The Washington herald., 1921-11-12
First Fallen in France.
To the Editor. The Washing ton Herald:

10 the EDITOR, Inc washington herhld:
In the Star Of October IS of this
year l noticed an article entitled
First Soldier Wounded" Under this
heading there was published a no.
tice from Cookesvllle, Tenn, that the
first American soldier to shed blood
in France was a Tennesseean. The
soldiers name was given as George
Ashburn. formerly Company d. Eight
zenith u. S. Infantry. 1t stated that
a citation in the possession OF Ash
burn, signed by Gen. Bordeaux, Of the
French army, contained the following
statement:
was the first soldier Of the U. ).
army who lost blood upon the soil
of France for the cause Of right. jus
tice and liberty"
Undoubtedly. Gen. Bord aux
thought that he was stating the facts
accurately, but he had at that time
no means of knowing the casualties
that were occurring among the Amer
lean troops serving with the British
Expeditionary Forces.
Without wishing to detract from
the fine service rendered during the
world war by Mr.. Ashburn, who was
wounded on October 81. 1917, l be-
lieve 1t my duty to inform you that
the statement made is not correct.
In justice to those soldiers OF the
U. s. army who first shed blood after
the United States entered the world
war and in the interest of historical
accuracy. let me advise you Of the
| following facts:
The first officer and the first en-
listed men killed. and the first Of
| ficer and the first enlisted men wound
ed in the u. S. army in France, were
members of U. S. Army Base Hos
pital No. 8. serving with the British
Expeditionary Forces at Dennes-Ca-
miers, France. on the night of Sep
TENDER 4, 1917. AS a result of the
explosion Of FIVE bombs dropped by
hostile airplanes in the hospital area
on the date mentioned, Lieut.. Will
lam T. Fitzsimons. Medical Reserve
Corps. U. s. army, of Kansas City,
Mo-. and Privates Tugo. Wood and
Rubino (the first mentioned SOL
der of the Medical Enlisted Reserve
Corps and the two latter of the Med
ical Department, U. S. army. were
killed. First Lieuts. Smith, Whidden
and Mcguire, Medical Reserve Corps
u. s. army, and Privates Brewer. Ma
son, Mcleod, and two others Of the
Mesicsl Enlisted Reserve Corps OF
the army, were wounded. One MEM
Der of the Army Nurse Corps, L. 5.
army, was shell shocked, and TWEEN
ty-two British patients, then in the
Hospital wsfe wounded, two of whom
died later as a result Of the same.
Within two or three days thereafter
two enlisted men of the Eleventh
Regiment Of the u. 8. Engineers
serving with the British Expedition
airy Forces, were wounded. On sep
TENDER S. First Lieut.. Stimson, Med
ical Reserve Corps, u. S. army, was
severely wounded while serving with
a field ambulance of the British army
There were several other casualties
among the u. s. army serving with
the British Expeditionary Forces dur
ing the months of September ana
October. 1917.
It will thus be seen that Mr.. Ash
burn was wounded some weeks after
the casualties already referred TO.
The first casualties that occurred in
the American army in the trenches
were those in the First Division, No
vember 3, 1917. when three soldiers
were killed. These three soldiers
have often been referred to as being
the first men killed in the war.
There is no desire on the part Of
the writer to detrect from the fine
service of all of these men who
were wounded or died in their cour-
try's cause, but believe 1t is time
that the matter should be settled
finally and accurately by publish
| Ing the true facts.
Inthis connection IL is of interest
to know that the memory of Lieut..
Fitzsimons has been commemorated
by naming the Fitzsimons General
Hospital, U. s. A., at Denver, Colo,
after him. On october is Of this
year there was dedicated at Boston,
Mass. square. to be known as
Tugo Square,, concentrating the
death of Private Oscar Tugo. Of the
Medical Enlisted Reserve Corps, Z.
S, army. who was resident OF Mas
sRchusetts. and one OF the hrst
three enlisted men of the Init ed