Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-03-11

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every time he was under fire. And he
was under fire for days at time ANA
had gone over the top so many times
that the thrill Of adventure was miss
ing, but the mighty uncomfortable SEN
satiOn of having bombs and shrapnel
bursting around him was alwayt with
him.
In speaking of his work with the
gas regiment, he says they were equip
ped like the regular infantry but had
to carry french mOtar guns and the
bombs also. Hence when the gas regl-
ment advanced with the doughboys,
each man was loaded down with 1872
pounds of guns and bombs.
Instead of shooting gas flames at the
Heines, his regiment shot thermite from
a Stokes motar. This thermite was of a
material that burst iiito liquid of
melting iron and dropped over especial
" on the machine gunners. Besides fin
ishing the gunners, the thermite in its
melted iron drops would destroy q
machine gun. After going up in the
air like skyrocket the bomb would
burst, dropping the molten iron on the
machine gun nests, coming down like
heavy raindrops where tney couid do
the most good.
1t. st. Mihiel Rr1ve.
Mr.. Days first experience in looking
death IN the face was at the famous
st. Mihiel drive. At O'Clock III the
morning Of Sept. IL, 1918, under a
heavy barage, his regiment advanced
against the Germans in this sector that
the French had never dared to take
from the Germans,
The barrage, said at the time to be
the heaviest ever put over in the war,
permitted the gas men and doughboys
to advance over wire entanglements,
shell hoces and wire netting of all
kinds. The advance was steaay and
for five days Mr.. Day 5 regiment went
ahead so far of the mess wagons that
the eating of regular meals was out of
the question. At the end Of five DAYS
the Huns had been cleaned out OF the
famous sector.
Sent to Near Verdun.
From the st. Mihel salient, Mr.. Days
regiment was sent to a point 80 miles
northeast of Verdun and it was here
that Mr.. Day figured that his time had
come. Speaking of this time when it
seemed good bye to all earthly cares,
Mr.. Day said:
''The most serious time / ever had
was while working with the French on
the front lines putting over 4. N. I'll
from our Stokes motar. The Germans
threw over heavy barrage including
the trench in which / was stationed.
:" At thetime came positive orders for
myself and a few men on this front
line trench to fix bayonets and repel
the charge we knew was sure to come.
And when the heines came, they came
In punches and there was just a few Of
us with orders to hold.
We all knew it meant death or
capture and we had to just wait there
with fixed bayonets. And under that
strain of waiting l figured it was all
up with me. But for some reason. the
Germans decided to attempt to flank
the hill. Fortunately they were beaten
back and after the five hours of waiting
for the attack, we were relieved. When
the Germans threw a box barrage we
knew they were after prisoners and
they generally got few-.as with the
barrage on three sides of us, there was
no such thing as getting away or of
having reinforcements sent us.
shrapnel Nearly Got Him.
One time during the fighting when the
shells were getting uncomfortably close,
Mr.. Day thought he had his face shot
Dff and he was so sure of it that he
,alled a comrade to do some inspecting.
It seemed that piece of shrapnel
picked Mr.. Day out as a proper landing
place and it came so close that it flew
within half an inch of his mouth. Now
'hrapnel generally travels at such a
pace that things are pretty hot along
is way and when it passed Mr.. Days
mouth and nose there was such a vIoi-
mt burning sensation that he thought
he whole front of his face had dis
He was only convinced that
he shell had missed his head when
'omrade assured him the scenery looked
latural Anyhow, the burn was so SER
GUS that for three weeks he was unable
o shave and eating was serious prop
ion hfwt XXX ha.u (,otherr ynoAw
'sition. II
Among Mr.. Day s experiences are the
ollowing
Other Experiences.
Travelling to France on the President
irant with 5000 negro troops and $500
White soldiers. 1t was in the middle of /;
ne summer ard awfully hot Staying
n an army hospital one month with /,
he influenza. Riding for three days
md nights in small box car, staked
n just like cattle and 70 men to the
ar. Not room enough for all to lie
own at once, so they had to take turns
t sleeping. Three weeks at Brest when
ne conditions were so bad he felt lucky
0 get out alive. Walking bv an am
lunltion wagon when shell hit it,
up everything in the neighbor.
Ood, but getting out without a scratch.
And as q matter Of psychology, the
fermans at night would put out sounds
1st like screech owl, which was GER
linly not cheerful while on duty at
light.
Mr.. Day is for time with the Ladd
Bush bank, helping in the income tax