Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1919-10-10

NoP tOSeluel, lHey TeJOlCeQ at tne
coming of peace together and, finally
they waited together to come home.
This is said of Walter Camfield, Les
lie Greene and Private Rowe. Cam
field and Greene live in Olympia.
'Ah, he almost cried to get in, +"
said Private Garfield. as he teasing
ly addressed the young veteran,
Rowe
Jaw, go on and keep STILL" an
swered Private Rowe in a manner
that defied any mention of the time
that he begged to get into the army.
He was not only under age, being
barely 16 years old. but he was de-
cidedly understood and under
weight. He followed Maj. Gen. H.
A. Green around Camp Lewis three
days, until General Greene finally got
him. into the 116th Engineers, a.
tached to the 91st division.
Two days after he enlisted he left
for France. He did not return to
Olympia until last week after he re-
ceived his discharge at Camp Lewis.
Yes, we were the first in every
thing, from being the first to land
in France to the first Americans to
take German prisoners, and on down
the line" said Private Greene. land
we were the first in everything but
coming home. We were the last in
coming home. But we were all
mighty lucky to get home and are
glad to be here"
What did we do when we heard
that the armistice was signed?"
laughed the boys. well, The First
Division did not take the signing of
the armistice in very picturesque
manner. We were just receiving re-
lief in the second stage of the Ar
| come battle when we received the
news.
I'VE marched from the Argonne in
mud up to our knees and the rain
pouring down and so tired that we
could not holler. but I'll tell-you we
did feel good to know that this was
the last march. 1t was hard to be-
lieve at first"
These three soldiers fought to-
gether at Cantigny-Soissons (both
battles), Pont-a-Mousson, on the Toul
sector. ST. Mihiel and the Argonne.
1t was not going over the top, the
heavy fire, seeing their companions
dropping dead around them or the
shrieks of the injured, but the long
hikes through the mud and the lack
of food that made the most lasting
impression on these three youthful
minds.
They were in the trenches five
days at scissors. Just prior to their
entrance in the scissors engagement
they did SO much hiking and were so
hungry that the call to go over the
top came as relief.
after we came out of Cantigny,
said Garfield, 1--WE went to Rosieres,
where we spent four days, and then
on to Rosissy. Here we stayed a day
and half and then we were given
10 minutes to get ready to take a
ride in trucks. We did not know, of
course, where we were going.
I'VE rode all night and a part of
the next day without anything to eat.
Then we stopped at Bellau woods.
There were some deserted French
vegetable gardens there and we dug
up the raw potatoes and ate them
Then we moved to another forest
about four miles further on, pitched
our tents and stayed there all that
night and the next day, when we
went over the typ"
Following the war these three
'buddies" were placed in the army
of occupation and remained there
until August 81, when they sailed
for the United States on the U. S. s..
Edyllen. They paraded with their
division in New York. They were
then sent to Camp Leach and later
paraded at Washington, D. c. On
the 18th of September they went to
Camp Meade, and then home to Camp
Lewis.
Bring home French brides with
us? Huh! l guess mott" scornfully
remarked Greene. There were $50
men in our division that married
German girls and brought them home
with them and a lot of the men
brought home French brides. No,
sir; there was bad omen right in
New York, when we sailed in. There
we're so French brides at the dock in
New York waiting to take the boat
home"
But, say; II seemed good to come
home" said Garfield. in expressing
the sentiment of the three men, who
enlisted together, fought together
and came home together 1.-THE wait
ing to come home and killing time in
Germany was lot harder than the
fighting"