The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1926-05-06
THEY START THINGS ON

HE'LL FUR SARTIN CREEK
SHOALS, Ky.,-When Willie
Sandlin, Devils Jump Branch of He'll
fur Sartin Creek, Kentucy, went off
to the wars in 1917 he did the old
creek proud. Sundry and various sol
diery of the late German army-had
they survived-could vouch for it.
Arrived at the front, Private Sand
lin displayed gratifying aptitude in
the handling of such toys as hand
grenades, rifles and bayonets. The
commander of Company A, 132nd
Infantry, rewarded such artistry by
hanging three stripes on Willie's
strong arm.
On the morning of September 26,
1918, when the great battle of the
Argonne was launched, Sergeant Will
lie Sandlin's platoon was held up
by murderous stream of lead from
Geman machine gun nest.
"Halt men, and lie down." or
dered the little second lieutenant
who had already executed the move
ment for the edification of his charg
es. The order seemed reasonable
enough; the men did lie down with
alacrity-all but one-Willie.
Now Willie's He'll fur Sartir
Creek raising didn't prescribe Stop
PIN down even when one man was
shootin' in yer direction, let alono
lying down when a hull dern Ger
man army was pluggin' away
yer carcuss."
Willie stuffed his pockets full o.
grenades, grabbed a rifle and bay
onet from a prone comrade and
started forth to win the battle of The
Argonne by himself.
At forty yards in advance of the
annoying machine-gun nest Willie
wrapped long, lean fingers around
one of those high-powered lemons
unwound his longer and leaner arm
and let the grenade fly. Three Other
T. N. T. lemons followed the first
Then Sergeant Willie rushed to the
machine-gun pit and jumped in.
Imagine his disgust when he found
that his lemons hadn't done all that
was claimed for them. There were
still three of the German crew of
eight in fighting mood. Willie die
some fancy and fast bayonet prae
tice for a few seconds and then stucf
his head out of the pit and hollered
''You fellers kin come on now they
amt goin' ter be no more shootin'.
The platoon pushed on.
Then Sergeant Willie did some
more in his personal war with Ger
many. A second machine gun was
"a pesterin' his outfit" Willie en-
ployed the same tactics with nest
number two as with number one,
with the exception that four Ger
mans survived the high-powered lem
ons and had to be dispatched witt
Willie's educated bayonet.
Then Willie got really aggravated
when towards the end of the day
a German battalion headquarters got
in his way. He got so mad he tool
\ the German commanders glln-.azSS
] from him and Just to see II 1T work
ed tried it out on the major. II
worked.
The war over, Sergeant Williar
-. 10 txIyn
room shack on DEVILS Jump Branch
of He'll fur Sartin Creek carrying
some mighty purity trinkets for thu
kinds to play with" The trinkets
Willie's two babies gurgled owe,
were a Congressional Medal of Hon
or, the highest medal awarded b.
the United States for military val
or; the Medaille Militaire, the Croi'
de Guerre with palm, the Italian
War Cross and Montenegro Wan
Cross.
Nice they were, but the kids
couldn't eat them. Willie's corn crops
had suffered while he was away a.
the wars. And he hasn't had very
good luck with crops since. He
doesn't even own his modest cabir
on He'll fur Sartin Creek. He might
have owned it, if he had agreed
to re-enact his war experiences for
movie concern for $500 week
But he refused to capitalize his wa,
exploits. He might even have pawn.
ed the kids pretty trinkets but they
don't bring much in peace-time.
Still the children must eat So q
great humorist by name of Ir"in
S. Cobb, who once disported around
in Kentucky hills, saw the humor in
Willie's situation and with the CO.
operation of The American Legion
of Kentucky launched campaign to
raise $4,000 to buy Willie the farm
where his cabin stands.
The farm and home will be decided
to Sandlin for his lifetime and at
his death, will go to his children and
their children as memorial to the
name of Willie Sandlin.