The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-05-16
TOO MUCH PRAISE
CANNOT Be GIVEN
! 36TH., SAYS MAJOR

Major Harry u, Gilstrap, who mas
,een AN Anlmorr visitor the past few
LAYS recently returned from over
,eas service. Major Gilstrap went over
with the aGth Division, Commanding
he Oklahoma Battalion. li2nd lnfan'
:ry. lie went through the fighting with
this division in October. having been
relieved of the command Of the an
fantry. and assigned to the Military
Police and made Provost Marshall OF
the Division. The latter part OF Oc'
tober Major Gilstrap attended AN army
school at Langres and when the course
was finished he was assigned to the
26th or Yankee Division. and returned
with them in April, taking part in
the big parade at Boston. April 20. lie
was sent to Camp Bowie in command
Of a detachment OF Texas soldiers,
Major Gilstrap's army career has
been one of unusual interest. He has
been one OF the old stand'bys of the
Oklahoma National Guard. He saw
service with the First Oklahoma In
fantry on the Mexican border, when
he was captain of Company h, from
Chandler. The regiment was nome
but two weeks when they were again
mobilized at Fort SIN. and later went
TO Camp Bowie for training as part
Of the seth Division. 1t was there that
the Oklahoma regiment was merged
with the old 9TH Texas Infantry TO
make the 142nd L, S. Infantry. and
later Gilstrap received his gold leaves
a la. ftTgt "a
He went overseas in this capacity
In speaking Of the experiences Ma
jor Gistrap said:
You can't say anything too good
about the boys Of the Seth Division
They are wonderful bunch, and meas
ure up 100 per cent perfect. They drove
the Boche out of his last stand, going
up against concrete trenches, machine
gun nests. sniperS Wnd such blast oi
heavy artillery, which the enemy had
lad four years in which TO make pre-.
aration, and they went through ii IN
truly wonderful way. They proved
their short time on the front. that
infantry of the seth Division. was
hout question one of the very best
II on the front | was sorry when
was not assigned back to them |
.as placed with the 26th Division,
those record the whole world knows,
hu, the only difference in the two,
was that the 26th was sent overseas
first. 1t was one of the two first di'
visions TO get out of the training area
in France and sent To the front, IL
served sloriously. but no more so than
our own oklahoma boys. when their
opportunity did get to them"
Son Is Gassed
Major Gilstrap's son, Lee f. Gilstrap,
bugler, Company Il, l42nd. also served
on the front lines. He was gassed
while in action and was invalided home |
in March Bugler Gilstrap. who is on /
ly Is years old. served most courageous
~. When asked concerning the story /
OF the lads brave fight, Major Gilstrap, |
somewhat reluctantly, yet beaming with .
pride told how his son went into action |
with his company, with only his bugle. .
and without arms of any kind. "ie
stayed with them, helping with the
wounded. acting as stretcher bearer,
and other things and it was when he
was making the Boche prisoners carry
that the mustard gas came
over, but he would not drop his wound
ed charges, although he knew full well
he result of being gassed.'
Major Gilstrap is an old newspaper
man. and is well known over the entire
state. He will return TO Camp Bowie
within a few days.