Evening star., 1942-12-16
Alan Seeger Comrade
Again for
Cause Of France
Maj. Paul Rockwell Of
North Caroline Was in
War Poets Platoon
BY GAULT mcgowan,


War Poets Platoon
BY GAULT MCGOWAN,
Accredited U. S. War Correspondent With
the American Forces in North Africa
SOMEWHERE IN NORTHERN
AFRICA, Dec. 16 (N.AN.AD The
spirit of the Lafayette Volunteers of
1914 rides again. 1t rides in jeeps
and flying fortresses over the desert
sands OF Tunis and Algeria where
in the garrison hall of fame at
Sidi Bel Abbes are enshrined the
names of the Greenwich Village
poet, Alan Seeger, and his American
comrades who died in the World
War fighting for France in the
Foreign Legion.
Bearing the torch aloft with the
air force is much-medaled Maj.
Paul Rockwell Of Asheville, N. c..
who was in Alan Seeger's platoon
in 1914 when Seeger wrote his
famous war poem: Il Have a Rem
devious With Death" Seeger kept
his tryst as "Seeger of the Legion" ]"
He was killed by a machine gun
bullet on the Somme in 1916, but
Legionnaire Rockwell came through
safely to write the history of THE
American Fighters in the Foreign
Legion; to be elected president of
their veterans association; to win
the Legion of Honor, Croix de
Guerre and string of other
medals, and now at SO years of age
to return to active campaigning for
the freedom of France in the uni
form OF major in the United States
Army Air Forces.
With a French muStache up
twirled at the ends, Maj. Rockwell
has the bearing OF soma desert
DArtagnan or laughing cavalier
He has been mistaken for the
original Beau Geste of the movies.
Was Living in Retirement.
But instead OF knocking down
tough top sergeants with a rapid
fire OF blows from his mighty fists
a Ia Hollywood, he has become
guide, philosopher and friend to
hundreds of Americans eager for
the lowdown on the life and Gus
toms OF yelled women of the North
ern African cities and the sheiks of
the garden Of Allah.
After serving in France with the
legion in 1914-19l6 and later with
the American Army, he rejoined
the legion for the Moroccan war
against Abdul Krim and rose to cap
tain. He knows all this country and
its colorful customs like the palm
Of his hand.
when this war began" he told
me, Il was living in retirement on
my farm in the hillbilly country OF
North Carolina. I left for Paris az
soon as possible to take up my COM
mission as a reserve captain Of the
legion and was appointed to the
headquarters stan in Paris. was
there till France fell and I retired
with the French general staff be-
hind the armistice line. After de-
mobilization I went back to Amer
lea. When Japan attacked at Pearl
Harbor I applied for enrolment in
the United States Army. I finally
found myself in the Air Force and
posted to the European zone, when
the occupation of French North
Africa began was one Of the first
to be ordered for duty there"
Maj. Rockwells theory about this
war is that we ought to finish it
properly this time.
Wants Soldiers Peace.
IF the military leaders had been
let alone in 1918" he said, there
would have been so years of peace
at least. The politicians who spoiled
the peace that the soldiers won in
the last war should not be allowed
to spoil the fruits of this one.
The last war should have been
comparatively easy to settle. This
one will be far more complicated as
the result of international muddles.
But one thing is plain. The men
who win the war should settle the
peace.
Il don't know what has happened
to all my old comrades of the Amer
lean group of the Foreign Legion
since the Germans occupied the
whole of France. But letter smug-
gled out of France in October gave
me news of number of them who
have lived in the country ever since
the last war and are members of our
association. expect they are all in
concentration camps now, unless
they are too old to be actively anti
German
Among those who were still living
were George Delpeuch, Alvan F.
Sanborn, E. A. Marshall, Philip A
Rogers and John G. Hopper. Del
pouch was born in New York City
and was wounded by the same ma
chine gun that killed Seeger. San
born is dean of the 1914 volunteers
He was a graduate of the Amherst
class of 1887 Marshall came from
Brooklyn. He was Paris director of
the Franco wyoming OIL Co.
Rogers left Columbia University in
1916 to enlist in the legion. After
the war he became a vice president
of the Chase National Bank In Paris
Hopper was San Francisco mining
engineer. He was badly wounded
with the Sd Regiment of the le-
gion. He has lived in Paris ever
since the World War. Maurice de
Barneville of Virginia is the only
other American of the legion in
Europe. He Joined the United