River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1922-01-05

of Sergt Alvin c. York of the Eighty-second di-
vision in standing off and capturing 132 Germans
after his patrol was literally surrounded and out
numbered ten TO one; and Major Charles s. Whit
tesey and his men of the Seventy-seventh division,
when their battalion was cut off in the Argonne,
in refusing to surrender and holding out until
finally relieved. Doubtless many died in perform
ing deeds of unknown herosm, no survivor
remained to testify"
Sergeant York, who got early publicity from the
war correspondents that made his name house
hold word killed % Germans in a few minutes
with rifle and pistol and captured several machine
guns and crews. Marshal FOch says he "did the
greatest thing accomplished by any single soldier
during the World war;" The draft found him
church elder and a conscientious objector in the
Tennessee mountains He has consistently turned
down every proposition to make money out of
his fame--$50000 and royalties estimated at $780,
900 from the moving picture concerns; 81 800 a
week for 100 weeks from vaudeville huge endow-
ments from several religious denominations. He
is working to establish mountain non-sectarian
school; has raised $4,000 by lecture and has
pledged $4,000 more When York was discharged
the United States government gave him 500 Bills
introduced in the senate and house in his behalf
have come to nothing.
Lieutenant Colonel Whitlesey is "gone west"
God rest his souli He disappeared from the shin
in the night" short time ago, en- route from
New York to Havana on the Tooa His going
war ended for others it killed him. He was its
victim just as surely if he had died with those
of his Lost Battalion" who never came back out
of the Argonne forest. "Over There" he could saw
to the enemy's demands for surrender go TO
Hill" Over here he was forced to surrender to
the sorrows of the aftermath. He felt he had TO
help all the wounded and crippled and dying and
jobless who beseged him for help. The Unknown
Dead" funeral at Arlington was the last straw. He
broke under the strain.
WoOdfill is the only professional soldier of the
three-a Regular of the United States army
The meaning of the old Regular" song quoted is
that the infantry is the backbone of the army
York was natural-born fighting man prepared for
a great opportunity by environment. Whttlesey's
triumph was of the spirit. Woodfll is a profes.
sional soldier trained to deadly efficiency
WoodflPs father, veteran of the Mexican and
Civil wars brought him IN to be soldier" teach
ing him to use rife at the age of seven. His
service in detail, as furnished by the War depart
Ihent, shows that he began in 1901 with three
years service in the Philippines. He then saw
eight years service in Alaska. He served on the
Mexican border won commission as second lieu
tenant and was assigned to the Sixtieth infantry
of the Fifth division His A. e. t. service was
from July u, 1917 to October 81, 1919. His char
acter mark is excellent without exception usual.
ly with the addition, "a model soldier" He served
as private corporal, lance corporal sergeant and
lieutenant and was discharged from his A. E. f.
service as captain. Ills total active service at