Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-01-06


loved by all the other soldiers Will
whom he came in contact during
many long months of distinguished
! service.
In the broader sense, he was just
one OF Uncle Sans soldiers, but tech
| uically he was a marine, nOtwith-
standing virtually all of his service
was land service through at once the
worst and most glorious experience
of war at its worst.
Elias Jay Messenger, barely is
! years old, cut his Stadium High
school course in two to enlist in the
Marine corps. Three months of
training and he was whisked to
France; 10 days in France and he
was sent into action in the 55th COM
pany. Fifth Marines, Second Division.
Belleau Wood, Chateau TERRY,
Scissors, Meuse-Argonne and ST..
Mihiel, with all that bloody pageant
of war; whirled by in a fast changing
drama of gigantic, merciless proper
tions. and the chunky little fellow
who started the game with 140
pounds attached to a frame 5 feet
inches tall, entered Germany with
the advance forces after the armis-
tice weighing but 10 pounds, bear
ing wounds and numerous medals for
personal heroism,
His exploits included the capture
of a German machine gun nest sim
gle-handed during the scissors en-
gagement, when the gunners blocked
the advance of his company. He shot
two gunners with his rife, although
himself wounded routed the others
with hand grenades and made them
prisoners.
Wounds, exhaustion and exposure
in the pitiless grind of war left their
stamp upon him in an illness that
finally struck him down Tuesday,
more than four years after the end
of fighting.
Messenger was the son of Mr.. and /
Mrs. Martin P. Messenger of 1922 N. |
Proctor st. He had received five ci- |
tations for bravery and more war
decorations than any other private in |
Tacoma. On his breast he had worn |
the Distinguished Service Cross, the
Navy Medal, the Marine Medal and |
the Croix de Guerre and FOurragere
Of France. These medals he held
with becoming modesty; he rarely
talked of his exploits, and merely ex-
planned that he was lucky Only
four of the men in his original pla-
.oon came our of war alive. He
spoke proudly of the regiment to
which he belonged as one that never
'etreated and never failed to take it's
objective"
He was a charter member of Chas
Iuckaba Post, Disabled American
Veterans of the World War, and a
member of Wild West Post No. 81,
Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Ed
ward B. Rhodes Post No. 2, Ameri-
an Legion.
These, I'M conjunction with the Ia
Oma recruiting Office for the Marine
'orps, will have charge of the fun
raj. Besides his parents, Mr. and
1rs. M. P. Messenger, he is survived
y two brothers, c. j. Messenger of
'acoma and NJ P. Messenger of Los
angeles, and three sisters, Mrs. l.
[. Robb and Mrs. Frank Cushman
f Tacoma and Mrs. Craig Dennman
New Brunswick, N. ].
The funeral will be held Thurs
ay afternoon at $3.50 o'clock at the |
rinity Episcopal church. Rev. l
ody will be cremated,
Camp and Trench" the work of
Home War Mothers, CON /
inns the following simple biography
Earl ]. Messenger:
Earl Jay Messenger entered the I
rvice of his country at Boise, Idaho,
eb. 5, 1918, just before he was Is 3
ears old. He was assigned to the /
arine Corps, Company SIS, Fifth
egiment, Division Two. He was in !,
aiming but three months when he n
as sent to France, and in France,
n days when he went into battle. /,
is first battle was in Belleau n
GODS. He was in Belleau Woods
r 81 days, when the marines were I
altered in a thin line along a big
ont. He has five stars in the rain p
w hued ribbon besides the medals. n
ley stand for the five big drives in
1ich he had part: Chateau Thierry H.
issons, st. Mihiel, Champagne and n
e Meuse-Argonne. 1t was at Sois-
ms that he distinguished himself by D
ling the two gunners, capturing n
Germans and two machine guns =
fore his platoon came up. He had
,eived flesh wound in the arm
d so was not sent on ahead but I,
tailed to help mop up" some Ger
IN dugouts. Some weeks later, u,
lille he was in the deep slumber of n
haustion, he was routed and helped =
dress and in a few minutes was in
nd1ng before the line in a daze D.
the D. S. c. was pinned upon him
is is the highest honor that Amer in
gives. While he was with the D
ny of occupation in Germany the
ench government gave him the co
Dix de Guerre for the same act of CT
very.
Earl Jay Messenger was born at co
lterloo, Blackhawk County, Iowa, al
rch 10, 1899. He is the son of
rtin p. Messenger and Almira Met en-
Messenger. He attended school IN,
Tacoma and Toppenish. Jay Mes ~
ger made his home in Elmore Nv
nty for a number of years: flo
card from Margaret Messenger
9~ - " ysNT !