Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1919-01-08

O0A AAANd0J 4pA sc ld44lly, Ill Tie 10TH
OF nice baby colt. We have carried
1t with US ever since, and the fell;
lows think the world of it. It has
been on every front with us and is
now some veteran.
Our life there consisted mostly of
water, feed and groom in the morn
ing and firing on the range in the af-
ternoon
We had many interesting exper-
fences at this camp, among others
our flrst liberty in French city, this
city being Rennes, place of about
100000 population. But / will tell
you all about this place later-let's
get up to the front.
With everything in ship-shape.
spirits high, and biting at the bit.
we started out for we knew not
where. We loaded guns, horses, and
all equipment and once more started
on those little old boxcars. This was
also two days ride-corned beef
and bareback. We detrained at the
historic city of Belfort about s
O'Clock in the morning of June s. Be-
fore we had chance to become very
interested in this wonderful city, an
air battle took our attention. It was
dandy! Fritz came over to see who
the newcomers were They shot
anti-aircraft guns at him for while
Dut he rather seemed to enjoy the
bursts OF the shells away up there in
| the air
So French plane went up, circled
around him couple of times, took
few shots at him. Fritz's only reply
was tail-spin down to mother earth
IN flames! This was our first air
battle, and also an incident that we
remembered for a long time
Belfort is a typical old medieval
city 1t was surrounded by a moat
and drawbridge and still retains lis
Old Notifications which are hundreds
OF years old. The city is surrounded
by two rows of hills which made it
impenetrable in the olden days. Gaze
sar at one time held this city and
from that day down to the present
time it has been a very historic and
interesting place. 1t is partly on ac-
count of this strongly fortified place
that Influenced the Hun to take the
northern route, through Belgium, to
Paris instead Of taking the southern
route
A hike from here took us up TO the
quaint old city of Anjouley. we
only stayed here a few days, and
then moved up to our first position
| In the lines. Our trip had at last
landed us in that old state of Alsace
We were the first American soldiers
ever on German soil! 1t was a few
days before Fritz's airplanes located
us. They fired a few shots at us, but
they passed over our heads and ex-
ploded some distance behind us.
! 1t was on Wednesday, June II,
that firing data began coming down
to us over the telephone. About ten
minutes to four the skipper came
to us, and told us to be ready to go
into action. If ever minutes seemed
to go slow it was then. We made
sure that the sights were in the aim
/ ing post, we examined the bubble"
to be sure that it was level; we tested
the lanyard to be sure that it was in
readiness. Everything was perfect
Why didn't they give us the order to
/ fire? Each minute seemed an age,
until finally the order to fire came.
Number one man grasped the Ian
yard, hesitated but moment. then
let it go. 1t was just 4 o'clock that
our first bit of shrapnel began it's
journey toward Fritz's lines. We
were anxious to see the result, but it
was impossible-the shell had ex-
ploded just behind little HILL right
in Fritz's lines. That was the first
one, but many followed it in the days
| to come-the war was on!
| During the following weeks we
/ held Fritz's lines continually but 1t
was far from a one-slded affair. He
also gave us a good education in
lodging shrapne1 and the unpleasant
act OF DOMINIC gas mask every
! time that Fritz saw fit in investing
our lines with his deadly fumes. We
learned that Sherman was right. but
later learned that he was only mild
One day we fired barrage and hung
IS Germans on our barbed wire, but
outside OF this little engagement
don't know what damage we did.
We moved our position several
times until just before we left we
were stationed on hill overlooking
the city of Mulhausen Although
Mulhausen was full of German ma
chine gunners we never fired on the
city. We soon pulled out and again
boarded those old freight cars. This
was another two days trip. We pass
ed through Paris and detrained at
Ormoy Villers and liked to Pont st.
Nance. Our stay at this place was
short one-action had begun up at
Chateau Thierry and we were soon
under way.
First call was sounded at a. M
on the morning of July 81 6 o'clock
found US under may to meet the
enemy in the second battle of the
Marne
We rested only when it was neces-
sary and the caissons rolled along
all day and until far into the night.
When rest finally came, we had left
the peaceful little villages of Chau-
mont, Bully, Dury and Creepy, far be-
hind Before nightfall we began to
enter and pass through what had
once been peaceful little villages, but
now were nothing but ruins Things
began to look rather warlike, but
again curiosity overcame fear. The
mind was at its highest pitch.
Everyone was searching the dark
ness ahead for the retreating form of
Fritz hut nOnn q nnparpd No wnra