The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-06
gan while the infantry was still me tortuously along the roads.
 LIKE VALLEY FORGE

LIKE VALLEY FORGE "As l strained under that pack and my | feet grew weary" says Hank, 'I real | ized what they meant back in the train l ing camp by giving us all that hard practice. Without the training we would never have made it. l don't believe the | soldiers under George Washington at 1 Valley Forge had much on us when il comes to suffering hardships on that hike. Our clothes were almost worn | through and our shoes were thin. We 1 just did manage to get some new shoes i the day before starting, but not enough | for everyone. There were not enough tl go round. That one march was the | toughest and most trying experience O. the war;
 1 Maj Walter Wolff brigade adjutant, adds to Hanks statement by telling of | a soldier he passed on the road. The poor fellow was struggling along with heavy pack and swollen feet. Some one remarked that it reminded. him of | Valley Forge.
 Valley Forge he'll" he said, there ain't no such animal"
 i The division bucked this blizzard for a distance of 75 kilometers (about 45 miles) and did it without complaint. | Hank saw many soldier leave red | trail on the snow and ice as he trudged along.
 1 Finally the division got into the trenches near Baccarat and had it's first 1 real war experience under the tuteage 1 of the French That is where Hank | Gowdy got his first bath of fire and, as he says, where he learned to respect a she'll l Yes, and I want to tell you that there 1 is no use in explaining to men how to l recognize the sound of a shell,'' says | Hank Nobody had to tell me. Any doughboy knows very well what it is l the very first time he hears it whistlng. In half day he can tell you the diff ferent calibres by tbs sound The only 1 real one is the whizz- bang. l, gets right up on you and bursts before you have time to duck. It's just like smart pitcher slipping over a fast one before you are ready"
 | This experience in the trenches and in | standing off small attacks was the train | ing that prepared the Forty second di- vision for what Hank considers the real world series.
 1 We suddenly got orders to move out | of the trenches when the Seventy -sev- enth division relieved us," said Hank, and in another day We were on an. other long move, headed for the Cham pagne. I knew what it means The 1 French had let it be known that we were | a good shock division and, right then, i good shock divisions were needed and l needed badly along the main line through | the Chambapgne. We were moved into what we dubbed the lousy Champagne" ! Nothing but chalk and dried up trees l We took up a position between Chalons- | sur-Marne and Vitry-le-Francois'
 FRENCH KNEW GERMAN PLANS l Everything was dead quiet when the Americans got there but they knew that l something was coming. They had been told by General Gouraud, the famous one armed French commander. The French l had organized such a system of intelli- gence that they knew exactly what the Germans were going to do. They had | exact plans of his attack and knew it would be crusher unless they had plenty 1 Of fresh troops and could beat the Boche l to it.
 | On July '. when it was known, that the Americans and French were in proper positions and well informed as to their duties, General Gouraud published the following order to every man in his com mand, copy of which Hank Gowdy now possesses:
 ITO the French and American soldiers of the fourth army:- aG "We may be attacked at any moment. You all know that defensive battle was never engaged under more favorable con- ditions. We are awake and on our guard. We are powerfully reinforced with infan-
  rain that you have transformed by your work and your perseverance into a re- ldoubtable fortress. This invincble fortress and all it's passages are well guarded. The bombardment will be terrible. You will stand it without weakness The assault will be fierce in cloud of smoke, dust and gas, but your position and your arm ament are formidable. In your breasts beat the brave and strong hearts of free men. None shall look to the rear: and none shall yield step. Each shall have but one thought: To kill, to kill a-plenty, un- til they have had their fill. Therefore, your general says to you: You will break this assault and it will be a happy day.
 "Gouraud"
 By order of the Chief of Staff,
 "Pettelat'
 Soon after this order got around to all the men it became known that the French knew exactly at what hour the Germans would attack-they had learned it from prisoners-and were going to beat them to it.
 You've got to hand it to them frogs" a pal of Gowdy's said to him as rumors went around in the woods, Those boys know something, eh?"
 The doughboy was right. General Gou- raud, as we say in baseball, gave the Boche a terrible double-crossing. He knew they were going to attack the front line positions that the French and Americans had gained. So, he withdrew all the sol diers from those positions just before the hour of attack and had all the French and American artillery trained on the spot where the Germans supposed the Americans and French were. You can easily imagine what happened. Instead of running into allied soldiers the assault ing line of the Germans ran into a cur tain of steel. It looked as if every shell ih the allied army was right on those i trenches.
 A LUCKY LUNCH
 During the night before the big show was to come off," says Hank, T was sleeping in little pup tent near the Sup ply company. The tent was under bush so that it could not be seen from above We had an idea that we were going to get hell but we also thought we had some thing on the Germans by being wise to their signs
 The signal for the Americans to start that the big show was on were the words, "Francios 570." When that came over the wire the Americans knew it would be fight and nothing but fight un- til either the Germans or the French and Americans had got licking. Everybody was keyed up. Naturally, that signal was not known to the com mand generally as it was intended mainly to start the artillery. The doughboys- the infantry-didnt have to worry. They could guide themselves by the sound of the barrage.
 Hank was cooped up in his little pup tent with a covered candle sitting near frxr i1cr to ffo a 1nf OY1 mi