Show i he True S y I ft IL 1 r I u I a i p fr j v cJ z A r r I A rr r.r. r 2 T b bA A 4 1 L t. t I PC J j I i 1 f f if 4 tEr t iJ I L t I i S 5 5 11 T 4 4 J 1 ww S I 5 S 'S I ff f I t A Ar c. c fA J- J r f z 00 4 S S S1 o S By ELMO SCOTT WATS N- N j. j S UT at Camp Kearney Kearne r Die C CAll Calif lif the there e wi I t er erected a monument to to one Q th the 0 0 S most most famo famous S' S military or organizations n i in the history of our country den en tion to the n average American tl tl the Three Thre hundred eighth try y of t the Seventy seventh is d division n Wand and an it may mayor or oi ma may not ot have tiny any special i ecI s significance for him But speak of the Lost Battalion t 1 a and d se see seq how quickly he will understand wh what t yo you S are talking about For the story of ot t the hp Lost S Battalion Is one of the real hero tales of the he theN theS N World war Ya As su such It Ii t to all of Qt U us uz S S even en though the facts fact about that incident 1 In fn theS the S great Meuse-Argonne Meuse offensive of of the A Am American l forces in the thern autumn of 1018 1918 have he b become come so so S jj colored with a certain amount of fi fiction tion as as' to M duce another of i j example popular 4 tion in our national legend I The ITh Seventy seventh di division o of at t the national j i b army is known as New Yorks York's Own wn b because t Its ranks were filled mainly with D nin n who were Fere S f called caned to the colors In In New New- NewYork York ci city db by th that t J great human lottery the Selective e S Service e act t 4 1 For that reason It may seem curious that a mon mon- to the heroism of New ev Yorkers s be A erected In ln California clear across the he S f f New York But the ren reason p for Ir t the Camp Karney memorial al Is b before f re over over- rIts r- r Its sector for the Meus Argonne Meuse-ArgOnne Arg offensive the Oie J t seventh Vi t p ili e-dl e with It replace replace- S from the Fortieth division composed d. d of ot S men inen men f from oD all parts ts o of the West who had had- trained i J at t Camp Kearney And In the ta Do 8 Lost ta tallon lon episode from r m the Vest fought fought- alongside alongside of bt men at o of every occupation nationality i class and creed from the East side r Melting i Pot of New York rork S In regard t to the th fl fiction I Il which hl hJul has crept ep nt s. s the tte tIo story of the Lost Battalion dt should be noted first that tire name itself Is a a misnomer For J ev r lost th Lost Battalion w was s Le Led Led- 1 by Maj j. j Charles V W. W Whittlesey and Capt Capt- GeorgeV George GeorgeJ J W. W the battalion n of something less S than thai OO zhe men men to took k part part- partIn In an attack attak by the i Se Seventy seventh on the morning of or 1 S 1918 1915 with a a. certain road on the edge of a ravine 1 r In n the Charle ux valley aney jis as as the objective They 1 1 were v r acting under orders o of Con Robert AI Alx- Alx x- x gander ander commander of th the Se Severity Seventy who who ass assumed Ih d 1 full fiill ll responsibility for took I places place My Iy orders were positive e precise said sald t G General ne al A Alexander The objective wits t to- to tobe J- J be gained 4 without reg regard rd to losses and without without re regard gard to fo the ex exposed condition of ot th the flanks s. s Of the four tour battalions from the Three hundred hundred- t sixth Three hundred seventh sE Three e hundred l' l eighth an ninth infantry which which- were Yere sent sent Bent Into the attack s 's from the eJ the only one to rea reach h It Its objective As a a- result result- the enemy penetrated d iV S the rear of of- their position n and the battalion was I I. I S cut fr So although they were re cut o oft thy they h y were were not lost Josf for tor the they the k knew et all the time Ume wh where re the they were vere the Se e Seventy seventh seventh ty-seventh division knew where where- they w were w re and made DP rep repeated d Attempts during the i 1 five da days s 's they were beleaguered to to res rescue ue them What took place during those five th-e days told i. In entertaining fashion In n- n book recently pub pub- l 1 b by the h. h Merrill Bobbs-Merrill company It Is Without With out Censor inso written S by Thomas M. M Johnson cor- cor 1 respondent for the New York Sun with the Ole theS A. A E. E F. F Ft a told now S hook book which explodes explodes ex- ex many popular popular- mY myths about the World war and new light on many d disputed ques- ques In the chapter r. r Finding the the Lost Lot 5 r Bat Bat- tallon Mr M Johnson tells teUs the true story of that famous famous Incident In our history as follows The ot October third General ordered the Alexander S attack resumed and directed Gener General l lS S rt n to give special attention theard to t- joinIng up with S Whittlesey Whittlesey and his hie bad had men S hea heard d th the 11 firing to One th rear as the rest ot of the theOne theS ed S them But fourth fiftY trIed v to reach knew that the the firIng receded dIed down and they theyS Germans S had repulsed the attack were free for tor a time to d destroy stroy the S ILS as t they ey caned called It They trIed for five days day daysS and nIghts by S Infantry attack by tre trench h mortar S bombs hand grena grenades machine suns guns sweepIng the S va valley by ey snIpIng rifle fire from 5 front flank and rear finally by flame name throwers Tho The Americans Americana clung to their S small holes fox trees saved along the slope The The The- them Sate Safe holes co id be dug under their roots Trunks branches deflected b bullets They soon acon became hungry for tor they had started S of f rations The t betor It ended livIng were ate Un those leavit ot of the t Is i t. t o 1 54 t 9 I I II IM CAP cr t. t l S fact even at the end ena of ot October third thirl the Lost ost- ost was as dwindling fast fast Its effective strength only ohly two w hundred forty forty-flye Water could n not t be begot got from the in m muddy d st stream e m in in the valley watched by fors slashed byl by machine Some who volunteered to fill lI cant cantLen ens' ens did not return Theme The Themen Themen me men h had had d. d s started ir d Y without blank blank blankets blanket's ts ls and it if was was' cold and rainy There Thero was as DP UP only two m medical corps inen men t with bandages or Wrap puttees romU e d dead d Even ven their h friends d s S seemed d t to have 1 y Burned d the Lost Battalion The Thes second cond day dayO O tober fourth fourth- Jh Germans were re giving them giving them a brief f rist rest az nn All ame d n upon on them Sl tile die bursts on on tle southern slop sIope ot th the more rapidly more more quickly they crept down thO the crossed the valJe valley and settled t t d straight t o 0 the line of ot tox holes fox h l s held eld bythe bythe by the cowering cowering- bewildered tr threw w r branche leaves leaves aves stOries stones aid hd- d' d earth earthS earth smashed lit lIn fox holes s om burying on men AH AJ S wounded who o could w walk k r were r m f d j f ilic of o comparative parl H I. I Safety y bt bit I thirty ns were killed by br that barrage So easy topas topa t the the buck to the the Fr the the- weight weight-of evidence be that It it was va Am American Whittlesey and McMurtry thought thought so From Its Its flaming smoking smoking- midst midst Whittlesey last c carrier pigeon n with this message We We Wear ar are are along tie die road lond par parallel t S 2 64 l Our ur own wn y Is a a a- barrage dire directly directly- on us For For- fi heavens heaven's av tI's s sake ke stop t p It itI it J I I I- I To Whittlesey and amI McMurtry it it seemed s emed tl the that hells shells Just missed d t them passed a. a ed o on ori Right flight P p. p t the te end of or it came cam a a. German a.-German G ma but that w was b beaten ten off ott and nd the tIie sound it t t th e told the rest dt of ti th the Sev seventh that the Lost t B T S tallon was was' still there I It H a ad m made de very every effort ort to 5 let thc Know that Whenever asked volunteer vo to take back ril found them The d all ali three ot the th m ts L ers captured tur some oine of t them cm lying face fOfe downward amid the tor forest st st. eay s So starving chilled drenched sleepless s threatened threat threat- at- at 5 ened with instant it death from foe or r friend the themen themen theS S men hung On on n through gr great greath heroism Among them S. S c calm lm an and smiling moVed mod the the- scholarly spectacled Whittlesey the or optimIstic optimistic tlc M l l J and Joking jolting in a ar whisper part of ot a 11 German Germau nl asber gr grenade nO de st sticking c from a v nf 1 In ln 1 his back Ono One by orie irie one theli- theli nine precious precious' machine S were knocked d out their ammunition rz ran i low J Th The Fhe Germans could why t they tiey ey did sur render will vIll you yOU they shouted cross to which the doughboys r r replied pled pHed Kam iad y your ur ReIt ceif you Some German Americans came In very handy there A party of ot soldiers from Captain Cullens Cullen's company company com com- company pany on the tho left flank Upped slipped off ort to to look look for tor kitchens kitchen for t food fiod dr dropped from airplanes s. s trying hying i j vainly t to to succor the Lost Battalion i and nil all were killed wounded or or captured Only one e. e named returned bearing this lett letter r. r exactly transcribed S 5 S To roo the Commanding Officers m ers ers' of ot the 2nd BatI i S 1 J J. R S SS S Sir The Tho bearer of M the present Lowell R. R shead has s L Len sn taken prisoner r by us on on October Ho He reused used to the German Intelligence Intelligence Intelligence Intel Intel- Officer evor every answer to his questions and is quite an honourable fellow renow doing honor to his fatherland in the strictest test sense of ot the word vo rd He He has hRs been charged against his will be believing believing be- be lieving It doing wrong- wrong to biB hla country In c carrying carrying car car- r- r forward this present letter to the Officer In charge of ot the 2nd BatI J. J R. R SOS of ot the DIv with the he purpose t to recommend thin Commanded to surrender with his forces as It I would be quite useless to resist any any more in view of ot the present conditions The suffering of your wounded men can be heard over here in the German lines JInes and we are arc appealing to your human sentiments A withe Flag shown by one one of ot your yr men will tell telf us us that you ou agree with these conditions Please treat the Lowell R. R as asan asan asan an honourable man He lie is quite QuIto a soldier we S envy you The rIlie writer of ot that letter was Heinrich who before the war lived in Seattle Wash His ruse did not ork work neither neither did Whit Whit- f reply Go 00 to h il II 1 That legend originated I I S w 0 S S when correspondents first got the story atory from froman an enthusiastic division commander 1 What answer did he send em they hey asked What hat answer would he send em General Alexander AlexS Alexande Alexnder Alex- Alex S ande- ande replied He told em to go to h L hI 1 S. S N Next day those few tew correspondents who saw the mUd mIl Whittlesey asked him S Did Did you really realy tell telle e em to to go to o h i h-i hn 1 S Well ho he said slowly McMurtry Mc and HolderS Holderman Holder Holder- Holderman S man were squatting near near by I read the note We S. S smiled I It ju jut Just folded up the n cl t-it t It was t type type- pe written and written and put jut It In my pocket said to the soldier Go ao back io to y your ur post Whittlesey sey said said said-in In in his written report No reply seemed ne necessary But B the next thing thing- he did after nutting the l e note i in his pocket w was va to toor or order er t taken ken in in the white white- S 5 cIoti p an ls w he had nd attempted tt m t d to signal 1 s trying to food drop He was wis t I afraid r td th the they y might look li like e vIt withe e nags Flags s. s J 4 5 The I re u o the X Lot n Battalion was wai finally rin IY S n c. c CO Cel ri nel f pf of f the Three I hundred seventh who discovered a gup gap gapin in t-he t G German Wire south h of valley valley valley- 4 5 5 through which men might wriggle one at a time 5 iid unobserved n If It the they were very car ful Then when enough had got through th they y might fI start sturt to to 5 tolk tork ork their their way along the he valley from the he east east I towa toward ll position n. n S I I J 1 f JJ I I I By the tle of ot October nt 1 I I. I t sev seventh nth tw two men men from s 's force had Jad got in touch with these s men creeping forward and were brought to Colonel C Jonel Houghton's hole In In the Some of ot were re fo found nd bandaged by G 5 g g geons' geons ons who had said Soon Sonn It Is If we e who wh vh will m t be e e 1 5 surrounded i A a men push pushed d' d on n. n I At S s seven ven oclo o'clock k that their first t small smallS small 1 S p party rt reached renche 1 the the right ti-ight of ot of the th line of at Holes fox that the Battalion had bad MId held such fortitude for or five v d days and nights s A B and nd M Pot lat Dt hundred seventh soo soon ooh 1 appeared Th The The S e was ended I iI j Just Juet in The B ion had held o out oit t on onn n nerve r forthe cr leil last t two wo o or 01 day iree r e- e eda da days tt saving every'S every ry S 'S ounce o ounce of or strength to regel German erman One of ot S. S the worst pf pt all oli had come the last morning Octo- Octo 0 her h esen For the first time the enemy used liquid Belching smoke and flame name did dij not de do- moralize the Americans on the rl right ht flanks after atter 5 their terrible ordeal ordeal ordeal-It It made tl m J iI They 5 Jumped d from their err fo fox o oh h with their thir rifles shot the men men carr carrying throwers Yet hen H Houghton's 8 m men n came among them thein they le could hardly h have o. o withstood tood another noth r attack aback Hand grenades w were re all gone ammunition almost t onlo two only V of ot nine machine guns left leet find nd no rita ma ma- chine gunners to o ha handle th them mJ T meet the next S attack the theme themen men w were r sharpening defiantly on stones and i u e earth rth their bayonets bayonets about all they thy had hadert left ert j S The Th ight of ot October seventh th thy y got a 8 little j food tood slept for tor the tho first time safely guarded by bYthe th e S res rescuing Three hundred seventh Next morning oc- oc curr urr d d a thing that brought ht tears to the eyes ees that 1 s saw wIt It t. t S S 5 UI Up from fox hol at t roots oot of or tre trees s pits pHs where dead lay with living r rose e m n of ot the 79 who had att attacked five fhe days Ys before and of ot the many bore wounds The They were all who could walk out aux valley which they had tal taken en and f t held a nu ordered The relit rest were dead or had to be carried The one hundred ninety four walked heavily numbed by utter exhaustion lothes clothes tattered tattered tattered tat tat- and filthy rac faces s like drawn masks of putty with the fixed stare of ot d determination Worn out out ott S dirt dirty hungry the they would not give in The eyes ees told that Those Thoe of ot us who were there ther and saw law them as the pioneers turned the first spade spade- ful rul ful of ot earth for the others know that here was Waft S Indeed d a holy place Those who sought Whittlesey found a n tall taU slim youngish man nina wearing glasses very tired sitting on a Z stump In a Z little clearing at t a tore forest t crossroads crossroads cross cross- ro roads near him the be battalion tie the the handful that was left About the first thing ho he said and he really aid nid It It was was- Dont write about t me me me Just about thc these e men A fine tine modest gentleman How untrue and unjust like most |