Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1932-07-22
LOCAL LEADER
IS HONORED BY
X-SERWCE MEN
Pledges Active Campaign
To Help Disabled VET
erams; Move Legion
Headquarters To This
City,.
BY THE LIAISON AGENT

Bryce Parker Beard, of Salisbury,
was elected Department Commander
of the American Legion in the Ashe-
vile convention. Tuesday afternoon.
The first ballot was incomplete and
the Beard landslide was piling up when
Fred Myrick, Greensboro's candidate,
arose to his feet and addressed the
chair moving that his Salisbury OPP
ponent be elected by reclamation. The
vote then stood 260 for Beard and
112 for Myrick, with eighteen of
the twenty districts having complet-
ed their votes. Myrick's motion re-
ceived a score of seconds and the vote
as unanimous with the laundering
ayes of Az delegates. Instantly Bryce
P. Beard was hoisted to the shoulders
of some of his Salibury supporters and
carried to the platform where he ad-
dressed the convention and commend
ed Fred Myrick and the Greensboro
lads for the clean campaign they stag
ed for the defeated candidate. The
other officers were elected with little
or no opposition and the delegates left
Immediately for the trains, buses and
automobiles, happy that the Legion's
greatest state convention was yer and
ready. to go back to their homes.
The election of Bryce P. Beard plac-
es a regular army man at the head of
North Cardinals legion. Beard served
as a commissioned officer for 16
months overseas in the famous 30th
Infantry of the 3rd Regular Army Di-
vision. This division was known as the
"Rock of the Marne". This title was
won when the Allied troups retreat
ed south of the Marine from Chateau
Thierry to Jaulegonne. There was no
time left to even dynamite the bridges
and the 3rd Division dug in IN the
river bank south of Chateau hierry
and covered the bridges with machine
guns. Soon the Prussian troops enter
ed the bridges, believing that the Am
orleans had retreated far south of the
river. A sweeping fire from the French
Hotchkiss guns in the hands of the
3rd Division men drove them in dis
order into the city. Farther up the
river French cavalry drove the Boche
into the Marine. South of Jaulegonne
the 18th German Division reached a
point five kilometers below the river
where another U. S. Regular Army
Division swept their ranks with rifle
fire. A German officer later comment
ing on this action said: 1--WE left sixty
per cent of our men south of the
Marine thanks to the terrific rifle fire
of the American troops who opposed
u.s." The next day Marshal Foch de-
livered his famous counter attack and
the Franco-American troops swept on
driving the disordered German divi-
sions North of the Vesle. A number
of American Divisions took part in
the counter offensive, some being Ma
tional Army units, other National
Guard and the rest Regulars. From
that day, July 18th, the Central Pow
ers were doomed. The 106 reserve di-
visions hurled against the British in
March, which troops had been releas-
ed from the Russian front by the
treaty of Brest-Litovsk, had melted
away. The British had disposed of 40
of this divisions and their Franco-Am-
erican allies had eliminated the rest,
save those few units which melted
away before the End Italian Army
Corps in front of Laon Plateau. The
part played by Bryce Boards outfit
was magnificent and in stopping the
Boche on the bridges in front of Cha
teau-Thierry the "Old Rock of the
Marine" had materially assisted in
blasting the German descent on Paris.
With the election of a 3rd Division
man as department commander every
body was happy, especially those of
us who saw service with the regulars.
National Guard and National Army
men have already had the honor sew
eral times over. The Navy and Marine
Corps are still t. get the break and
elect one of their men to the office.
With the election of the Salisbury
man, the Department Headquarters
will be moved to our city. 1t is I'M
derstood that Jim CALDWELL disabled
veteran, will be named Department
Adjutant and will soon move to Sal
isbury. The legion headquarters will be
established in the Strand Theatre
Building on the second floor, which