The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-02-25
OKLAHOMA UNIT
NEVER FL|NCHED
I IN FIRST FIGHT
Story Of l42nd Infantry Just
Reaches City,

pany A. land United States infantry
1hifty.siMh division. composed partly
oi members OF the old FIRST Oklaho
ma national guard regiment paf,ici
paied IN the first American division
ac''vtieS under French command on
thc Champagne sector in October 1913
fuf'ishcs the following account, pub
] 'rd IN France The article Is y.
j ! by Ben II. ChaStalne. their cap
O. H. and former Tulsa CORE spordent
a. The Oklahoma Publishing com
pSrv
nj, account has no, been pub
j I in America heretofore:
"e were 80 relieve = company ui
m 1eS Of the second division, who
W. lying in support about hall
. from the front line AZ this tune
the second division .waS the only
A. lean division On the Champagne
Sc 'or under French command" says
III account.
"on our front we were confronted
w. ,hchly-wooded hill which
served as rcdoubt for German ma
oh.re gun impllccments Con'e-
qucnily the open terrain before %, was
controlled by sweeping machine gun
fire. We were 10 attack under con
di,ionS extremely difficult As we pro
ccrdcd We were advancing in the
firt battalion under the command at
Cao'ain Kuhlman, acting major noyS
were ~ excellent spirits, often swing
ing into \ cadence tn the tune OF
Hail, Hail tn Gangs All Here
At Hindenburg Line.
"a, : o'clock in tho afternoon We
found ourselves ercampel ~ the
famous Hndenhurg lnc near Mont
~ nc On thl, spot. the armies Of
lr0ce and Germany had struggled IN
dca''ock ior four years. Only tive
dayS before the French and Ameri-
cans had diSlodged the hoche from
,hi, well.iortl'cd position. Nine
dead pallu' and three Huns added
their gha,ily spectacle 20 the dreary.
dcsoll,e landsca ape stretching away
in the cleaning. The ground was
li,-r,lly Strewn with hand grcnadeS
oi all types, innumerablc dulS (uucN-
y'' led shcllsl rifles. helmets, ma
chine guns aud other equipment. We
thn, received orr frs, impression OF
NJ -rn warfare.
at . ocock ,ha, night our guard
a. .cd and VIC started to the front
ur cover ot darkness That long
h,c will alway, lie remembered Over
an uncertain road We frequently were
forced TO retraCe our steps. Eight
O'Clock IN the morning found MS wear.
ily marching into position after hk
ing continuously all night under heavy
slell fire
First Time Under Fire.
I've dug IN alongside the company
Of marines we were TO relieve. as they
did NO, go to the rear until midnight
the following day The day broke
II was October 3 A runner dis
patched from battalion Headquarters
informed us to hold ourselves in rcadi-
ness 10 advance again', the enemy at
6.l8 A 8 o'clock the hills To- our rear
assumed volcanic attitude Whiz
bangs began TO scream over our heads
We awoke 10 the realization that the
blrfage had onened and m few
minutes We would experience the Thrill
OF our. lives in an initial experience ~
battle.
we iormsd in comba, group, il
readiness TO advance with fixed bayo
nets As Captain L',,ccr had beer
evacuated 10 the hospital on account
of his exhausted condition the mex
ranking officer, First Lieut. Ben II
Chas,aine, later destined to becom,
our captain was commanding officer
We were about 10 advance TO within
three hundred yards Of Our enemy un
der the protecting foliage OF a narrow
strip OF woods We now found our
selves at the edge OF the woods he
fore the open space that was bcln
swept by heavy machine gun fire "
debouched from the woods in skirmis
line and moved forward under a hcay
fire which was dcoimating our rank
All organization was soon suhmrrgc
in the confusion with various units ,
the regiment and the light now bccan
Rc"eral.
The Americans certainly prcscutc
formidable appearance as IN,
moved forward with fixed bayone
expecting hand-to-hand encount
with the hoches We were now ci
yeloping the hill and threatened
4, 81.
though a signal had been given Il
ra,-,a-tat Of mathne gun, fire cease
The bocheS had lost their nerve. II
hill was Won
Grenades "PCrsuaders."
"a few hand grenade> soon pc
suaded the Germans 20 come our
their dugouts and sing their sw,
song. Nearly three hundred prlsone
were taken The hill being taken ,
were next TO advance our lines as (
as possible before nightilll But {,
Germans were well prepared for II
and began Shelling the territory ov
which we were to pass The barra
reached the intensity OF drum-itc Al
II seemed impossible TO advance r
the Americans pressed dosgedly fc
ward aud advanced mile beic
darkness. They had advanced so /
ahead OF their right flank that
awkward salient had been formed
this disadvan,aReous position Tn
'ullenly withdrew a quarter OF a m
70 the rear and again established
hne.
Being established. they cain
awaited the coming Of the Doc
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