Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-24
Just, Pals
A Christmas Story
Uy Clark II. kuhns

command. II was difficult work, fore
taste Of the obstacles in store for The at
tackng infantry, forcing way through
the narrow trenches cboked with vines and
underbr,iah which had overrun the Yer
dun sector.
Their objective war gradually being
reached and but seven minutes remained
until the zero hour
A runner. finding his way through the
underbrlisf, came up with the lieutenant
and sauting, thrust n crtnnpled piece II
paper into the officers hand In tho pale
light Of the moon Lieutenant Baker made
out the following. The Division Com
mander directs TINT the enlisted men Of
his command should know The necessity
Of striking, at this particular time, hard
blows The commanding general eau
tions all going into action, to be prepared
To endure hunger cold aud fatigue, and
points oui that tho sure8t way 10 alleviate
these conditions is 10 conquer The Ut
most limit Of endurance Is required
flelI' aaid Baker As Il we don't
already kuow thisi These s. O s birds
sure do give me a pain All they do is pass
tho buck
again consulting his watch md noting
the time. the lieutenant shouted ~ his
men. let's GO" fIc boosted the ser-
gcant ta the perapot ard WINS IN turn pulled
up by hnud 10 take his perch on the edge
of The wierdeai panorama of mist and
mystery that mortal imagination could
conlure
No Mans Land. which should have
beckoned straight INTO The heart II the
Argosne, WAS shrouded m thick white
fog Beyond the fog could be seen flashes
II bursting shell
II was nlrnost re though the infantry
had been asked 20 60 over the Top blind
/ folded Even more depressing than the
/ lack II v'rlon, however. was that dank
| breath a the Argnnne. saturated. until
the atmosphere had passed mellowncea.
+ wifh the odor q stagnant. muddy ponla
/ hiding beneath trcacherous carpets II
/ tangled wire erass
/ IN the heavy fog. first ono platoon and
then another iast contact with the com
+ pauv The advance was made ~ snail :
/ paca with frequent verlhcatfon IF direc-
+ ton hy compass The fog persisted even
when attacked ~ The first rays IF the SIN
HeRalnng contact with this third
/ platoon. the lieutenant cousultei hls
compass and started on hgar
From the falterinR procession y stretch
cr beatefs. eysciating wounded slowly
down = lnrR coinfnunlca ton trench. fhe
lieutenant learned that the greater mum
hef II hIe company Rad been lost
Ahead "a the crawling platoon waa Z
nefe If ffrk wirc gross lniersperarfl wlfh
pools n mud and sterile aturnps q trees
/ that had flied ia tho artillery fire ri fne
first months If The war
Advancing SLOWLY. fhe remainder n
/ tic company ~ infantry vas met With 2
aevage burst If machine-gliu fire ~ fhis
instance the death rattle II The ArRrnne
The roar ~ distant advancing tanks gave
| warning III what was IN store
fresh rr weary. whole or declmated
they had been thrown INTO dam the Ger
man tide The heavy maebine-gun FRI
added only 10 their desire 10 conquer
On and On they rushed
IL front If the dougbhova q batfaiioT
81 tam Americans af the steering whee
ani tperlcans nt The guns rsed lnff
the dfzxing eald aud numbered III
toward the enemy On ~ ahcaa. nisfo
~ hand. Lieutenant Baker was leading hn
men lnfo the thlckcst Il fhe frag
III the ioz the tan<s now visible - "a
men loomed as large a. locomotives
AID their motors reared and chugged witi
sound. intensified by the fox, terrifying
above all other noises
eAtA4 Niitse l4ttt#a-tttA ttka 1tttA tb8 'tFft iA
rough Stops. whlie the artillery barrages
lifting al rolling ahead on the tim
table rarched oui hc German lines an
contributed terror # is own
Then the inevitable happened in th
fog the tanks. the attacking doaghbOy
aud the Germans became mlxed IN OF
confused lnaSs rushing back and forth o
the lower slopes The flare Of E.ins i
the aeI.se mist eutllthe whole Slopes seeu
esl atl.me American p.ares bombed ar
raked With machine gun fire the aivanctn
l4.es q tserIraa - ter-3ttac6.
The confusion of the bllfd battle ende
with the clearing ot the iog. and th
Americans pressed IN toward the -iop'
ht ford near = Martin kgveTe. maf
plunged INTO Tho river Selle-
The death toll II TINS battle, Deceu
Der - 1917. was heavy on both sides
Lieutenant Edward 4 Baker VAS foun
WITH the deA3 strewn on that great battI
field HIS hettlc Was Won