The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-05-30

For now the world Is all their own,
And, led by thoughts our brave have
-. soWn
! Till Might has bowed nor could
Withstand the force that stood
Secure and safe, God wrought.
Through stormy times they fought,
,~-.... And now they lie
In sleep.
"Allez! Allez! Les Boches! cried
the French territorials streaming back
through the Second division Of the
American army, which had just come
forward in support and relief. ely!
Fly! The Hum" they shouted.
Retreat, h-n! We have just come.
Let the Boche retreat" called back
an officer Of the American forces as he
and his men rushed forward.
It. was May in France, 1918, records
Clara Whiteside in the Philadelphia
Ledger. The French line from Sois-
sons to Reims paralleled in a general
way the line of the ancient road.
Chemin des Danes, and the French
defenses were so strong that the war
worn gallant French armies were using
middle-aged men known as territorials
to hold this part of the line. Perhaps
because Of this, and also to make an
effort to split the French and English
armies, the Germans made a great at
tack on this sector at the end Of May.
and in five days had driven back the
French to open country, following the
great half circle Of the Marine, which
the Germans crossed at Dormans on
the east side Of the salient at Chateau
Thierry and at Belleau.
There were no trenches and no
Notifications so far back from the
fighting front, and the war was again
in the open. Foreseeing the purpose
Of the German army to enter wedge
between the allied armies Marshal
Foch selected American troops to stop
this advance, which at Les Meres
farm and at Chateau Thierry had
reached the nearest point to Paris-37
miles-since the previous advance In
1914. 'r~.s f.. ., - - M
. ,..' Heroism Commonplace: 10
~ The Second American divisiOngahad
just taken that part OF the line .ir' the
neighborhood of Belleau, while at Dor
mans and Chateau Thierry the First
and Third were holding back thesHun.
Rocks and crags hid the enemy's ma
chine guns, but in the early part Of
the engagement the French were vir-
tually without artillery protection, and
were fighting a shand-to-hand ACTION to
stop the Germans, until help could
come. In the fighting of May and,
early June, 1913, the American troops
were, without supports and reserves,
but the individual initiative was re-
,Heroism was a common
place Of thee American soldier s ! a1
ton. ~ Il -, -; =
1--WE need supplies, gas masks. Who'll
4 "
"I'll goW promptly answered
young sergeant Of the marines.
His offer was accepted. He had an
almost uncanny sense Of direction, ard
no one in the company possessed bet
ter knowledge of wood lore. All his
summers had been spent in the open,
and these playtimes Of earlier days
had developed qualities that now stood
him in good stead. The playtime of
the child had become the opportunity
Of the man.
Creeping cautiously through the un-
derbrush, he reached the shelter of
the woods, only to find that he had
stumbled on quarry and a camp Of
more; than sixty German soldiers.
Trembling with excitement, he rushed
forward "Surrender!" he shouted.
1.-THE whole American army is behind
mel" Surprised, bewildered, the men
marched out, under cover Of the hold
up: and were brought prisoners into
the American line. One Of the majors
in the Second division wrote In June,
1918, of the death In action of this
marine: "He was killed in the Bots
de Belleau by shell near where my
command post was, shortly after
bringing his captain out, who had been
wounded In an attack we were max
ing: The day before he went into a
quarry and brought out 60 Germans
as prisoners, single-handed. Such an
act speaks for ITSELF"
It was by this spirit these men
fought. and because Of this spirit these
men won. It was q dearly bought
victory, but it stopped the German
objective, and the enemy never again
won a victory or made another drive.
Many States Share Glory. +,
In the little cemetery on the western
edge Of Belleau woods, there is hardly
state In the Union not represented.
There. are 100 alone from Massachu-
sets. p Belleau woods, Just above the
village Of Belleau, where the Germans
sheltered their guns, is now called
the "Wood Of the Marine Brigade"
and what was once lovely wooded hill
is now rocky devastation; Its crown
of natures green now rows Of "tootil-
picks" standing naked to the sky. y.
In Washington. in June, 1921, the
plan of the Belleau Wood Memorial
ocSncjatiOn IN reht1ild the, tOrn nf Pei