Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1918 — UNKNOWN HERO WINS CITATION [ARTICLE]

UNKNOWN HERO WINS CITATION

French Unable to Learn Identity of Soldier Who Gave Life for Country. REFUSES TO SAVE HIMSELF With Pipe in Mouth He Tranquilly Picks Off German After German Until He Fails, Riddled With Bullets. With the French Armies. —To the Seventy-ninth French regiment of infantry belongs the honor of the only citation in the present war to “An Unknown Soldier.” The croix de guerre, which the citation merited, and which in view of the hero’s death would ordinarily be given by the French government to the soldier’s nearest relatives, lies unclaimed at the ministry of war at Paris. All that is known of the man is the manner of his death and the fact that he Is burled where he fell on the heights of Saint Epvre. The story of this “unknown soldier” Is unquestionably the story of thousands of other French heroes in the early days of the war before means of Identification of the dead had been established and when regiments were hurriedly formed, thrown into action and decimated before a soldier knew the name of the comrade fighting at his side. Story of Heroism. The only difference Is that this “unknown soldier” received a citation for his life’s sacrifice and the others did not This is the story: On August 26, 1914, during the forenoon, the First battalion of,the SeVen-ty-ninth regiment of infantry, which had been decimated at Morhange, was hastily reformed In the vicinity of Rosieeres-Aux-Salines from a contingent of reserves which had beern rushed up. That evening before the original members of the battalion had had time even to get acquainted with their new comrades, the battalion was engaged by the Germans in a violent surprise attack on the heights of the farm of Saint-Eypre, near Luneville. About five in the afternoon the advanced line of the battalion took shelter back of a little ridge, which protected it from the Germans, who were only 100 yards ahead. A veritable storm, both of rifle and artillery lire, whistled constantly over the heads of the sheltered French battalion. Suddenly, from out of the ranks of the Third company, an unknown reservist, who had just arrived that morning, leaped to the summit of the little ridge under which the battalion was resting. Dropping to his knees, with a pipe hanging from his mouth, he began tranquilly to fire shot after shot into the ranks of the Germans, just 100 yards ahead. Consternation reigned in the ranks of the First battalion of the Seventyninth. Then, the officers recovering from their surprise, loudly ordered the man back into ranks.

Refused to Save Self. But the latter, without ceasing for an instant his firing and without even dropping his pipe from his mouth, bellowed back: “Leave me alone. Tm an expert marksman and I want to do something for my country while I have such a fine chance to do it.” From the very first Instant of his appearance on the summit of the ridge the rifle fire of the entire regiment of Germans was centered on him. Yet for a full five minutes he continued tranquilly to fire with sure aim into their ranks before he finally fell riddled with bullets, the stock of his rifle shattered into splinters and his pipe knocked from his mouth as he rolled over on the ground. A moment afterward, the Seventyninth leaped again to the assault and drove the Germans down the ridge. That night the Seventy-ninth burled their hero on the summit of the ridge where he had fallen. There was nothing about his person to indicate his Identity. His deed of heroism was signaled to the ministry of war. The ministry of war did everything in Its power to Identify the soldier, but without results. Unwilling that the sacrifice should go unrecorded, the citation was granted in the name of “An Unknown Soldier” “if you want a good typerwiter at a bargain price, see those at The Democrat office.