The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-09-18


hoSpital. mon whose wounds Will keep
: th,ru long from civil life. The flags OF
rho marching regiments were dipped u
, them IL passing.
ROWS of French "75's."
! l.pon the row on row Of French "15s"
with which TWO of the artillery rrs!-
: rncn,s were armed. the crowds gaZ'u
with almost the same affection france
FOOLS for these weapons that have ocen
( called her S,viorS. Ahead ot inc SiN'n
! artillery. still in ITS battle front canlou.
/ narc and stained with the mud Oh
( L,ro,rc the long slim gun that sent 'he
first shot Of America into the enemy
lines. rode u place or honor
! over historic Pennsylvania. the Amer
! lean Way Cf Victory marked out more
+ than ufiy years ag" by the returning
! him. clad lrg.ons of the army of the
! pnIumac. the First division, American
rxncJr,,nuarv force. marched today. IL
was WaShlngtons first great parade OF
! tho war. and il was conceived and car
| ricd our as the nations tribute not
| alone To the veteran lighting men VINO
! marched but 10 the whole great army
the nation created TO make certain 'ns
utter defeat Of German dreams OF worio
conquest.
Marching in mass formation and
equipped with all the guns. gas throw
crs and countless other dcath ocallhs
devices Of front line service. the flrs'
! Division. fresh home from France,
moved along the broad avenue. hNlhs
tide Of sunburned lighting manhood that
! nIled the street from curb to curb. In
their khaki and olive drab uniforms inc
! mc1, swung by as rcsistlcssly as inc
spring floods Of the Mississippi. ABOVE
leach solid block Of infantry rose the
grim line of bayoncts, the olued sI"ei
Elinting DULY as 1t caught the Hshs
Farther back came the long lines OF
field guns. French "T5's' to which french
officers have said France owes her sal,
walton, and after all the trains ana
wagons had rumblcd by came a oa'
talon Of tanks, streaked and yello~ed
with naint to conceal them from enemy
ewes, but now growing and clanking
their way behind the troops IN noisy re-
Spouse to tho cheers that greeted thetn-
Nothing Lacking.
There was nothing lacking to make
the narade an epitome of the whole VAST
army American skill and indomitaole
will had created to meet and beat tho
enemy at his own game Thcre Wero
guns of all the types used IN france
that could be moved through the streets.
Machine guns. big and little. bristlcd
among the rflcmcn: squat mortars 10
hurl bombs from the trenches; high
mounted rifles which peered skyward as
though still in search or enemy myers
Some of the guns were horse-drawn
some trundled behind painting motor
trucks or tractors The show was as
complete as the ingenuity OF the war
department could make II. a cross sec
ton Of the American expcditionary
forces.
But Il was to the lines Of the khaki
clad. brown faced men themselves that
first interest OF the thronging croWds
all along the wide avenue turned. Inc
home coming Of the first unit or Amerl-
can man power to cross the sumarlhe
infected seas was in marked contrast 70
its silent, mysterious. unrcported de-
parturc. and tho men and women along
tho way seemed to feel the significance
Of the spectacle. They recalled the
days when the nation waited in word
less anxiety to hear that these Same
smiling, free striding boys had come
safely TO a French harbor. those other
days when the first word filtered back
that the boys had begun to prove their
courage in action. and the slow coming
lists that carried the names OF the men
who sleep forever in France.
Fired First Gun
To one regiment OF long, trim "T5'S
IN unusual honor was accorded. tn"
| field artillery was placed between inc
two infantry brigadcs instead OF march
ing behind the infantry. for it was
G battery Of the Sixth which fired the
first shot at the Germans on October %.
1917. A standard told the onlookcrs that
at last they saw the very guns whose
thunder had carried that first message
OF defeat into the enemy ranks.
Throughout the long line markers
were frequent telling what tho strange
implements Of war over which they
floated were used for Among the
watchers were thousands upon thouS-
| ands Of government clerks who have
dealt for months with endless streams
OF papers. talking OF bombs and guns
ands Of government clerks who have
pontoon bridges machine guns. gas
tbroyers flame projectors and all the
other complicated var equipment Of tho
troops. Never before have these workers
Mt homo seen all these tools Of warfare
in their own warlike setting. however.
, and the parade was an education for
them
IN tho avenue at the head Of the d.
vision rode Major General Edward +.
McGlachlin. commanding. and with him
rode two former commanders of the di-
vision, the first to go and the last Of
the divisions to come home. They were
Major General William l.. Sihcrt. who
took It to France and Lieutenant Gcncr-
al Robert l. Billiard who took il into
action and surrendered command only
to take a higher post. Marching ahead
Of the formations also, came a host of
officers and men who saw their first
service with the First Division in France
later to 20 to other units as instructors.
Then came the First Infantry brigade.
marching in the French mass forltation.
twenty-four mon abreast across the aV-
cnue led by the Third Machine Gun Bat
TALON with it's motorized guns. The in
fantry marched in column Of tours four
companies abreast and with officers and
file closers ahead. leaving III" men to
form a solid block of bayonc'S for each
battalion The Sixteenth Infantry vet
Grams Of the bitter fighting nj cantiEny
where Franco learned in what fashion
America could and would fight. and !
brcathCd free again after months or
strain. led the way. After its three hat ,
talon blocks had passed came TN" 18th
Infantry in similar formation followed ;
by the First Machine Gun battalion Of
the brigade.
The Sixth Field Artillery cam" next
followed by tn" Second Infantry brigade
comDnScd Of the 2fth and "Sth infantry