The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1919-03-20
South Dakota Boys Make Record

South Dakota Boys Make Record
The following article, is taken from
the Overseas Edition Camp Dodger
published by the 88th Division of the
American Expeditionary Force. It
will be of interest to our readers, as
Companies D and E of the 147th F.
A., which includes large number of
our Scotland boys, have been attach
ed to that division since June /. 1918
and this article gives an interesting
account of the service rendered.
Along towards Christmas time the
word came down the various regiments
that the 88th had received its artil-
lery at last. Few knew what organ
ization it war, or where it had been.
1t was just artillery and that was as
far as the report went.
Although the fact is still virtually
unknown to the rest of the division,
the brigade which joined US at that
time was one of the most famous of
the old fighting units in the A. E. F.
1t had been through every big Ameri-
can encounter and had been cited nu-
merous times for distinguished work
in action. We are proud of our new
artillery and print the following sum-
mary of its war history that the rest
of the division may know it and feel
the same The Editor.
The 57th Art Brigade, fresh from
the Argonne front with an enviable
fighting record through the summer
campaigns. came to the 88th division
as Christmas present. lts four
regiments were quartered in the Con-
drecourt area in time to eat their hol-
jday dinners, and subsequently, mate
rial and horses were shipped into this
sector.
1t was fitting close for the bri-
gade's war activities; for it was in
this self same sector that it first went
into action last June. For little
more than five months after that it
was kept busy without rest, fighting
on five fronts over two-thirds of the
western line. and taking part in two
of the three great American drives.
The 57th is composed of the 119,
120, 121 and lat regiments, origi-
nally from Michigan. Wisconsin,
South Dakota and Oregon. Each unit
has sprinkling of casual replace
ments from every state in the union
aud decidedly marked cosmopolitan
flavor.
The brigede was first ordered into
action early in Juee. The FIRST bat
talon of the LAT and battalion of
the 119 were attached to the 26 d.
vision on the Toul front, being left
there long enough to get taste of
position warfare and it's accompani-
ment of gas attacks and heavy she'll
ing. The rest of the regiments were
sent into Alsace where they we're join
e5 by the first mentioned battalions in
the middle of June. They with the
32nd division were the first troops to
cross the German frontier. They
went into position north of Belfort,
facing Mulhouse and remained there
for several weeks. Many problems
were fired, tactical situations worked
out and pet theories put to the prac-
teal test; for this was by way of a
post graduate course in preparation for
ho roo1 rrorL RI copoo
IN CHAUTAU-THIER DRIVE.
In the latter part of July the bri-
gade was ordered out and headed north.
It was detrained north of Paris and
after long and tiresome overland
trip, during which horses were driven
to exhauetion and death, finally
reached Chautau-T -Thierry. The Ger
man advance on Paris had been stop.
ped and the 57th went in. back of the
32nd division on the night of August
l in the drive that cleared the Boche
from the country north to Fismes and
eventually to the river Aisne.
The first four days were race a.
gainst time. The Germans were 60
ing 30 fast that the artillery could
scarcely keep up. Position after po-
sition was taken up and occupied, on
ly to be abandoned without shot be-
ing fred. Finally the enemy came to
stand on the river Vesle and the 81
lined its batteries along the famous
valley of Death, just south of Fismes.
They were the first units in one OF
the greatest concentrations of artillery
during the war. The 32nd division
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