The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1920-10-13
PEACE DAY IN PARIS
(By Lieutenant H. L. JOrdan.)
Somewhere in Germany


wear full We toured England enroute to
channel port stopped at rest camps in The mlds
of old scenes and places Of greatest historical IN
terest We landed in France full bloom witt
hope springing up with us from assurances made
by wounded officers we saw, that within mon.f
our division would be in action along the front
lines One night we boarded one Of the long
French troop trains on which in the manner you
have heard most Of the cars marked 20 hom-
mes, 40 chevaux" e men or 40 horses) expecting
long "trip to concentration point where
we would join up with the balance of our division
before moving all the way forward. The next
day we detraned at Les Mans big troop depot
and there we met with action, not ordinarily IN
the regulations Our casualties were fearfu
We were shot to pieces, literally, from the stand
point Of organization, our division was one o.
several of the recent arrivals to be broken up e
make replacements for the outfits which had beer
battling with fearful losses in the Argonne forest
A few days spent in forwarding camp
and then to classification" area Officers came
up with their commands to gate and surrend-
cred their men to special N. c.. O. and here
thereby relieved of all connection with those
troops. A day SO later the men were class.
fled and sent hither and yon A few sergeant:
and corporals were left at Les Mans for iastruc-
ton purposes. The greater bulk of L Company
went together to a certain division and have,
presume been re-splt in assignment 20 different
regiments. Officers crowded into biets at Les
Mans to await assignments, begging for any
detail to send them forward Came the days OF
the armistice negotiations. Went also those days
and while we all sincerely wanted peace to come
at once, you will know the most of us were human
enough 70 fret lest the armistice be signed before
we had at least day in front lines Sunday morn
ing came an order of assignment, Sunday even
ing were in Paris. The next morning the
first news to greet us as we left our hotel was
"The armistice was signed early this morning.
These facts I state without personal comment
further.
Paris! We could not have arrived at more
privileged day. Denied us to be at the front,
you will agree with me that if left to our choice
should have chosen other city in the world
at which to celebrate this first appearance of
peace Paris, the beautiful, the wonderful capital
of all capital cities. Mondays are closed days to
places one would always want to see, as we
found by walking 20 the Invalids and Napolean's
Tomb, to the Louvre, to the Grand Palace We did
see the Cathedral so fiendshly bombed last Easter
by the Huns long range Big Bertha, and we visit
ed the famed Cathedral, Notre Dame; bu. our
greatest interest in minglng with the crowds
along the Boulevards and watching Paris awake to
it's joy. There seven of US in our party, Two
officers of M Company from Mankato, Captains !
Glen, Hons and myself from Redwood, and ear
ly in the day we discovered we were very con- |
spicuous party. In fact all Americans that we
saw were conspicuous in Paris those days
I presume there were at least two distinct re- |
actions in every place in the world to the news
hat he az and no IN,
folks gave way to an unrestrained frenzy Of ex-
citing joy, the other one following naturally in
solemn, reverent spirit of Thanksgiving In our
two days at Paris that city was visibly caught in
the throes of the first spirit
Guns from nearby forts doomed The news early
in the day and again in the afternoon Flags and
bunting and banners seemed fairly to leap from
nowhere to windows, roofs, street light standards
to taxis, cabs and trucks. Such a beautiful Wis
ia of colors might see once in life time along
any OF the popular boulevards. They were not |
only the French tri-color. An exceptional and not
the rule was any single flag. Rather were there
fluttering clusters of coors made up of the flags
of the Allies and the Associated government of
the United States Women bedecked themselves
with the tri-colored streamers men and women
alike wore allied rosettes and pin flags. Shops
and street pedders had quickly sold their stock
of flag combinations. Hundreds of flags were
carried aloft In the morning before the street
was packed, army trucks and camons raced along
and with mufflers open contributed their crack
ing fuslllades to the general demonstration. Old
men and old women were noticeably present in
the morning crowds, folks with memories of the
Franco-Prussian war and Invariably in their
"rlnkied features glowed a radiance worthy of
any artists effort as they greeted us with give
L Amerlque" and give La France" And then
as we meS groups the day long we "Vive La
Franced" and ',Vive L'Ameriqued."
You know have read and heard much of tbe
flae klnness OF spirit between French and Am Il
erican folks, and question it and it's sincerity,
no longer There-is nothing uncertain in the
minds OF these French folks as to the service
rendered them by the American nation and ire
army In simple French or in hating English