Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1919-02-22
PALISADE BOY SHOOTS
GERMAN IN BATTLE
ON HINDENBERC Line
Private Walter FIack Tells Modest
Story of His Own Fright as He
Saw Bosch Run, Then Shot.

Private Walter X. G. Flack of Pail
SADIE, who has been back from overseas
for some weeks, having spent Ions
time in French and English hospitals
was talking this week for the first time
about his experiences in the war Mod
est to a degree, young Flack said he
had not thought to go near any one or
the publicity end of newspapers, ant
for this reason few knew that he was
either back or that he knew anything
worth while.
But this is mistake, for he knows q
lot--a whole lot-and, while modest in
talking of his part in the war, he
nevertheless did that part of it that
counts the most. Not only was he in
the thick of the fight between Cambria
and st. Quentin and near the latter
place received his first wound, not a
serious one, it is true, disabling one
in the hand, but he got his man with a
shot
Belgium and France are long way
from Palisade," said the young sol
der land, while / can look back and
remember everything I went through,
the most of it would be similar to what
all soldiers experience. There is this
difference, however: We all have some
few experiences that every one cannot
have. But even these memories are
exciting"
Int ri n
was asked.
II was in Company X of the One
Hundred and Seventh Infantry, TWEEN
ty-seventh Division. We landed in
France on the 23d of May, 1918, and
spent month In training before we
began the march to the trenches by
stages which all new troops have to
make. We were sent to the Ypres sec
tor in Belgium. We had our first taste
of shell fire there, and have no shame
in remarking that my nervous system
turned more than one somersault as a
result In a dugOut bit back from
the trenches was situated our company
headquarters and a telephone station.
One night the Smelling was rather
heavy, and at about l o'clock in the
morning 1 was sent back to the tele-
phone station with a message. The
dugOut was nice, thickly sandbagged
affair and had the appearance of being
proof against the shells which were
coming over with too much frequency
for comfort, and mentally resolved to
spend few moments gossiping with
the operator. Safety first. l went in
and who was sitting there but Corpo
raj Conrad Breiby of the Signal Corps
and also of Palisade. If you have ever
been alone in the middle of desert
starving and with no tangible hope OF
getting out and you stumble into al
oasis where you find food and water
and a pack of letters from home that
has been waiting for you in the post
office, you can appreciate how l felt
We swopped stories about Palisade fol
over two hours-in fact, until l begaI
to fear that my captain would send il
report to the effect that Private Wal
ter Flack was missing in action OF
think had deserted and send firing
squad after me.
1.-The first time l ever saw German
soldier" he said, Il almost died of sur
prise and fright. I am convinced now
though that he was even more fright
ened, because he tried to run. l was
so surprised at that that l shot him.
had warned him to halt before that
however
II was wounded on the Doth of Sep
TENDER between Cambria and st. Quen
tin during the push for the famous
Hindenburg line. The battle has since
been written up in many newspapers
so that most every one has some sort
of an idea of what occurred. We broke
the line and for doing it paid the price
We went into the line there with 23(
odd men in my company and five Off
GERS. When it was all over there were
II men and one officer to answer mus
ter roll. The rest were numbered il
casualties. Every company in the reg
iment averaged about the same mum
Der of casualties. Myself and 10 Others
advanced ahead of our line, having
gotten lost in smoke barrage. AS {
result | spent AZ hours in the German
lines before being rescued by an Aus
tralian combat patrol which came
over to investigate a suspicious &C
ton of the Boche. Since the middle OF
October | have been in various hospi
tails in England and France. The da!
we sailed from Liverpool for New
York was happy one, and the best o.
it was that we arrived in time fol
Christmas dinner at home And here
| am, happier than 1 can say to be-
home, none the worse for my expert
ence and little wiser, l hope, for my
pains