going 20 Westtield
and later being transferred 70 Char
lotte. y. c.. where they vera changed
70 Pioneer Infantry All Of the boys
N the outfit were anxious 20 go over
seas but the regiment vas kept III
this country for over a year ana land
ed IN France but a short time before
the armistice was signed. The boys
never complained however and the
spirit characteristic Of the boys from
the Pine Tree state may be shown
from the reply one Of the soldiers sent
20 friends letter a short time ago.
How muci, more lucky am I. Here
am in Germany, without having 20
get here by climbing over The Top
once To be sure we did have TO
make roads TO get here but that is
preferable TO the other method. We
were the next shock troop to dil
old divisions returning to the front
les. Il the war had lasted another
month we would have a different
story 70 tell. Perhaps you won't be-
lieve IL but truly I am sorry that We
did not get a taste OF trench warfare.
OF course I am not keen 70 wear a
wound stripe. but T should have liked
TO have gone over Just once-with the
boys. AS it is. we have on our serv-
ice record "on the Verdun offensive
and gives the date. Perhaps the
people back home don't realize how
near we were. for nearly a month.
while in Avercourt and in the Ar
gonne Forest never a night went by
but the stiffness would be perpetually
broken By what sounded like steady
roar Of thunder. Occasionally It
would come nearer and then again
more distant: many a night 4 gas
alarm vas gwen. and we would grope
for masks and lie still. chilled with
the fear Of this terrible. silent and
unseen menace. And a few nights we
got some good scares when some con-
founded Hun would get too friendly
and drop few bombs from the air
I. was Just a chance that none Of US
we're named N the papers, for more
than once the &c. I. Cans were
STAYING up the roads on either side
of is as We strove 70 keep our sec
non in good shape. It's hard thing
to do. old man. 10 keep a shovel hot
when you can hear the shells scream
before they hit, They are not so far
away when the whine OF their COM
ing announces another. There was
one afternoon that the old shells
struck close enough 10 jar the earth
where We were working-incldenlly
it Jared the nerves of a few of Us
IN his letter he also says there are
MAN. rIimors regarding their return
to the states, one Of which IS that
they are TO start about February 2Sta.
but he thinks July or August will
see them on their way. Company E
the Augusta company IS al Cob
lenz working on the ratlons dump;
Co. Is just beyond Litzei which is
across the Moseli river from Cohienx.
They are working on an ammunition
dump and drilling at other times. All
OF the other companies axe near there.