Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-05-14
WOOdburn Boy Tells
Stories Of Great Var

NASA 10 VI N a4AA " u
1t would take big volume 90 record
the exciting experiences of Corporal
/ VIM. Fry in the famous 26th division,
/ l04ih infantry. He returned 20 Wood.
burn Tuesday, having been diseharg-
le0 at Camp Lewis. He brought back
mementocs Of his trip one being a
helmet Of a German whom he eaptur-
ed. He went to France as a member Of
4 0mpany L.
Corporal Fry fought in the Toul see
tor, Alsaee-Lofraine. Chateau Thierry,
/ Belleau Woods, Marne MeuSe. ST. Nj
hiel, Nerdun and ArgOnne. The account
Of his experiences Is thrilling fight
/ ing. with men dropping all around. GO
ing over the top, dodging shells, be-
ing the special target of machine guns
popping from three directions. buried
/ in a dugOut, Knocked over BY eoneuS-
sion aud reported as dead DING out
with company and returning with
only few, creeping over the many
dead in no man 5 land to get TO a
spring for drink of water, and after
many more narrow escapes being gasS-
ed seven DAYS before the armistiee
was signed. Corporal Frv brought back
with him copies of citations by Gen
eral Pershing and Major General O..
A. Edwards of the gallant record Of
1 the Yankee division. He is in good
physical condition with the exception
Of his stomach still feeling the effect
of the gas. Beside his notable career
in France Corp. Fry was with the
Woodburn company when it went to
the Philippines and also to the Mexican
border.
I Corporal Fry carries watch and al
so has the cap Of one German he mad
a hand to hand encounter with on one
"Trip into the German lines. He sent
lots of souvenirs home but none have
arrived. He is looking for a 30 pound
box full of them by express.
Corporal Milton Coy, who left here
for Seattle Monday, having arrived
home last week from overseas, was a
member Of the 26th division, l04th in
fantry. He went through the battles
of Chcmin des Danes, TOul, Chateau
Thiery st, Mihiel, Meuse, Argonne
and Ncrdun, and on October 30 was
sent back exhausted. He saw men on
all sides Of him killed, but never got
Il wound or she'll shock. lie was
fighting for 81 months and his divis-
| ion carried the title of "SaviOrs of
Paris, " General Degoutte of the 9th
French army giving utteranee to the
thrilling words, "The 26th division
alone is responsible for the whole al
lied advance ON the Marne. They are
shock troops par exeellencel - The di-
vision took its position July 9th. re-
lieving the I'd, in which were Bert
Broyles and Joe DeJardin of Wood
burn and Gcrvais, and fought the see
ond battle of Chateau Thierry, their
counter attacks being the initial i'm
pact Of the series Of giant blows which
for months kept the Huns reeling back
ward until, beaten they esutrendercd. =.
The Huns were good fighters until cor
ncred, when they easily gave up. At
Argonnc forest 5000 Americans went
in and afterwards only $40 answered
roll call. The 26th, or Yankee division,
was Massachusetts, division and west.
erners in it had no show for promotion,
which were handed out among the
Massachusetts men. When the division
went into the fight the odds were all
against them, but they went on thru
and were victorious The machine
gunncy was something fearful, but
the boys preferred to face it than re-
main under she'll fire in the trenches.
They lost sight Of all fear and Milton
went over the top several times. At
one time he lost all in his squad but
one man. On one occasion he stepped
over to waken one and found him dead
On another he saw a man STOPPING
when bullet struck him in the fore
head and he retained his STOPPING po-
sition for some time. He heard of
many instances where women were
chained to machine guns, but only saw
one. The second trenches were nearly
as bad as the first on account Of taC
shell fire. He saw the l03d nearly wip-
ed out. The divisions that saw most
of the fighting were the lst, I'd, 26th
and 42d.-Woodburn Independent.