The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-05-18

those days, few smuggled theil
machines along, and as result go
niue snaps OF he picturesque spot,
IN ana ABOUT Rolampont. The VII,
iage was situated on the main rail,
ROAD between .Ingres and Chau.
mont. and on the upper Aarne river
and the MRrne canal The river had
beautItul deep green pools; the cana
was bordered by tall. even rows of
trees, and A few kiloQeters down
the river was the old Fort Ligenville
crowning its bit OF hilltop. apd past
1t, blue on the horizon. stood the
medieval wallssof the plateau city OF
l'angtes, high guardian OF the sur
rounding country.
We had many chances 10 visii
these places, and noted with great
interest the sublerranean passages
and cham bers OF the old fort and the
walls and towers and old Roman
bridges and gates Of l.lngres.
with the beginning OF winters
breakup, We began conditioning
again by fairly long daily hikes and
drills, and some of the harder mem
bers OF the company were taking
baths in the Marine and the canal
even before the ice had disappeared
Toward the middle OF February
we received orders TO separate our
equipment placing all personal prop
erty and all excess government prop
erty in our individual barracks bags.
which were 10 be stored and guarded
until our return TO Rolampont FOR
rest tthe inference being, that at
last we were going into the real
zone OF battle)
Nearly all OF MS had leather puttces
and personally bought suit ,ot
clothes and shoes We all had much
surplus clothing. much OF which had
been received in the lately welcomed
Christmas boxes. At that time we
trusted implicitly In every promise by
the authorities; consequently we
stored away in our bags not only In
dlvidual and valuable pieces OF cloth
ing, but also personal papers OF equal
and more than equal value, firm In
the belief that we were to come back
and find them safe and sound again.
II turned out quite differently. We
left for the front. certainly. but We
were never permitted to return after
the barracks bags. not even after 'hc
war was over. and there never was
an attempt made sEiously to have
them returned TO us Officers
trunks. by some mysterious provt-
dence, were returned To them intact
ain ost universally. But the men suf-
fered the loss not only OF badly
needed clothing, but OF personal ef.
fects much more valuable A Few
OF our men, happening through
chance 70 pass through Rolampont
moths later. brought back word that
the whole storeroom had been CON
pletely rifled and Rutted by com
rades, with thg apparent wink!n.
Ot not out-and-oht permission) OF
the supervising officers.
However. this, as II was with the
hike. was TO be taken az one OF the
war experiences. and IL did not make
us any the less loyal.
We were now stripped down to
what clothes we had on. barring
spare underwear and sox and shoes,
and n couple of blankets--ready for
actual work at the front.
On February II the order came to
break camp. As always in French
the American soldiers had !
formed many friendships. and these
were broken with genuine regret
Tor the French had been good TO us
especially to the bows VINO mad Sc |
rured blllets in the homo OF tho VII |
agers.
We cleaned UP our camp, and set |
outside with packs rolled, about the |
big bonfire, waiting the order TO |
move. Late In the evening 1t came, |
and we formed and marched down |
% the quay at the railroad. whe'c |
oug train OF hoIcars was awaiting |
,ur arrival. by midnight we wore |
oaded on. and at in the morning |
ne left Rolampont. 10 take our posi- /
ions In the western thea.er Need |
sss TO say, we had the same Iuivery |
ceiling that invades tho frame Of the
on first appearance. no
natter how husky his bu.ld.
The weather was still cold for
ooxcar travel, so that we were quite
and frozen when late on
he evening OF February IS. we dc-
ralned at Moyen (Meurthe-et-
VI oselle) We discovered after we
that we were not supposed
q be there at all, But that was
merely the hlunder OF Il higher up"
md something that we were coming
~ that time 70 view with the tolcra-
Ion OF enforced experience. We
Iept warm few hours by budding
bout tho wheezy engine OF our
rain, and, when all arguments had
,een settled between the powers"
kindly sub officer, without authority
,ut with pity on US, riSked his neck
q lead us up town and TO requist-
Ion barn billets for US for the night,
We were routed out before day
Ight. and marched back down to
he station, where we partoOk OF "A
breakfast OF hard-tack. raw corned-
,eef and raw onions and coffee.
While we munched. we watched with
ky-glued eyes. our first air battles.
ar off in the tightening east. where
,ur plans and antl-aircrar guns
rere protesting vigorously the pas
age across our lines OF boche
lying formation.
At nine o'clock We strapped our
acks on and hit the highway In
uuad formation our path lay up
he Meurthe valley for n while. and
ere We gaEed for the first time at
ddly scattered little mounds with
heir weathercrowncd crosses at the
cad: graves of the brave French
,en who fell fighting desperately
D stem the first bloody Hun rush
oward Paris in 1914.
And shortly our road swung round
he foot OF vineyard hill. and we
iewed. while we approached II, the
artyr city OF Gerbervilier, perhaps
: good monument TO Hun vandal-
I'M as we were to see throughout
ne war. or the old town rhere was
OF building left standing. Even