The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-15
AKANSAN IS BACK
Philip GOetting of Seward
GasSed and Shot Thru Nose.
Then Later Is Disabled by
ShrapneI From the Hun.
DIV Union Associated Press.)

New Y ork, Feb. S.-Gassed, shot
thru the nose and later disabled by
shrapnel is the war record of young
Philip Goetting of Seward, Kan, who
took part in the big Argonne forest
drive that turned the Hun back on
his way to Berlin after he was sure
of reaching Paris last September.
Goetting has just been received at
debarkation hospital NO ) IN TINS
CITY and altho he still hobbies about
by the aid of a cane, he hopes So on
to be sent on his way back to Kansas.
The young man was educated in
Kansas, CITY, Mo. where his two sis
tiers live. They are Mrs. Robert Cam
erlinck of 632 Elmwood street and
Mrs. John Wilson of 21O0 CARRIED
street. Goetting enlisted in May, 1915,
at the beginning of the Mexican trou-
BILE and was sent to Laredo, Tex, with
the old Third Missouri outfit. After
four months service he was sent back
to Neva la, Mo-, and mustered out. In
March, 1917, he was called back,
training for the big event at Camp
Nichols. Kan. and Fort Sill, Okla.
In April of last year he sailed for
France and after brief training was
sent to the trenches on the Alsace-
Lorraine front with Co. E, 40 in
fantry of the 35th division, made up
entirely of Kansas and Missouri men.
Trench raids occupied his time until
September, when he volunteered for
the second battalion scouts. whose
dangerous mission was to crawl out
over mo mans land during he
night on patrol and intelligent work.
His regiment was shifted TO the st.
Mihiel sector and he would have par
ticipated in that terrific drive had it
not started twenty-four hours earlier
than planned. The doughboys had
that situation well IN hand then and
Goetting and his scouts were sent to
the Argonne front. With his cCm-
French billets studying maps of the
trenches to prepare himself for the
dangerous performance ahead of him.
On the night of the 26th, when the
push began the scouts quietly crawled
over the top and out into the dark
ness, moving thru mud, water and
slime toward the German lines. getting
information and carrying it back to
the officers to be used in the direction
of fire and the movement of troops.
Everything went fine that first
night" said young Goetting today. as
he sat in the hospital. ION the sec
ond night things began to happen. We
crawled along several hundred yards
when a shrapnel burst near me. A
splinter struck the left side of my
nose and passed thru both nostrils,
coming out on the right side. Then
suddenly we crawIed into a hole filled
with sulphur gas. I had discarded my
helmet and could not get the gas mask
on in time, so 1 was soon choking in
the fumes. They burned my eyes and
filled my lungs. I crawied out into
fresh air, but the wound and the gas
got me and I was in a daze for about
an hour. When / came to l found my
nearest comrade had been shot IN the
head and l dressed the wound tenn
porarlly, and as it was getting light /
dug in A barrage fire surrounded us
in the meantime and the snipers tried
to get u.s. but we chung to the ground.
When the barrage lifted we managed
to get back to the dressing station. l
could not breathe thru my nose on
account of my wound. I did not think
that sufficient reason to get out of the
fight, so that night l went back again.
The lighting that night was terrible
We kept pushing the boches back and
had gone about a mile when a shell
| burst near me and a piece shattered
my right leg, tearing it badly. One of
my pals made pair of crutches out
of tree limbs and as the litter carriers
were pretty busy I managed to get
back TO the dressing station after hav-
ing given my self a first aid dressing
Since thai time l have been in nine
HOSPITALS