TRANSCRIBED FROM THE MENA WEEKLY STAR, FEBRUARY 13, 1919, P 5
It seemed that we were in on all the drives of any importance. We were marched from Dieus up to Biercort and the batteries kept on until they took up their position for the drive. That night that the drive started, September 26, was one that will never be forgotten. It seemed that the whole world was coming to an end. You couldn’t hear yourself think. You would lay in your bed on the ground and rock back and forth as the guns roared. The firing was incessant for many hours. I never heard a barrage that could compare with this one. I believe the reason that the Germans could not get any shells over to us was because our shells took up all the space. Well we drove them all right, for a good space, but we did not reach our objectives. The drive continued from September 25th until November 11 or 12. We were relieved before the war was over.
After landing we made for a rest camp where we worked for several days then proceeded to entrain in a beautiful train of box cars about half the size of the small American cars. They succeeded in getting about 39 in these cars, where they were supposed to get forty. Well you can imagine that we had plenty of room, but we don’t think it a realty as we were just barely able to move about. Well, imagine how a sardine is packed and think of us. The train pulled out as soon as she was loaded and all the bouncing that we ever got, we got it right there. It seemed as tho every wheel (they only have four on these French cars) was flat. We kept on our way all night, the next day, and the next night.
After several days of delightful travel on the box cars we were detrained at a place that everyone knows by this time, the town of Chateau Thierry, or rather city, as it is a quite large place. It will be immortal in history, as the place where the turning point of the war took place. It was here that the armies of America stopped the rush of the Hun and made him take flight. It was here that the kaiser himself came to watch his victorious armies go marching into Paris. Instead of watching them go forth so victoriously he saw them taken in utter rout and beat it. They had never felt the strength of the American “babies” (this is what they called us at first). They call a different name now. I would print it, but it would not pass the censor.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Harlowe Michael from Kelberg, Germany on December 19, to his parents Mr. and Mrs. C. P. Michael of Mena. IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH GIVES AN INCORRECT DATE OF SEPTEMBER 25, SHOULD BE 26.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
It seemed that we were in on all the drives of any importance. We were marched from Dieus up to Biercort and the batteries kept on until they took up their position for the drive. That night that the drive started, September 26, was one that will never be forgotten. It seemed that the whole world was coming to an end. You couldn’t hear yourself think. You would lay in your bed on the ground and rock back and forth as the guns roared. The firing was incessant for many hours. I never heard a barrage that could compare with this one. I believe the reason that the Germans could not get any shells over to us was because our shells took up all the space. Well we drove them all right, for a good space, but we did not reach our objectives. The drive continued from September 25th until November 11 or 12. We were relieved before the war was over.
After landing we made for a rest camp where we worked for several days then proceeded to entrain in a beautiful train of box cars about half the size of the small American cars. They succeeded in getting about 39 in these cars, where they were supposed to get forty. Well you can imagine that we had plenty of room, but we don’t think it a realty as we were just barely able to move about. Well, imagine how a sardine is packed and think of us. The train pulled out as soon as she was loaded and all the bouncing that we ever got, we got it right there. It seemed as tho every wheel (they only have four on these French cars) was flat. We kept on our way all night, the next day, and the next night.
After several days of delightful travel on the box cars we were detrained at a place that everyone knows by this time, the town of Chateau Thierry, or rather city, as it is a quite large place. It will be immortal in history, as the place where the turning point of the war took place. It was here that the armies of America stopped the rush of the Hun and made him take flight. It was here that the kaiser himself came to watch his victorious armies go marching into Paris. Instead of watching them go forth so victoriously he saw them taken in utter rout and beat it. They had never felt the strength of the American “babies” (this is what they called us at first). They call a different name now. I would print it, but it would not pass the censor.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Harlowe Michael from Kelberg, Germany on December 19, to his parents Mr. and Mrs. C. P. Michael of Mena. IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH GIVES AN INCORRECT DATE OF SEPTEMBER 25, SHOULD BE 26.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT