Arizona republican., 1919-02-16

clothes and two days later moved onto the front at Benay Benay was a small town but cleaner than most and had some good buildings. While there we were shelled pretty hard and lost sev- eral men. From there we moved onto | the front at St. Binort which was to our left. That is a small place but very [ pretty. There was a chateau there built in 1732 which had been a beauty | until the Germans burned it with in- cenciary shells. The walls were left ! standing. also some rooms were in [ tact There was a pretty little park ] around it. The first night we were there they shelled us with about eight | or ten inch shells and l was on the road all night. l was bringing in field 1 kitchens and wagon trains. I was knocked down three times by explod- ing shells but no shrapnel' touched me. They gassed us pretty regular there and shelled us at regular intervals. We Stayed there for about two weeks then one night about seven o'clock we moved out under full packs. IL was raining again and had been pretty regular We hi{ed until seven thirty next morning when we reached Bu  until D. m We then had supper and moved out at D. m. We hiked about fifteen kilometers and stopped for the night in an old. monastary We left there about D. m. in trucks and daylight next morning arrived in a lit- tie town in the edge of the Argonne woods I've forgotten the name. We received replacements there getting 1900 men from the S6th division. We were there about three days and then hiked to .Eclis Fountaine which is composed of few shell wrecked build ings.
 We dug in there and stayed. about a week. I've lost all track of time and then moved onto the front in the Banthevlle woods. Then was when we run into hell for fair They sheled us twenty three hours out of twenty four with everything from one pound- CTS to ten inch shells. Myself and my men were out every day but we all came through all right. One d1y l was sitting peacefully eating supper when they dropped a three-inch shell within five feet of me. l never heard it un
 til it hit and exploded. It knocked me down blew my helmet off my head, spilled part of my coffee. filled my mess kit full of muck and 1 don't be- lieve a piece of dirt ever hit me. l got up laughing and the lieutenant stepped out the door and asked me if it hit me and when | told him No but look at my beans" he started to laugh and had the cook give me more supper
 That was only one of hundredsAf such incidents which l could relate. Vt was simply the mercy of God that it didn't tears me 10 pieces. One day a shell made a direct hit on a hole with two men in it. It killed one of them cut
 ting him literally to pieces, and. never scratched the other one. We held that position for twelve days and then on November list. "over the top" again | There was no comparison between it and the other drive. Bn. Hqtrs. broke . the first line of resistance that morn l ing and that was one sweet little scrap as long as it lasted. I never thought a machine gun could shoot so fast and close We captured about fifteen | guns but there wasn't many prisoners 1 taken. It was there got three bullets { through the pack which l carried On my back. Things were happening 90 fast that we were through them before we knew it. The second bunch were | i There were three of Us about fifty ] yards ahead of the rest when they opened up on us. l was in the middle and the man on my right yelled. "They got me. Roy" By the time I got him dressed and in shell hole the man on my left was down, l dropped my gun and got him into a shell hole out of danger and then got my sun again and
 made for another hole, just as l drop
 ped into it they shot my gun in two waited till 'T company came up and then got out and picked up an
 ether gun. Shortly afterwards we 1 reached our 1st objective and the 2nd
 battalion of our regiment went by us and took the first wave of the fight We layed where we were about an ! hour and they shelled US to a finish. We were under direct observation by ! all the enemy. so they had no trouble | locating us with their shells. Then is i when it is hell. when you have to lay
 and listen to the shells whistle in and
 wonder which one is going to get you
 The man don't live who isn't afraid
 of shell fire.
 We helped the second battalion in
 the woods and then that night dug in
 On a steep hillside. We weren't
 shelled at all NeXa morning the sec
 ond battalion was supposed to mov5
 out of the woods under our barrase
 hut they did not get organized in timt
 and then had to move out without any
 barrage. and we had to help them
 That was hell for fair. Our losses
 were awful heavy. One platoon of fiji
 weight men were wiped out except
 for about twelve men, while taking a
 couple of nests. That is, killed ant
 wounded. We finally got them goine
 and kept it up all day but had bitter
 resistance. They shelled us continual.
 ly. We reached our final objective
 about D. m. It was nearly dark by
 that time, as it had clouded over ant
 been raining all day We dug in ther,
 and l will never forget that night. W' were all wet and muddy from flop.
 ping" into wet shell holes. I had
 neither a slicker or overcoat but fin
 ally found a German blanket whicl my partner and covered up with: W, Eaz1 - v