Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-08

They turned the tide OF war--these
"leathernecks" OF the Marine Corps, with
their wound stripes and overseas chev.
rons, whom Philadelphia is honorlng to-
day
At Chateau-Thierry. turning point OF
the war the veterans Of the Fifth and
Sixth Regiments held the way TO Paris
demoralized and the Germans were
breaking through. At Belleau Woods
Hell Woods"--they fought for weeks
under n fire that reduced companies TO
few dozen men.
These two regiments are peculiarly
'Philadelphia's own" The original out
fits boarded their transports at League
Island. as did the thousands of men
sent out as replacement troops Though
they came from all over the country. it
was from this city that they set out to
win undying fame in France.
The stories OF the 700 marines in to-
days parade--200 Of them wounded too
severely TO march in line-would make
pages of thrilling reading.
Some Of the Thrilling Experiences
Here are a few of them. gathered
from men who will carry the scars of
their battles as long as they live.
Three chums who met here after
months in the hospital each not knowing
whether the others were alive or dead,
are Privates Percy Clark and James 3.
Latell and Corporal Ebert Il. Brooks.
Clark has lost n leg. and has been
recommended for the Distinguished
Service Cross I.atell. terribly wounded,
mi tx-al Nt.itl a lnnC hp
lives for one leg is shorter than the
other He killed six Germans with his
bayonet before they "got" him. Cor
poral Brooks, recovered from many
wounds. was decorated by General
Pershing himself with the "D. s. c."
which Americans value above all the
medals OF France and England.
All three men were wounded at
Chateau-Thierry on June last year.
They we're members of the Seventy
ninth Company, Sixth Regiment OF
marines. Twenty-nine other men In this
company alone were cited for heroism.
Private Clark comes from Houston,
Texas. He was knocked down at Cha
teau-Thlerry by a high-eXplosive she'll,
wounded in several places. For more
than three hours he lay on the battle
field As he lay there he was wounded
again and again, so that when the
stretcher bearers came he had fourteen
wounds. One leg had to be amputated
Just above the knee. His wife has
como on from Texas to meet him, and
when he gets his final discharge, they
arc going back TO their old home in
Houston.
Corporal Brooks halls from Trezzevant
Tenn. The war produced few stories OF
bravery and hairbreadth escapes equal
a., l...l 4. l., I,,,,
6 at Chateau-Thierry two German ma
chine-gun bullets in his right hip.
They were flesh wounds, so / didn't
go back" said the marine, modestly
I'VE needed every man on the Inc who
could stick there. They fixed me up al
the field dressing station
Behind these two flesh wounds lies
story of cool bravery. They won him
his decoration.
The fighting lad been intense. As the
marines came up to hold the line the
French dashed back, yelling. as Brooks
tells it, "Boucop Bosches-Paris est
finis" (which in United States means
Too many boches-Parls is done for.
THE hell you say" answered the
marines, and ran for the front line.
Wounded Continued to Fight
Just about this time Brookss platoon
commander, Lieutenant Charles !. Muir
ray, of Pittsburgh-the men say he is
now herding German prisoners in a
camp in France somewhere-went down
with bullets in both arms. Brooks. in
the face OF a killing machine-gun fire
knelt down in front of the officer tc
shield him from further injury, and
applied tourniquets so the officer would
not bleed to death. He finished the job
though the German machine guns got
him before he was through.
Corporal Brooks was wounded agar
at Hell Woods" on July 3, this time ir
the left leg above the knee. Again h,
refused to be evacuated to a hospital
On September 10. at st. Mhie, how
ever, the Germans got him for fair.
| as he says. Two machine-gun bullets ir
each leg brought him down helpless anc
| he was packed off to a base hospital.
! 1t was when he was convalescent il
the base hospital that he received hi
decoration. His bravery had been note.
and reported. but in the confusion hi
company had lost track of him. So
notice was published in the stars an,
/ Stripes, the arrny's newspaper, askini
him to write to the Adjutant General
Decorated by Gen. Pershing
/ A week or so after he did go Genera
Pershng dashed up to the hospital Il
a staff automobile. nurses. officers an,
| convalescents were turned out on IN
parade ground. and Brooks-the onl
man there to be decorated-had the eros
pinned on his blouse by the commander
in-chief of the American EXpeditionar
Forces.
His citation read;
AT Bouresches. France, on June {
he was conspicuous for the heroic actio