Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1919-03-03

ings. About using the cable, gucs,
my hunch vas about right The mai
was safer. and just about as rapid
Your hunch about my being o. X
was also pretty close TO being cor,
rect / gfways nourished the same
Kind OF hunoh. although at severa
stages of the game. had TO take in.
ventory TO see whether or not wa,
kidding myself. OF course, as you
say we are proud 10 be members ot
the ssth, FOR although II is the strict.
est outfit OF the whole bunch. still
we never fell down on reaching an
objective and are fated among the
best shock troops in this mans army
Have been commended in orders
from G., III. Q. for our part in both
the St Mihlel and the Argonne sec
tions along with tho marines and tho
Rainbow.
In the 81. Mihiel drive the end, ma
rines Joined us on tho right and the
Rainbow 42nd on our left. We
reached our objective and ate our
lunch before the marines came up
lon our right Couldn't see tho Rain
now. but ! guess maybe they were
able to keep up with us. The only
place either OF them had anything on
us was at Chateau Thierry which
we missed somehow. principally be-
cause we weren't over here long
enough.
From what | hear of 1t I'm damn
glad we did miss II, or probably you
would have missed j. IL.
Note what you say about checking
up on yourself the morning the
armistice was signed. Boy, oh. boy
that Is a day TO be remembered.
know I'll never forget II az lorg as
live, nor will anyone. hope Il
will be celebrated thousands OF years
hence as the day when the last gun
In the last war was fired. You will
recall 1t as the day they got you up
at 2 o'clock In the morning without
you sore. I'll recall II as
the day they got me up at 3 a, m,
out OF a damp sogRy hole in n shQll-
wrecked woods, and told me TO roll
my wet equipment, in the frost and
dark. and be ready to move (wlthout
breakfast) In ten minutes, Inasmuch
as we hiked In the rain and arrived
at the said hole about 10 p. m the
night before. and that | waS con-
sequently sleeping good when the
top cutter woke me up cussing. III
say that there was a slight difference
In the way that you got up that
morning and the way got up.
After all that we had gone through
Just prior to this. this seemed like
the straw that was alleged to have
fractured or unjotnted the dtome-
dary's vertebrae. Ordinarily I'm not
a cusxing person. but do know all
tho words, and that particular morn
ing I regretted that was not moro
proficient In the oaths of our divers
ard sundry allies as well as those OF
my native tongue. Up 10 our knees
in mud and water. we hiked toward
the front The ground was white
with frost and II was cold as the
devit l always managed II at all
possible to have 4 clean, dry pair OF
socks which carried In my gas
mask In direct violation OF all the
rules OF the army and navy. How
ever. from previous experience I
learned that often the only dry
thing you could find In the company
was the inside OF your gas mask,
hence ! always kept my socks. to-
bacco, and matches In the bottom
thereof. We were mostly without
overcoats and gloves. 80 used the
socks on my hands as gun IL cold
10 carry and the road was so bad we
couldn't walk fast enough tG keep
WHFIls tflf1' ~ l'AH VI A''f l'N'N'''r
A shell hole fun OF mud and water
In the dark. but somehow We could
not see the funny side OF 1t that
morning.
Finally, some time afte' daylight,
(though stu 80 foggy you couldn't
see), we came TO a pontoon foot
bridge which the engineers had
thrown across the Meuse, which
- antiTn hnffn lInn
crossed. Somehow, although this
tough morning, absolutely the worst
I ever put I'm anywhere, the hunch
X ept getting stronger with me that
the armlstice would surely he signed
that day. The fact that the Dutch
had sent men to get armistice terms
when they knew certainly from
previous experience just what they
could expect, convinced me that
they would sign anything | guess
that In all that kept me from taking
an armload OF hand grenades and
raising hell, because that was sure
the way | felt. However, we went
on, crossed "A canal. and hit 4 fine
big highway lined with big trees MS
far as you could see both ways,
Hadn't gone over n hundred yards
when a Limousine passed ana
colonel leaned out, and hollered
Boys. It's all over at II o'clock"
I was too sore to even he surprisod.
,re or two shouted, and the rest
who heard him told him 20 wipe off
lls chin. low) or words To that ef-
'ect. We halted and dug IN along
he banks OF the canal. To buoy up
,ur morale, I guess. for il was sure
Il low ebb Just then. we got orders
~ to stay In our holes and keep off
he road, t2) to build no fire., CD |
o eat none OF our reserve ratlons. |
Whereas, we had refrnined from |
wearing somewhat occasionally that !
morning for lack of wind, the vethal !
,ommant that passed from hole TO |
,ole up along that canal under those |
beautiful trees that morning. will put
on the blink In that |
for many years TO come, |
we were fipally given |
permission to kindle a small fire in |
'hch hole and the rest was easy, for |
ls anyone knows, you have to get |
'ut of the hole and cross the roah |
o get wood for a small CD fire, and |
,nce the fire Is started. what good |
\ n unless Won iIgp N tO cook with ? |