East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-01-16


At Calais We were bombed every
night. After three days we
%entrained again and went near
the town of Etaples. We raine at
this place for about three weeks then
started on a long march south. Up
north we were among the British, but
when we started on the march we left
the British behind and have seen very
little of them since.
After ten days of hard marching
we enirained again and after two DAYS
riding in box cars We unIoaded, Shout
dered our packs and hit the road"
One days hike took us to a little town
near Meaux and not a great distance
from Paris. From there we travelled
by motor trucks through Meaux and
on to La Ferte sous Juarre.
1t was through this part of the
country the Germans had conferred
their armies for their drive to Paris
and we had an idea it wouldn't be long
until we'd see some action. After two
or three days at Juarre we marched up
the Marine river toward Chateau Thi-
cry and billeted in the little village
of Crouttes on the Marine. We spent
the Fourth of July there and it was
there that we were under shell fire
the first time. The regiment put in a
reserve line of trenches and were un-
der fire a number of times but with
no casualties. The town was shelled
almost every night but little damage
was done. After our work there was
finished we moved one night by motor
truck TO another village by the name
of Vernelle. 1t was there l, left the :
datchment and went with A company
Of the regiment when they were or :
dered to the lines. l told you in a let :
ter of our going in" and now l can :
tell YOU when and where. it was. 1t Z
was the fourth divisions first contact :
with the enemy. Our division started :
the big push in the sector between Z
scissors and Chateau Thierry on July :
IS and the great allied offensive that :
that day never was stopped :
until the armistice was signed when :
the wedge was driven into the German Z
lines to the Vesle river it was the :
division that did it and It was :
there that our regiment suffered :
most. They were gassed and shelled :
terribly. E
one of our companies had the plea :
sure of putting a bridge across the :
Vesle. They would build in tEe4 Z
woods in daytime and shove it across {
at night under machine gun. artillery :
and rifle fire. The enemy artillery Z
had a direct on the bridge and :
as fast as our company would put IN :
a section the artillery would blow it :
out. until our artillery located the :
gun that was doing the damage then :
the bridge stayed in. Seven bridges Z
were put in before they got one to :
STAY. That was called the second bat :
tie of the Marine. IT was in that bat :
lie hat | was hit while l was in the 2
st. Mihiel drive
After that operation the division z
was sent into the Argonne operation. :
a road had TO be built over hills 3
or shell holes it was the fourth engt- 8
neers who supervised the work and =
the doughbOys OF our division were 8
the ferries owe the hills at a
good double time. At one time dur 2
ny that operation the division post Of 8
command lost all trace Of the 39th E
The report came back that =
he 29th had gained its objective and E
evidently stiH going for prisoners e
we're coming back. We had four regi- =
nenfs Of doughbOys on our division e
hat can't be beat. g
The nth infantry took a town seven =
times and the last time at e
he point Of the bayonet against n 81 E
number of Prussian Guards. e
ne Kaiser's crack regiment. The e
time they held il. e
! saw the 5Sth infantry charge e
through an open wheat field in E
he fact of machine gun nests con- e
in a thicket OF brush. When e
hey would drop Gown to fire the ma e
gun bullets cut Off heads Of e
wheat and il would fall on their backs. =
took that forrest and the last J e
Jaw Of them they were still going. 5l