The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-03-27
y y
SOLDIER BOY LETTERS
Is x x x X X 4
From Emery N. NIcCleary.
Junkerath, Germany,

Feb. /, 1919
Dear Folks at Home. I received
your letter today and was sure glad
to get it, also received two from
NeYa. It was the first mail we have
. received this week. was glad to
said in her letter that Hazels moth
er was sick Hope she is better by
now. You. wanted to know how |
was getting along. Well l am get
ting along the best in the world l
have a good place to stay. There
stove, SO you see We keep warm al
right. I an1s on railroad guard now,
but don't know how long it will last,
hope the rest of the time we are
in Germany for you see l don't have
much to do. AS to when we will
get home, don't know much about
it; but don't think we will leave here
never tell what's going on in the
army. l am sending yau memo
randum our brigadier general sent
to US and l guess you can tell by it
where we were and what we have
been through. Guess Twill ring off
and and go up to the Y and play basket
am playing on K. With love to ali,
Emery N. McCleary.
Memorandum No. 4.
Headquarters 197th (Oklahoma)
Brigade, American Expeditionary
tha You have been chosen as part Of
cupy a portion Of Prussia, which
once boasted that it's soldiers were
the finest in the world. You have
been chosen to show the German
people what the American soldier is
and what every soldier. should be.
You were chosen for this honor be-
played the highest qualities which-a
soldier can possess, and in doing
this you have helped to make the
reputation of the Goth Division.
The 28th Division, THE kaiser's
Favorite;'' the 9th Division, the
2oth Division. the 117th Division,
Reserve Division, the 18th Division,
the 123rd Division and the 255th
Division of the famous German army
you have met, beaten and taken
prisoners from their ranks. The
names of Bots de Friere, Vilchey-
sur-Preny, Foret des Vinchere, Bots
f dss = ap %n and sdca1 snG Ere in
vile, Bourrut, and the Aincreville
Road, Halies, Villefrance, Wiseppe
and the, ruined bridge at, Sassy
north of the Argonne and lastly
.BaalOn and Stenay-all these recall
the merit Of your achievements.
In our first assault of September
18th, you attained every objective,
both natural and artificial, you prog
ressed. Counter attacks by superior
forces never checked your advance.
Finally in the raids of September
23rd and 26th you penetrated the
famous Hindenburg Line, winning
= No nj AT h
Commanding General of the 4th
Corps In the Argonne Sector you
again won the praise from the Com
manding General of the 3rd Corps
and also from the Commanding
General of the LIST Army for the
capture of Bantheville and the
heights north Of that place feat at
without success by others.
Again on November 10th after a
night march of Is miles you attack
ed, advancing across country swept
by machine gun and artillery fire
you entered the towns of Baalon
s WScs stf sRs cta the very Primes spot r te
height Of his power. directed the at
tack on Verdun. To halt your adj
vance the enemy threw in his last
division-it was beaten.
Not only did you gain every OBJ
1ective against which you were
launched, not only did you exploit
S ess oot to Of tes toek
you held, under fire from front,
flank and rear, shelled with high ex-
plosives and gas, machine gunned
and bombed by aircraft, whether at
Les HUT Chemins, Bots de Rappes,
Hill 210 or the Aincreville Road,
you held and improved your posi-
lions.
as days Ia under fire re- Without outW relief LIEF
(other than change of sector) of
that time you held the front line
alone for 10 days and at least half
of the divisional sector for SO days
more This despite the fact that
offensive, and executed six Of the Sc
we're minor operations undertaken
by the division, not to mention the
pursuit through the Bots de Halies
to the Meuse and the attack on
Courage and lighting ability are
mai mand aSw Of The s sedier EauaIIy a ad
mirable is that disciplined and
courteous behavior toward the
civilian population, particularly wo.
men and children, whether of friend
or foe which retains the friendship
OF 3llleS, and breaks down the
eid Of Of tas ee YOU Me9g we the
loved and often the people Of the
towns were heard to say these men
will fight we'll, the Americans are
indeed a great nation" while the
population Of the conquered terri
tory have nothing but praise for the
What the New Year will bring
we know not. Whether we will
shortly return to take up the battle
of Industry, OF whether we will
again be called upon to defeat the
forces of tyranny or anarchy we
await it with my Brigade in perfect
J. O. O'Neil,
Brigadier General, Commanding.
From WIN r. c,haSfain.