Evening star., 1933-11-10
BY CHARLES A. HAMILTON.

Fifteen wears ago tomorrow. on
that first historic arnistice morninU
of the World War. orders were issued
to the opposing armies. after final
night OF slaughte,. to cease firing at
IL O'Clock. A few moments before the
appointed hour were heard tremendous
salvos of fire from both antagonists and
then-suddenly-a great hush pre-
vailed all along the front. -Four wears
of fighting had ended more abruptly
even than when it had started.
That is how history records this
morning of November Il. 1918. but it
is also a recorded fact that for as min
utes after the order to cease firing" be-
came effective a small isolated force
Of United States Marines under the
command of Maj. George W. Hamilton.
u S. M c.. was still fighting desperate
ly This mere handful of Marines, rem
nants of the 5th Regiment and the
9Th Machine Gun Battalion. had dug
in" on the east bank of the Meuse in
q woods fringing Moulims, after a
desperate crossing Of the river during
the night and morning hours. 1t was
only after belated runner" had de-
livered the message to cease firing"
that they silenced their guns some As
minutes sfter the armistice hour
Reaching France with the first body
of American combatant troops, these
men of the 5th Regiment were denied
the privilege of unfolding the slogan of
the Marines as the first to fight" BY
a twist of fate. however, they were. in
the words of their old commander, Maj.
Gen. John A. Leieune, ''the last to keep
fighting
Order to Move at Night.
On November 10, 1918, Gen Wendelle
c. Neville, in command of the Marines,
in compliance with instructions of his
superiors, and carrying out the per-
war was to be carried on vigorously, di-
rected Maj George X. Shuler to move
across the river from the aviation field
opposite Mouzon. He was not only to
move four battalions of Marines and a
machine gun battalion miles across
strange country at night. but was to
cross the largely swollen Meuse River
or single-track pontccn bridge that
had been deposited in its various parts
on the bank of the river shortly after
dusk. minus bolts, boards and other
paraphernalia that are essential to the
construction of a serviceable pontoon.
but he was 30 to capture designated
hill each I icceeding hour "on the
n0Qr. 1pH oCIl Marines were tIicEc
on the banl of the Meuse, but were un-
able to function properly due to the
"exigencies of the situation"
Maj. George w Hamilton was to
cross the Meuse under like conditions
further up the river, near Letanne.
He had two battalions of the 5th Ma
rines and one battalion of the 356th
Infantry Cater joined by the I'd Bat
talon of the 9th Infantry together
with a detachment of engineers. Ham,
ilton's engineers were supplied with
the necessary pontoons. including bolts
and boards, and they flung two bridges
across the stream. One OF the two,
however, was destroyed by the artillery
fire of the enemy. In this respect
George Hamilton was more fortunate
than the other George, for Maj. Shuler
spent the night trying to untangle the
mess he had gotten into through the
failure of some one in the rear to see
that the essential parts of the required
pontoons were available for the bridge
builders But Maj Shulers force had
plenty of excitement On that night OF
November 10. for while moving toward
the banks of the river they we're re-
peatedly shelled by German artillery
and suffered many casualties-2 officers
and enlisted men killed, officers and
48 men wounded.
Protection in Forest.
Mai Hamilton's force succeeded In
gaining the cover Of a small forest
without being discovered by the gun