OCR Text |
Show I Fighting Utah Chaplain Home! W3 3 3 Tells of Heroic 91st Division IEUTEN.VNT CALVIN S. SMITH, Utah's fighting chaplain with the j j gist division, who returned home yesterday after a year's service over-; over-; seas. Mrs. Smith is shown with him. ' i. W .... . . . . !ytt ;v .. .,,-: ' ..: I t i ! , ,i , , - -- i i I ' - K ' ' ' 1 ; '' " r 1 1 - x !s j 'v r; s ' " A t -, . - x , v v i- I : i ' ! ' -'' I ( Wounded by High Explosive Explo-sive on Meuse-Argonne Battle Front. TAH's fighting chaplain, First U Lieutenant Calvin S. Smith, son of the late President Joseph F. Smith, who saw action at the front with the Ninety-first division, di-vision, returned to his home in Salt Lake yesterday. Lieutenant Smith left Salt Lake in February, 191S, going first to Camp Lewis, where he established the 346th machine gun hull as a home for Utah men. lie was sent overseas with the Ninetv-first division June HI, 191S, and landed at Muntigny. Chaplain Smith served with the men in the front line trenches. "While acting a stretcher bearer in the Meuse-Arponne sector, he was slightly wounded by high explosive, nevertheless would not give up, and the next day, September Sep-tember 29. lie was put in charge of the stretcher bearers for the regiment. -Chaplain Smith took part iu memorial services at Ostniukirke. Belgium, when Utah's men in the Ninety -first division who made the supreme sacrifice were fittingly fit-tingly remembered, says Chaiplain Smith. He received a rather severe wound while fighting with the division in Belgium. Companion Killed. His major had sent him with two others to hrintf in a wounded man. One of the men with him was killed and another wounded. Though his wound did not seem serious at first, he was later taken to the hospital. After the armistice Chaplain Smith had charge of recreational work of the 361!nd infantry, and was also division supervisor super-visor of education, assisting in training 200 men in history, geography, business ; subjects and agriculture while the regl- ment was waiting at La Ferte Bernard. He did not return to America with the division, as he studied vocational education educa-tion in industrial centers of England. Chaplain Smith will follow farming during dur-ing the summer and perhaps teach school ...-.i-t f-.n Chaplain Smith greatly praised the men of the Ninety-first division. In briefly relating the history of the Ninety-first division, be said: "The Ninety-first division di-vision moved first as a unit up to the St. Mihiel front. The different battalions were arranged in groups ready to go into the battle. Objective Montfaucon. "It was very stormy and muddy there, though the men were extremely cheerful, considering that they could get but little sleep in tho rain and mud, and had no warmth of any kind. After this they went on a two days' march and trained for the Meuse-Argonne offensive. The objective of the division was the little town of Montfaucon. Iu the first day's fighting the division advanced ahead of the line, and later they had to hold a position posi-tion in front of Fpintonville." "On September -y the 38-nd infantry look the citv of Gesnes. In this action Lieutenant Smith said Colonel Parker. Captain Bradberry and Parley Granger, a Utah man, w'ere wounded and Captain Warshom was killed. After that battle 130 mm from the 320th regiment were sent within 200 yards of the enemy's trenches, and so many were killed they could not be taken away. After this the division was released from action, though one brigade, the lftlst. was sent back and operated in front of Hill 169. Here fighting fight-ing occurred for which little credit was -iveti. although the general of the army-corps army-corps wrote a letter to the commanding general of the. Ninety-first division, commending com-mending them for their work Ihere. stating stat-ing the division held its place while other lines retreated. Extreme Valor Shown. "Fverv man in all the battles showed extreme' valor, especially when you consider con-sider there wero 60 per cent hospital cases" Chaplain Smith said. "The division di-vision received replacements at Ravigny. Then they were shipped to Peigium and detrained in tiie neighborhood of Ypres. The division went into action again on October Oc-tober 31, and at the time of the armistice were located at Audenaide. Belgium. "The division, in all, took part in three major offensives. The total losses in Ihe Meuse offensive were MOO men on the field and 300 were killed in the Lys-Scheldt Lys-Scheldt offensive. The Ninety-first gained iihout as manv kilometers as any army in the A. F. V.. took their foil share of prisoners pris-oners and tuliv deserved the title of the Wild West division.' I have never seen a member of the Ninety-first division thai ever took the pine tree off his arm. The men greatlv aporeciated the delicacies sent from Utah. Out of the eight boxes of tobacco received, most of them came from The Salt Lake Tribu " |