The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-23
FIRST DIVISION PARADE WILL BE SEPTEMBER 27TH Gen. Pershing Will Lead March of Veterans ill New
 York City. '
PRESIDENT WILSON
 WILL REVIEW UNIT
They Fought 220 Days At the Front and Were First
 In Lines.

New York, Aug. 23.-Gen. Pershing, commander-in-chief of the A. E. F. has cabled the War Department he will sail for home about September 1. He will lead a parade of the First Division Regulars, 90, 900 strong, with complete fighting equipment. up Fifth avenue, this city, on or about Sep tember 27. President Wilson will re- view the parade, as will many other national state and city officials, it is said. Gen. Pershing and the First Division also are to parade in Wash ington.
 The First Division, which was the first American division to arrive in France and the last to leave for home will give a complete exhibit of what a full American division in fight ing trim looks like. It will have its infantry ranks, its artillery with guns and caissons, it's hospital corps with ambulances, its field kitchens and even it's "delousing plant will be in the parade.
 The First Division can best be de- scribed by the lines from the song which go:
 First in peace and first in war and they don't care a whoop what they're lighting for"
 Ist, First in Everything.
 The First Division was not only the first American division to arrive in France, it was also the first in a fight ing sector, the first to fire a shot at the Germans, first to attack, first to conduct a raid, first to be raided, first to throw a hand grenade, first to cap ture prisoners, first to inflict casual ties, first to be cited singly in general orders, first in number of division corps, army commanders and general staff officers produced from its ranks.
 If there are any "1rsts,'' the first Division has them.
 Parade in Full ReSalia.
 The first ships to sail carrying the First Division men got away August 19 from Brest. It will give Americans their first opportunity to see a di- vision with full equipment on parade. The equipment sufficient for the di- vision has reached the United States and the First will be fitted out just as though it were going into battle.
 The division will return under com mand of Major-GeneraI E. F. Me Glachlin. It is composed of the 18th, 18th, 26th and 2Sth Infantry Regi- ments, the 9th, 9th and 7th Artillery heSlInenISS the lSI EnSlneer heglnl eIt and train, the 2d Field Signal Bat talion, and the Sd, 4th and 9th Am bulance Companies and Field Hos pital.
 22O Days at Front.
 These units fought gallantly through many of the major engage ments of the war. The Division was 220 days in the front line. It cap tured 16S officers and 6,304 enlisted men of the German army. In ma terial 1t captured 119 pieces of field artillery, sixty-two trench mortars, and 413 machine guns. Its casualties, totalled 1,612 men, of whom All were killed or died of wounds. The replacementS sent to the division tota1ied 30,206 officers and men. The soldiers of the division won 35S Dis tinguished Service Crosses.
 As the units arrive they will pro ceed to Camps Mills and Merritt, where they will remain until the day of the parade. After the parade in New York the division will be trans ferred to Camp Meade.