New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-11-15
CHATEAU TH|ERRY
IS ALL REBUILT
Fen Traces Nov Of Terrible
BltQe Of 1918
By WEBB MILLER

Chateau Thierry. France, Now Is.
(UP)-Nature and Man In ten years
have almost effaced the vestiges OF
the battles of the Marine salient. The
story of the battles will reechQ in
American history through the gen.
erations but today there are few
traces of the passages of . quarter
million Americans who suffered 3d.
0G0 casualties In three months
fighting In this triangular salient
measuring about forty miles on each
side.
Chateau Thierry is sleepy
country town. Nearly all the war
damages have been repaired. If
you search you will find scars OF
the Seventh Machinegun Batta-
lions bullets on the trees beside
the placid Marine. The smashed
buildings around the Town Hall
are rebuilt. There is brand-new
Town Hall in place of the old one
where the Germans mounted their
machineguns In the belfry.
Tho bridge (which VAS blown up
while the Germans were actually
crossing IL replaced by handsome
new stone bridge. The ruined
buildings at the end of the bridge
where tho Seventh machinegunners
hid and blaxed away into the ad-
vancing Germans are reconstruc-
ted. Just here on the riverbank
10 the public washhouse and old
women gossip while they pound
their washing.
Third Division Monument
Across the Marine on the main
street only Z few yards from
where Lieutenant Bissell and his
handful of men were cut off when
the bridge was blown up behind
them, is an impressive monument
to the Third Division. A cafe with
tiny sidewalk terrace occupies one
Of the buildings where Bisselrs
men hastily barricaded themselves.
Old men silently fish by the hour
in the placid waters where many
Germans and Americans were
killed or drowned in the fight for
the passage OF the Marine. Here
and there marks of shells show on
the buildings but they have been
nearly repaired.
Besides the monuments the only
visible evidence of Americas share
In liberating Chateau Thierry is a
Methodist Memorial in charge of
Doctor Wadsworth. which operates
4 creche and teaches the young
sters of Chateau Thierry the Eng
lish language.
On the slopes Of Hill 2o4 peas
ants are doing their fall blowing.
The deep shell holes are refiIled
and the fruit trees which were not
shattered by shells are bearing.
Along the road the rows Of great
trees which were felled are re-
placed by saplings now about the
size of q garden hose.
Vaux Entirely New
The little village of Vaux which
American artillery shelled from
a. m. to 8 p: m. on July list. 1918
and blasted to the ground before
the Second Division attacked it is
today entirely new. L Is impos-
sible to find a vestige of the bitter
hand -to-hand fights which occurred
in the concerted cellars. Bour-
esches is an isolated farm hamlet
Lucy-le-bocage is rebuilt except the
church. Belleau is reconstructed.
The state OF Pennsylvania donated
small waterworks system to the
village as memorial.
Through the efforts Of the Eel
leau Wood Memorial Association
the historic woodland where 1868
Americans were killed and 1891
wounded In the space OF about $50
acres is nearly restored to the state
1t was left after the battle. Dur
ing a few years after the war thick
brush grew up in the wood and hid
the debris of war. Under the
direction Of W. b. Fits the under.
growth has been cleared away
paths cut through the wood, and
the old trench lines uncovered
The paths have been named fol
the divisions and generals partici,
pating In the battle. The "fox.
holes" and trenches are left just a,
they were found Uttered with bull.
let-holed helmets, broken rifles
torn bandoliers, rotted German
and American shoes. German
machine-guns stand where theil
crews were killed or driven out
During the summer months thil