Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-09-05
An American Doughboy In
France
BY ELLIOTT F. HOFFMAN
Historian of Alexandria Post, NO.
"a, American Legion.)
lFor the Alexandria Gazette')
Meuse.Argonne Offensive
(Continued.)

On the morning Of October iotn
the shattered remnants OF our Dat
tanon returned to point about d
mile from the line, giving way 10 inc
second battalion OF our own dlVlsloh'
THESE began Immediately to press the
rctreatlnr Huns on toward their las.
tino of resistance-the city OF Seoah
Just rs of the original 2o9 men VINO
were with our company Wnen tne OIL
fenslve began answered here" when
tho roll was called after this battle.
orr captain, a man from Des MONIES,
Iowa, having been wounded at Chat,
eau Ihierry, gave way on the secono
dav of the battle under the terrific
strain, and was dispatched to the rear
Our first lieutenant, who was wound,
ed the first day and who was carried
back to the first aid by Bobby"
LYONS, of Alexandria, died in the hos
pltal, and the rest of that large num-
Der were killed, wounded, or missing:
The &c of US dug in" on the side OF
a hill while arrangements were oeing
made for our removal to a rest area:
Every afternoon Salvage detail
was formed to salvage the equipment
left on the battlefield. And what a
lob! At a five pace intervals we would
advance through the woods, picking
up old canteens, rifles, bayonets, am
munition, and other miscellaneous
equipment. If you will picture dirty
faced, unshaved boy in what was once
olive drab, with rusty rifle or two
hanging over his shoulder, several ola
bayonets attached here and there 10
his person, a canteen or two In one
hand, several old helmets in the other.
walking and sometimes wadlng
through mud and water, and if you
will then imagine a whole group OF
such figures, you will have falrly
GOOD idea of salvage detail IN the
Argonne Forest.
There were often individual TRACE
dies on those excursions. On one oc-
casion, as the squad was advancing
through an open space, nlgh eH-
plosivc was heard overhead 1t had
"gotten lazy" in it's journey, and fell
in front of the salvage detail. Private
Olive Tonson of Winterset, Iowa was
killed outright by the explosion and
several were wounded. That was the
last time we were sent out on such a
mission. The powers that be" evid-
emily decided later that human life
or two was worth more than the sal
wage value Of few old rusty musk
ets--a bit of rare judgment" to say
the least.
Early one Sunday morning We
crawled out Of our "holes" and ad-
vanced in single file at five pace in
tervals through the woods into a val
ley beyond. Having reached a point
some four or five miles from the line
we were met by our rolling kitchen
outfit, with a sumptuous meal ready
for us-beefsteak, potatoes. jam, and
coffee with both sugar and milk. We
had gone without milk so long we
thought all the cows in America had
surely died long ago. And sugar-oh
boy. rarely did we see it, and more
rarely still did we taste it. All to-
sugar sent over for Americans must
have been labeled "For officers Only"
After that wonderful banquet"
we were treated to the best surprise
of all-mail from home! There were
those letters with that old family
home town post mark. These letters
were about the only thing that made
life worth while during those awful
days. They brought back the thought
Of home, of Mother" and Dad
They told of the doings in the old
town back in the States; of the eff
forts that were being made by the
people at home to win the war and to
bring US speedily home again. They
contained almost always just good
news" After the reading of the let
tiers, off to some secluded spot, out
with the old faded, torn picture of
mother, sweetheart, wife or child--a
glimpse or two-a prayer that they
might be protected from all harm
while we were doing our part over
there; and then back to the crowd
ready for more of the damnabie bust
ness of warfare.
After dinner we proceeded on our
journey to the rest area, which turn
ed out to be wooded section on =
hill near Apartment within range OF
the enemy's guns. As "rest" area il
was an ideal place to get nervous
rrostra ton. The ''zizz barps" iron,
the German lines played Cover tn: