The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-03-24

GreencaStIe Man Tells
Thrilling Experience
on Hill 240.

Sounding of on the second
week Of The Times World
10ar story contest! 1t 10Gs q
great bunch Of "reminiscences
that the boys Of 1918 turned
in last aCeeb, and it'll be hard
for the judges to decide aOho
gets the $40 and IS prizes.
They'll be announced WedneS-
dag.
Better than any war f1ctionl
That's what Indianapolis readers
say about these stories that the
home boys tell of their experiences
overseas.
The starter today Is told by John
Henry Friend, Greencastle, who was
taken prisoner by the Germans. He
is past national counsel of the Ex-
Prisoners Of War Association.
n r.
DACK in France on Hill 240, near
ID Exermont. on the morning of
Oct. 9. 1918, We started to advance
under the worst fire ever thrown
into the Yankee ranks. Men fell
right and left. Finally we halted
and dug in about 9:15 p. m. on the
far side of 240. There was a heavy
fog about us.
We Spied a German to the left of
us with e. couple of horses. His
hands were up, but when We failed
10 fire he ran.
The ma ior in charge, John G.
Emery. ordered me to take the first
squad 1 came TO and clean out the
ravine- So took five men and we
went out to whip the Hun.
Advancing to a ravine We saw
men on the opposite hill, and
yelled over, asking them If they
were Yanks or Huns. Their answer
was by fire We at once got down.
Three Of us, Ayers, Nunzetta and I,
got into shell holes. Russell and
Silloto fired. kneeling. Russell,
beside me, was killed instantly. Sill
Toto started to run for a shell hole
but got his, also.
Then one of the boys ran back
for help, but turned yellow and
failed to report our plight.
As we put up a steady fire on the
front, noticed that rife and ma
chine gun fire was coming from the
rear. got down and waited, think
ing it was help coming up, but as
soon as they ceased firing and I
jumped up knew differently. There
stood. not fifty feet away, at least
sixty-five Germans with their guns
leveled at me, for I was the only.
one up.
Was 7 scared? No. was past
that point. I was frozen. Up went
my hands Then I was ordered to
lower them and remove my belt.
did. and two guards were detailed
to take me back. Ny other two
buddies also were captured, although
lied, saying I was the only one
there. but Mr.. Hun investigated for
himself and found them.
We were prisoners for two months
at the famous prison camp at Ros-
TAFT Boden, Germany.
II
Dan Abel, 1909 De Loss
street, Company B, Thirty
ninth infnntry. tells one. short
and s1Ueet:
WE were in the Argonne about
wv Sept. %, 1928. We we're in
trenches and Fritz was throwing
over a lot of gas shells and every
thing else.
My buddie was gasSed and was
waiting to go back. A rat came
through the trench. blowing and
putting, and looked about all in
My buddie looked at the rat and
said, where in H are you 60
ing? Have you been gasSed, too?"
W. N. Overly, S709 East
Vermont street, sends through
this one, 1Cith q good touch of
humOr.
NTHILE a member Of the Signal
w corps in Frf nee was de-
tailed to stencil poles in a ElQe we
had just finished building. Zach
pole was stenciled with a nuANer.
below which was placed the letter
U. S As. c. Omitted States army
Signal Corps).
While Stenciling a pole in front
OF an engineering camp, I noticed
a colored man sitting in the door of
a clubhouse. His appearance indt-
Gated that he had the home-sick
blues. He watched me very close.
When I had finished. his face broke
into a smile and this is what he
said:
'Mmmm. Boyl Dat sho does look
good to me-United States of
America. South Carolina"
". S. Ittner, 2267 Wheeler
street, NTH the United States
ndrdl ariatjon forces in
France, tells one that's a good
Joke on him:
IT was in the middle of August,