Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1919-06-17
S0TH ARTILLERY WAS EQUAL
TO BEST, SAYS COLONEL
WALDRON.

Drawn.
There wasn't finer brigade of
artillery in the whole of the A. E. F.,
than the 155th, nor more splendid
body of men,"
These are the words of Col Will
liam H. Waldron, chief of staff of the
80th Division. Col. Waldron's home
is in Huntington, West Virginia, and
he is widely known, not only there,
but all over the state, especially in
Wheeling, where he began his career
as newspaper man under Mr.. S. o.
Long, for many years editor of the
Register.
Colonel Waldron was at one time
editor of Huntington paper, prior
to his military career.
There is no question about il"
he continued. "That Brigade could
not be surpassed The people of
West Virginia ought to be proud be-
yond words of the men of that state
who made up such large percentage
of that organization. Why, on the
26th of September when the Meuse-
Argonne offensive, when the Brigade
saw action for the first time the boys
of the 115th were the first artillery
to cross the Forgas Brook.
Snake Hunters Did 1t.
"The French had declared we
couldn't get that stream bridged until
the afternoon that day, and by 9
o'clock our brigade not only had the
bridge up, but was on it's way across.
That was when they gave such splen-
i Aa,~+ - 4kA sx,fD ,fx.xr ,{e.
attackon Gercourt and Dannevoux.
North of Bethincourt handful
| of Headquarters Orderlies captured
two Boche's IT'S and turned them
| back on their owners; and because
there weren't enough men to get the
ammunition up, they hauled the guns
up and down to the piles of ammuni-
ton, and kept them going all the
same The Boche finally discovered
where the trouble was, but by that
time we knew enough to clear out.
"On October 3rd one of the batal-
! lions pulled off one of the nerviest
feats | ever saw. 1t was an almost
superhuman thing to move their field
of action, in the night, clear across
| the battle area, and be ready for the
attack next morning, but they did it,
and they were right there to cover
the fast advancing infantry. The
bravery of the section of artillery
| men that accompanied every battal-
| lion of infantry deserves comment
also. Our heaviest losses were of
| course in the back areas where our
supplies and horses were concentrat-
ed. We lost heavily in horses. I've
seen a picket line of seven or eight
horses wiped out by a single shell.
Last Withdrawn.
"The 155th was one of the last of
| the artillery brigades to be with
/ drawn after the armistice was signed
I 1t was first across the line and
among the last to come out. 1t is
something of which West Virginians
should be intensely proud.
"a perusal of the history of the
| S0th Division reveals the origin of
the three blue peaks on the shield of
| khaki, that are notices of the mar
| gins of the organization. These
peaks, the Blue Ridge mountains, are
common to al three of the states from
| which the men of the 80th were
| drawn, and the sturdy inhabitants of
| those hills had behind them the ira
ditions of generations of fighters,
| from the days when the Tomahawk
was red, through the Revolution and
| the. war of 1912, to the COS when
brothers divided still kept a mutual
respect. 1t has become symbolical
Of the strength o fthe union, that Vir-
| ginias, West Virginias and Pennsyl
vanias, though they rallied at each
other about their origin, were knit in
closer bond of fellowship than is yet
| realized by either north or south, but
that is as enduring as the traditional
/ hospitality of he south that threw
| open it's doors in welcome to the
| splendid men of the north as to its
own, and which still lives and reveres
the memory of the 80th Division.
To the 155th Artillery Brigade, the
northern tier of West Virginia coun-
ties contributed the 313th Regiment
the central and southern gave to both
| the 314th and 315th. A few hun
dred were scattered through other
organizations, but nowhere, except in
Company E, perhaps Of the 319th
Regiment were they grouped"
Col William H. Waldron, of Hunt
ington, w. Va, commissioned a sec
ond lieutenant in 1899, and by 1917
| had become major and was a recog-
nized authority on military tactics.
He was practical soldier, having
gained his experiences in China and
| the Philippines. With the rank of
lieutenant-colonel he became chief
of staff, and Immediately established
reputation for positiveness, earnest
ness and straightforwardness. In
June, 1918, he he was made Colonel,
after the division had left this coun-
try. Throughout the experiences,
both inspiring and embittering, of the
80th Division, he has been the faith
full righthand man of the command
ing officers.
When the division embarked, the
artillery brigade remained behind
while the rest was transferred toca-
lois. Later the brigade proceeded to
Bedon near St. Nazare, the great sup
ply center, receiving there its mater
ials and animals. In the latter part
Of July, officers and men of the ad-
vance detail received training at the
artillery firing school at Camp decor
quidan, Early in August the brigade
was assembled at Camp Mencon, re
naming there until the middle of
September.
When it rejoined the division, prep
Grations were in progress for the CON
centrated drive of September &c. On
the night of September 14th the brig
ade occupied emplacements along the
south slope of Dead Mans Hill. On
the 18th they were notified of the
impending attack. Preparation" was
opened at 1870 p. M, of that flaw
less night by the guns of the first
army corps and by $50 a. M, on the
26th, the third corps, the 228th
field artillery, one battalion of the
289th, the Goth aero squadron were
in the attack, led by the 160th brig
ade of infantry, which contained
many West Virginians. Betheun-
court fell, and by 8 a. M, that cross
ing of the Torges Brook was accom-
~ II & IL. Il