Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1919-07-10

iTm not speaking about my outfit
laIone, because I've seen it time anc
Iagain in others,
I'm my battalion we have
man named Dave Duncan, st. Mihiel
Argonne, Trenches in the Vosges
Everywhere that we saw action saw
Dave there to. At st Mihiel he
drove an auto full of chocolates and
cigarettes through three lines OF
captured German trenches. The
battle was still going on. Overhead
battle was going on between Hun
| ond two American planes, with the
NJ. G. bullets coming down all over
1.-THE place. The Hun batteries were
trying to range us, and the II. f.
land shrapnef shells were landing ev-
cry minute. They were coming so
thick that every one was ordered
under what cover he could find.
1.-The American guns were battering
the last line of resistance about two
lkilometers ahead, and we were wait
I
ing for the order to go and get EN-.
Up came Dav, with his auto, and in
spite of the fact that he was told
to get under cover by the command
ling officers, he got up on the seat
and holered for the boys to coem
land get their stuff. No one had
lany money, hadn't been paid for
1.-TWO months The boys now lined
up, and they had to keep six feet
Iapart to esen the danger of casual
Titles from bursting shells. Dawes
machine had come to a stop, for the
simple reason that there were so
many dead Germans that he couldn't
Igo any further His front wheels
were on dead Huns chest, and
there were dead men and horses by
the thousand on all sides. We got
our smokes and chocolates at time
when we all wild for smoke and
hungry as hell Is this neglect of
duty?
Il met Dave during the Argonne-
Meuse offensive 1t was the night
my regiment made their famous
crossing OF the river in the face of
the machine guns. II was raining
and cold, everywhere the ground
was covered with dead The Ger
mans had gone stark crazy, and
were dropping shells as fast as they
could throw them over the top ey-
erywhere, in mad attempt to stop
the already victorious American
drive 1t was the most hideous
night | have ever lived through. A
night that Will keep me awake fr
years, | think, and there on the
German side of the river was Dave:
he was giving away hot chocolates
and cigarettes to anyone who came
by How he got the stuff there, /
don't know unless he carried ii on
his back; but the fact remains that
he was there, giving US hot drinks
and smokes and yelling to the boys
to go ahead and give them hell.
Dave swan that river, where men
we're going West by the hundred.
He was dirty ragged, hadn't shaved
for a week, was lousy, wet and cold,
but he was there, and he is all man.
Another little incident about the
T. Since the armistice was signed !
Dave got his papers and permission !
md his part was finished, and this |
s what he did; He sent his papers
)ack with the notice that he would
90 home when the 5th Div, did and
lot before. Dave is lawyer, has
)lenty of money, and wife, and
lone waiting for him and yet he is
lere in this damned title country,
When he might just as we'll be at
Iome, and all because he cares more
or our comfort than his own If
hat is neglect of duty, then I never
id mine, and if he is not a man,
hen ! never want to be one. And :
he organization that is backing him
p, the American Y. M. C. A, is
ust like Dave
Mother, the first 1and clasp Il
eceived when | struck England was 9
nat of Y man, and the first god ;,
ord was from the same source. .
as pretty lonely and discouraged
oy about then too The first good =
merican voice / heard in France, 2
La Havre. was the Y man there. u
IS been the same all the way G
trough the Y men are working .
leir through the men are work r
e their heads off for us over here, y
i'd all the credit in the world is n
,ming to them. What the Y is do 2,
g in the States. | don't know and e.
don't care, but over here they are Z
,ing their bit and doing it well and h
I've been. I'm for the Y. NJ. c. A. a.
rong and no one in the states can