The Hardin tribune-herald., 1936-05-08
The Hottest Battle By Roger B"'I'g'ms

Published by Special Arransements With The
Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate.
e.. Incorporated
Copyright: 1886: By Roger Burlingame
IN TWO PARTS-PART ONE
An Episode of the World War in Which
the Ninth Commandment Plays an
Important Part.
TT, WAS HEAVEN back there in the
transport. It was In the woods: the
trees were all shot to hell, the
II ground was like smallpox with old
shell holes, but it was safe. The
line had moved up before we came: 1t
had stopped moving. It was eight miles
ahead Of us. So the light stuff could
not reach us and the heavies went way
over, blowing through the sky like stern,
business-like express trains.
We were machine gunners and got
this refuge because we had horses. We
used the horses with limbers-Eng1iSh
style-to carry our guns when the go.
ing was safe. Other times we carried
them on our backs. The army thought
q horse was worth half dozen men.
So there was likely to be a place like
this to keep them IN. Here, too, they
writer's, the rations, the red tape, the
clerks, the horseshoers, and the cooks
ali the things that must be kept In
tact to hold the integrity Of an outfit.
We were there month. The line
ahead was steady, SO our duties were
occasional. We'd 60 up, a few guns at a
time, shoot a barrage, and come back
those who survived. Here when the
sun shone you could strip, PICK over Snd
yourselves. You could lie on your back
naked on blanket, which was delight.
full. You could sleep nights and eat
hot food.
George Rathbone commanded our
company and Second Lieutenant Win.
throp commanded the transport. That
meant that whatever the rest OF US dld,
Winnie stayed back here. He'd see that
horses were hitched for us and hmbers
could without endangering the horses
and when we came out he'd send the
limbers to meet us. But he himself
never had to 60 up.
We were glad of that. We were glad,
first. because Winnie was the young
est Of us; Just a boy, he was. Often
when looked at him I thought OF
that song. %, MY, I'm TOO .;on young 49, 10
ME was too young to die. We were glad,
second, because, in spite OF his youth,
he was the only one of us that was
married. Most Of us had gone to the
Wedding-it was at Camp Dix month
before we sailed-and we had fallen as
much in love with Caroline as time and
conduct becoming officers and gentle
men permitted. -
was George Rathbone more atten-
tive than the rest of us? It would have
been natural-he and Winnie and car
oline had all come from the same nome
town and we others had never seen her
before. But I remember that after the
wedding was over she put her hands
on Rathbone's shoulders. - +,
she said. "Bring him home safe and
He did not answer-what could ne
savS A war is q war after all-but he
looked at her long time: Perhaps !
should not remember his look II tne
things that happened later.n;ad ;H1, tss hos
happened: Perhaps my imagInataOn az ata11 Fas Ihs
things that happened do not prove
anything. War does funny things TO
people's minds; it brings them to quick
chanpes and snap judgments and quick
decisions Winnie's and Carollne
decision, for instance, just before VIM
ME sailed. But it seemed to me there
was, that day, in Georges look, no.S nS
pain than Caroline's little request mao
called Tor. we were still long way
from the war and none OF us YET took
Al any rate, after Winnies wedding
Rathbone seemed to change. He nao
always been a stern officer, keeping
us ali up to the letter OF the regu1a.
tions, but we had respected tnas; ne
ment and he had q good head for the
mechanism of machine guns and Their
fire. we felt, also, that we could rely
on his coolness in an emergency. Ano
off duty he had been genial enough IN
his blunt way. .,,,a
Then in the month before we saliea
he grew taciturn and kept TO nEnseM: !.
7 thought it was because he bore MS
resnonsibilitier heavily and, after all,
there was a good deal to do, keeping
track Of guns, equipment, ana men
getting them all packed and embarked.
I had q good deal Of sympathy WIN
ar1v company commander with all tnaG
on his hands, but In that month many
of the boys got to dislike him.
Their feeling did not cnange ,.d W.T. Of
him for trying to keep parade ground
discipline in the field where 2 certain
amount Of give and take was the tnlng
in our civilian army. And then ne
seemed to be perverse --"ornary' the
word was-about some things: Tor m
stance, he tried every one OF US ~ suS
mist nave known that Winnie was
the only one Of the lot who had ever
come within kicking distance CT a
But it was not until we had got our
baptism and come back to our paradise
in the woods that ever heard any
reflection on Rathbone's CUTS.
we had time there for gossip. One
day when we. were lying shameless and
happy in the sun, Sheehan and Casey
began to talk. Sheehan and Casey were
lieutenants commanding platoons up
to the time that our casualties burned
up such paper organization:
Hum" said Casey, hear Georges In
line for promotion"
promotion my eyebrow" said Shee-
han, using slightly different express
sion.
'Yup. Major"