Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1919-08-27
Taken from Hudson Falls, N. Y.
paper,
Mr.. Gonyea Tells of War
Experiences
Soldier Participated in Five Battles

hudson Falls, New 4OTk---Ser-
geant Abner-Gonyea, son of Mr..
and Mrs. William Gonyea, Gibson Ave
nue., has arrived in town after being
absent for eighteen months He re-
ceived his honorable discharge from
military service at Camp Upton, Ser
,geant Gnnyea has the distinction of
fighting in at least five of the decisive
battles of the war. He is still suffer-
ing slightly from wound in his left
leg through which a machine gun bul
let passed while in active service
at Chateau Thierry. He has not full
ly recovered from t he effects of the
mustard gas, his legs were badly burn
ed and small quantity entered his
lungs and the phisicans say that he
will recover and in time he will not
feel The effects of easing AS mem
ber of the 325th. infantry he partici-
paten in the battles of Chateau Thier
ry St. Mihiel the Argonpe forest
Thercourt and in the Tmel-sector
AT Chateau Thierry his division suf-
fend the greatest privatian for two
days and two nights they were with
out food and after the first day the
wattr supply was exhausted, supplies
ywert ordered toward the front line
rrenchs but the firing was to severe
that the automobile trucks could get
no Pearer than three miles Df the fir
ling dine.
Ee described the fighting as most
intense in speaking of this battle he
said to a pC@t-star representative. /
will never forget this battk so long
as Cod lets me live. 1t was an exper-
ienGe never 10 be forgotten. The on
ly protection Offered us was the good
old earth and l tell you the ground
never looked better to me than on
that occasion. hpgged it whenever
the opportunity was offered and that
was real often. | nevel expected to
seeEcOd old Hudson Falls again, men
fell around me like leaves f1,Dm the
trees all autumn, comrades with who.
| had bunked for many night. The
sights were heart rendering, one
brave fellow, who had stated on ma
ny occasions and particularly when
our shiE left New York for the trip
Not bn Iro,,lr, 1itra 70
turn, was completely riddled by ma
chine gun bullets at Thiercourt, ano-
ther bloody battle occurred and our
division was on the fighting line for
twenty-six days. Here we suffered
the loss of many officers and for -four
hours was one of the Sergeants VINO
direeted the operations of our uHit
pending the arrival of new officers
from the rear. Here we were oblidg
ed to ford a stream and were engaged
with the enemy when the water was
above our waist-line. The Huns
were driven back and we went behind
the lines for a much needed rest.
Speaking of the work of the Saliva
tion Army, Sergeant Gonyea was
loud in his praise of this organiza-
tiCn. He said, Every American
soldier will now take off his hat when
the salvation people who made life
halfway bearable for the soldiers
of our division, time and again they
came right to the front line trenches
with hot coffee, chocolate and dough-
nuts. The other war relief societies
were cover there" but did not come
as strong as the followers of the tam
BOURNE, the young Sargent express
ed his intense feeling of happiness
that he was back in Hudson Falls and
enjoy good rest and try to forget
the horrors of the world war.
Mr. Gonyea is nephew of Mrs.
Preston Moultroup, Derby street.