Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-04-05

president Wilson tor volunteers
for our Mexican border. The
flag has gone through many bat
ties, as told in the letter received
from former Lieut.. Adams, in
whose custody the flag has been
ever since. Mr.. Adams writes:
Columbus, Ga, Mar. %, 1928.
Mrs. Mary A. Green,
Woman's Relief Corps,
Fitzgerald, Ga.
My Dear Mrs Green:
| have your kind letter of the 22nd
in which you accept my offer to restore
to the Woman's Relief Corps the flag
they presented to the Fitzgerald Mil
itary Company in June 1916
Ever since that eventful day, the 81
day of June 1916, when you, as spokes-
man for the Woman's Relief Corps,
presented this flag to the Fitzgerald
Military Company on the eve of its de-
parture for az tive service in answer
to the call of the President, l have]
been the custodian of this flag >con-
tinuosly from that day until the pres
emit
While the service record of this flag
and myself is insignificant. when COM
pared with the many wonderful rec
ords made by my fellow "Buddies"
trouble, the World War and the Amer
of which 1 am exceedingly proud. 1t
covers a period of three years of act
We service during the Mexican border
trouble, the Void Wa, and the Amer
lean Army of German Occupation. A
service ranging from Ell Paso, Texas
to the furthermost limits fof the area
held by the American Armies on the
Rhine.
| will not attempt here to give the
full service record of this flag. l will
be glad to give You the complete rec
ord if you desire it.
On June 10Th, 1916 the Fitzgerald
Guards answered the call of the Pres
ident and mustered in at Fitzgerald,
Ga. They departed for Camp Harris,
Macon, Ga, on June 9th. 1916. Dur
ing the afternoon of June 9th the com
pany under the command of Capt w.
S. Halle, Lieuts. Nipper and Adams.
paraded the intersection of Main and
Central Avenue and with appropriate
ceremony, presented flag by the Wo-
mans Relief Corps.
The company, part of M LIST Geor
gia Infantry, trained at Camp Harris,
Macon, Ga, until September 23rd,
1910, on which date they entrained for
FL Paso, Texas, arriving there on Sep
TENDER 18th the Georgia Brigade en-
camped at Camp Cotton and took up
Border patrol. On January 18th, 1917,
the Fitzgerald Guards was transferred
to Fl. Hancock, Texas, for. Border pat
troll where they remained until Feb.
9th, 1917. On March 9th, 1917, the
Georgia Brigade was ordered home
and returned to Georgia. The 1st In
fantry took up its station at Savannah
on April End, 1917. Then came the
Declaration of War against Germany
On the morning of the declaration l
was ordered by Colonel Butler to take
a platoon and board the German liner
Hohenfeld informed in the Savannah
Earbor, arrest the crew, and deliver the
ship to the Commander of the u. S.
5. Roe. We boarded the. Hohenfeld at
1923 A. M, few minutes after war
had been declared, and it was probably
the first German ship seized. Upon
boarding the ship this flag was raised
to her mast
On April 10th, 1917, the Fitzgerald
Military Company was divided and
sent to guard the, railroad bridges of
the Seaboard Air Line Ry. over the
Satilla and St. Marys Rivers The first
detachment under my comlgand en-
camped at Kingsland, Ga, and raised
this flag. On June 18th, 1917 the Geor-
gia Brigade. was assembled at Camp
Harris, Macon, Ga. On September
18th, 1917, the 31st Division was Or
ganized at Camp Wheeler, Ga. The
Fitzgerald Company became Company
&C" 18th Machine Gun Battalion The
rompany and flag remained in train
ing there until September 10th, 1918
On September 10th, 1918 the 3lst Di-
vision entrained for the Port of EN-
barkation. Sailed for France on Oct.
LIST, 1918, and arrived in France on
Oct. 18th 1918 Upon reaching lie
Mans, France the Division was brok-
en- up and the personnel scattered as
replacement troops The, Fitzgerald
Company was completely disorganized
and scattered. / was ordered to the
front Immediately and joined the 5th
Machine Gun Battalion, Second Divi-
sion in the Meuse-Argonne Sector, and
was assigned to command Company
"D".
When the company was broken up
at LIE Mans I took possession of the
! flag. 1t went thru the remainder of
the MeuseaArgonne offensive with
Company "D", 5th Machine Gun. Bat
talon. On November 18th, 1918, the
March into Germany was started. On
! December 10TH 1918 we reached Welt
eisburg, Germany, and went into bill
lets there until April 18th, 1919
From April 18th, 1919 until June
10th, 1919 the 5th Machine Gun Bat
talon occupied Urbach- Kirchdorf,
Harschbach, Neiderhofen and Weiden-
hahn, Germany and this flag flew over
each of these towns from the hagpoles
that were erected to fly only the Ger
man flag.
On June goth, 1919, I was ordered to
the United States and was discharged
at Camp Gordon, Georgia, on July 18th
1919. This flag came with me and left
the service with me.
This, in brief, is the history d the
service of this flag.
For nearly six years I have served,
fought, sacrificed and suffered under
this flag l have struggled to live up
to the high ideals it represents.
have guarded and cherished it faithful
| ly 1t is with marked reluctance that
| give up its possession. Realizing
however, that your claim is superior
to mine, I give it into your custody.
| l am mindful of the honor bestowed
upon me as the guardian of this flag
for So long a time. am mindful Of
the great honor you seek to bestow
upon me by giving this flag an honored