The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-03-15
Sergeant George l. Pickett, Formerly
a Cook Here, Says keokuk Is
Horne and He Intends
to Stay Hera-
FOR BRAVERY IN ACTION
High French Decoration Pinned en-
His Blouse by General oickman 4
After He Escaped Death
by Miracle.

Sergeant George l.. Pickett Is the
first keokuk man to wear the Croix
[ de GTerre, which he earned for
bravery when the first platoon of
machine gun company A OF the 36ath
] infantry, captured q machine gun
nest and took seventeen Huns pris-
oner-
, Among the prisoners was major,
two Heutenants. and fourteen no,i-
commissioned officers and privates.
The Keokuk boy was III command Of
the platoon and three machine guns
on October %, 1917, in the Cham
payne sector near the village of
Essie.
He was wounded In the left knee
and burned with mustard gas on the
right leg and taken back to base
hospital No. As.
OF the sixteen men IN the platoon
only four remained alive after the
ba lie.
When Sergeant Pickett WIS dis
charged from the hospital, he was
transferred TO headquarters Of Tie
Third army. the army of occupation
He had almost forgotten the inc, lelt
OF the capture of the machine gun
nest, or at least thought CT IL a.
being a11 in the days work, he says.
when
A Very Small Ceremony.
On January 20. last, he received
an order 10 report 20 Gene al Dick
man of the United States army. wno
was then at Coblenz, Germany. BE
did not know why he was called or
what the order meant.
The general began by asking his
name and much Of his personal ms
tory, even asking 10 what church he
belonged. Then he reviewed his war
record, asking him questions cover
ing the time from when he left Keo-
kuk July 16, 1918. up to that day.
General Dickman asked him If he
had any knowledge of the capture OF
a machine gun nest near Essie, and
the Keokuk boy said:
II do; l was there"
The general then said:
"Tfis is what | have for you and
pinned the cross on his breast.
Sergeant Pickett was SO taken by
surprise that he did not just then
realize the honor that had come I'D
him, and could scarcely believe that
he really had the Croix de Guerre.
Belonged to the He'll Fighters.
He went overseas with the head
quarters company of the 804th pio-
neers. but after ten days in France
he was transferred to the machine
gun Co A, which was known as "the
hell fighters" and was sergeant or
the first platoon.
After three weeks they went into
active service, fighting with the 93d
division Sergeant Pickett wears on
his shoulder the insignia Of the 93d
division which fs coiled snake, the
emblem having been chosen because
that division captured Snake hills.
Sergeant Pickett saw active serv-
ice at Scissors, al yerdun and Cham
payne, and says he doesn't like TO
talk about II very much because the
memory Of the horror IL still too
clear
Maybe when ! can forget some
of the things I saw, III talk about Fl
more freely" he said today,
He was honorab1y discharged at
Camp Dodge Monday Of this week
and arrived in ReokuFc Thursday. Fe
is with his sister, Mrs. ". p. John
son, Of AS North Tenth street. yIr-
gil Pickett If Reokuk, IS his brother.
He says: ''Keokuk IN home, and I'm
going to stay here
He was cook In popular lunch
room before he entered the army.