The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1919-01-31

/ but get 1t through.
1 On the morning Of November 10,
when the Second Army launched its
iattack Oh the famous Hindenbere line
lbtfare Metz, the ODD Division. with
which WAS during this big attach,
WAS holding tie line Of Nantiiere3-St
Michel -yon- Nofly. During HE entire
| engage msnt, Which lasted ON saven
o'clock the morning II tho 10th to
eleven am. Of the lith., the cntire
3ignal corps fanctioned splendidly. and
as one man, keeping up communica-
tions. installing new lines, repairing
those shelled out,
Iii writing the "finis 10 this leief
mention Of this important army uait
made up If young eolotea men, il is
fitting that | tell 1T the particular
work done by the boys OF Ills 81 'lit
con on the first day iii tile Als,a bat
tie. Shortly after tine ha4faee was
lifted, the big guns of the eisenay be
gan shelling pont-a Mousson. The
first shells, Us | wildly recall, hi Oh
lhe edge of the city, and then grad
aally they began neppering the sanal
battalion station. Sergeant Rufus
II. Atwood, II the ist Platoon, was
seated in the cellar near the switch
board; Private Edgar White was OPP
Grating the switchboard, and Private
Clark the buzzerphone. Several offir
GERS and men were standing In the
.dugont' eellar. Suddenly 4 German
shell struck the top, passed through
the ceiling aud wall and exploded,
making havoc OF thr cellar. L!eatan-
ant Walker, colored, who arrived just
at the time, displayed admirable eonr-
age. He took immediate charge, and
directed things. Sergeant Atwood
tried out the switchboard, and found
all lines broken. He found, ON trying
it, the bnzzerphone out Private White
then received orders To stay on the
switchboard, and Corporal Adolphus
johnson on the buzzerphone. The
tweIye-drop monoeord board was
nailed up by White, and then began
the connecting up Of the lines from
the outside to the monocafd hoard.
All this time. the shelling around this
point by the Germans was fierce and
deadly shells hitting all arannd the
boys; struck nearby ammunition
dump causing the explosion OF thou
sands of rounds Of ammunition, which
caused d terrific shock and all lights
to be extinguished. But still these
men worked on, and would not leave
this dangerous post, veritable target
for the enemy's big guns, until the
lieutenant of the military police ar
rived and ordered them out.
What these boys Of the 325th Sig
nal Battalion have not learned re
speeding radio, telephone, and tele-
graphic work is of little advantage to
any one. What they have learned
about it will Be of great advantage TO
them when they return in making
living. The 325 Field Signal Battalion
whose rank and file is made up of
colored men, has been a marvellous
success.
Croix de Gaerra for Gallant Men
of Old ssth illinois
Colonel Roberts has requested that
the following officers and enlisted
men of the old 9Th illinois Regiment,
which has been brigaded with the
French since being IN France, be dec
GRATED with the Croix de Guorre for
distinguished service. The request was
made to the commanding general of
the 59th Division, French Army. Lieu
tenant Colonel Otis b. Duncan, Major
James r. White, Captains John II.
Patton, John T. prout, Samuel II.
Gwynne, Devere j. Warner, George
NJ. Allen, James II. Hall, Stuart Alex
ander, Mathew Jackson, First Lieu
tenants Park Tancilfi 0sceola A.
Browning, George Lacey, Frank Rob
inson, Claudis Ballard, Charles G.
Jackson, William Warfield, Samuel s.
Gordon, Robert L. Hurd, Harry w.
Shelton, Second Lieutenants Henry
IP. Cheatham, Stanley B. Norvell, Roy
Tisdell, Thomas A. Painter, Lawson
Price, Lincoln D. Reid, Elmer ]. Mey-
ers; Sergeants Norman Henry and
Clarence b. Gibson; Corporals James
II. Brown, Lewis Warner, Joseph Hen
derson, Maceo A. Tervalon, William
Stevenson and Elmer Laurent; Pri-
Yates Nathaniel White, Robert Pride,
George h, White, Howard Sheffield,
Ulysis Sayles. Cornelius Robinson,
William Cuff, Hugh Givens, Arthar
johnson, Charles T, Monroe, Ruffus
Pitts, neery Brown, Albert Dorsey,
| William liu1ale, Bee Mskissi IL, Jonas
Paxton Harry Pearson. Paul Turling-
ton, Reed !. Brown, Paul Johnson,
Reedy Jones, Alonza Keller. Leroy
Lindsay. Tavern Massey, JOSIAH Me-
vees, Ira Taylor, and Jesse Ferguson.