Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-03-17
(By Earle H. .Tostevinl

"I'd rather he. sleeping, in q shell
hole than riding this boat" groaned
Hans Ramstead. q Dodge, N. d.. car
benter, who Originally enlisted with
the Dickinson Machine Gun company
Of the Second North Dakota regiment,
was transferred to the First regiment
Machine Gun, company on reaching
was further transferred to the First
Machine Gun battalion Of the first d.
vision upon arrival in France, be-
sides the old regiment men,.
He was one Of six North Dakota
men on board the President Grant
which carried the 164th infantry
homeward. !,
The others: who were in a hospital
were Oscar Bakken. Go. II. 3Sth in
Bender, Jr., Co. B, 12sth infantry,
Ashland. N. d.: Pvt. Winfield Coe. Co.
A, 360th infantry, Goth division. New
Rockford; Chris Hammond, Co. F,
127th infantry, Penn. N. d. Pvt. John
Wilfred Miller. Bowman. N. D.. was
included on the sailing list but was
too sick to nov and it was necessary
to leave him at Brest.
Ramstead was suffering from a
regular barrage Of joy to think that
he could go home with his old regi-
ment. He, tells some interesting sto-
ries about his experiences at the
front, and he was in plenty of action
in all sectors, Too, he has some rather
.%grievous information concerning the
fate Of the original men from the
North Dakota regiments machine
gun company.
80 Left in France.
According to various information I
have gained during the past several
months, and verified by Ramstead.
the North Dakota men originally
went into the lines in the Toul sec
tor.
One hundred and eleven men were
transferred from the 164th to the
first division. on January Is, going to
Bonnet, near Toul. An even 100 of
these went to the First Machine Gun
battalion, the others to the second
battalion. AS an indication of the
worth of the preparatory training
out in machine gun drill for n day,
given gas instruction and taken into
the lines the following day. IT,
Although there were numerous
sharp brushes with raiding parties in
that sector, it was not until the divi-
sion moved to Cantigny that the men
had real warfare. In fact that was the
AAot oCA 4VAo OOkk4A4A6 VI oily III 4OA
the American forces.
The first battalion was brigaded
with the 10th and the 18th infantries.
The move, to the positions before
Cantigny and Montdidier was made
April 26 and the assaults upon the
town and its capture were effected
May %.
but it only took us two hours" said
Ramstead. THAT was the first time
we went over the top" =
In a previous article I have out
lined the history of that fighting.
Ramstead was wounded during one
Of the eight German counter attacks.
A piece of shrapnel went through his
continued down into his shoulder and
broke the collar bone. He was in the
hospital about a month.
His further wanderings were of
course identical with those of the
other boys from North Dakota who
had been transferred to the first d.
! vision. After Cantigny had been won
and the positions secured and the
Boche driven back several kilome-
tiers. the men were relieved and NOV
ed to. scissors on July 10, where they
Joined the forces repeliing the on
rushing Hun. From there the batta.
lion was moved back to the Toul sec
tor to relieve the French and after
a few weeks in that section were
moved to the st. Mihiel front. With
the shifting of the heavier operations
to the Argonne woods the battalion
found itself located slightly north OF
Verdun.
Through the days Of the terrific
hammer blows Foch was hurting al
the Germans and which eventually
forced the Hun to retreat and retreat
until his weary legs were saved fur
Their running by the signing of the
armistice, the North Dakota machine
gunners were hurting their Thousands
Of rounds of ammunition at the foe.
On October 9, Ramstead was again
wounded. This time a piece Of shrap-
mel in his hip.
The North Dakota men, were still
going, still working. and fighting" he