Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-04-11
M4isr Iy6sid Finds
Craze Where Sergeant
Frank Click is Buried

Across the road from Triangle farm,
mentioned In news dispatches OF the
fighting. around Chateau Thierry, and
about six miles from that town, there
Ia a little cemetery where fifty or more
United States marines are buried. In
one of these graves lies the body Of
Sergt, Frank l.. Click, Sixth marines
who was killed June 3, 1918, the. hrst
MaNhaltown boy TO fall in battle.
The grave was found by Major Arthur
r. Ryfeli. husband OF Mrs. Helen Abb
bolt Byheld. of this city, the latter a
tcousin OF Sergeant Click.
In u letter to Mrs. Byfield, the major
tells Interestingly Of his search for the
grave and how he found It after first
being unsuccessful. He visited the
grave March and two DAYS later,
writing from Paris he told in part as
follows of his search and of finding
the spot:
1.-THE day before yesterday morning
left Paris for Chateau Thierry, ar
irving at $3.50 p. IN. After going thru
the formalities necessary at every new
port I went on to the Y. NJ. c. A.
There are only n few Americans sta
toned there now, chiefly former am
bulance drivers.
an the morning a party of us got
conveyance and rode to the famous
| Beleau Wood where the German grip
on France began to give way. 1t was
my first sight of the field of actual
| warfare and was an eye opener. If
| tell you that in addition TO all kinds
! of shells, shell craters, clothing, can
teens. hand grenades, l saw German
bodies, hastily buriei-coming to the
Surface and shoes lying about and
containing feet-you get some idea OF
what exists. All American and French
bodies have been collected in ceme-
teries round about.
"On the way back in the morning I
inquired as to the location of Bots
| Clerembauts-ae described by Daddy
Lew'-and was driven to the spot de-
scribed, but found no cemetery. (All
this Is about six miles from Chateau
ThierryD
II came back much discouraged and
| it seemed like looking for needle in
a haystack At the "Y," however. l
talked with some of the ambulance
drivers who had worked during the
fighting in the neighborhood and was
told where to search. (The boys were
buried near where they fell but later
were disinterred and reburied in little
cemeteries)
81 was fortunate enough in the af-
ternoon to get another car and began
my search anew. After looking thru
three American cemeteries we finally
came to the famous Triangle farm
where some of the fiercest fighting
took place. Just big rambling stone
series of buildings, like thousands of
other French farms.
Across the road from this is a
prettily laid out American cemetery
with about fifty or sixty crosses. And
here I found Franks grave. Sergt.
Frank L. Click, Sixth marines. | IL
not and can not tell you how l felt.
I draped my flag securely about the
cross, saluted and went on my way.
THE ambulance boys all agree that
1t won't be possible to take the boys
back home. Most Of them are buried
only in their blankets. And of all the
places in France. where can one think
Of his boy being. more happily, than
here at Triangle farm where the Ger
mans were definitely checked? was
truly proud to have known anyone
who died for the cause at this spot
This particular cemetery is the pref
test, by far, of all hereabouts. 1t is
laid out in small plots of graves in
stead of a number Of rows of crosses,
as they are where Frederick lies at
vichy. In the center of the whole Is
a large cross. Evidently an effort was
made to mark the graves especially Of
those who died in this fight. Tho the
errand was not happy, one, I was
very happy to have found the spot"