The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-11
LIEUT.. NE|SSE TELLS OF CONSTRUCTING
 MINE DUGOUTS
Returned Engineer on Visit to Mrs. O'Brien Tells of TerrOrs of
 War

First Lieut.. John L. Niesse of Indian
 apolis, Ind, who is visiting his aunt,
 Mrs, Annie OBrien of 17O4 Eleventh ave
 nue, south, was a member of the first engineer corps of the American army
 that went to France where he spent
 over a year in the service of his coun-
 try.
 Lieutenant Niesse, 24 years of age, was
 an electrical engineer before the war
 After taking the course at the officers
 training school at Ft. Benjamin Harrl-
 son, Indianapolis. Ind. he was sent to
 France in September. 1917, later being
 attached to the First regiment. regular
 army which was then on the Cham
 pagne front. Later on his regiment was
 transferred ts the Toul sector when the
 Americans took over their first front
 line tranches. Lieutenant Niesse's spe- cial duty was making mine dugouts which, according to his description, are from % to 45 feet under the surface and approached from the trenches by passage ways descending at 45 degrees. He also spent great deal of his time in trench work, wire construction and road work as0well as demolition work, demolishing bridges and roads to hamper the move ments of the enemy.
 While I was not in any of the raid ing parties said Lieutenant Niesse, several raids were made by members of my company. They brought back number of prisoners from whom valua- ble information was obtained. These raids were made for the purpose of talk ing prisoners, and every raiding party was instructed to take great care to bring back one or more Germans. "Our trenches were raided occasionally
 by the Germans. but they took back very few of our men," .s FIRST REAL EXPERIENCE What was the most thrilling experi- enee you had while at the front?" was asked.
 When the first shell whistIed over my head, I had terrible sinking feeling in my stomach-felt as though my whole stomach was falling out through my feet, and I imagined all sorts of horrible things happening to me. But We got used to the shells and after about 20 had passed over our heads we paid very It. tie attention to them. Only when one would fall nearby. as they did some times, would we bother about them 'I helped make the dugouts used by the American soldiers in the St. Mihel drive, but when the drive was begun was in the United States, having been sent back here and stationed at Camp Lee, in Virginia, as an instructor at the fourth engineering camp, where I re-
 mained from August to December f, 1918
 when I was discharged.
 IN FOUL SECTOR
 q was with the first American troops that took over the Foul sector, prior to which time I had been with French troops. I was an observer with the French on the Champagne front and passed over the territory covered by the French in their drive of 1917 The ground had been plowed up by shells until it was nothing but shell holes. Everything there was desolate. the soil had been turned under and white layer of chalk covered everything. It lookeds just like everything had been turned upside down. I don't see how it will be possi- l ble to grow anything on this ground for years to come"
 1 Lieutenant Niesse speaks in the high i est praise of the Y. M. c. A. and the Knights of Columbus. Much of the crit icism heard of these organizations, both l in France and in the United States, is 1 unjustifed," he said. Both did good work. They furnished all kinds of enter l tainment < for the soldiers such as movies concerts, plays, and they fur nished Sunday services. writing paper. pens, ink and places to write. and to- 1 bacco and cigarettes were sold to the I boys at cost. There was some complaint about their charging for the tobacco and cigarettes, the soldiers believing that they should be given free in view of the l fact that the American people donated l the money to pay for them, but whether | this criticism was justified or not l do not know. The Y. NJ. C. A. and Knights | Of Columbus workers followed the sol diers to the front lines, were in the thickest of the fighting and were ever ready to do their part in making the boys as comfortable as possible i After his discharge Lieutenant Niesse 1 secured a position with the Big Four and Cincinnati Northern railroads as a | telephone and telegraph engineer with
 headquarters at Indianapolis, Ind