The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-01-16
!


the way Ivan Dakln. of sanitary
train of the 9lst Division. starts IN
description Of the artillery fire when
the famous division Of Western men
went into action al the edge of the
ArgOnne forest.
That night the word came. he
says. that she was going TO open up.
Nothing but ammunition was moved
up to the front, and the men were fur
nished only with bully beef and hard
tack. The woods were full of field
artillery. and great naval guns,
mounted on railway trucks were moved
up. They were only about 500 feet
from where We were stationed. The
ambulances were brought up and hid
behind a hill.
Il went to bed and was Just asleep
when it started. IL seemed that the
world had come to an end. Those guns
all started at once. You should have
seen US get up and get out of that
house. The shock of the guns was 50
We went up on a hill where We could
see things, and it was a sight | will
never forget. The flashes from the
guns made it so light that one could
read paper. 1t was one of the big
gest barrages ever laid down. The
firing lasted until FIVE o'clock and then
the boys went over the top. The
Huns had held this line since 1914.
With daylight quietness seemed to
settle over everything. but there was
so much powder smoke everywhere
that you could not see much-just like
heavy fog. The company had come
up during the night and had set up the
hospital. joined them Soon the
ambulances began coming, and some
Of the boys were in pretty bad way,
and by afternoon the prisoners began
arriving. AS mary as 200 in a bunch
sometimes, with only one M. p. show
ing the way and one in their rear.
After two days We moved on up. so
the ambulances, having hard work of
il in the mud, would not have to travel
so far. We got on the old front lines
and saw enough barbed wire to fence
the world But our barrage had sure
cut it up some. The roads were made
frightful. but our engineers were
right on the job We reached AVIAN.
court, once fine village but, as we
found it, only few walls and debris.
Finally we reached point but three
miles behind our front and past our
own.artillery. We put our hospital up
in some woods and got busy. The
wounded sure did come in. This was
one of the worst sectors the Allies
have pushed, and it took lot of men
to do it. We sure worked there. No
time to rest. Wounded were here,
there and everywhere. and shells close
about were not uncommon. Unless it
fell in few hundred feet, however,
we didn't pay any attention to it.
The air was filled with fighting planes.
We were here several days, but most
Of it | want to forget, if possible.
You may read Of the horrors Of war
but if you had seen what | did there
in those woods you would want to for
get it as soon as possible.
"The Huns certainly got out in a
hurry, leaving everything, tons of
munitions and guns by the hundreds.
Zone day we had plenty of excite
ment. There they came, count them
And every one bombing plane. Our
aircraft guns got busy. but on they
came, straight at the hospital. They
went over us about 400 yards up. We
were certainly excited We had a
number of their machine guns, and we
got them out and began using them.
had one over stump and was shoot
ing like hell. We shot everything,
rifles, pistols, everything that would
shoot. We expected every moment to
be bombed. But they passed on over
Just as though we had not existed.
They went on up the road and gave it
to the engineers.
"Our Division, going in as green
unit, did better work than the old out
fits. They were cited for their good
work. We were finally relieved and
went back for rest.
when we were moved up into Bel
GUM, the company went by rail but
went overland with the motorcycles.
1t was a great trip. | went through
Chalons. Rheims and then on to Eper-
nay. At Rheims | saw what was left
Of the Cathedral | went on to Cha
teau Thierry, to Meux and by way Of
Paris. We reached Dunkirk. where
we were to have met the company
again, but they were out on their way
and we pursued. We saw Ypres, but
about all that is left now is a sign.
board with the name. We caught the
company at Roulers. We went into
action again here, and it was about
the worst place we had been because
of the habit of the Huns coming over
every night and dropping bombs. They
came near getting US the first night
out of Roulers. We moved on a bit
and put up our hospital, but things
were not as bad as they had been in
the Argonne forest. 1t was an oper
country and we had the Boche running
so they were not very bad We went
out for rest and then returned to oul
location at Wengheim. where the news
Of the armistice came.
"I'll never forget that. The Fourth
of July celebrations are not in it.
Mr.. Dakin's letter, over 80 pages,
gives history of his organization
from the time it left New York unit
after the armistice. He sailed from
New York aboard the Olympic, the
second largest ship afloat.
Mr.. and Mrs. c. S. Field submit 8
portion of letter recently received
from their son. Herbert r. Field, who
was transferred from company clerl
in Co. H, l58th Infantry, to the per
sonnel office in Regimental Headquar
ters Co., 322nd Inf, A. E. F.:
well got to the front after all
Although was not in the fight; how
ever. my regiment was in it on the 9tt
of November, after which they wer,
relieved by other regiments of oul
division, which, by the way, is tn,
Slst. Our losses were not very heav,
considering the hard proposition tn,
were up against. Capt. Bradt (wh'
was in charge of the personnel when
was first assigned to duty with thi
regiment) was among the killed. | an
not going to try to tell you much nov
as it will be much easier after | ge
back. | will never forget the day tina
the armistice went into effect
"At II O'Clock sharp all guns arount
US ceased firing right on the dot.
was quite relief to know that tn
war was over We could hardly he