The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1920-09-27
Former Sergeant Major of Aviation
Corps, and Stars and Stripes Repre-
sentative Reminisces.
BY E. F. WHITE.

troops began the great offensive in
the Argonne Forest that was to. result
in the overwhelming defeat of the ar
rogant troops of the Kaiser, and rio
Europe of German autocracy and
militarism
The 9lst, known as the Wild West
Division, was going into action for
its first time, and / had been assigned
to them as the official representative
OF The Stars and Stripes, that WON
derful newspaper printed in Paris by
American soldiers, and which did SO
much to keep the morale of the Ameri-
can troops up to the highest standard
OF any OF the armies engaged in the
world conflict.
In the carly misty hours of the
morning of September 10Th, mean
Apremont, l allowed myself to be-
come sufficiently careless to become.
entangled in barbed wire while going
forward with Company D, 362nd In
fantry. In falling to the ground my
helmet was dislodged from my head.
| Shrapnel was being careessly sprink-
led IN our immediate vicinity at the
time, and one piece that | failed to
hear came into sudden and violent con-
tact with my left temple. Jerry, not
being satisfied with spraying us plen-
tifully with shrapnel, conceived the
bright idea Of sending over the morn
ing's supply Of mustard and phogene
gas, the heaviness Of the atmosphere
making an ideal opportunity for such
an undertaking.
Having been placed momentarily
hors du combat by the aforesaid piece
OF shrapnel, | was rudely brough,
back to consciousness with a terrible
burning sensation in my eyes and
| chest apprising me of the fact tina.
II hoped to continue breathing much
longer that | had better break some
speed records in the matter of DOMINIC
a gas mask
This little set-to with the enemy was
sufficient to keep me in hospital for a
month, after which | was allowed tc
rcjoin the DIST which at that time
was just starting for Belgium.
1t was in this wonderful little coun.
try with its splendid and courageous
people, that | would now direct ole
Diogenes if he were upon earth, fol
1t was there that | met the honest man
On the evening of the dav of oul
arrival at Roulers, Belgium, some
thirty kilometres from Ypres, where
the regiment was to spend the night
| extended myself an invitation to ;
game of African golf that was in prog
ress, and by constantly rubbing tn,
), golf balls upon a Gruen wrist watcl
/ that German officer had "willed'
t me, | had a phenomenal run of luck
t abandoning the game at a late hou,
t with some few thousand francs stored
away in the old O. DIS that some O
e the other boys had reluctantly. bu
4 gamely parted with.
5 The following morning | had occa
e sion to visit the little village of Ische
n gum, about fifteen kilometres from
= Rouers, and it was here met the on,
i responsible for these "reminiscences.
t Refugees were coming into the Ii
tie village thta morning who had ne
:. idea as to what they were returning
i to. For four years they had beer
Y away, and ii was indeed heart rend
e ing sight TO see the tired and worn
looking, half-Starved women and chi,
1 dren standing before the ruins of wha
0 was once their peaceful homes, anc
n which was now nothing but SCARED
c mass Of ruins.
lhere was one group in particular
a which attracted my attention, Their,
), beng man whom | judged to be
| about fltty-hve years old. and a tree
: looking little woman who had one O
the Saddest, and yet sweetest faces i
has ever been my good fortune to see
Around them stood five children. tn,
youngest whom l judged to be abou
SIX, and the eldest young bow O
about sixteen.
Using my best French, | asked tn,
man ii he were former resident of tn,
l. village, and received an agreeable sur
e prise by being informed YES" in goot
: English. He had spent ten years j,
e England during his youth, and still re
tanned good command of the EneIisl
" language
II His story was not hard to get. Lik
Q. thousands of Others he and his fan,;l,
e were forced to flee before the adj
IS vance of the Germans. He had. b,
o hard work during a lifetime accumu
IS lated home and business. When h
and his family left lschegum they ha,
5. buried their silverware and money
+, taking only few francs with them
it knowing that at any moment the
t were liable to come in contact wit
S. German soldiers who never failed Il
l. search and rob all whom they met.
a He showed me the hole where thei
valuables had been buried. Someon
had found the hiding place. The treas
ured box containing the savings of
O lifetime was gone.
S Nearing three-score years, an,
with five young children and a faith
~