Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-09-29
FAMOUS 28TH BIG
FACTOR IN BEATING
KAISER'S ARMIES.
Pennsylvania Guardmen Made Wonderful Record in the
Midst of Hot Fighting From Time They First Struck
Foe Right Up to Last Minute of Conflict

names of places are of paramount
Importance. One reads between the
lines, and for that reason the fol-
lowing brief history does not at
tempt to take up the work of the
famous Twenty eighth, or Iron, or
Keystone, Division from a descrip-
tive standpoint.
To the mer who went overseas
with "Pennsylvanias own" certain
French nomenclature has a familiar
sound and brings back a flood of
memories. Among the towns, riv-
ers ard offensives where history
was made in a few short months
are the following:
Champagne Marne
Aisne- Marne
Ourcq
Fisme Fismette
Vesle
Oise-Aisne
Villette
Varennes
lie Charmed
Chateau -Thierry
Meuse- e-Argonne
Thiaucourt
Apremont
The first unit of the Twenty eighth
Division went into action on July l,
1918, when two platoons of the One
Hundred and Eleventh Infantry at
tackled Hill 204, west of Chateau
Thierry; the result was q division
general order which highly COM
mended the work of these men and
urged the entire division to follow
their example in the trying days
hnt tn
When hostilities ceased, at IL
o'clock on the morning of the
eleventh day of the eleventh month
of 1918, the Iron Division was n
part of the Second Army, under
command of Lieutenant General
Lee Bullard, of Alabama. The
camp was at Heudicourt and st.
Dizier.
Three Commanders
From the time of it's induction
irto the Federal service until the
rehabilitation period, the Pennsyl-
vania Division had but three differ
ent commanding generals. Major
General Charles NJ. Clement, who
commanded the division before it
became a part of the UEited States
Army, was succeeded at Camp Han
cock by Major General Charles H.
Muir, OF the Regular Army. I'm
Gle Charley" as the latter was af-
fectionately called, directed the
training of the division in the
South and remained in command
on the battle lire until he was pro-
NOTED to command the Fourth
Army Corps during the Meuse-
Argonne offensive, when Major Cen
eral William H. Hay succeeded
him. On the return of the Iron
Men to the States for demobiliza-
ton. General Muir was sent back to
his old outfit and brought his men
home.
Baptism of Fire
The Keystone Division received its
baptism of fire far sooner than was
expected. The plan of the Allies
and General Pershing. was to give
each new American division, as 1t
came across, six months of expert
ence behind the lines and in sup
port positions and quiet trench sec
tors. brigaded with the French and
British, before pronouncing it ready
to take over it's own division sector
in the line. Just about six weeks
after the Twenty eighth set foot on
French soil, however, it was sent
into action along the Marle to help
stem the tide of Germans who were
making: a final desperate attempt to
break through to Paris. The Penn
sylvania men became veterans over
night, as it were. Heavy casualties
marked the fighting, but these
new-old veterans never faltered and
it was only a short time till the
French piTned on them the sobri-
ouet of Men of Iron" and the en-
tire division had earned the right to
wear the red Keystone as one Of the
"fghting red" divisions of the
A. E f.
Statistics are cold-blooded things
and represent truth only when they
are understood and analyzed. For
example, the Twenty-eighth Divi-
sion is credited with haviRg ad-
vanced but few kilometers during
the time it was in action. compared
to some of the other fighting divi-
sions. The fact is, however, that
one kilom eter of hard-fougnt
ground frequently reflects more
credit on the outfit taking 1t than
ten or more kilos mean to a divi-
cior. that simply follows up an enc
my retreat over that length of
ground. Pennsylvania men had
nothing handed to them on silver
p'atter and had to barter lives In
exchange for territory gained.
Major Frederick Palmer, Asso-
ciated Press war correspondent
who was attached to Pershlng
Headquarters. has the following to
say of the Iron Division in his BOOK
America in France"
Artillery Fire Heavy
THE Forty-second had beer on
the left flank of the German attack.
Americans were also engaged on the
right of the Marne, where the Ger
mans had maintained their lodge
ment acro--. the river below DOR
mars. The outposts facing them on
the morning of July 15, in that
wooded and hilly region, were four
companies of the Twenty-eighth Di-
vision, which had as yet no battle
experience except that OF Phase %
With the British. German artillery
preparation was no less thorougn
here thar it was to the eastward.
Troops in the outpost positions of
tbe men of the Twenty eighth, who
were under French direction, were
scarcely expected to hold under the
hon, bardment which precedes the
advance of infantry in a great of
fensive effort. They were only a
handful. but they made a fight OF
II. They used their rifles as best
tbev could. Buffeted by shells,
swept by enfilade machine gun
fire. some of them awaited their fate
as they kept on firing; others, sur
rounded. cut their way out and took
their wour,ded pickaback to prevent
them from falling into German
hands. others were left on the field