Show l I 1 I h I DEARS AGO CARRIED I I j j THE STARS AnD AUD STRIPES TO FRAnCE I Dy By ELMO SCOTT WATSON NE June day 20 years ONE O ago aco a n force of khaki khaki- clad men marched along the docks at Hoboken N. N J J. J and walked up the gangplank of a ship that was oIl nil ready to start on a trip across across the Atlantic The day was June 14 1917 a 1917 a singularly singularly Jarly appropriate day for their departure For June 14 Is is Flag day and these soldiers were were taking the Stars and Stripes across the sea into the greatest war in the history of ithe the world They were the first combat troops of the American Ameri Amen I can Expeditionary Forces the vanguard of a mighty host of ot more than men the greatest army ever transported trans ported across an ocean i Considering the day and the importance of the occasion it would have seemed a J 1 j i 4 v I I I I I I i w VA i I 4 f I r a j w I Gen Disembarking In Trance France a e a tote ate also if their departure had bad been the occasion for a great patriotic celebration hut But it Modern wars orent arent conducted like that that that- with with the blare of bugles and the roll of drums to advertise your to-your your to that yow your are launching an attack against him Besides the keynote for this departure had been sounded less than three weeks earlier and that keynote had been silence been silence I IOn On the morning of at May 28 a little mUe group of grave grave faced faced men in civilian clothing had hod gathered on these docks and very quietly in groups of or twos and threes had walked up the tho gangplank on to the steamship Baltic Ship news reporters watching the tho gathering gathering gather gather- ing of at the Baltic's Dollic's slim sUm passenger list asked no questions Some of these news-gatherers news had nad been down in the baggage room of the ship There they had seen certain certain tain trunks bags and bedding rolls rolIs stenciled so plainly that anyone anyone any ony one who could read could see that this was the baggage of officers of the regular army bound over seas But Dut at ot the tho request of the army they said nothing and not nota a line appeared in the newspapers pers pens telling who these officers were Goes Ahr If It they had printed a roster these are the names which would have appeared on it Ma Maj Gen John J. J Pershing commander in chief t of at the tho A A. E E. F F. Maj Gen James G. G Harbord first Chief of at start stall of the A. A E E. P. P Maj Gen John L. L limes Hines chief of at staff stall of the tho army Maj Gen Clarence C. C Williams retired chief of ordnance ordnance ord ord- nance mince of the A. A E E. F. F Maj Gen Merritte W. W Ireland surgeon general general gen gen- eral of the A. A E. E F. F i Maj Gen Walter A. A Bethel Dethel retired Judge i advocate general of the A. A E. E F. F Brig Gen Logan Feland commander com com- mander of the Marine Corps Ma Maj Mai Gen Hugh A. A Drum chief chiel of staff start of ot the First army A. A E E. E F F. F Brig Drig Gen Samuel D. D Rockenbach chief of at tank corps A. A E E. E F F. F Col Parker Hilt lIItt retired Col Cot Hugh H H. H Young Col William F F. F Repp Col Raymond naymond W W. Briggs Driggs chief of remount re mount service A. A I 15 F. F and Col Roger C. C Alexander chief of at map section A. A A E E. E F. F Within a 8 short shott time after they had gone aboard the tho Baltic was steaming out of at New York harbor and so far as the public knew the she was just another Mother big ship starting out to dodge and zigzag her way through the danger zone inflated infected by the tho dreaded German U boats But Dut she die made the trip In safety and now on this Flag day 20 years year ago ogo when the First division of the regular army took 4 Y U UI I 5 r rt N l t i t f fr 1 r P 4 I Gen Charles I P. P Summerall Chief of ot Stall Stair of ot the United States Stales Army Speaking at the Reunion of First Jint I Division Veterans at the 1 First Division Monument in Washington D D. D C C. C I ship at Hoboken Pershing and and his of officers Beers were awaiting them over there Awaiting them also and also and even more impatiently were impatiently were the tho peo pea people people pie of at France There had been mutinies among certain French troops in the Aisne French regiments regiments regi regi- ments had been cut down to half halt their strength Old men and little I boys were Joining the reserves The casualty lists were mounting mount mount- 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 of ot the Fog Fol And then one June morning their dream of help from America came true That morning the harbor of at St. St Nazaire was shrouded shroud shroud- ed cd 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 o motor tender came putting put-putting through the fog In its prow sto stood d an American bluejacket He lie shouted something to a French sentry who was pacing the dock Astonished at this sudden appearance appearance appearance ap ap- and embarrassed at his inability to understand what was shouted at him the stopped r 1 g f raw m. m 4 i k r s TilE THE YANKS YANI ARC AUE COMING i American Troops Arrive Arrhe in France and ond saluted Then he raised his shoulders in an eloquent gesture as much as to say I cant can't understand understand under under- stand a word youre you're saying but Its It's all aU right right right-I'm Im I'm glad to see you anyway Whereupon the tho bluejacket blueJacket blueJacket blue- blue Jacket grinned broadly at him and the little craft on which he was standing turned her nose nos e 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 Fren French h soldiers warned back a group of idle spectators spectators spec spec- who soon gathered as the news of the coming of at the Americans Americans Ameri Ameri- cans spread Soon a big ship loomed out of the fog broadside to to and was slowly warped in Landing stages came down with witha a bang and ond in another moment soldiers of at Company K of the Twenty eighth infantry were streaming down them Within an hour the sleepy oldtown oldtown old 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 inthe in Ia the khaki of at the American army and the blue of the navy glad to tobe 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 came along they squatted In hi the street to stage impromptu crap games while groups of at puzzled Frenchmen French men gathered around to watch them at this strange sport they swarmed into shops and cafes cates- especially the latter Altogether they gave gove St. St Nazaire such a stirring up as it had not known for centuries All Quiet In St St. Nazaire Later in the day a semblance semblance sem semblance blance of ot order was restored an anthe and d the soldiers were marched to a tented military town on the outskirts outskirts out skirts of the city The next day the remainder ot of the Twenty Twenty- eighth and the Sixteenth Infantry regiments landed Field Hospital No 13 and Ambul Ambulance nce Company No 13 came ashore June 28 But it was two days later due to inadequate landing facilities before before be be- fore the Eighteenth Infantry regiment reg reg- regiment and the Second Field Signal Signal Sig Sig- nal battalion were able to leave the ships Twenty days had elapsed since they had left Ho Ho- boken Considering the historic importance importance tance of this occasion it would be most gratifying to the patriotic patriot patriot- ic sentiments inspired by Flag day if there could be recorded at this point the great enthusiasm with which this tills vanguard of Uncle Uncle Un Un- cle Sams Sam's millions were received at St. St Nazaire and the admiration admiration admira admira- tion which they excited among the French who welcomed them But Dut as os regard for tor historical truth prevents painting any such word picture as that In fact Just the contrary was true true and and for this statement we have the testimony of an American witness eye to the landing He was Wilbur Forrest For For- Forrest rest war wor correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune who tells how French officers of the general staff stall came to St St. Nazaire to see the arrival of at this crack First division of the highly highly- trained American army a historical event for both France I and America He lIe continues I There is probably not today an officer or man of the First division living who will not agree that th the French officers sent from Paris to watch the debarkation of th the e division at St. St Nazaire had ever every y reason to suffer then and there therea a very considerable sentiment o of f disappointment These khaki-clad khaki soldiers who wh came ashore at St. St Nazaire had d little in common with the American Ameri Amen can regular army They were forthe for forthe forthe the most part boys who possibly a n month or so before at home had succumbed to the war fever and Joined the army 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 art 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 ot its trained officers and ond men were left in the United States to train more raw material on this side of the water What was first to arrive in France was the vanguard of at the real U tiling thing ng II So after remaining in camp outside St. St Nazaire for tor a little while the First division was sent to quiet areas of at eastern France for tor intensive training One unit however the Second battalion atthe of at 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 occasion occasion oc oc- casion for the demonstration Brought Drought to Paris by train this battalion was quartered in barracks bar 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 tram the garrison 1 of ot Paris drawn up alongside the streets and boulevards As I Ithe the khaki-clad khaki columns came on the enthusiasm of the crowds roseto rose roseto 1 to a high pitch At last they were to see for themselves these I fighting men from across the sea who would turn the tide of warIn warIn war warin in their favor But Dut again the realization realization re reo was something less than the anticipation For to quote Mr Forrest again It must be be confessed that those of at us who watched this uniformed soldiery land at St. St Nazaire and were watching them themon on the Paris boulevards were unable unable un un- able to compare them at all aU favorably favorably fa fa- with the spick and span and rather grim troops of ot England England Eng Eng- land and France Many of at us had bad seen the latter both in action and on parade Something was lacking with our own com com- 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 I clothing was able to hear sad and frank comment passed Is it that this is the American American Ameri- Ameri can regular army one queried Mon Man Dieul Surely these men are not soldiers remarked another If this is what we are to expect from America the war is lost lost said a third They were perhaps right about it then But Dut 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 Cantigny Cantigny Can Can- tigny on May 18 IS 1918 1915 and held It against all counter-attacks counter by the Germans and when they heard of at the part played by the First in Marshal Fochs Foch's great drive of July 1918 1915 In the Chateau Thierry Rheims Soissons triangle triangle tri trio angle to cut off the Crown Princes Prince's army In the wheat fields beyond the Forest of Villa Cot Cot- tenets two of its regiments suffered suf appalling losses leaving as high as 75 and 85 per cent of their strength on the ground either either either eith eith- er dead or wounded But they gained their objectives and had hadit it not been for the failure of French Scottish and Italian divisions divi divi- divisions on the other side side fighting fighting across from Rheims to close the sack the sack the Crown princes prince's army would have been destroyed For the Fighting First earned the unstinted praise not only of American and Allied generals generals gens gen gen- but even the tte enemy paid it high tribute In fact tact throughout through through- out its career in France this divIsIon division di di- vision lived up to its designation as First It was not only the I t tY Y 2 I I N NIC I IC I Maj Gen Rob Robert ert Lee Dullard Bullard Who Took Command of the Fighting First in December 1917 first to reach France but it was the first to go into the trenches the first to suffer battle losses its total casualty casually list was 22 22 the first to capture prisoners prisoners prison prison- ers and the first to enter Germany Germany Ger Ger- many after the Armistice was signed Only once was the First division last last tn in returning for demobilization demobilization demobilization de de- mobilization to the United States from which it had sailed on Flag Flae I day 20 years ago C e Western Newspaper Union |