Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-02-01
COPY OF PERSH|NC'S
OFFICIAL CITATION
OF SD RECEIVED
MMANDER OF A. (. r. HIGHLY
LAUDS ILLINOIS TROOPS AND
COMRADES FOR HEROIC FIGHT.
ING ON WESTERN FRONT.

The 23d Division Ollinois men ex
c.usiyely) in its seven months over
seas service saw perhaps more reaI
ac.iQn than any other American fight.
in unit. The United States forces
were comprised Of nine army corps.
The Illinois Yanks fought with eight
Of these corps and saw action on
nearly every important western front
At intervals they fought with the
British, Australians and French. with
whom they We're brigaded during the
early days OF their arrival in rance.
Because Of phenomenal record OF
heroism and bravery official citations
issued by Gen. John j. Pershing, com
mandaut of The American overseas
forces, commend the division, along
wiCh other Yank units. for their his
tofic part in the world war
Company c, Ottawa's own, is a
member Of the Prairie organization
copies Of the citation were sent to all
units covered by Cen pershmes
laudations. One of these was received
today by DR. and Mrs. w f. Weesc
from their son. Lieut.. Glenn Weese
who is with the 29th formerly the
Sd |. n. G., in Luxembourg Because OF
its value to everyone interested in
Company c and the remaining Illinois
troops the Ere TraderJounal prints
the citation in full.
headquarters 33d Division.
American EXpeditionary Forces.
Bulletin No l4l.
LuXemburg, Dec. 27, 1918.
Meuse-Argonne Battle.
General Order 232. Headquar-
ters A f. f., dated Dec 49, 1918,
is published for information, and
for compliance with the last para
graph thereof;
1t is with a sense OF gratitude
for its splendid accomplishment,
which will live through all his
tory, that | record in General Or
ders a tribute to the victory of
the First Army in the Meuse-Ar-
gonne bate
Tested and strengthened by
the reduction Of the st. Mihiel
salient, for more than six weeks
,-p,, Iu ta,ad .,U,;,,gt +i, ,,F
the enemy line on the western
front. 1t was a position of i'm
posing natural strength, stretch
on both sides of the Mouse River
from the bitterly contested hills
of Ncrdun to the almost impene-
traDle forest of the ArGOnnc; a
position, moreover, fortified by
four years OF labor deSigncd to
render it impregnable; a position
held with the fullest resources OF
the enemy. That position you
broke utterly, and thereby hast
ened the collapse OF the enemy's
military power.
Soldiers of all the divisions
engaged under the First Third
and Fifth Corps-the 1st, I'd, Sd,
4th. 7th, 26th, 18th, 18th, 321,
SD, &5th, 37th, 42d, 18th. 18th,
18th, S0th, S2d, S9th 9Oth and 9lsl
you Will be long remembered
for the stubborn persistence OF
your progress, your storming OF
obstinat2ly defended machine gun
nests, your penetration, yard by
yard, of woods and ravinos, your
heroic resistance in the fact of
counter attacks supported by pow
erful artillery fire. For more'
than a month, from the initial at
tack of Sept. 26 you fought your
way slowly through the Argonne,
through the woods and over hills
west of the MeuSe; you slowly en-
larged your hold on the Cotes de
Meuse to the east, and then on
the first of November your attack
forced the enemy into flight
Pressing his retreat, you cleared
the entire Ieft bank OF the MeuSe
south of Sedan, and then stormed
the heights on the right bank
and drove him into the pain be
yond.
Your achievement, which is
scarcely to be equalled in Amer
lean history. must remain a
source of proud satisfaction to
the troops who participated in the
last campaign of the war The
American people will remember
it as the realization of the hith-
erto potential strength of the
American contribution toward the
cause to which they had sworn
allegiance. There can be no
greater reward for soldier or for