New Britain herald., 1930-05-10
MAJ. GEN. EDWARDS
 ID PRESENT ). 5. L.
Continued From First Page)

flowers will be presented 10 Mrs Gaudette by Frioda Feingold on behalf of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Majcr General Edwards will then return 10 Boston.
 Corporal Gaudette was a native ot this city. He enlisted in Company l. of the First Regiment, Connecticut National Guard, when this country declared war with Germany and became a member of Company F, First and Second Regiments were anna lgamated into q unit Of the Twenty Sixth Division at Yale Fled i,. New Haven in August, 1917.
 With his company he sailed for rance and landed about the mid de Of October to occupy quarters m training area in the vicinity Of Neufchateau, among the hills Of the Nosges. There he was hardened through continuous drilling and training in the art of modern war fare, until he was ready to with stand the rigors of the trenches and the hardsllips of war.
 "Godson of French Corps
 On February :, 1918, the company went into the front lines for the first time. The entire 102nd rc2i- ment was put into training in the Chemin des Danes sector with the Eleventh Corps Of the French Army with General Maud'huy as the com- mander. General Edwards termed his division the godson Of the French corps.
 It was a quiet sector, this ''roI1 Of the ladies" but it wasn't long b. fore action began. Company F was stationed near Chavigny in little sections Of trench far out in front of the main body Of the second battalion.
 On the night Of February oS, Company E had the first actual contact with the German army when it rcpulsed raid on its lines by q picked platoon Of German sol dicrs, The German high comman1 wanted some information about the Americans. They planned to secure prisoners in this raid but they male the mistake of picking on Company l., half Of which was composed Of New Britain men. The Germans failed but only after q bitter though short scrap. They were repulsed with hand grcnades and terrific rifle fire and they were driven back with such ferocity that they were unable to take their dead and wounded with them. Corporal Gal dettc commanded q squad in this engagement and in his section Of the trench. the German raiding par ty was unable even to get close.
 In March. the division was pulled out to. take positions in the Toul sector, there relieving the First American Division which was to .'a transferred to help stay Ludca- doris great heave cast from St. Quentin into the Picard land.
 Edwards Lauds Connecticut Boys
 Here, on April 20, the storm nov known as the battle of Scichcproy broke over the heads of the men of the 102nd. The work of the rcgi- ment in that melee is well known but General Edwards declared after it was over that he firmly believed that those Connecticut boys Were the finest soldiers in the world and they proved it..
 While still there. the German dive on Paris had begun. The Soc- ond Division had stopped it but had suffered horribly in so doing. Troops were badly needed. There were 10 Trench divisions ayailabl The American 63nd had just come i1 and was green" for line fighting, General Edwards was selected 10 take his fighting New Englanders into the breach and on the night of just cast Of NauX in the town ot Douroschcs off the Paris-Metz road.
 Here for 12 days the division vithstood heavy artillery fire an1 terrific bombing from air units that had the countryside mapped out 10 the dot Despite assault after assault on their positions during the nights. the division units held.
 Then came the 18th and the di- vision started the movement against the Germans that was to mark the beginning of the end of the War. Tor eight days and eight nights, the