The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-01-24
PRIVATE G. A. HUBLER SPOKE
WORDS OF CONTEMPT
Former Resident of New UIm
Gives His Experience In
Big Fight

"Prrrrrr- rr-rrr rs the way we babe
the Germans good morning when
they stormed Hill 210," declared
First Glass Private G. A. Huber of
the Thirty second division, Forty
second machine gunners. American
ExpeditiOnary Forces who took part
in numerous fierce engagements be-
tween the Yanks and the Boches.
Private Huber was in Mankato for a
brief visit yesterday. He formerly
lived in New Ulm and is now a resi-
dent of Illinois.
'At distance where they could
use scientific weapons for fighting
the Germans were good soldiers, they
held to their posts" the young man
stated. "At hand grips they could
never match the Americans"
Huber was a member of the Unit
ed States army when war was de-
clared ard went across to France in
August, 1917 He was in all the big
fighting this fall however and lost
two fingers on his left hand in the
battle at the Alsace Lorraine front.
Was at Chateau Thierry.
The machine gunners he was a
member of first went into action at
Chateau Thierry 1t was the sticking
quality of the men these troops that
won the struggle here, according to
Hubler's story.
1T was the craftsmanship of the
American machine gunners that turn
ed the tide of battle" he declared
From Chateau Thierry the young
man WAS in tho fiph Of he Mo,,, n
and then went into the bitter strug-
gle that ensued for the possession of
Belleau wood. Here he was gassed,
was unable to speak for two weeks,
was in the hospital for five weeks but
returned to his unit in time to get
into the fighting along the Alsace
Lorraine front.
Two Fingers Shot Away.
One noon, while sitting with his
back against tree, mess kit in hand
about to enjoy his midday meal, a
shrapnel shell burst just above the
young man. One of the fragments
struck his left hard tearing off the
first and second fingers. This hap
pened or September IA, and on No
vember 9, two days before the armis-
tice was signed Huber arrived at
Fort Smelling. He has two gold serv-
ice stripes Dr. his arm indicating one
year in active service and gold
wound stripe or the other sleeve.
Huolei declares that the French
and English are good fighters as or
ganized units, they go ahead, retreat
and reform to attack again with pre-
cision but they lack the dash and in
dividual initiation of the Americans.
Kept Going Ahead.
I'VE didn't have time to retreat to
reform, we just kept on going ahead"
the young veteran fighter declared.
1T is a positive fact" he said that
the American machine gunners car
ried two barrels for every machine
gun and then sometimes both of these
became so red hot from constant fir
iLg that the end melted and curled
down."
What do l think of the Huns?"
the young man asked in reply to a
question. Apparently the question
was beyond words. The manner in
which he repeated the question suf-
feed to show his attitude.
Il have seer children, nearly al
ways it was children with their hands
cut off, their noses ard ears clipped,
their eyes gouged out and every other
form CT torture evident that would
MAKE man remember it always"
he declared. II have no use for the
Huns he declared with emnhaSis