The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1921-06-09

49, &DAA1ASI ~ u ABuluB-
y q 3o&erDon and Lincoln would
1epmbed 70 the autocracy of
16nsQiIern and the militarism of
Hun; Bunker Hill and Valley
{ te6s Gettysburg and Appomattox
n have been wiped from the pages
~ history: and Bethlehem and Geth-
FDo1Aane would have become but hollow
1ckeries. To prevent that catas-
tf0phe Maine boys of today like the
boys Of 81 offered their lives, their
an. on the altar of liberty. They took
their place with their allies upon those
felds fncarnadine. They faced the
ultimate. and. thank God, they faced
| II unafraid- They charged into the
very mouth of He'll, and made calm
acceptance OF its hazards. They man.
ned the steel-swept trenches. The
troubled earth between the lines was
carpeted with pain. Red death rode
whistling on every wind, and gray,
poisonous death came creeping
stealthily upon them, wrapped in mist
and charged with awful torment They
faced an enemy cruel and cunning,
trained and efficient, experienced and
vastly powerful. OF all things spent
and squandered there, upon the red
horizon, young human life seemed
held least dear of ALL And there. in
Plcardy. the home of Peter the Herr
init, whence he issued to preach the
Crusades, in region enriched by
those Crusaders with thousand relics
, and hundred noble churches. Maine
boys welded the sword of Christian
knighthood in the hottest crusade
| mankind has ever seen.
Let me say a word as to the Maine
National Guard.
The End Maine Regiment was
brought to war strength two months
before any other white regiment In
the country. No better, drawer SOL
diers left the United States ID the
great war. Incorporated intosthe 10Srd
Infantry Regiment, it became q part
of the 26th. or Yankee Division. the
first full division to arrive on French
| soil, and division whose gallant rec
ord is an imperishable part Of our
literature and history.
This 105rd Regiment, the old End
Maine, is said to have taken more
prisoners than any other American
regiment. 1t fought with gallAntry on
the Chemin de Danes. 1t wen dis
tinction ON the Toul sector, and COW
cred itself with glory in the battle of
Xivray, being highly commended in
army orders by the French command
ing generals.
On the morning of July IS, 1918, the
Yankee Division, led by the old End
Maine regiment, launched that great
counter offensive at Chateau Thierry
which turned the tide of the war in
favor of the allies and which never
ceased until the beaten and exhausted
foe sought an armistice. Our Maine
boys came upon this historic battle
field at crucial hour of the allied
cause. For almost four years the most
formidable army the world had yet
seen had pressed its invasion OF
France and stood threatening its Cap
ital. Never was 1t more menacing and
powerful than when, on the morning
OF July IS, it sought again to destroy
In one great battle the brave men op-
posed to 1t, and to enforce its brutal
will upon civilization and the world.
To save Paris, General Foch launched
| his first great offensive to reduce the
| Marine salient, and the boys from
Maine in the 103rd regiment led the
van in that drive. They formed the
| spearhead of the great thrust, that
reduced. the Marine salient, saved Paris,
! and started the great German retreat.
The objective assigned the 103rd regi-
ment was the town of Torcy. Imag-
inc. If you can, our peace-loving boys
| FROM, Mar Ern 1ov ,ho<r
Waterville, Augusta, Gardiner, Winth-
rop and Mt. Vernon, waiting the zero
hour on the morning of July ID. wait
ing in the darkness to go over the top
in the white glow OF dawn, in one of
the most desperate attempts OF the
whole war; facing the horrors OF gas
and grenade, machine gun fire, and
heavy artillery: to take life, and to
give their lives for humanity, In the
service OF us who gather here today
in peace and safety At $50 that
morning the boys from Maine went
over the top. They took Torcy in
Twenty-Five minutes. In forty-five min
utes they had overrun Torcy, taken
the trenches on both sides of the town,
mopped up the village and CONSOLE
dated their positions ready for q
counter attack. For six days and six
nights, continuously under fire, these
boys pressed forward, practically UNI
supported. against tremendous OBJ
stacles, until victory was assured, and
they were relieved by the 5Sth Bri
gade. These Maine boys were picked
| for service in critical sector, and
they justified the confidence of their
superiors. They took what they went
after. Every objective was attained.
Eaw He'll. could not stop them Not
a foot of ground was lost. They de-
livered the goods. and scorned to reck-
on the price.
What Of the boys from Skowhegan
in this great drive? In the presence of
the fathers and mothers who brought
these boys into being and gave them
to their country. In the presence of
you who knew these boys. and loved
them, words fail me, and would sim
|ply say this: Search the pages of
American history from the inception
OF this great republic to the present
day. recall all deeds of sacrifice and
heroism, and you will find inscribed
there no sadder, prouder, nobler, more