Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-18
PERSH|NG'S STORY
REEVES MEMORIES
Syracuse Professor Went
Through Five Battles
With 1St Division.


CN.A.N.A.) Prof. Ernest Thelin of the
d partment of psychology at Syracuse
University was with the 1st Division,
A. e. F., as an engineer. He has five
battle clasps on his Victory Medal
Toul and Saizerais 1.-TWO defensives
which count for one) and four often
sives-Montdidie -Noyon, neMarne,
st. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne.
There was only one American divi-
sion that could show a more extended
record" he says.
For Gen. PerShing's story that cam
patgn was a triumphant incident to be
disposed of in few stimulating para
graphs. But for Prof. Thelin it meant
lying for days in the fields around
Broyes, facing across "Hell's Half Acre"
toward the Germans in Cantigny.
Before the German artillery came up
they were able to spend a brief period
in the shelter Of the village A pot
with water and meat still hung over
the stove in the cottage in which he
was billeted, indicating the haste with
which the occupants had fed. The
doughboyS Scurried just as quickly
when shells began to fall, and in a few
hours the place was a desert.
Six thousand American casualties
were the price for taking Cantigny-
more than thousand killed, but only
WV -s-G pIlcOllSlos
Familiar With Scissors.
Every foot of the scissors advance
described by PerShing in his memoirs
is familiar to Thelin No wonder. His
company went in 268 rong and came
out with 70 and a single lieutenant to
represent the command.
1t was while moving into line that
Thelin had his closest call. He points
IN cpNf in, tn road lna6inO I'm m tho
battle front. &c heard an airplane
looming up from behind. He glanced
around and saw the release of a bomb.
Where would it fall? He was not used
to their tricks then, and naturally ex-
pected to see an explosion some dis
lance down the road, below the point
where it was dropped.
Instead it fell in the midst of team
of mules not ia from where he stood.
Mules, caisSon and drivers were ami
hilated; his rife was blown out of his
hand, a wreck, and one of his leggings
tt II off. He was not even scratched.
Il have bit of that Logging yet" he
saws.
At Chaudon. we'll on in the advance,
he 81 the field where a German artil-
leryman was chained to his gun. Pos
sibly >r-Soner, he thinks.
Walked Into Nest.
There was still another deadly cpl
sode near the end of the battle Terri
tory just ahead was declared free of the
enemy. His section was ordered to take
possession of a bluff in preparation for
farther advance in the morning They
went forward near midnight under cover
of darkne
"Halt'' came the challenge immedi-
ately in front of them.
" ~ arif ans - sail the 1ia,yfa nf N
command, assuming that they had run
into group of friends.
"Flend!" (enemy) was the instant re-
Spouse. In moment a machine-gun
ne was pou- ing its fire into their ranks
at clc-e quarters. Practically the whole
section was wiped out But that second
between 'Fiend!" and "Fire!" had given
Thelin TO dive into-a wheat field.
There he spent a night of horror,
with snipers searching the field for
stragglers. His guess that it was safer
to lie than to run proved correct. With
daylight he was able to make the cover
Of a railroad embankment and rejoin
his company.
Rushed Overseas.
Thelins service diary is a curiosity
October l6. 1917, when principal of
Sch oil at Twodot, Mont he received no.
tice to report Next day he left for
Camp Lewis, Wash, to join the Ma
tional Army.
November he was transferred to
the National Guard. On the 10th he
lc for Camp Mills, Long Island. On
the 9th he embarked for France with
out complete uniform and with q rife
he never had fired.
He arrived at st. Nazaire December
10; was transferred to the 1st Division,
United States Regulars, on the 18th,
and within week was in the 'front.'
line trenches at Xiyrey, Alsace-Lor-
raine.
After the armistice he was appointed
assistant ;haplain, and in that capacity
remained for some time, with the army
Of occupation at Coblenz
Copyright, 1881, BY North American News
paper Alliance)