The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-20
Arkansas Lad Who Captured
Thirty-Nine Huns Decorated

Tall and straight as the pines and
oaks Of his native Ozark hills, modest
AS a mountain lass is Private T.. g.
Hu~fstedder, lanky, blue-eyed Arkansan,
scarcely entered into his twenties. He
was not a second elder or former con-
scientiOus OhJeCtor when he went TO
war. but Just d plain country boy who
enlisted in the world conflict like hun
dreds OF thousands more such Ameri-
can lad in earnest response to call OF
country. lie belongs to the Christian
church me with his brothers and sis
ters every Sunday before he Joined
the United States marines he would
hear the simple gospel preached at the
little frame edifice, where worshipped
the members of the Christian church
Of Birdell, Ark, q little hamlet in the
midst Of the Ozarks Of Randolph
Gazing into the innocent looking eyes
OF Private Hufstedder and hearing the
simple recital Of his brave deeds, elic-
tied only after some ooaxing, 1t was
clean lived boy had. single-handed,
captured 80 Huns, among them a cap
tain and several noncoms, turned them
about face and, calling the aid of a
messenger passing, marched them back
Of the lines.
"''Twarn't nothin' much to do"
drakled the lanky private, Those
Heinies were Just scared to death. l
run upon them huddled In a dugout and
opened fire on them with my rifle and
tossed a few light grenades into their
'eepting' to send one of them west.
After that when threats were thrown
at them that a whole darned regiment
OF men with bayonets drawn were
comm up they commenced jumping
like Sleeps through a fence hole to get
over the parapet, all the time yelling
'kamerad,' They seemed glad enough
to get under Uncle Sans care, where
you eat three squares a day. called
another guy, q messenger passing, to
help march the Fritzes in, l didn't
think 1t was important enough to ask
this guys name. He was a messenger
TO regimental headquarters.
II said to him, Much obliged He
answered you're welcome and that
was all. Amt nothln' big in that was
they"
Wins Coveted Cross.
However, Uncle Sam thought his
n other deeds performed by Private
Householder were big enough to
cross, and he has received numerous
citations for b~ravery-once since his
return to America.
However, the exploit which won for
Private Hufstedder the coveted cross,
the highest honor the United States
army has TO bestow. happened some
weeks prior to the capture of Germans,
as recited above. The capture was
made in the Champagne sector in Oc-
tober, 1918. IN the memorable battle
of Chateau Thierry Private Hufstedder
by his heroic action won for himself
the right to wear the cross which was
awarded him some weeks later.
With a whoOp and a blood curdling
yell the Fifth marines went over the
top early in The day Of June Q at Cha
teau Thierry, In the first wave of
fighters that went over was the Ar.
kansan,
Hun after Hun fell at the crack of
his rifle, his steady eye unflinching,
his aim true as steel. The call to
charge the trenches came. The pace
was redoubied. In the act of fixing n
hideous Hun through the middle with
cold steel, Hufstedder reeled, fell back
ward, while his comrades hurled the
enemy, before them. Two machine gun
bullets had penetrated the muscles OF
his left shoulder and his arm fell limp
at his side as he struggled to his feet
after the wave of battle had passed
over him.
Scoring proffers Of aid he gained his
feet, hut refused to go TO the rear as
ordered by his superior. Shells burst
ing around him, machine gun bullets
whi2xing by In a veritable stream, he
perslstently refused aid, and twisting a.
handkerchief aroun his arm under the
shoulder, he used his. good arm to help
get back to the first aid stations many