The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1919-04-03
MONANCO SOLDIER
GIVES EXPERIENCES
WAS THROUGH WORST or FIGHT.
ING in FRANCE
Aberdeen News Reporter Gets story
from Ed. Ensminser While Pas
ing Through

ing Through
Aberdeen, s. D., March 21--Edward.
Ensminger, aged 20 years and about
six months, whose, home. is at Monan
go, N. D., whose forbears were all
natives Of Russia was visitor to
Aberdeen yesterday, en- route over the
Milwaukee to Fort Sheridan, ILL.,,
where surgeons in United States
army hospital will apply further treat
ment to his left forearm, which he
has carried in a sling ever since the
early morning of October is, 1918,
when. in France a high explosive
shell fred from German gun, ex-
plo1ed within five PAGES Of him, shat
tering that forearm and tearing the
flesh from both his legs about the
knees.
Ensmipger said that he did not be.
lieve the wounds from that high ex-
plosive shell would have affected him
80 seriously. had 1t not been for the
fact on the 30th Of July of the same
year a rife bullet had struck him Just
below the heart and knocked several
of his ribs out of plumb putting him
out Of the running for some weeks.
However, the wound in his side has
healed and does not annoy. his legs
are nearly as sound as ever and he.
feels that after the surgeons have
given his left forearm more attention,
he will be ready to return to active
farm work.
"My folks, when I was In France"
he said, "did some funny things.
They wrote me letters ordering me to
sit down right where was and write.
them, and often thought what d psrs
fectly wonderful young fellxf r
would have been, had 1 been able to
take my pen in hand and write to
the folks, while with my rifle. in the;
other hahd I helped the other boys in.
the American army fight the Huns
who were rather numerous in our
vicinity over there when my folks
were insisting upon letters from me.
It was one Of the peculiar things
about the American boys in my
neighborhood that they would not let
anything, under the sun keep them
away from the. firing line. If they
were able physically to be there and
that popularity on their part was
very annoying to the Huns. All the
boys folks did the same funny things
and the boys often remarked upon
the fact that mothers did not know
that it was flghing first ami writing
afterwards, II there was anything left
of them which would hold a pen. We
could not carry q large supply Of
writing paper and envelopes with us
into the trenches and over the plains
and fields and besides you cannot
write a letter very easily when you
are on the march or going over the
top. It would not be easy to read.
Therefore. the folks at home did not
get as many letters as they were en-
titled to; while we were away, but
they did afford us a lot Of amuse-
ment. in the way they roasted us for
not writing. But. God bless 'em,
every one Of their letters helped us
to fight harder and think aided in
ending the war;
Private Ensminger came to Aber-l
deem from Monango and on April 18,
1917, enlisted with Company 4 Of
this city. He went to training camp
with that Organization and after the
breaking up Of that organization. was
sent to France, arriving there about
January "a, 1918. He entered the:
trenches at Lorraine, with the 42nd
or Rainbow division Of the American,
army. He helped to hold the Ger
mans at Lorraine, and in that fighting
he was known as number 9S,247,
which indicated that he was among,
the first hundred thousand Americans
to get into the fighting.
At Chateau Thierry, In the fighting
Of July 80. Ensminger received the
wound in the region Of his heart
which put him out Of the ranks and
in hospital for a time. but he re-
turned to the front soon enough to-
experience the st. Mihiel fighting ami
then get into. the Argonne forest
scrap. where, at about, 2 o'clock in
the morning Of October Is, 1918 q.
high explosive shell burst, almost IN
his face, infiicting the wounds from
which he still sufIers and killing the,
men all about him. He went again to;
tSn 1nar,ifo1 omds 49,. zs n,,oro r. 5;,1n.f,a