Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1919 — HAS SIX GOLD STRIPES. [ARTICLE]

HAS SIX GOLD STRIPES.

(Second Installment.) We put up in our old billets in Demange and (began drill and maneuvers again. Kept that up six days a week, regardless of the weather, and hiking all over the country up to the tenth of January. That was the toughening process, and it was sure the dope. Sometimes we left the ’billets and stayed two or three days, sleeping in squad tents we hauled with us. We invaded the territory of the 18t'h Inf, and the two regiments maneuvered against another brigade. A couple of days after Xmas, however, I went with a squad to Gondrecourt to work at a school for two weeks, and was detailed for guard in the kitchen —the best job I ever had anywhere! But we were called back about the tenth of January, as the Brigade was going to the front, this time to keep it. Second relief outside! We hiked to Sorcy from Demange, with full equipment, in the snow, ice and rain. Sorcy, then, was just out of shell fire. Three days there, then to Cornieville, which wgs under observation of Fritz. A week there then into the trenches near Bouconville, a week there then out a week at Roulencourt, about three kilometres from the trenches. We were there seven weeks, never more than five kilos, about three miles, from Mount Sec, from the top of which the Grmans could see every move we made in day time. It was quiet, but the weather wasn’t the best, and we usually had a chance to wash about once a week. Finally, the sth of March, we were relieved, got trucks to Manaucourt, south of Bar-le-Duc. We drilled hard every week day, and usually walked to Ligny on Sunday, about three miles. We were reviewed by Mr. Baker and General Pershing while there. General Pershing and Marshal Joffre had reviewed us in October before going to the front. Meanwhile, the Germans—had Started their - drive in Picardy, and rumors were thick, everyone thinking we would get on a lively front ta lastFinally, on April 12, we entrained at Ligny and after 24 hours ride got off at Meru, 40 kilos northwest of Paris. The 16th we got off at 8 o’clock and hiked 26 miles by 5 o’clock, which brought us int,o 'billets in Bourg, southwest of Beauvois. We were there ten days drilling and left on foot in a northeasterly direction. Hiked through Beauvois on the second day and finally stopped four days at Ansauvilliers, eight ■miles from Montdidier. The 25th of April we took over a sector near Contigny. The drive was over but there were no trenches, and'the artillery was. firing continually. There was not a moment when one couldn’t hear a shell going overhead, either ours or Heine’s? We were about a kilo back of the front lines trying to get some shelter fixed but it was about enough to get chow and water. I got five days of that, five days of rain, too, by the way ,when one shell dropped too near and I stopped a piece of it. Well I couldn’t walk, except to the station, so was carried by four men to the regimental station, about two miles, then by flivver? to field hospital 13, then by larger ambulance to Crevecourt. Went throughten operation in a French mobile • hospital there, then by train to Paris. Was in Red Cross hospital 1 at Neuilly-sar-Seine, just outside tHe city, I think ten days. . We were evacuated to Base Hospital 34 at Nantes by a U. S. hospital train, by the same route I had ridden over before. From there, as you know if you got my letter, I went to St. Aignan, then back to the Ist divisibn again via Paris, Creil and Clermont. I got off the train at Breteul, and joined the company the next night, June 18th. They were in, the trenches on the left on Cantigny. It had been taken and the sector had quieted down. We were relieved by the French July sth, and took trucks to Juvignies, six miles north of Beauvois. We drilled some more there, snd I went on pass one dav to Beauvois, partly t osee the town, partly to mis sa day’s drill. 1 was in town about two hours, and orders came in for everybody to report back at once. I. had a hunch whet that meant and the hunch was correct. The next morning we got in French trucks and rode all . day and night That took us to a town north of the Marne, 20 miles east of Paris, and as there was no drive on we were guessing as to what was next. . - The next day, 'the 14th of July, here came the trucks again. We piled oh, went to the Meaux-Seulis road and turned toward Seulis. We rode ail night and at one time the flares and star Shells were plain. At another time a thunder storm came up and y°° should have heard the arguments. Some thought it was artillery, some said lightning. I

don’t know. I don’t know where we were. Anyway, the next forenoon, we unloaded in the Compiegne Forest, southeast of the city of that name. No one was guessing as to what was next. We lay in the woods till night and hiked out .toward the star shells. We stopped, however, about midnight- and unrolled our packs in the woods, and camped there the next day, the 17th. We were by a big road, and all day is was full of American artillery, big French tanks and trucks full of doughboys. (To be continued.)