| Show Z y k FIX A aea JL finif JS fy 0 at close cloe ranga described Describe cl in a cemarka jeres dyan dy an officer of the e Pla armes rines capp jo haw Tho masonJr by the author fro from alada w the jam SYNOPSIS CHAPTER I 1 the author describes tow bow the fir first t battalion of the fifth mariner are quartered near marleny marigny during the first part of 0 juno june 1918 when they tire suddenly sent up north t to 0 relieve the first birst division bearing t the be brunt ot of Q a tidal wave of germans just breaking through tor for ft a griat great offensive part of 0 the fifth wrest hill from the enemy and wait there for the ger german gera a counter offensive they tan can see forming forming while they lie ho peppering the doche boche a detachment of second engineers cornea comes to their anal stanco stance CHAPTER ir II A tor terrific rifle german attack soon develops wreaking breaking wre aking tearful fearful havoc among amone the marines but not dislodging them in the immediate vicinity other fierce encounters are reducing the american troops and forcing the necessity of replacements which arrive presently on the tha sixth of juno the fifth runs into bitter fight lighting in the vicinity of Cham champillon Champl pillon llon for hours houra they try to oust the bo bocha from his stronghold in the woods nd succeed commendably but af great reat cost they tinned left now nod and finally reached la 10 vote vole du dai chatelle Cli atelle where regimental was and there the old docile coche always shelled it was a little farm pretty well knocked to pieces now but regimental was reported to prefer it to a change they had the doches system down so that they could count ou on him ills shelling always tell fell into method when he had long enough and the superior matt man could by watching him a few days avoid unpleasantness la vote vole du da Cli chatelle atelle as the world knew received his attention from 1143 to 12 1210 every night then he be laid off until 3 8 when his day shift came on you could set your watch by it the platoon went cheerfully past A full kilometer farther they hiked at a furious pam pace then the lieutenant considered that they might catch a rest they had bad come a long way find and were in a safe spot ten minutes rest out of every hour was the rule when possible lie ile passed the word fall out to the right ot of the road and sat down himself a little way off feeling for his chewing tobacco you smoke on the front at night lights were not safe and ch chewon elvin was next best then he observed that the platoon was not falling out they stood in groups on the road and an angry mutter reached him film what coin out an then lie he wants to festl yeli fall out on tho the right of the road he says the fool j the lieutenant knew his men as you know men you live in hell bell with lie ile got up chuck chuckling ing well it if tile the way you feel about it come on you birds I 1 and lie he set them a killing step at which no man complained the dawn was coming coining when they rendezvoused with the battalion in bols bois grosjean gros jean beans for breakfast and hot coffee tins of 0 daml that afternoon they had off their clothes for the first time in three weeks or so go and swan in the marne at a place called croatto Crout Cr outto te and at formation they heard this order published arance betat major an gaa ae 30 jule 1018 in view ot of the brilliant cond cor duct of the fourth brigade of the second S d russians prussians rus from von boehn division in the bols bois do de belleau united tailed states slates division ahl which in a spirited fight took Doure and the important trong ang point ot ot ILOIS hol 1301 lc ica u u stubbornly defended by a largo enemy force tile general commanding the army orders that henceforth in nil official papers tile dols bols de belk bolleau an shall be named bols bois de la Is brigade de marino marine the general of division desgoutte Dc De goutte commanding army 1 signed yeb teh said the battalion now about this liberty in paris y cut but they go to paris they took a rood road that led through soissons Sols sons and st Mili lel and blanc mont and the argonne meuse to on the far side of the rhine 0 sider we can an now con consider some marines singing one of the marine songs bang away lulu there Is 13 also a very noble song the marine corps hymn it Is taught along with close order drill and things like hire that to recruits at parris island and on the west coast it gins from the halls of montezuma to the shores of tripoli we have fought our count rys battles on the land and on the sm sea and it closes gloriously it if the army and the navy ever look on heavens scenes they will find the streets are arc guarded by united states marines 1 this platoon however led by b a brazen throated gunnery sergeant Is roaring out bang away lulu n CHATER CHAPTER IV ominous events leading up to the charge Soissons at the first battalion lay in sur gur marne it drank deep of the golden july Nv weather eather and swam noisily in the marne which swung a blue ond and shining loop below the town the battalion took but little interest in the war which could be heard growling and muttering intermittently to the north and east indeed the unpleasant dols bols de belleau area was only a few hours march distant and chateau thierry was just up the river the guns were loud and continuous in that direction dut but the second american division rilar marines files and troops of the regular army had just finished a hitch of thirty eight days attacking and holding and attacking again from hill i on the left through that ghastly wa wood od which the french now called the dols bols de la in brigade de marine to vaux on the right and in this battalion as in the other units of the division such men as had service I 1 were quite willing to think of something else july 14 cane came sort ol 01 0 frog fourth 0 july explained a learned corporal standing in line for morning chow but took on this flay day no especial joy in the far off fall of the bastille in afternoon a doche boche came out olt of a cloud and shot down in flames the fat observation balloon that lived just up the river from Crout te certainly there grow to be a feeling la in the air about one the morning of the the boche dropped nine inch shells into the town the battalion was turned out and stood under arms in the dark while the battalion gas officer sniffed around busily to see if the shells were the gas variety they were not but the battalion after the shelling stopped and the casualties were attended to observed that in the east cast a light not of the dawn was putting out the stars tho the eastern sky was all adame with gun flashes and a growing thunder shook the still air the illes flies remarked that they were glad not to be where all that stuff was light lightly la and after breakfast projected ejected the usual swimming parties aquatic sports were then vetoed by regretful platoon commanders since it appeared that battalion 11 Q had directed the companies to hold bold themselves in readiness for instant movement to an unspecified place thereupon tho the guns eastward took on a more than professional interest the tha civilians looked and listened also their faces were anxious they had heard that noise before the hot july hours passed the battalion continued to be held in readiness and got practically no sleep in consequence there was waa further shelling and the guts guns were undoubtedly louder and an nearer breakfast on the icah was scant and the cooks held out little encouragement for lunch lunch was an hour early and consisted of beans the shadows were lengthening when the bugles blew assembly and the companies fell in taking the tha broad white road that led down the river at the next nest town towns were thick along quong the marne from chateau thierry to meaux means they passed through the other battalions of the fifth marines jeeringly at ease beside the road beyond them was the sixth regiment of ma marines tInes arms stacked in the fields by the ri river er each battalion took the road in turn and presently the whole marine brigade wag was swinging down the marne in the slanting sunlight very solid and businesslike the brigade was keen faced and hard from the great fight behind them and fit and competent for grenter battles yet to come the companies were under strength but they had the quality of veterans they had met the doche boche and broken him and they knew they could do it again the rumble of the guns was behind the them and the rumor ot of the leave area still ran strong enough to maintain a slow volubility among the squads they talked and laughed but they did not sing veterans do not sing a great deal was battalion of the fifth leading rounded a turn in the road and came upon on an endless column of camione camions cam caril ions lons drawn up along the river road as far as one could see the companies became silent camione camions Cam ions 1 they rode us to chatto terry in them busses yeh teh I 1 an it was a one way trip for a lell hell of 0 a lot of us tool too I 1 close UPI up I 1 close up an keep to the right of the road camione camions Cam ions 1 a sign they wan us bad somewhere on the line commented the lean first lieutenant who hiked at tho the head of the forty ninth company walter the officer beside him 1 I wonder what happened yesterday an today with all that shooting dont know but this chateau thierry salient to la mighty deep an narrow unless the doche spread himself yesterday it if wo we were to breall into it near one of the corners 11 yest test well were right on the tip of it hero here can jump either way loidl theres a A lot of these conveyances later the battalion knew what had happened on july 15 when the doche boche made his final cast across the champagne country toward rheams and Ep Up ernay and his storm divisions surged to the marne and stayed find and lapped around the foot of the gray mountain of rheims phelma and stayed just now the battalion cared for none of these things it had had no supper it faced a crowded trip of uncertain duration and was assured of various dis comforts otter after that continued next week |
