The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-03-06
D. c. Soldier, Just Back,
Tells HON. WASHINGTON
Boys Fought and Died

Sergt Charles Mccain, OF the SOlon-
iAl apartments, formerly a member OF
the Washington staff Of the United
Press, who went to France with the
312th Machine Gun Battalion, today
gave The Times a graphic description
Of the work of the 312th on the west
ern front Mccain passed an exami-
nation for a commission in France, but
the armistice was signed before he re-
ceived his appointment He is twenty
five years old.
Mccain, who is at Newport News
awaiting his discharge, told The Times
Of the first Washington man in the
312th to be killed in action-Hagop
Nushekian, an Armenian.
''Nushekian often had said he felt
certain that he would not return Nc
Cam said. He was brave. even though
convinced that he would die, and made
others feel the excitement less, on &C
count of his calmness"
McCann went over with the adj
vance school detachment Of the Sew
enty-ninth division in June and help
ed in the billeting. After a training
period at Riviera les Posses, near
General Pershing's headquarters, his
battalion moved up to the Verdun
sector.
To Hill 3O4.
at was on September H." he said,
that we went to the famous Hill
3O4, Dead Mans Hill. where one-half
million men had been killed in pre-
vious years. We were hiking up by
forced marches when the French sent
up trucks, driven by .Indo-Chinese
drivers, who rushed us along for
forty or fifty miles through Bas-le-
Due and the ruins Of what had been
Jouy de Argonne. We came along
the Sacred Way to Verdun, a wonder
full road, almost as wide as Pennsyl-
Vania avenue, that had managed to
survive the Smelling, but was banked
with the ghosts of trees along the
way to suggest the beauty Of peace
times.
There at Joy we saw a Washing
ton colored man wearing a trench
mask, French tin hat, and old Ameri-
can pants. He had been fighting with
the French by some chance, but ne
was glad to hear the voices Of men
from Washington.
"As we were going in the French
were moving out along the other side
Of the road. Our men were as jolly
and lively as they could be. 1t was
the time we were all expecting. and
Sc we were keyed UP for it at 2:3O
a. m, September Is, we took over a
part Of Dead Mans Hill. A French
man reported to me, as sergeant, that
the Boche was just ahead, but no
trouble was to be expected.
Bones Of Thousands Dead.
where we stood were bones of thou
sands Of dead. Every inch of surface
and far down below were bones. This
was the very bloodiest acre in all
France.
1--WE were up there for one week,
but suffered little. German air
PLANES rained bombs upon the area,
but did not kill a man. The shells
came regularly, but we seemed to en-
JOY a charmed life there where so
many had died. After a week we
went to dugouts in the rear and then
had rest of a week before coming
into the Argonne.
ON September 25 we turned in our
heavy equipment and all we kept was
a light pack-one days rations, tooth
brushes. A big meal was cooked to
be our last before battle, but orders
came to move and we left all that
good chow behind.
when our artillery started in we
were allowed to light bonfires. This
did not mater hen. We did not care
if the boche knew our position. Big
naval guns could be heard above the
din of others. The flare was so con-
tinuous from guns that we could see
the thousands of men marching up
to our hill along the road. Some Of