| Show HEARS AGO ACO THEl CARRIED THE STARS AnD STRIPES TO FRAnCE By ELMO SCOTT WATSON June day 20 years ONE ago a force of khaki khaki- clad men marched along the docks at Hoboken N J and walked up the gangplank of a ship that was all ready to start on a trip across the Atlantic The day was June 14 a 1917 singularly singularly appropriate day for their departure For June 14 is Flag day and these soldiers I w were re taking the Stars and Stripes across the sea into the greatest war var in the history of the world They were the first combat troops of the Ameri- Ameri American American can Expeditionary Forces the vanguard of a mighty host of more than men the greatest army ever trans trans- transported transported ported across an ocean t e Considering the day and the importance of the occasion it would have seemed r a y yr ya dry Gen Pershing Disembarking in inI I France rance ate also if their departure had been the occasion for a great patriotic celebration But it wasn't Modern wars arent aren't conducted like that that- with the blare of bugles and the roll roII of drums to advertise to your enemy that you are launching an attack against him Besides the keynote for this departure had been sounded less than three weeks earlier and that keynote had silence been On the morning of May 28 a 1 little group of grave faced men in civilian clothing had gathered on these docks and very quietly in groups of twos and threes had walked up the gangplank on to the steamship Baltic Ship news reporters watching the gather gather- ing gathering of the Baltic's slim passenger list asked no questions Some of these news gatherers had been down in the baggage room of the ship There they had seen certain certain tain trunks bags and bedding rolls stenciled so plainly that any any- anyone anyone one who could read could see that this was the baggage of officers of the regular army bound over over- overseas overseas seas But at the request of the army they said nothing and not nota nota a line appeared in the newspapers newspapers pers telling who these officers were Pershing Goes Ahead If they had printed a roster these are the names which would have appeared on it Maj Gen John J Pershing commander in chief of the A A E F Maj Gen I IJames James G Harbord first Chief of staff of the A E F Maj raj Gen John L Hines chief of staff of the army Maj Gen Clarence ClarenceC C Williams retired chief of ord- ord ordnance ordnance nance of the A E F Maj Gen Merritte W Ireland surgeon gen gen- general general eral of the A E F Maj Gen W Walter lter A Bethel retired judge advocate general of the A E F Brig Gen Logan Feland com com- commander commander mander of the Marine Corps Maj Gen Hugh A Drum chief of staff of the First army A E F Brig Gen Samuel D Rockenbach chief of tank corps A E F Cot Col Parker Hitt retired Cot Col Hugh H Young Col William F R Repp pp Col Raymond W Briggs chief of re- re remount remount mount service A E F and Col Roger C Alexander chief of map section A E F Within a short time after they had nad gone aboard the Baltic was steaming out of New York harbor and so far as the public y kne knew she was just another big ship starting out to dodge and zigzag her way through the danger zone infested by the dreaded Germ German n boats U-boats But she made the trIp in safety and now on this Flag day 20 years ago when the FIrst division of the regular army took A rt Y r r r i n ne ra w d i 0 t a Gen Charles P Summerall ewer Chief of Staff of the United States Army Speaking at the Reunion of First Division Veterans at the First Division Monument in Washington D C I Is s ship at Hoboken Pershing and and and his officers were awaiting them over there Awaiting them and also even more were impatiently the people peo- peo people of France There had been mutinies among certain French troops in the Aisne French regi- regi regiments regiments ments had been cut down to half their strength Old men and little boys were joining the reserves The casualty lists were mount mount- mounting mounting ing higher every day There was not a home in all France which had not felt the cruel hand of war and her war weary people were discontented discouraged almost despairing Unless les arrived quickly it would be too late Out or of the Fog And then one June morning their dream of help from America carne came true That morning the harbor of St Nazaire was shroud shroud- shrouded shrouded ed in mist Its citizens knew that out there somewhere the blue blue- gray transports and their cruiser convoys were approaching the port Suddenly about 7 o'clock a motor tender carne came put putting put putting through the fog In its prow stood an American bluejacket He shouted something to a French sentry who was pacing the dock Astonished at this sudden ap- ap appearance appearance and embarrassed at his inability to understand what was shouted at him the stopped eighth and the Sixteenth Infantry regiments landed Field Hospital No 13 and Ambulance Company No 13 carne came ashore June 28 But it was two days later due to inadequate landing facilities be- be before before fore the Eighteenth Infantry reg- reg regiment regiment and the Second Field Sig- Sig Signal Signal nal battalion were able to leave the ships Twenty days had elapsed since they had left Ho- Ho Hoboken Hoboken boken Considering the historic importance importance tance of this occasion it would be mOst grat gratifying ying to the patriot patriot- patriotic ic sentiments inspired by Flag day if there could be recorded at this point the great enthusiasm with which this vanguard of Un Un- Uncle cle Sams Sam's millions were received at St Nazaire and the admira- admira admiration admiration tion which they excited among the French who welcomed them But as regard for historical truth prevents painting any s such ch word picture as that In fact just the contrary was true and for this statement we have the testimony of an American witness eye to the landing He was Wilbur For For- Forrest Forrest rest war correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune who tells how French officers of the general staff carne came to St Nazaire i to see the arrival of this crack First division of the highly highly- I trained American army a historical event for both France i and America He continues I I There is probably not today an anI I 4 THE YANKS ARE COMING American Troops Arrive in France I and saluted Then he raised his shoulders in an eloquent gesture as much as to say I cant can't under under- understand understand stand a word youre you're saying but butI I its it's all right right-I'm glad to see you anyway Whereupon the blue blue- bluejacket bluejacket jacket grinned broadly at him and the little craft on which he was standing turned her n nos o s e eback eback back into the fog As soon as the sailor reported back to his ship that the docks were clear tugs began to ease the transports in toward the docks where French soldiers warned back a group of idle spec spec- spectators spectators who soon gathered as the news of the coming of the Ameri- Ameri Americans Americans cans spread Soon a big ship loomed out of the fog broadside to and was slowly warped in Landing stages came down with witha a bang and in another moment soldiers of Company K of the Twenty eighth infantry were streaming down them Within an hour the sleepy old oldtown oldtown town of St St Nazaire was seeing more and a stranger activity than it had ever known before Its streets were filled with men in inthe inthe the khaki of the American army and the blue of the navy glad to tobe tobe be stretching their legs on land after more than two weeks aboard ship So they proceeded to take the town They flirted with every French girl who carne came along they squatted in the street to stage impromptu crap games while groups of puzzled Frenchmen French French- Frenchmen men gathered around to watch them at this strange sport they swarmed into shops and cafes cafes- especially the latter Altogether they gave St St Nazaire such a stirring up as it had not known for centuries All Quiet in St Nazaire Later in the day a serer sem semblance blance of order was restored and the soldiers were marched to a tented military town on the out out- outskirts outskirts skirts of the city The next day the remainder of 01 the officer or man of the First division I living who will not agree that the French officers sent from Paris to watch the debarkation of the division at St St Nazaire had every reason to suffer suITer then and there therea a very considerable sentiment of disappointment These khaki clad soldiers who carne came ashore at St St Nazaire had little in common with the Ameri- Ameri American American can regular army They were for forthe forthe the most part boys who possibly a month or so before at home had succumbed to the war fever and joined the army Un Uniforms had figuratively been wrapped around them Ordnance depots had issued them army shoes and anda a hat with a cord around it guns were placed in their hands and they were off for Hoboken and France A Division in Name Only The First division at that time was a division in name but not in fact Most of its trained officers and men were left in the United States to train more raw material on this side of the water What was first to to arrive in France was the vanguard of the real thing So after remaining in camp outside S1 St Nazaire for a little while the First division was sent to quiet areas of eastern France for intensive training One unit however the Second battalion of the Sixteenth infantry was left behind to give Paris evidence that the Americans had really reached France and the Fourth of July was selected as the oc- oc occasion occasion casion for the demonstration Brought to Paris by train this battalion was quartered in bar bar- barracks barracks racks on the outskirts of the city in preparation for a long march over the boulevards On July 4 Paris turned out en masse to see their new allies march between the lines of crack French troops from the garrison of Paris drawn up alongsIde the streets and boulevards As I t the khaki clad columns came on the enthusiasm of the crowds rose roseto roseto to a high pitch At last they were to see for themselves these fighting men from across the sea who would turn the tide of war warin warin in their favor But again the re- re realization was teas something less than the anticipation For to quote Mr Forrest again It must be confessed that those of us who watched this un uniformed ormed soldiery land at St Nazaire and were watching them themon themon on the Paris boulevards were un- un unable unable able to compare them at all fa- fa favorably favorably with the spick and span and rather grim troops of Eng Eng- England England land and France Many of us had seen the latter both in action and on parade Something was lacking with our own com com- compatriots compatriots patriots Hundreds of French officers mingling in the crowds and who had perhaps entertained the same enthusiasm the day before were getting a psychological shock The writer in civilian clothing was able to hear sad and frank comment passed Is it that this is the Ameri- Ameri American American can regular army one queried Mon 1 Dieul Surely these men are not soldiers remarked another If this is what we are to expect from America the war is lost said a third They were perhaps right about it then But they also lived to change their minds Fighting First Makes Good They changed their minds a year later when they heard how the First division captured C Can Can- Cantigny m- m tigny on May 18 1918 and held it against all counter attacks by bythe bythe the Germans and when they heard of the part played by the First in Marshal Fochs Foch's great drive of July 1918 in the Chateau Thierry Rheims Soissons tri tri- triangle triangle angle to cut off the Crown Princes Prince's army In the wheat fields I beyond the Forest of Villa Cot Cot- tenets two of its regiments suf- suf suffered suffered appalling losses leaving as high as 75 and 85 per cent of their strength on the ground eith- eith either either er dead or wounded But they gained their objectives and had hadit hadit it not been for the failure of French Scottish and Italian divi- divi divisions divisions on the other side fighting across from Rheims to close the the sack Crown princes prince's army would have been destroyed For the t h e Fighting First earned the unstinted praise not only of American and Allied gen gen- generals generals but even the enemy paid it high tribute In fact through through- throughout throughout out its career in France this di- di division division vision lived up to its designation as First It was not only the t F p pF pw i w b Maj Gen Robert Hobert Lee Bullard ullard Who Took Command of the Fighting First in December 1917 first to reach Fr France but it was the first to go into the trenches the first to suffer battle losses its total casualty list was 22 the first to capture prison prison- prisoners prisoners ers and the first to enter Ger- Ger Germany Germany many alter after the Armistice was signed Only once was the First division last last-in returning for lor de- de demobIlization do mobIlization to the United States from which h it had sailed on Flag day 20 years ago e Western Union |
