The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1922-05-27

Hill 104. There were two inter
vening ridges, or hills, between
their front line and the objective.
1t is to be remembered that all of
this sector, both the territory in
the rear of our boys and that over
which they must advance to dis
lodge the enemy from his perma-
nent machine-gun nests, was COW
cred with timber and underbrush,
and bare chalked rocks; and since it
had been heavily shelled the ground
was covered with shell holes, and
the fallen timber and underbrush
made the advance very difficult
Barbed-wire entanglements obstruct-
ed the way in dangerous manner,
and many clumps of bushes proved
to be nests for machine guns.
Eat five minutes after o'clock
in the evening of June %, the 47th
Company went over the top and ad-
vanced in front of two platoons,
followed by two other platoons on
right and left TANKS in close for
nation in columns of two, all the
time being under intense machine
gun fire when this was not sup
pressed by heavy barrage from
our own artillery and machine guns.
As the Company dropped down into
the ravine after going over the first
hill, our machine guns took a
position on this first hill, firing
over the Company to suppress the
fire of the German machine-guns as
our boys went up over the second
hill.
Moved Down by Machine Guns
"As the Company passed over the
second hill and dipped into the de-
preston between the second and
third hills, the latter being Hill 104,
the objective of the moment, and
behind which the Germans were en-
trenched, machine guns were
planted on the brow of the second
hill. AS the Marines went up the
slope of Hill 104 and their heads
came into view of the Germans,
they received whitening machine
gun fire from the German nests
scattered thickly through the woods,
and dead and wounded rapidly
thinned the ranks of the advancing
platoons.
"The first platoon reached a
position approximately thirty yards
from it objective, and the men
threw themselves prone in the grass,
and amid the underbrush and rocks
and fallen trees, shooting con-
tinuously from this position with
their rifles. Sergeant Vernon
Robins led this platoon into this
very hell of fire, to a point de-
cided upon, almost within jumping
distance of the Germans, to form
single skirmish line out of the
four platoons. The three platoons
to the rear of Sergeant Vernon
Robins platoon came into line as
his platoon kept up constant
rifle fire, while prone on the ground.
Robins Struck
1.-THE many German machine-guns
hid in the underbrush on the i'm
mediate front, on account of the
nature of the ground and their
hidden position, kept up constant
fire. 1t was while lying Immediately
in front of the German position,
awaiting the command to leap to
their feet and use their hand gre
nades, and dislodge the Germans
from their last position in Belleau
Wood, that a machine-gun bullet
caught Sergeant Vernon Robins in
the forehead, only a second before
his men leaped to their feet to
complete one of the most difficult
and brilliant tasks the Marine Corps
was called upon to perform.
Corporal Diveley said he saw
Sergeant Vernon Robins head drop
in death. Out of about two hun
bred and fifty men in the 47th
Company, sixty-five were left. Ser
geant Robins maintained splendid
record throughout his service with
the Corps. Had his service been
terminated by discharge instead Of
| by death he would have been
| awarded character Excellent" and
Marine Corps Good-Conduct
| Medal.
Medals Awarded
Because of his participation in
the battle of Belleau Wood he is
entitled to copies of French Organi-
zation Citation for June 1919 for