The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1919-01-16

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around us.
Ii that fellow driving the trucl
was going one mile an hour h
was going sixty, but he didn't g
any too fast to suit me-
1t must have been miracle tn,
way we went over those roads
that night without losing a man
When we reached the from
there was a small town there by
the name Of Bouresches, it wal
here we learned that the German
drive had been partly stopped by
the Marines two days before, ans
this town had been taken from
the Huns by rs Marines just {
few hours before we got there
But when we reached it there
were only II Marines left out o1
the rs, but they were still holding
the town They were very glad
to see us land in there even il
we were the End engineers. We
also learned that this was the
famous Belleau wood, later called
the Hell wood, which I think is
a very good name for it.
The next night the End engi-
neers were put Nin the front line.
We were shelled a great deal the
next day by the German artillery.
At this time we had no artillery
support at all, as it was a newly
established line and the artillery
had not yet been moved in. That
night the Germans came over and
tried to take the town and here
was some scrap. For about 21a
hours, machine gun bullets were
flying so thick and fast that it
sounded like a strong wind blow
ing thru a bunch Of trees. But
they finally gave it up as a bad
job and started back to their own
lines with what few men they had
left. Dead and wounded Germans
were lying thick, but our losses
were very light.
A day or two later we had or
ders to take a certain part Of
woods which the Germans were
holding. We started at day break
and when the German lines were
reached we had some very stiff
fighting, but with machine guns,
rifles and a few hand grenades
we soon drove them back. After
fighting this way for a few days,
the Marines and Engineers had
taken the greater part Of the
woods.
On June 11th my company was
sent about one mile back of our
front line to put up some barbed
wire entanglements, to help pre-
vent a German advance in case
they got to us and made one.
We had been working there
about two hours when the Ger
mans began shelling us with high
shells. Six Of the boys
and myself were driving stakes
to string the wire on when we
heard a shell coming that sounded
like it was going to light right
on top of us, so we dropped down.
This was our orders as a man al
ways has a better chance for his
life lying down than standing
when a shell explodes near by.
We had no more than hit the
ground when the she'll hit. 1t
did get over me and lit square
behind me. Two Of the fellows
who were lying behind me were
blown to pieces. Two others were
also killed, another received five
wounds in the legs and arms and
received seven wounds in my
right leg and four in the left.
Thus we had four killed and two
wounded out of the seven Of us
who were working at that place
)ne man out Of seven getting
away without injury.
We were picked up in about
lalf an hour by some Of our own
men and were taken to a first aid
station where our wounds were
to prevent bleeding.
Then we were moved to field
hospital; and operated on about
Il o'clock that day. We remain
ID here ten days, and had fine
doctors and nurses, but the pain
vas so great I didn t sleep hardly |
my during that time. ] was then
aiken to base hospital No. 81 at |
Anglers, about $50 miles behind |
he lines where / had still better
are, as they were not so crowded.
was here nine weeks, and with
,ut money. The Red Cross kept |
Is in smoking tobacco, etc.
After leaving here was sent
o Saveney to base hospital No.
}. / stayed there one week, and
vas then sent to Brest where the
Id steam ship Princess Matopia
vas waiting to take us back to the
rood old u. S. A.
We were on the water 10 days,