| Show first gf f the end did of the war i one year ago today at 4 in the morning this community was summoned from its slumbers by the schree ching ot of the ire fire siren announcing that the armistice had been signed and the great world war was at an end peace is not yet declared a and nd technically speaking our nation Is still at war with germany despite the fact that practically the entire army has boon been returned home and disbanded but for one year there has been no fighting such as was raging a year ago before the hour when the armistice was signed so that tor for one year we have not been harrasser barr harr assed in our souls every lay day by the publication ot of the casualty lists which gave the names and addresses ot of the killed and wounded one year ago today also this community was in the grip ot of the deadly influenza so that while our hearts were lifted up in gratitude that the war was ended the joy was not altogether unalloyed because of the tearful fearful toll toil the epidemic was taking every day and week at this time lime however it Is very fitting that the end of the war be commemorated in our hearts at least in order that readers of the news might have an opportunity to vividly contrast the present condition with I 1 that of a year ago we have asked a number ot of our soldiers boys who were on the fighting line in france when the hour struck which ended the war to write a short account of their experiences perien ces at that particular time and two of them have generously responded spon ded we therefore present herewith interesting communications from J chester knudson and albert anderson both of whom saw active fighting on the battlefields of france it is by request that 1 relate a few of ahti experiences and describe the conditions which surrounded the organization to which I 1 belonged just one year ago nov 11 1918 the time aulien the armistice was signed to any member of the fifth field artillery first division the signing of the armistice always brings back vivid memories of the events which occurred a few days before and after it was signed in the early part of november we heard that turkey had quit cold and that austria hungary was on the verge of collapse this helped to create a better spirit among the soldiers at this time we saw conditions which also gave us new strength i french civilians who were driven front from their homes four years ago began returning so eager were they to see their old homes again that they entered some of the towns while there was still danger and the result was that there were casualties there were old men women and I 1 young children with all their earthly belongings on a handcart of some kind which they were pushing thru the deep mud it looked more like a gypsy parade than anything else I 1 it must have been very sad for some of them to finds find not a home but a mass of ruins many of the houses had been blown to pieces by shell fire such things made the soldiers feel that they were really fighting tor for something worth while it made us eager to do our best to put an end to the murderous light fight for days before the armistice was signed our division received the order to march against sedan we all remembered it to be an historic battlefield and all were eager to go forward when the order was received we were close to twenty five miles from sedan and the roads were in a horrible condition there was mud mud everywhere often I 1 have looked at tho the legs of the soldiers and could not distinguish between the shoes and leggins as there was usually a coat of mud covering both for ten miles we plowed through the muddy roads and then the germans shelled the roads ahead of us and blew up several bridges which made it impossible to proceed with the artillery the infantry continued and occupied the heights above sedan but waited tor for the french to arrive and enter the town first as a matter of honor in having taken sedan on november 1918 the first division moved to the left along the front and in doing so passed through I 1 the town ot of beaumont this town was under shell fire and we could see the shells blow up dirt and mud as we approached it was absolutely necessary to pass through the town as the road lead that way but we sure did double time in doing so and I 1 am sure we did IL halt half mile in record time I 1 was following up the first section gun and a horse was wounded immediately ahead ofus of us the wheel of 0 our gun ran over the legs of the wounded horse as he was kicking for it was impossible to turn aside november alth we rested la in the woods woodis and did not take an active part in tit afe fighting that that morning a soldier came from regimental headquarters and told us there would be no fighting after 1100 a m we all thought lie he was crazy and laughed at him I 1 for one it was I 1 foolish li but sure enough at eleven lollock lo clock the firing ceased still W wa could believe it tor for it was too good to be true that night however when happy men began building huge fires all over the country we knevi it to be a fact were we happy words could not express our feelings As sherman had said that war was wag hell bell so we could say that peace w was heaven later 0 on n we read in the paper that the first troops droops to arrive in france would bema be the first to be sent home and as th the p first division was first over we all al thought that soon we would be s sailing ailing for america imagine our disappointment when we were told that we were to be part of the army of occupation and that a three hundred and forty five mile hike was to be our lot the joy of the armistice alinosi almost faded away but now that its alever alf over we are glad to have had the experience of entering and living in gerta germany ny may it ft ll 11 never again be necessary to take up arms against our tel fel aa ALBERT bertan ANt fERSON ERSON T c editor news in reply to your request of of a few days ago that I 1 give you a short digest of my surroundings a year ago armistice day I 1 submit the following ing I 1 left my regiment late in october tor for la val borne where I 1 was to attend school for three months we arrived at this quaint old french post the first day of november la val borne is a small village located in central eastern france in the valley of the river rhone and not tar far from the alps mountains the country is a series of rolling grassy hills and plains making an ideal terrain tor for military work generally the railroad into the town separated the village from the old french military post where we were located but we were not allowed to leave the military reservation the first few days because or of influenza conditions that had existed in the near by towns it was a little over a week before we were allowed to enter the town everybody at school was interested and trying to do the best they could we all wanted to make good so go that we could help end the war and get back home where we belonged we had been hard at work tor for about seven days when first word of a possible end to the terrible struggle reached us interest was at once transferred to the daily papers and other possible sources ot of information as to the possibilities of an early peace work outside got poorer each period and the class work was positively rely rotten we were all too interested r in what would happen to bother e about our school and its heretofore necessary work each day there would be a niad mad scramble for the papers and each day it looked brighter for us we were not only offering the terms but our arrivals at the front were da ily driving the germans back into their lines at last on oa that wonderful morning of november the eleventh a year ago came the unofficial report that the armistice had been signed and the war was over everybody acted as though they were crazy it seemed as tho something inside the men had broke as tho some uil unknown mown inevitable weight was suddenly lifted from their shoulders or as tho they may have suddenly become intoxicated with some new joy that made children of them all school was useless we could not get our minds upon our work but the officers insisted that until we received an official report of the signing we |
