-n 
 
 MEMORIES 
 
 OP' THE 
 
 "41 ith" 
 TELEGRAPH BATTALION 
 
 IN THE WORLD WAR HERE 
 
 AND 
 
 "OVER THERE" 
 
 s»ff 
 
 A/r OBILIZED at Presidio of Monterey, Cali- 
 fornia, June 29, 1917. Left San Fran- 
 cisco, California, via Panama Canal on I". S. 
 Steamship Creat Northern January 24, 1918. 
 Left New York on P. S. Steanishii) Covinuton 
 for France February 18, 1918. Arrived Brest, 
 France, March 4, 1918. Left Brest, France, for 
 Pnited States on V. S. Steamship Charleston 
 April 10, 1919, arriviny- New York April 20, 
 1919. I)emol)ilized at Presidio of San Fran- 
 cisco and Camp Lewis, AVashinuton, ]\Iay 8th to 
 12th, 1919. 
 
 Information, ])ictui-es, maps and personal ex- 
 periences prei)arcd and gathered -with the as- 
 sistance of members of the Battalion. 
 
 Compiled and edited by C. H. .AlOOKE.
 
 PRINTED BY 
 CARLISLE &: CO. OK NEVADA 
 RENO, NEVADA
 
 DEDICATED 
 
 ^T^O our dearly beloved dei)arted comrades wlu) made the 
 
 sujireme sacrifice in the service of their country. 
 
 Y. BARKER : Killed in action by explosion of German 
 "77" shell October 25, 1918, while engaged in building tele- 
 phone line near Very, France, during ]Mense-Argonne offen- 
 sive. Buried in cemetery near Cheppy, France, l)y his com- 
 rades. Later body was removed to military cemetery near 
 Romagne, France. 
 
 F. R. EMORY : 111 on board T^ S. Steamship Great North- 
 ern from San Francisco to Panama. Left in hospital at Pan- 
 ama, February 2, 1918, and died a few days later. Body re- 
 moved to Spokane. Washington, and buried with full military 
 honors. 
 
 ERNEST P. IRISH: Sprained ankle during last days of 
 ]\Ieuse-Argonne just before Armistice. Sent to Hospital and 
 then evacuated to L^nited States. YHiile on ])oard V. S. Steam- 
 ship 3Iani returning to United States lu^ was suddenly stricken 
 with pneumonia, dying on January 24. 1919. Buried in Cleve- 
 land, Ohio, with military honors. 
 
 JOHN S. SLATER: :\Iember of :\ledical Corps Detach- 
 ment. Taken ill while Battalion was at Brest, France; left 
 there in Hospital and died .March l-t, 1918. Buried in Mililary 
 Cemetery, Brest, France. 
 
 P>. T. WILEY: Was stricken with "flu" wliib' on sixM-ial 
 duty in Paris, France, Feln-uary. 1919. Died few days lalfi-. 
 Bnried in Military Cemetery at Sm-esness, iu*ar I'aris. 
 
 NOTE: Sergeant Singleton of tlie :Hi)11i Field Sii^nal 
 Battalion was ]<i]led at same tiii:e as l>ai-k'er. lie was atlai-hed 
 to our organization for duly, and liis loss was as keenly felt as 
 thougli he had a''liiall\- hecii one oj' our own men. 
 
 ond.=ifi33
 
 FOREWORD 
 
 TX passiiiiz- aloiiu' to my old comrades and fi-ieiuls a record of 
 the achievements of llu' '■411th," the writer wishes to take 
 the opportunity of thankiiit;- each and every man who has so 
 abl}' assisted in the furnishinu- of pictures, preparation of data, 
 maps, etc., and in tlie making of suii',ii'estions. All have helped 
 to make the story ])ossihle: in fact, without this assistance the 
 book could not have been pu])lished. It is not possible to men- 
 tion the individual names of all those who have so ably helped, 
 but each of you Mill know your efforts and work are most sin- 
 cerely appreciated. 
 
 Xo attempt has been made in this story to record individual 
 achievement : effort has rather been made to chronicle in nar- 
 rative form the combined achievements of the Battalion as a 
 whole. We had many "star players" in our outfit, but the real 
 accomplishments Avhicli we were able to put over were the re- 
 sult of "team work." 
 
 There are many features in connection with publishing this 
 story which the writer Avishes miiiht have been im])r()ved upon. 
 However, tlie best possible results have been obtained after 
 taking- into consideration all of the difficulties. 
 
 If the following- pages will help to recall in the years to 
 come the friendships and comradeships formed during the 
 ])eriod of our service for our Country, and be the cause of fur- 
 ther cementing the friendly relationships formed by luiving 
 served together, the wa-iter will be most happy and feel that 
 much uood has been accomplished. 
 
 C. li. MOORE.
 
 MEMORIES OF THE "411th" 
 
 BY ONE OF THEM 
 HELPED BY THE WHOLE OUTFIT 
 
 THE CALL TO ARMS 
 
 \ FTER the I'liited States declared war against (iermany, 
 '^*- April 6, 1917, every red blooded, patriotic American citizen 
 began asking himself these questions: "In what branch of 
 the service should I enlist?" "Where will it be best for men 
 to enlist and be sent to France for active duty at the earliest 
 possible date?" '"Where should I enlist to best serve my 
 country?" Added to these questions were many as to how 
 families would be cared foi- during the absence of the bread 
 winner; Avhat would happen in case of death or disability, etc. 
 All had felt instinctively for many months that our country 
 must take her i)]ace with the allies in the fight for world liberty 
 and democracy; however, now that war had actually been de- 
 clared, just where and how was each individual to fit in and 
 "do his bit?" 
 
 Very shortly after war had been declared The Pacific 
 Telephone and Telegraph Company issued a Bulletin announc- 
 ing that a Telegrai)h Battalion was to be organized, enrollment 
 in which was to be composed entirely of employes. The Bulle- 
 tin also announced that The Telephone Company would pay to 
 individuals accepted by the Government for service in the pro- 
 posed Battalion the difference between their i)ay at time of en- 
 tering service and the government pay, for a period of at least 
 one year. Applications for enlistment were sent to all por- 
 tions of the Company's territory, comprising the States of Cali- 
 fornia, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and ])ai-t of Idaho. The 
 question as to "where to enlist" foi* men in the teleplione and 
 telegraph sei-vice was iunnediately answ(U'C(l b_\' Ihis plan, as
 
 8 .MHMOIMMS OF TIIK '•411Tir' 
 
 it iu)t only ot't'ciH'd a fii'ld wlicr;* the 1 (M-liiiical altility and knowl- 
 edge of telei)liont' and ttdo.uraph men could he best utilized in 
 serving- their (.'ountry. hut also i)resented the opportunity of be- 
 coming- affiliated -with an organization eonii)osed of men who 
 had been trained to think along the same lines, thus at once es- 
 tablis'liing a bond of rellowship and comradeship. The ex- 
 tremely genei-()us proi)Osal of 1'he Telephone Company to pay 
 the differenei' in wages for a pei-iod of one year also enabled 
 many older men who would not have been snbject to draft, and 
 who had fannlies, to enter tlie service at once, thns giving to 
 their country the benefit of older experience whicdi otherwise 
 mig-ht have been deferred until provision for their dependents 
 conld have been made. The answer to the call for enlistments 
 was immediate and spontaneous, resulting' in nearly one thous- 
 aiul applications. As only one Hattalion consisting of approx- 
 imately two hundred fifteen enlisted men and ten officers was 
 to be organized at that time, it became necessary to select those 
 who were to go. These selections were made with two i)rincipal 
 objects in view: to sentl those best ((ualified and retain those 
 who were most necessary to maintain telephone service at home. 
 ]\rany had to be disai)pointed and to be "good soldiers" by re- 
 maining behind to perform the highly important work which it 
 was apparent would have to be done in civilian capacities. The 
 writei-, in passing-, wishes to remark upon the splendid spirit 
 and sjiortsmanship shown by those men who were thus deprived 
 of a (lisliiict advantage to serve, but who remained on the .jol) 
 or later ai^ain volunteered to serve their country under less 
 initial adxantages. 
 
 During the month of ^lay and first half of June, 1917, 
 the fortunate men Avho had l)een selected to serve in the Bat- 
 talion Avere busy with physical examinations, ascertaining what 
 they should aiul should not take to training camp with them, 
 arranging their home and personal affairs for an extended ab- 
 sence, aiul anxiously awaiting "the call."' 
 
 Tn the organization of the Battalion practically all the men 
 of Company T) canu^ from the Central and Southern Divisions 
 in California and Xe\ada : Company E from Northern and In-
 
 TIIK CALI. TO ARMS 9 
 
 land Divisions in Oregon, Wasliin^ton and Idaho: i Icadijiiar- 
 tei's and Sui)|)ly I Ictai liincids, scattered. 
 
 Tuder date of Jnne 21. 1!)17, the followinu- extract from 
 Special Order No. 185 was issned from IIead(|narters Western 
 Department, San Fi-aneisco, California: 
 
 S])ecial Orders, Xo. 185 
 HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT 
 
 San Francisco, C'al., June 21, liHT. 
 Extract 
 
 15. In acc(>rilaiu'e witli t('lc'graj)hic instructions of the t!>th instant 
 from the War Department, the Eighth Telegraph Battalion, Signal Re- 
 serve Corps, consisting of the officers ami enlisted men hereinafter 
 named, is called into active service. Each officer and enlisted man 
 named will proceed to the Presidio of Monterey, California, to arrive 
 not later than the 29th instant and report to the coniniamliiig officer for 
 station and duty. 
 
 OFFICERS: 
 
 Major Augustus H. Griswold. 
 
 Captain Charles H. Moore. 
 
 Captain William C. Barbour. 
 
 First Lieutenant Donald W. Scott. 
 
 First Lieutenant William H. Cunan. 
 
 First Lieutenant John T. Quinn. 
 
 First Lieutenant William H. Fairbanks. 
 
 First Lieutenant George R. O. Rutherfurd. 
 
 First Lieutenant Allen J. Calloway. 
 
 ENLISTED MEX: 
 
 Master Signal Electricians. 
 John A. Dolan and Elmer L. Garrett, Company D. 
 Frank P. Henry and Shirley M. Treen, Company E. 
 
 Serg(>arits Fiist Class. 
 
 Julian Elliott, Hoadtjuarters Detaidiment. 
 
 Christopher S. Barker, Alton B. Coates, Ariel C. Harris, Josciih A. 
 Longeran, Arthur Lovell, Harry J. McCirew and Leigh R. Shclton, Com- 
 ]>any D. 
 
 Albert L. Beisell, ('e.-il A. lioylc, David W. Evans, Charles K. Jordan, 
 Daniel H. McNulty, .lolin P>. I'attersoii and Aulirey .\. Porter, Com- 
 jiany E. 
 
 Sergeants 
 
 Wallace W. True, Supply Detachment. 
 
 (Jharles T. Abbott, Lewis A. Blair, .MIxmI R. P.Iuc, TlK.mas M. Purns, 
 Emmett J. Graham, Alfred II. lions, Fci ilinaml II. Sclnnlitcrnia n : lolm 
 A. Sto(dvman, P^dward B. Tnstin, William M. \Vell> and Howard P. 
 Worthington, Comjiany D. 
 
 Orrin W. Bailev, Albert W. Jirant, Albert P. Campbell, Cii.-irles F.
 
 10 :\IKM()RIES OF THE ''411TII" 
 
 Cole, Ernest A. Ilutcliins. George E. McConaiighy, William F. McDonalcT, 
 Edwanl A. Miller, .Melviii W. Rutledoe and Beiie.lift T. Wiley, Coni- 
 j)aiiy K. 
 
 Corporals. 
 
 Paul I'. Hoggs, George H. Browne, James A. Cliamberliii, Herbert M. 
 Coles, Roilaiid J. Cook, James L. Davis, Herbert N. Fairbanks, George 
 G. Gillett, Bartholomew C. Lally, Jr., Frederick H. Landis, Arthur K. 
 MacN'amara, Warren C. Alerrill, Louis W. Morris, Fred J. Reger, Charles 
 A. Robb, George C. Thompson and Louis J. Warde, Company I). 
 
 Ri(diard ]\L Barrett, Lawrence W. Brainard, Elton Connaway, ^Walter 
 1). Davis, Charles R. Gould, Walter L. Kuhn, Don J. Lundy, Chester U. 
 Maderia, Percy J. Patterson, George A. Radford, Roscoe C. Riley, Arno 
 \V. Schussman, Bert B. Smith, Newman K. Staggs, Carl L. Stier, Edwin 
 S. Thomas and John C. Williams, Company E. 
 
 Privtes First Class 
 
 Grant P. T)u Bois. Ilniold \V. Xorthruji and Daniel T). Woodward, 
 Supply Detachment. 
 
 Albert S. Adams, Roy A. Agard, Alfred Anderson, Charles B. Atkin- 
 son, Bruce Bacon, Voltaine Barker, Jacob V. Bechtold, Albert E. Bevan, 
 Henry Vj. Biedebach, James H. Blessing, Con H. Cady, John A. Carlson, 
 Dani(d F. Donahue, Frank R. Emory, Jesse B. Fisher, Clarence H. Foote, 
 liemy J. Graham, Leslie L. Gray, Jolm W. Hanson, Hugh L. Hickey, 
 Wllliani F. Huff, Jeremiah L. Hurley, John B. Johnson, Fred W. Kruse, 
 Augustus L. Kurtz, William A. Labeau, Ralph W. Laverty, Karl C. 
 Manny, Hector C. McDonald, Joseph ]\Iendelson, John Nelson, Joseph B. 
 O'Neil, Harold Pierce, Charles H. Rochford, Francis ^l. Saunders, Eu- 
 gene M. Sawyer, Harrie Snelling, James R. Thomas, John J, Yeazy, Her- 
 man C. Vehslage, Ralph E. Wagner, Charles Warner, Robert E. Williams, 
 \'irgil W. Wiswell, Harold B. Woolsey and Roliert C. Younger, Com- 
 jtany D. 
 
 Arthur H. Bachelor, George R. Bennett, Hal R. Borne, Leslie Brakel, 
 Al|)honse J. Campbell, Lester W. Campbell, Harry Y. Coe, Ernest T. Col- 
 lins, George S. Driscoll, Hilmer R. Eggan, Glen A. Elkins, Thomas A. 
 Ellis, James A. Frace, Lloyd Freeman, AVilliam E. Gaskell, Fred A. 
 Gio, Herrman H. Hall, Guy M. Harris, William J. Hoffer, Floyd L. 
 Hunter, Daniel L. Ijams, William E. Johnson, Charles O. Larson, Walter 
 L. Larson, John H. Lee, Ralph W. Lindsay, John Lynch, Raymond K. 
 Maynard, Jr., Leo McArtor, Clyde D. McCall, Albert C. Mercier, William 
 I). Alontanye, Goldwin F. Moon, George E. Myers, Roy Neighbor, Fred 
 Nelson, Jesse Nooney, Hans Olsen, Richard W. Prince, Carl D. Rolph, 
 Charles L. Rose, Harold J. Sherrett, Frank C. Smith, Harry J. Smith, D-a 
 M. Stamps, Everett E. Swim, John C. Taylor, Thomas L. Thacteher, Clvde 
 L. Tuel , Harry E. Warner, Elmo B. Weaver, Thomas T. Webb, Leslie L. 
 W'eimai' and Fi'aiiklyn H. Woodward, Company p]. 
 
 Privates 
 
 Ernest T. Becker, AValtei' D. Yecchio and Thomas E. Knox, Heatl- 
 fjuarters DLetachnient. 
 
 Thomas J. Bays, Leonard L. Beardslee, Robert H. Blair, Walter A. 
 Davis, Harry PI. Glass, Charles E. Guenther, Alexander C. Krater, 
 Edward S. Lynch, Fred J. Ortner, Charlie E. Stradley, Frank W. Torrey 
 and Lyle H. Wheeler, Company D. 
 
 Richard B. Baird, Duncan A. Cooper, Neal Davidson, La Yon E. Gott- 
 fried, Lewis G. Hunter. Clark B. Huston, Ernest L. Lathan. Edwin M. 
 Meyer, Frederick T. riiilli]is, Karl A. Ryder ami Ralph Underwood, 
 Company E.
 
 THE CALL TO AR:\[S 
 
 11 
 
 The Quartermaster Corps will furnish the necessary transportation and 
 pay to such of the enlisted men as may be entitled thereto commutation 
 of rations as provided by paragraph 1228, Army Eegulations, it being 
 impracticable for them to carry rations of any kind. 
 
 The travel directed is necessary in the military service. 
 
 By Command of Major (leneral Liggett: 
 
 H. H. WHITNEY, 
 Lieutenant Colonel, Adjutant General, 
 Department Adjutant 
 
 Pursuant to the fore.uoiiiii' order the various units reported 
 to the Presidio of ^Monterey, California, on June 29, 1917. 
 
 The Battalion was practically the first organization to be 
 called into active service as an organization in the Western 
 Department, and at that time only small troop movements to 
 training" camps were being made. As the movement involved 
 men traveling from i)ractically every part of the Pacific Coast 
 States (including Nevada and Idaho) a great deal of interest 
 was taken by the public along the route and the press widely 
 commented upon the call of the organization, predicting early 
 overseas dutv. 
 
 Ol Alt!) IIOI SK. >l<>\'l"IOI{KV
 
 1. Presiciio vi Monterey 3. Our flag- pole. 
 
 2. Gus Larson learns to carry a itack. 4. New tirk straw. 
 
 fi. Out mascot •■I^iick\-."
 
 II 
 
 OUR TRAINING CAMP 
 
 '"pi IK selet'tioii of the Presidio of ^Monterey as the trainitiu' 
 camp for the Pacific ("oast Battalion was most fortunate. 
 Sitnated on a small elevation, with gravelly soil, uood water 
 and (Irainaue, it Avas an ideal camp site. Founded in 177(1, 
 there is no other place in the State of California about which 
 there centers so many points of historical interest, as the Pre- 
 sidio of Monterey and its environs. From the earliest period 
 in th.e State's History the nnjst important i)()litical and his- 
 torical events have taken ])lace in the vicinity of ^lonterey. 
 Almost Avithin a stone's thi'ow of the spot Avhere Commodore 
 •lohn D. Sloat, Commander of the Pacific S(piadron, on -Inly 7, 
 1846, first i-aised the Stars and Stripes in Califoi'nia, was lo- 
 cated the training place of our Battalion. Here we were des- 
 tined to spend many houi-s. days, Aveeks and months of har-d 
 work, mingled Avith the sadness and the .joys of a new and 
 strange life. But in the years to come Ave are bound 1o look 
 bacdv upon our expei'iences there and say "am glad th(\v sent 
 us to -Monterey." Its glorious climate, continuous sunshine and 
 scenery, unriA'alled anyAvhere in the Avorld, made our enfoi'ced 
 stay nuieh easier to endure than if Ave had been located at some 
 of the other training camps where Ave would have had to con- 
 tend Avith the summer heat or rigors of Avinter. Dui'ing nearly 
 a seven months' training pei'iod not a scheduletl fornuilion had 
 to be omitted on account of climatic conditions. 
 
 And then, too, nnist be recalled the many opporl nnil ies foi- 
 I'ecieation. Foi' a radius of ten miles fi'oin our heachpiarlei's 
 might lie had almost e\eiy foi-ni of outdoor si)orts. The world 
 famous Hotel Pel Monte grounds was only a couple of mih's 
 awa\". Tourists spend Ihousands ujion thousands of (b)lhirs 
 t^Yvvy yeai' to visit this justly famous i-esoi-t ; \\-e enjoyed all of 
 its pleasures and facilities and Ihe management uladly wel- 
 comed ns at all times. Xeai'l)y was the golf course, the polo
 
 14 
 
 MKMOHIHS OF THE '--UlTIl 
 
 •rroiinds, the race track, the heautiful cli-ives and the maiiy 
 other natural attractions which all combined nial\e this resort 
 one of the most t'amons in America. 
 
 Who in onr orjiani/.at ion will ever foruet tlie world-fanions 
 '•Seventeen Mile Drive." ■"Del Monte Forest," "Pebble Beach 
 liodye," the ( ypress Trees and all of the other delightful crea- 
 tions which the hand of (rod and ir.an have combined to make 
 the most beantifnl in all the world. 
 
 Nowhere else in all the I'niverse has the Creator so lavish- 
 ly endowed linman kind with natural beauties than in the 
 ^Monterey Country. Here ti-uly is the "•Riviera" of America. 
 It was the writer's good fortune, as well as other mend)ers of 
 onr or«:anization, to l)ask in the sunshine of France on the 
 shores of the Mediterranean, and to travel over the boulevards 
 of Nice antl its envii'ons. and he always said with [ii'ide and 
 pleasure in his heart that our own dear ^lonterey is just as 
 beautiful, its blendinji' of colors just as marvelous and its rare 
 combination of mountain, forest and ocean scenery just as 
 mao-nificent. 
 
 Ciipiil ^viiN a hiisy little hoy about the 
 time t\n- 4lltli wa.s calieil into service, as 
 attested !•> the siv iie%v hridej^rooiiis yie- 
 tiireil aho\e.
 
 Ill 
 
 MAKING SOLDIERS 
 
 T 7'EIvY few men in tlu' orj^anization had ever had any j)re- 
 vious military training and knew very little as to wliat was 
 expected of them. Composed as it was, however, of telephone 
 and telegraph men who had been aeeustomed to adapting them- 
 selves to varying conditions in civilian life, it was not long af- 
 ter arrival at Camp before everyone fell into the spirit of the 
 new life. Each man found his place to slee}). had his ])ed nm-k 
 filled, blankets issued and l)efore being in camp beyond one 
 meal time, learned to ask the (piestion "when do we eat?" 
 
 We were must fortunate in being assigned to well con- 
 structed barracks with large sfjuad rooms. These barracks 
 Avere provided with kitchens in the extreme rear, innnediately 
 adjoining a large dining room, or as we soon learned to call 
 it, "mess hall." About the very first thing we leai-ncd after 
 reaching camp was that Ave were expected to "(dean up." 
 Kitchens, mess halls, S(]uatl I'oonis and everything about camp 
 had to l)e scrnbbed. Cleanliness, we were to learn, was to l)e 
 one of the things to be always kept in mind. A mere mention 
 of the many ludicrous sights in and id)out cami) those first few 
 days Avili surely recall a chain of comical circumstances. .Men 
 who liad been used to living a rather free and easy life ( ha\ing 
 what they wished Avhen they wanted it) Avere learning to |)eel 
 potatoes. Avait on tabl(% police company streets, make their own 
 l)eds and do the hundi-ed and one things Avhich they all latei- 
 found easy in the daily gi-ind of being a soldier. However, 
 there Avas a big willingness to le;irn on the |)ar1 oF all: the 
 "regulars" in and about the camp found out that our crowd 
 Avere "regular fellows," ami wei-e williuL; to i:i\e us pointers, 
 although many stoi'ies oi" the L;idlil)ilily of our recruits Tor the 
 first fcAV days Avere cii-enlated in camp. 
 
 On July 4tli, five days after reaching camp, a "l>iL;- h'eed" 
 Avas put on Ijy the Mess Sergeants and Cooks, and thus was cs-
 
 16 
 
 MEMORIES OF THE -^IITII 
 
 \. II. <;i{is\voi.D 
 
 Major Griswiihl was first Commanding- Officer of the 411th. Shortly 
 aftei- arrival in France, March, 191N. he was transferred from organiza- 
 tion to staff of Oeneral Russel at Tours and made Director of the Tele- 
 phone and Telegraph Department. He was in charge of the vast con- 
 struction and maintenance of the net work of lines of communica- 
 tion in the SOS, and much of the success in carrying- out the plan was 
 due to his tireless, efficient efforts and ability. 
 
 Promoted to I.,ieutenant-Colonel in October. 1918. Served on Signal 
 Corps Board at Paris after Armistice, which had char.ge of the dis])osition 
 of the plant and supplies of the Signal Corp.^ in the A. E. F. 
 
 tai)lis!i('(l lliat iievci'-t'iulini;- rivalry lictwtMMi llit^ iiicsses of the 
 tAvo ('onipanies as to which one could turn out the best ^riih. 
 This .July 4th feed was a dandy, so much so that some of onr 
 i-aily \isi1ors from out of town have never yet been convinced 
 tiiat s(ihliei-s did r.ot live on tlie fat of the hind. At least they 
 were sure the soldiers of the -411th so fared. 
 
 It was at once evident that Tiude Sam expected the pro- 
 cess of making soldiers out of sreen civilians to beuin at once.
 
 MAKING SOLDIEKS 
 
 17 
 
 No troops of inoiiieiit had been station at Presidio of Monterey 
 for a period of some three years, with the result that company 
 streets, parade grounds and the premises generally had been 
 neglected through lack of man power to care for them. Re- 
 sponsibility for policing of streets, barracks, etc., was at once 
 established, and in a very 
 few days everything was 
 organized and running 
 quite smoothly. The pa 
 rade ground which was 
 covered w i t li a r a n k 
 g- r o Av t h of grass and 
 tangled tar weeds jjre- 
 sented some serious ti'ou- 
 ble for a few days, but 
 s o m e o n e dug up old 
 scythes and some of the 
 heavy hu.skies fi'om the 
 outfit who had learned 
 in an earlier day hoAv to 
 wield them, got busy, 
 Avhich, together with con- 
 tinual tramping for sev- 
 eral hours a day, soon 
 solved the prol)lem. In 
 the meantime, a regular 
 schedule of ealesthenics, 
 drill periods, classes in 
 telephone and telegraph, 
 wig'-Avag, semaphore and 
 other classes of study in 
 signal corps work had 
 been established. P^very 
 officer and soldier in the 
 organization was k e p t 
 busy from five A. M. o'clock, reveiUe, unti 
 and we all soon realized that learniuL; to 1 
 going- to be any pink tea. 
 
 (Ai'TAl.V IJA^XIOKS 
 
 One of our Instructors at Monterey. 
 Later promoted to Major commanding' 
 olTtli Field Signal Battalion. 
 
 six I'. .M., retreat, 
 ' a soldier wasn't
 
 1. First roll call. :!. ('onii)an\- tO arriving. 
 
 2. "Pig-eon (,'ole." 4. Awkward squad. 
 
 "). Before they had an army haircut.
 
 :makix(; soldiers ii» 
 
 Recruited from the Racific Toast States, where iiiiieh living' 
 out of doors is natural, and rt'i)resentiny a rather selected ath- 
 letic uroup of men, there is no boast in stating- that our men 
 aii-ived at the Rresidio of .Monterey in better physical condition 
 than any similar nund)er of men who might have l)een gathered 
 together any place. All were mentally alert and eager "to go.'" 
 Unfortunately, army shoes aiul uniforms were not immediately 
 available and training for the first couple of weeks had to be 
 carried on with men clad in all manner of raiment. Footgear 
 varied in style from the fashional)le clerk's peaked toed even- 
 ing shoes to the hob-naih'd hiking l)0()ts of the mountaineer. 
 Result : After two or three hours of stiff setting-up exercises 
 and several hours drill in the school of the soldier, men discov- 
 ered they had nuiscles whicli they had long forgotten existed: 
 that "'hitting the weed" had hit their wind, and that waist lines 
 which seemed good enougli in "civies" were painfully evident 
 at the command "right dress." By careful foot insi)ection. 
 by plentiful use of iodine and other medicants at the Camp 
 Hospital, the aches were relieved and the sting of the Idisters 
 grew less. 
 
 And then the never-to-be-forgotten day arrived wiien real 
 uniforms were issued to all, and much abused feet were com- 
 fortably encased in army shoes. Of course, all did not receive 
 a beautiful fit at fii'st : as one wag pid it — "Rally was given 
 a suit big enough for a ten year old l)oy, while "Red" Ward 
 was given a suit big enough for a Baby Jund)o." And then, 
 too, the first suits were light kliaki. We all thought we were 
 going to receive regular "OD"s" and some of tlu^ fellows re- 
 ferred to the light khaki as "Boy Scout outfits." But, never- 
 theless, tliey were uniforms and talk about del)utants! No 
 lii'oup of Southern beUcs evei- gave their wardi'obes more at- 
 tention than these soldirs did those first uniforms until they 
 were pi'operly fitted. ^lonterey tailors did a thriving liusiness, 
 altering, pressing and fitting. ]Men who, in civilian life, oidy 
 L;a\'e ordinary attention to dress, suchb'iily became i'ean Brum- 
 els in military attire. 
 
 Shortly after our ai"ri\al a Sigiuil Coi'ps Officers' Traiinng 
 School was started at Monterew Our officers also attended
 
 20 
 
 MEMORIES OF THE "411TPr 
 
 CAPTAIN R. I*. AV'HEAT 
 
 One of our Instructors at Monterey. Later promoted to 
 Lieutenant-Colonel and appointed Chif Signal Officer. Paris 
 District, where many of former 411th men served under him. 
 
 these classes, thus increasing their work aud responsibilities. 
 This training school eansed more activity in the Post, and we 
 all began to appreciate we were really in the army. The hour 
 of reveille was 5 :30 A. M. and we used to wonder as we stood 
 in line rubbing our eyes and finishing dressing why it was that 
 the Army persisted in doing calisthenics in the dark instead of 
 waiting for daylight to come. But after all, those early morn- 
 ing setting-up exercises in the crisp, foggy air of the early day, 
 probably did more than anything else to harden us and get us
 
 ^lAKIXG SOLDIERS 21 
 
 ready for the strenuous work of the future. Immediately after 
 calisthenics mess call for breakfast was sounded and there was 
 a mad rush to see who would get to the head of the liue. The 
 food disappeared like magic and no matter how hard the cooks 
 and mess sergeants tried, there was always a holler for more. 
 After breakfast we had to hustle to police up our bunks, squad 
 rooms, kitchens, mess halls, lavatories, company streets, for the 
 morning inspection of the Company Commanders. AVe used to 
 think that Cai)tains ]\Ioore and Barbour could see and find more 
 things to find fault with than any two men in the world, but 
 we soon learned that everything had to be spick and span in 
 order to get by the inspection, and doing it well soon Ix^eame a 
 matter of habit. Sick call was the next thing on the program, 
 and a procession formed for the purpose of putting over an 
 alibi of some kind on the "top kick" in order to walk across 
 the parade ground to the hospital and thus get out of the drill 
 period. Those who Avere not successful formed on the parade 
 ground for an hour and a half of close order drill. Following 
 this there were classes in Signal Corps work which Icept us 
 busy up to noon mess. 
 
 After lunch we had a short rest period in which Ave had 
 nothing to do but clean up our equipment, shave, wash clothes, 
 etc. Then the afternoon was taken up in semaphore, wig-wag. 
 heliograph and buzzer practice. 
 
 After we had been outfitted with uniforms and shoes, the 
 officers felt that it would be a good stunt to break us in on 
 guard duty. Captain Wheat and Captain Danvers, our in- 
 structors, gave us the preliminary instructions and on the 
 morning of July 25th, we assembled our first guard with Capt. 
 Moore as Officer of the Day and Tommy Burns as Sergeant 
 of the Guai'd. Our first tour of guard duty passed off without 
 unusual incident, except Captain Wheat endeavoring to relieve 
 the guard on post No. 1 of his gun, but the guard refused to 
 give up Ids gun in spite of the assurance on C^apt. Wheat's part 
 that he slionhl fdways olx'y a superior officer. Tiic novelty of 
 this duty, however, soon wore off and it became just ;i I'outine 
 and when we found our names posted on the guard detail our 
 complaints to the 1st Sergeant were fre(|iient and xociferous.
 
 •2-2 .AIK.MOIJIES OK TIIK ••4nTir' 
 
 The roiitiiU' tln-oiiiilioiil tlu' week was as oiitliiu'd above, except 
 that oil Friday iiioniiii^s we were called out at 7:1;') and took 
 a lon.u' hike throii.iili<)iit the surrotindiiiu country. 
 
 Tlu'se hikes at first were merely in the natui'e of long' 
 walks, l)id as we hecame liardeiied 1o Ihc work, Ave first march- 
 ed with light i>acks and latei- with full packs. ^lany of these 
 hikes took us through the beautiful scenic country in and al)OUt 
 ^Fontei-ev and we shortened the hike by singing songs, telling 
 
 MAJOK D. P. FUI.I-EHTOX 
 
 General Suijerintendent of Plant, Tlie Pacific Telephone 
 and Teleg-faph Company. It was Ihroug-h his untiring' 
 efforts, ably assisted by Mr. Patton and others on his staffs 
 that the 411th was recruited from Pacific Coast employes.
 
 MAKIXa SOLDIERS 23 
 
 stories, etc. Upon oui' I'etui'ii from these hikes, careful inspec- 
 tion was made by the officers as to the condition of onr feet, 
 and on several of the very warm afternoons following- the 
 hikes, we took a course of instruction in swimmin.u' at the Del 
 ]\I()nte Pinnae. 
 
 On Satnrday morninu' immediately followinu- reveille, the 
 beds Avere taken ont on the iiorches, sqnad rooms scrnbbed, 
 shelves re-arran<>"ed and our ('(juipment uiven a thorouuh uoin^' 
 over, preliminary to onr regular weekly inspection, which was 
 held at 9 :00 A. ]M. If we thought the morning inspections were 
 hard to get by on, we soon learned the weekly ones were just 
 six times worse : the Battalion Commander, and often the Post 
 Commander, had even our sharp-eyed Captains beaten. Unless 
 everj^thing was spic and span it had to be done over again. 
 
 Telegraph classes were formed at this time and aliont 25 
 men from each Company were selected to take up the study 
 of telegraphy. These classes were separated into different sec- 
 tions, depe;iding upon the ability of the men to recieve 2. 8, 10 
 or 15 words per minute. After having studied the ]\Iorse code 
 for about one month and having become rather expert in the 
 use of it, advice was received fi-om the War Department that 
 only Continental Code would be used. This was rather a set- 
 back for the class, but they studied hard and it was not long 
 before the sound of the Continental code could be heard every 
 morning from 10:30 to noon as if a dispatcher's office was go- 
 ing at full tilt. 
 
 A recital of our exi)eriences during the training camp 
 ])eriod would not be complete without some mention of the 
 officers in command who assisted us so materially during our 
 stay in the Presidio of [Monterey. 
 
 When we first re|)orted at .Alonterey, C'aptain Nolan was 
 the Commanding Officer. We can always loo]< hack with 
 feelings of kindness toward him. He helped our officers 
 through many difficulties during the early days in camp, and 
 it was through his co-operation aiul coui-t(^sy that we secured 
 many things in the way of e<|uiinnent, conveniences, etc., which 
 might not have been forthcoming had tlie man occu])ying his 
 command not heen so anxious foi- us to get stai'led off right.
 
 1. Pealing- "spuds." 
 
 2. Cooks and Mess Serj^eants "Big Feed. Julj^ 4, 1917. 
 
 3. "Privates deliglit," Sergeants doing- K. P. 
 
 4. Near Pebble Beach.
 
 MAKIXn SOT.DIERS 
 
 \\ OKKIIVG CAPTAINS" 
 
 3Iaiiy of lis had the j^leasure of meetinu' liini many months af- 
 tei'Avard during- the Argonne, at which time he had l)een pro- 
 moted to a Lientenant-Colonel. lie later served as Provost- 
 ^larshall at Pai'is. 
 
 Captain Nolan was succeeded by Col. J. 1>. Allison. The 
 writer finds himself at a loss for Avorcls to express tiie high 
 esteem in which Colonel Allison was held by every officer and 
 man of our organization. He was a strict disciplinarian, but a 
 man who was absolutely fair and impartial in the administra- 
 tion of the Post. Everyone soon learned that he was there for 
 the ])iirpose of making soldiers ont of recruits, and very few 
 escaped his watchful eye if they did not toe the mark. But 
 he was a natural leader among men, knew the Army game from 
 A to Z, and every mother's son in camp soon learned 1o revere 
 him and to have a sincere ai)preciation of his ability and in- 
 terest in the welfare of all. Every one of us has always re- 
 gretted tliat Col. Allison did not reach Europe for active dnty. 
 
 C!ai)taiii Donald 15. Saiigei- was one of the first officers 
 with whom many of our men came in contact, as he had been 
 xery active in the recruiting of our i^attalion in San Francisco, 
 lie was wont to refer to us as "^ly Battalion," and we just as
 
 ^^^^^a^'«^'4^s^?.■ . 
 
 1, 2, 3. On the hike in and about "17 mile drive" Monterey. 
 
 4. Camp Pel)hle Beach. 
 
 5. I.,earniiis' the heliograpli. 
 
 6. Practicing" on the "pup tent.s."
 
 :\IAKIXG SOLDIERS 27 
 
 affectionately called iiiiii '"Oiir Captain." He was always 
 ready and willing to help us out and was one of our best 
 friends ahvays. We had the pleasure of meeting him later in 
 France, at which time he had been promoted to a Li«Mitenant- 
 Colonel and was on the staff of the Chief Signal Officer of the 
 Advance Section at Chaumont. 
 
 Captain McEntee (later Lieutenant-Colonel) was another 
 one of the instructors at ]\Ionterey who took a great deal of in- 
 terest and assisted us to make the grade during our primary 
 days of soldiering. One of the saddest occurrences during our 
 stay was the painful accident which Captain ^IcEntee had in 
 colliding with one of our automobiles. No doubt the injury 
 which he sustained greatly delayed his progress in being sent 
 to France. He was an officer who was always alive with new^ 
 ideas, and some of the best suggestions received by us in the 
 handling of our work came from him. 
 
 And then of course we must think of Captains Danvers 
 and Wheat w-henever we think at all of our training camp days. 
 We will always smile when we think back and remember the 
 scraps they used to have over their respective Companies, "D" 
 and "E," and the controversies thereby engendered throughout 
 both companies. They were both most efficient and sincere in 
 their desire to make the Company wdiich each was handling the 
 best, and there is no doubt that their tireless efforts had much 
 to do Avith the success with which we accomplished our work. 
 They were both personally interested in helping the men and 
 long afterward when we met them both in France it seemed 
 good to meet old fi'iends. 
 
 The weeks i)ass (juickly by and we find our Battalion rap- 
 idly developing from a band of raw recruits into a well dis- 
 ciplined, erect of carriage, tan skinned and I'ugged appearing 
 organization of soldiers. The sunnner of 1017 passed (piickly 
 and during all the varying hardships of the training [leriod, 
 there was much satisfaction to be had from tlu^ ioiowledge that 
 soon the time would arrive when Ave would l)e on oui' way 
 overseas and have a chance at regular worjx in Europe. The 
 organization had been inspected many times and ]ironouii('ed 
 "fit" for immediate dutv abroad. I'rcsidenl Theodore N. \'ail.
 
 1. Baseball team. :'.. Captains l>aiLVer and Sanger. 
 
 2. Visitors after liall same. 4. "Give me my mail."
 
 MAKING SOLDIERS 29 
 
 of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, toi-ethei- 
 with President George E. McFarland of The Pacific Telephone 
 and Telegraph Company and other prominent civilians and army 
 officers visited Monterey on September 24, 1917, reviewed the 
 Battalion and complimented them highly on their military 
 showing- and the splendid physical appearance of the person- 
 nel. In October, Gfeneral Squier, Chief Signal Officer of the 
 U. S. Army, visited lis for the purpose of a review and inspec- 
 tion. He was most enthnsiastic over our showing. Surely 
 now there would be no further delay. However, the heavy 
 troop movements to training camps and other movements of 
 war materials were taxing- the transportation facilities of the 
 country, and we were on the wrong- coast. Thanksgiving came 
 and then the Holidays passed. Still the Battalion was engaged 
 in training and nearing the completion of a period of seven 
 months. 
 
 Upon our return from Thanksgiving leaves, we found a 
 long- and impressive line of trucks waiting- to be broken in. 
 Truck drivers were assigned and we were given the oppor- 
 tunity to view the surrounding- country from the top of truck 
 seats instead of hiking. Tlie arrival of these trucks n)ade us 
 sure that we were about to leave. But again it was a false 
 rumor and we again settled down to squads right and squads 
 left. We were to experience many anxious days of waiting 
 Mdiile in the Army, but the last two months at ^Monterey were 
 absolutely the hardest and most tiresome days. We felt that 
 we had had enough training and were raring to go, especially 
 as news l)ulletins l)egan to ])our in during the Fall of 1917, 
 telling of the Americans' active i)articipation in affairs on the 
 other side of the Atlantic. 
 
 But as one of our wits ])ut i1 : "rucU^ Sam caiinol iiiucli 
 long-er deprive himself of having the 411th help out in active 
 duty overseas," and finally, on January 22, 1918, cams' tlic ghul 
 tidings ordering- ns to San Francisco for embarkation. 
 
 ]\Ionterey had, in the seven inonlhs' ti-aining period, hecotiie 
 just like home to the uumi of the iJatlaliou — mai-ried men had 
 moved their families to live there: many nuMi had man-ied since 
 comings, many more were on the point of pi'oposing ami all had
 
 President McFaiiand, General Manager Nowell and Mr. Scott. 
 
 Mr. Vail. Maj. Fullertun and Mr. Scott. 
 
 \Vatchini? the review. 
 
 Col. Allison tells them to "step out." 
 
 "Close up" of Mr. Vail.
 
 MAKING SOLDIERS 
 
 31 
 
 made many frifiids. Preijaratioiis for de[)ai-tui'(' were liastily 
 made, tearful good-byes said and on January '2'2, 1!)1S, the 
 "411th" started on the first leu of their journey overseas. A 
 detail of thirty-nine soldiers arid two officers i)i'0C'eeded over- 
 land to Ilohoken, aetinu' as convoy for the complete motor ve- 
 hicle and technical equipment of a Teleyraph Battalion. 
 
 The trip from ^lonterey to San Francisco was a pleasant 
 one, althouuh there Avere many sad liearts and teai'ful e3''es 
 over leavino- dear ones behind in our ^lonterey homeland. "We 
 were iilad in the l\nowledge that at last we were on our way 
 "over there." A new phase of our life in the service was u[)on 
 us ; our eyes had a new ^ileam, our carriage was a little more 
 erect, our step more firm and our consciousness more keyed up 
 to the advent of emergino- from the status of being in training- 
 camp to tb.e event of l)eing headed toward "active service." 
 
 The r<»«>ky .sliorrN, in :iii<l iilxtiit tlu* lt:iy 
 (tf >loiitt'i-t'.v. |>i-o\ i(l«Ml :i »<>iiil«M't°iil |ila<-«- 
 f«»r «»iir solilierM to \%!iil«' ji>vii.f tlu-ir plii>- 
 tiiiie lioiirN,
 
 IV 
 ON OUR WAY VIA PANAMA CANAL 
 
 TTPON ari'ival of onr special train in San Francisco we -wert^ 
 
 somewliat snrprised to be greeted by many of onr friends 
 and acqnaintanees who had in some way gotten a "tip" on onr 
 movement, although it was presinned to be very secret. The 
 train was switched down past the Ferry Building and around 
 the belt line railway to the Fort Mason dock. At every cross- 
 ing- Avhere the train stopped our friends in someway contrived 
 to catch up and wave us greetings. They were joined soon by 
 many passers by, who were anxious to catch a glimpse of the 
 organization "bound for the front," as they soon began calling 
 to us. 
 
 Shortly after arrival at Fort ]Mason orders Avere issued to 
 boai'd the Steamship "Great Northern" which had just been 
 conveiitMl into an Army Transport at the Bremerton Xavy 
 Yards and brought to San Fi'ancisco for the pur})ose of taking 
 Xaval Reserves and our outfit to an Atlantic Port via the Pan- 
 ama ( 'anal. The next day everyone busied themselves becoming 
 acfiuainted with the ship, learning location of berthing spaces 
 and generally preparing for a long sea voyage, as it was whis- 
 ])e]'ed about that we would remain on the Great Northern until 
 ai-i-i\'al in France. 
 
 That night was the last ()i)i)ortunity we had of being on 
 shoi'c, and many "forgot" to notice the guard, wandering up 
 to till- nearby suburbs for a last peep at dear old San F'ran- 
 ciseo lowii. The writer well remendiers that Captain Barbour 
 and himself decided it would l)e well to do a little "rounding 
 up," and it was well that they did so, as otherwise some of our 
 men mii;ht have forgotten the lateness of the hour and found 
 difficulty in Licit iug back past the guard. 
 
 The next moi'uing a detail of three officers and ten soldiers 
 boarded a large tug boat and went to Angel Island; little did 
 the membei-s of that detail realize the nature of the trip as no
 
 ON OI^R AY AY YIA PANAMA CANAL 33 
 
 iiifoi'Diation liad been issued c-oneerniii;^ it. liiKmiiic tlieir sur- 
 prise upon arrival at Ani;el Island Dock to find four hundred 
 thirty-five German alien prisoners of war. All had looked for- 
 ward to a most delightful ocean voyage throuuh the Panama 
 Canal, but here we were fac-e to faee with several hundred Ger- 
 inans who were to be guarded and convoyed to an Atlantic 
 port. All day was consumed in loading- the (iermans, search- 
 ing- their bagiiage for possible infernal machines, Aveapons, etc., 
 and placing them in quarters aboai'd. Anchor was lifted at 
 five-thirty P. i\I. Thursday, January 24. 1!)18, and just as dusk 
 was gathering, the ship poked her nose through Golden (iate 
 out into the Pacific. There were many on deck, straining their 
 eyes for a last look at some familiar land-mark, and then as 
 daylight faded into darkness, men with weary heads and ach- 
 ing hearts strove to keep back the tears as they wandered here 
 and there restlessly about the ship. Loved ones were being 
 left behind ; husbands, brothei's and sweethearts Avere on their 
 way to the place of mystery "over there." The writer did not 
 fully appreciate the keenness of the feeling in most of the men's 
 hearts that evening until many months afterward. Having 
 been a wanderer for many years, himself, and not having told 
 his mother of his entry into the. service, he had none of the fam- 
 ily reasons which made the separation so sad. But the major- 
 ity of the men in the organization were leaving their families 
 for an appreciable period for the first time — perhaps they 
 would never see them again. The seriousness of their departure 
 from Western shores was being fully realized, and when dark- 
 ness closed about the ship tluit night, men w^ent about their 
 duties and finally to their l)erthing spaces with sadness in their 
 hearts and a prayer that they might be safely returned to their 
 loved ones. 
 
 When we learned that we were to go via the Panama Canal, 
 we were greatly elated and thought we had a most wonderful 
 ti'ip ahead of us. And so it would have been, had it not been for 
 our cargo of human freight, over which we were specially 
 charged Avith close surveillance. We wei-e compidled to stand 
 twenty-four houi' guard duty. Avhich took eveiy nuiu and offi- 
 '•er in tlu^ organization. The (German prisoners had to be
 
 :U MEMOKIKS OF THE -'^llTir' 
 
 guarded while they slept, while they ate and while they took 
 their reereation. The feeding aeconiniodations on the ship were 
 not good, and all in all, we had a very disagreeable and un- 
 pleasant task. This was praetieally the first movement of Ger- 
 man prisoners in any considerable numbers, and great care was 
 being exercised by the Army and Navy to gnard against any 
 teaeherous act on their part. We had several suspicious occur- 
 rences, one causing considerable uneasiness. Smoke Avas dis- 
 covered one day issuing in considerable volume in the neigh- 
 borhood of the fuel reservoirs. It was believed that some of 
 the (Jermans had had something to do with it, but no harm came 
 of it. A still closer vigilance was maintained, thus increasing 
 our burdens and discomforts. 
 
 The trip to Panama was made in faster time than it had 
 ever been made previously — arriving there at 2 P. 31. January 
 31, 1918. Some very rough weather was encountered and 
 many of the men who were making practically their first ocean 
 voyage, were very seasick. The weather in the tropics w'as 
 extremely hot and this added greatly to our discomforts. The 
 nights were practically as hot as the days, and about the only 
 place Avhere one could sleep with any degree of comfort was 
 up on deck. 
 
 Upon arrival at Panama a stop-over of a day and a half 
 was made and the men given shore leave. This enal)led all to 
 have a good look at the historical old city, its surroundings, 
 customs and people. It was indeed a very welcome respite 
 from the dreary hours of guard duty for seven days and every- 
 body had a rip-roaring good time. Nervous systems Avere over 
 wrought, and the opportunity to indulge in a little liquid re- 
 freshment and join in some of the festivities of this tropical city 
 Avas Aveleomed by everybody. 
 
 Here, hoAvever, occurred our very first sad experience. 
 Frank R. Emory, private first class. Company D, had been ill 
 since leaving .Monterey. Upon reaching Panama it Avas decided 
 by the ship's Surgeon that Emory Avas too ill to continue the 
 jourJU'y and he Avas placed in the military hospital. All realized 
 he was very ill; hoAvever, few thought he avouUI not recover. 
 .>roiiths afterAvards Avhen Ave reached France avc learned he
 
 ON OUR WAY VIA PANA:\IA CANAL 35 
 
 only lived a few days. His body was returned to his home in 
 Spokaiii\ Washington, and was buried with full military 
 honoi's. 
 
 Left Panama on the morning' of February 2, 1918. All 
 enjoyed passing through the Canal and marveled at the won- 
 derful engineering achievements. 
 
 F. K. EMORY 
 
 Died at Panama early in Feliriiary. 11I1.S. Buried 
 at Spokane, Wasliington. with fuH military lionors. 
 First man in 411tli to grive liis life for his country.
 
 36 MEMORIES OF THE "411TH" 
 
 We arrived Charleston, S. C, on the evening of February 
 6th. Here the German aliens were unloaded. Everj^one 
 heaved a sigh of relief upon their departure from the ship and 
 the Battalion's responsibility ceased. The Avriter will never 
 forget the comment of one of our wits when he saw the Ger- 
 )naus turned over to four soldiers who marched them away ; 
 "Well. I'll be damned ; it took 220 of us to guard them on water 
 where they couldn't get away, and noAv they turn them over 
 to four buck privates." 
 
 Left Charleston February 7th, arriving New York morn- 
 ing of the 9th. Disembarked "Great Northern" morning of 
 the 10th at Hoboken and arrived Camp IMerritt about 3 :30 in 
 the afternoon. Upon reaching Camp we were greeted by our 
 old comrades of the overland motor ecpiipment detachment 
 who had arrived some ten days before. 
 
 The stay at Camp Merritt Avas occupied in refitting the or- 
 ganization with clothing and other necessary eciuipment for 
 overseas duty. Many inspections were necessary, and all were 
 in constant dread of something happening to prevent our early 
 departure. There was an epidemic of contagious diseases, and 
 a very alarming scare seized our Battalion when some thirty- 
 five men were quarantined account of contact with a suspected 
 case of diphtheria. Their confinement only lasted about forty- 
 eight hours when it was decided they had not become infected. 
 All were happy again, as it was rumored we were to embark 
 Monday, February 18th ; and then Avhen this rumor became an 
 order, measles broke out in a barracks where two sections of 
 Company E had been quartered. They were f|uarantined and 
 had to l)e left behind. Lieutenant Geo. R. 0. Rutherfurd was 
 detailed to remain Avitli tliem and proceed at the earliest pos- 
 sible date overseas.
 
 V 
 CROSSING THE ATLANTIC 
 
 A T eleven o'clock on the night of February 18, 1918, our ship, 
 the "Covington," quietly slipped away from the Hoboken 
 Dock. The next morning: we were at sea, and although every- 
 one peered westward hoping for a last lingering look of our 
 home land, only sky, water and ships of our convoy were vis- 
 ible. There were seven transports and one battleship cruiser 
 in our convoy. At this particular period the danger of sub- 
 marines was uppermost in everybody's mind, as the "Tus- 
 cania" had been torpedoed and sunk only a few days previous- 
 ly. Extraordinary precautions were taken ; only a few l)lue 
 lights were permitted after dark ; men were not permitted to 
 smoke on deck after dark ; no debris was allowed to be thrown 
 overboard; port holes painted black were never opened at 
 night ; heavy curtains hung before the doors leading to the 
 deck, preventing any chance beam of light escaping. In other 
 words, many little things of seeming unimportance became of 
 much importance. All troops -were required to "stand to'" from 
 .just before dawn until fidl daylight and from twilight until 
 full darkness. These two periods were considered the most 
 dangerous for submarine attacks, and everybody had to be in 
 their properly designated places, equipped with life preservers, 
 ready to put off in life boats, rafts, etc., if it became necessary 
 to abandon ship. The strain of this preparation and apprehen- 
 sion Avore off in two or three days and the troops became accus- 
 tomed to life aboard ship. While there were some discomforts 
 in the way of overcrowded berthing spaces, only fair food and 
 some sickness, little complaint was heard, and we were begin- 
 ning to come in contact with that level-headed American i)hil- 
 osophy whicli became characteristic of the A. E. F., and later 
 so easily expressed by a shrug of the shoulders, extending of 
 the hands and the French ex])ression "Cest le Guerre.'" 
 
 About four P. ]\1. Friday, ^lai'di 1. 11)18, a submarine alai'ni
 
 38 
 
 MEMORIES OP THE "4nTir- 
 
 AV. C. BAKBOl R 
 
 Captain Co. E. 411th. Transferred soon after 
 arrival in France and in cliarge maintenance 
 lines of communication SOS. Promoted to Major 
 and assigned to command 403rd Telegraph Ba- 
 la llion, with which organization he liad cliarge 
 of the construction and maintenance of import- 
 ant network in the advance section SOS.
 
 CROSSING THE ATLANTIC 
 
 39 
 
 Avas given ; something which appeared like a periscope was 
 sighted on the port side of our ship, the "Covington." Imme- 
 diate firing began from all of the ships in the convoy that could 
 maneuver into position, depth bombs were dropped, and all the 
 other well planned offensive and defensive action taken. Aban- 
 don ship alarm sounded and everyone was quickly at their des- 
 ignated places ready to take to the water if the ship were tor- 
 pedoed. The excitement was quickly over, the "all clear" 
 
 JOH\ T. aLili\i\ 
 
 First Lieutenant Co. K; ti-ansferred to Batta- 
 lion Adjutant at Monterey. Promoted to Cap- 
 tain and transferred from 411tli. Went overseas 
 witli 40.5tli Telegraph Battalion. Promoted to 
 Major and assigned to eoininand Field Signal 
 Battalion during Argonne; later assigned to 
 command .^2nd Telegi'apli Battalion.
 
 40 
 
 :\iE:\roKiE!^ of the "4iitii' 
 
 A. .1. <\l,I.OVVAV 
 
 First I^ieutenant, acting as Supply Officer 411tli. 
 Transferred after arrival in France to o2ntl Tele- 
 graph Battalion, with which organization he had 
 active service during Chateau-Thiery and Meuse- 
 Argonne offensives.
 
 CKossi\(; 'niK Atlantic -h 
 
 siiiiial yiven and all were hai)i)y it was not a siil)iiiai'in(', but 
 ylad to at least have had the "thrill." 
 
 The next morning six submarine destroyers became our es- 
 cort — later in the day the number increased to eleven. What 
 a feeling- of safety when these "ocean bloodhounds" became 
 ou]' protectors! Exclamations of gladness were heartl on every 
 side ; one short, corpulent Jjieutenant who had been wont to 
 wear his life-preserver at all times, confided to the writer — 
 "Well, I haven't been exactly afraid, but I feel safer now." It 
 is quite probable that came near being the. inner sentiment of 
 every soul aboard ship. 
 
 The morning of March 4, 1918, found everyone as usual 
 standing on deck, facing seaward and waiting for full day- 
 light. Four of the transports in our convoy had left us the 
 night before, going in the direction of St. Nazaire. As we went 
 to breakfast the word was passed around that land Avould be 
 in sight sometime that morning; immediately the front i)ositions 
 on the decks were at a ]>remiuni, and all eyes were straining for 
 that first glimpse of a foreign shore. When the lookout, from 
 his position in the crow's-nest called out "land ahead" a 
 mighty cheer rose up all over the ship; it meant the end of our 
 long sea journey and our arrival in that land which we all had 
 wondered if we were ever going to see. The sun came out in 
 full strength and the convoy presented a beautiful sight as it 
 steamed into the outer harbor of Brest, while the destroyers 
 zig-zagged back and forth ; a dirigible balloon overhead watched 
 for subs; several hydro-planes darted across the skyline fi'om 
 one side of the Bay to the other and French submarines glided 
 in and out. We saw many ships at anchor of every size ami type, 
 flying the flags of all the allied nations. We dropfx-d anchor 
 .just outside the seaAvall of the inner harbor, tlie engines ceased 
 their steady throb and we all experienced the pleasure of walk- 
 ing the deck without going through gymnastics to uuiintain oui- 
 balance. The rest of the moi-ning we spent on deck. s1 udxing the 
 town and wondering when we would hind. Oui- \ie\v was i-atiier 
 limited, but we could see tlie old walls w liitdi were buill in Cae- 
 sar's time, and many buildings \vhicli looked odd lo us. Kvei\v- 
 thinii' was built of stoiu", with slale roofs. In the arternoon
 
 42 
 
 MEMORIES OF THE "411T1: 
 
 \. I). .S. McCOV 
 
 Assigned to 411th just before departure as Med- 
 ical Officer of our organization witli rank of Cap- 
 tain. Dr. McCoy's services to organization will al- 
 ways be remembered and appreciated by all. His 
 record in keeping the outfit well was particularly 
 good. Promoted to Major in October, 1918, and 
 transferred to Special Hospital Duty in January, 
 1919. Now in regular Army, stationed at Letterman 
 Hospital, San Francisco.
 
 CROSSINC THE ATLANTIC 
 
 43 
 
 the slii}) niDVccl into tlie iniici- liai'hof — inside of the sul)inai'ine 
 nets. Now that we were so near shore, all wanted to land. 
 When night eanie we were allowed to keep the lights burning 
 and to take off our clothes, which latter privilege had been 
 denied the four ])revions nights. 
 
 The next morning Avas foggy, and it rained most of the 
 day. AVe had all heard of sunny France, and the rain just like 
 the Pacific Coast was a surprise to some of us. Little did we 
 know that the webfoots from Oregon and Washington would 
 feel very much at home Avith the weather during the major por- 
 tion of their stay in France. 
 
 American fashion, we had expected our ship to dock and 
 unload just as easily as she had loaded, but we soon learned 
 that although Brest has one of the best harbors in the World, 
 there are no docking facilities. Ships must anchor in the 
 stream and be unloaded by means of large tug boats and 
 lighters. In the afternoon a detail of twenty-five men was sent 
 ashore to unload and guard our baggage and equipment. 
 Which one of this detail was the fii'st man to set foot on French 
 soil will never be known, as twenty-five men all claim the 
 honor. 
 
 T.t pe of i'^reiich ciiKiiK' >vlii(*li piillfil oiii 
 train fr«»iii Brest t«> SiMi'iiny.
 
 VI 
 EARLY EXPERIENCES IN FRANCE 
 
 '"T'lIE next morning' it was still raining. At 10:30 we left the 
 ship and were taken to the landing wharf ahoard a small 
 boat — -"the Kingfisher." This boat was well known to many 
 of ns who had seen her engaged in traffic on San Francisco 
 Bay for many years. When we landed on the dock we stopped 
 long- enough to relieve the guard detail and then started for 
 "Pontonezan Barracks." It was on this march that we got 
 our first glimpse of France, and we were all busy taking in 
 the sights, the narrow streets, the funny little shops, and trying 
 to decipher the signs over each one and wondering- what they 
 had to sell. The people and their clothes all came in for a share 
 of our attention. The styles were all so different from what 
 we have in our country ; it was all extremerly interesting. The 
 predominance of wooden shoes made us almost believe we were 
 in Holland. When we neared the center of town we caught 
 our first sight of a pretty French mademoiselle : when she gave 
 us a pretty smile and waved her hand, it was with difficulty 
 that Captain Moore kept us in line and going ahead. Then we 
 passed out of town and on into a country road bordered by 
 green fields, which after a march of about three miles brought 
 us to the barracks — known as "Pontonezan." The barracks 
 were surrounded by a high stone wall and as we approached, 
 they opened the gate to admit us, closing- it again after we had 
 all passed in. As some wit later remarked: "It was quite easy 
 to march into these barracks, but very hard to get out." There 
 was a large parade ground in the center where we halted and 
 waited in the drizzling- rain until c^uarters had been assigned. 
 The parade ground was bordered by story and a half buildings, 
 made of stone, with slate roofs, very steep and many little 
 gables and dormer windoAvs. Everything had the appearance 
 of being very old, and when we were told that the buildings 
 were used as l)arracks for Napoleon's troops, we could easily
 
 EARLY EXPERIENCES IN FRANCE 45 
 
 believe it. The quarters assigned to us were on the second floor 
 of one of these building's, which in effect was really the attic. 
 It had the appearance of being a very unwelcome home, with 
 its bare (although whitewashed) walls, small windoAvs, low 
 roof, absence of stoves, furnishings, etc. For beds, each man 
 had two little trestles and three nice hard boards. On these 
 blankets were placed — without mattresses. Varions devices 
 were tried to make these boards soft but without avail. Clothes 
 lines were put up and material for shelves obtained. In the 
 meantime the cooks were busy setting up field ranges in the 
 company streets, and when mess call finally sounded it was a 
 hungry crew which fell into line as there had been nothing to 
 eat since coffee and bread aboard ship in the morning. Aiul then 
 came our first night in France. As darkness came on search 
 was made for the switch to turn on the electric lights, but 
 there "wasn't any, and wdien it came to clustering around a 
 camp fire, it was also absent. But some candles were located, 
 everybody put on their overcoats and curled up in blankets on 
 the aforesaid lioards. Before morning all realized how much 
 difference a mattress makes to a l)ed. 
 
 The next morning was spent in washing clothes and gen- 
 erally cleaning up. In the afternoon arrangements were made 
 to initiate all into the mysteries of taking a bath under the 
 conditions then prevailing. It was the first bath since leaving 
 Camp Merritt. The men were marched to the bath house in 
 groups of twenty in charge of an officer, lined up on one side 
 of the room, where they undressed. Two men got under each 
 shower and waited for the water to be turned on ; then a whistle 
 blew: all prepared for the shock and a trickle of water de- 
 scended. At no time during the whole operation couhl it rciilly 
 be called a stream of sufficient size to give two dii'ty soldiei's a 
 fighting chance to get (dean. The hot watei- taid\ was small, 
 and after the third or fourtli 1)uu(di got uiulcr. the lu)t water 
 gave out. So tlie unfortunates luid to stand tliei'i', all hitlierrd 
 up, while the fireman coaxed the tank to get full of hot watei- 
 again. It was a ,ioke for the spectators, but not tor the hathei's. 
 
 After bathing, the next .job was to wash (dothiug. I^'of this 
 ])Ui'i)ose a tatd\, something like a small swiimniiii;- tau]<. and
 
 The patient ox is used to till the soil m !• ranee. 
 Where the family cow does doul)le duty. 
 Character study of old Frenchman. 
 A "French Laundry." 
 French workmen. 
 Shoe shining "parlor."
 
 EARLY KXl'KiaEXCES E\ FKAXCE 47 
 
 filled Avith cold water, was usfd. There was always a crowd 
 and it was with diffieiilty that one elhowed his way to the 
 ed<ie. Then liy applyin^i- tlie soap and hrnsh lihcrally a fail' 
 state of cleanliness was ohtained. Many, who did not have a 
 l)rnsli, nsed the ancient nu^hod of washing- by rul)l)in^ the uar- 
 nient on a slab of stone and were to some extent successfni. 
 
 Ea<di uioi-ninii' a period of calisthenics and infantry di-ill 
 was uiveii. It did not last long, bnt served to .uet iIh- Uiid<s 
 ont which wei'e acqnired l)y sleepino- on lioard ])e(ls. 'IMie <lay 
 was sjient in wandei'inu- about the bai"raid<s, becoiniiii;- used to 
 F]-ench money ])y bnyin<;' small articdes at the Frencli canteen, 
 and incidentally trying' ont onr generall.v small voeabnlai">' of 
 EreiKdi words. The l^arracks seemed like a vei'ilable prison, 
 with the liigh stone walls shutting out the view of the outer 
 Avoi'ld, and its linnted confines. It was therefore with mu.ch 
 joy tliat Ave Avelcomed a five nnle hike into the country the 
 next Sunday morning. It Avas an ideal spring day and the 
 countryside Avas at its Ix'st. All the natives Avere dressed up in 
 their Sunday best and on |)romenade. Xeai'ly everybody Avas 
 dressed in Idack, the Avomen Avearing odd little bonnets, while 
 the men Avore flat hats Avith very Avide brims. Wooden shoes 
 Avei'e dispensed Avith foi' the Snnday parade. The dress of the 
 ]ieo|)le of Brittany is ohler in style than in any other section 
 of Ei-ance and old customs are adhered to closely. Many odd 
 scenes Avere noted about the little farms that we passed. The 
 houses wei'e all vei'y old, with that(dH'(l roofs ami huge wooden 
 props to act as sni)[)orts. The fields Avere small antl separ- 
 ated by hedges. The dead wood from these hedges is all gath- 
 ered, tied into l)undles of faggots and taken to the I'ai'm houses 
 for fuel. The climate of Brittany is mu(di like that of the West 
 (oast of Oregon and Washington. The iidudiitanls, es|»eciall\- 
 the Avomen. hav(^ Avondei'ful complexions, and all the appear- 
 ance of good health. 
 
 Oil the morning of Mar(di 11th preparations were mail.' to 
 leave I'ontoiiezaii. As we filed out of those iron gales throuizli 
 the high stone Avail, there w;is not a pang of regret, and we 
 hoped that our next stopping place would be mmdi more pleas- 
 ant. Mu(di was later written as to the bad conditions at this
 
 48 
 
 ME:\rORIES OF THE -^iiTir' 
 
 A. B. COATES 
 
 Sergeant 1st class during training- camp period: commis- 
 sioned 2nd Lieut, just prior to sailing for France; promoted 
 to 1st Lieut. July, 1918, and to Captain October, 1918. Com- 
 manding Company D during practically entire period in 
 France: Commanding Officer of Battalion on return trip to 
 U. S. until discharge. 
 
 camp when it became congested with the heavy int'lnx of troops 
 during the spring and summer of 1018. and the debarkation of 
 troops after the armistice. lIoAvever, we feel that we were 
 there under the rongh conditions as they existed in the very 
 beginning, and yet we can look back, withont regret at our ex- 
 periences there. knoAving that for the first time we were soldier- 
 ing and had to expect some discomforts and inconveniences.
 
 EARLY EXPERIENCES IN FRANCE 40 
 
 Cpoii cUTiving at Brest, where we were to entrain, arrange- 
 ments were made to issne ''travel rations" to tlie wliole Bat- 
 talion before departure. This was necessary as, owing to the 
 construction of French cars into cf)nipartments, it is not possible 
 to pass from car to car and make distribution as it would l)e 
 done in our country. Third-class coaches were provided for 
 this trip and ten men were placed in each compartment. Ex- 
 actly at noon, we started on our first trip on an European type 
 of passenger train. Before boarding the train explicit instruc- 
 tions had been issued as to conduct, the rules being many and 
 varied. No rul)bish was to he thrown from the train, but placed 
 under the seats; it was forbidden to leave the train without 
 permission; warning was given not to put heads out of tlie 
 windows, as all tunnels and bridges are very narrow and the 
 telephone poles set very close to the track; no wine or other li- 
 quors Avere to be purchased at the stations, etc. Here we first 
 saw a sign which became very familial' to us as we always saw it 
 in public places : 
 
 "TAISEZ-VOUS, MEFIP]Z. LES OREILLES, 
 
 DE L'ENNEMI VOUS ECONTENT." 
 
 "Which translated means: "Shut youi- nu^ntli. be cautious, 
 the ears of the enemy are listening to you." 
 
 French railroad equipment and methods always annise an 
 American ; the cars remind one of boxes placed on wheels and 
 divided into several compartments foi" the filing away of pass- 
 engers. There is hardly room for your legs and Unecs in Ihe 
 third-class coaches as you sit facing one another, and loaded 
 down as our outfit was with packs, exti'a e(|uipiiient, etc., all 
 were very crowded. The engine which pulled this first li-aiu of 
 ours was even more funny than the cars; it Avouldn't mak'e a 
 good sized switch engine in the States; the boilei- was all shiny 
 brass; the engineer and fireman stood up in a little dinky place 
 which corresponds to our engine cabs. Yet it was sui'iu-ising 
 the numl)er of cars that it liauhMl. F.ells on engines are unknown ; 
 instead they use a sort of threshing nuichiue shi-ill whistle, 
 which keeps u]) a continual tooting to let people know they 
 are on the way. A lai-ge portion of the railroads in l^'rance ai-e 
 double-tracked. The Irains iMin on llic left hand li'ack. ami
 
 K- ' A.JJhiJ 'h^. Mt J>'»^-^.igM^fe 
 
 1. Tliose wonderful beds first niglit at Savenay. 
 
 2. First hike near Brest, Prance. 
 
 3. Company D Barracks, Savenay. 
 
 4. Construction gang near St. Nazaire. 
 
 f). "Close up" derrick for wire stringing.
 
 EARLY EXPERIENCES IX FRANCE 51 
 
 on tliis first trii) some of us thoimlit tlicy had made a mistake 
 and were expeeting- a head-on collision at any time: however, 
 we soon learned that was the custom. We eai'ly noticed that 
 the danger of accidents at grade crossings is well eared for 1)\ 
 gates Avhich are only opened when the railway is clear for some 
 distance each way. A tender's house is located at each set of 
 gates which serves as the residence. The gates and hlock sig- 
 nals during the war period were generally cared for by women 
 (presumably of railroad men at war). At each of these little 
 gate houses were many children who would rush out and wave 
 at us as the train went by. 
 
 During this first trip in France all were greatly impressed 
 with the beautiful country-side ; green fields, with the well 
 trimmed hedges criss-crossing in all directions. What a rev- 
 elation in noting how every square foot of soil was utilized and 
 intensively cultivated. Here and there would be a little village 
 with a dozen to a couple of hundred houses, and always iu the 
 center of the village, rising high above the roofs of the houses, 
 the church spire. We saw very few detached houses outside of 
 the villages: in other words, the old custom of grouping to- 
 gether for mutual protection still prevailed. 
 
 About five o'clock in the afternoon we arrived a a little 
 town called Rosporden where Ave stopped for about an lioui- to 
 have supper. All had a chance to Avalk about town, and the 
 natives Avatched us Avith as much curiosity as Ave Avatched them. 
 They Avere not, as yet, familiar Avith the sight of Americans. 
 Our train Avas not supplied Avith lights, so as soon as it l)egan 
 to get dark everyone tried to make themselves as comfortable 
 as possible and go to sleep. It takes a long time to l)ecome ac- 
 customed to sleeping in a sitting posture and 1liis t'ii-st night 
 Avas attended Avith queer experiences. One of the men in tell- 
 ing the Avriter about it said: "I Avoke up after a nap of Avhat 
 seemed to be many hours, Avondcriug what was driving at the 
 back of my head. I discovered it to be the toe of a No. 10 worn 
 by Bill Wells, Avho OAving to his extreme length, Avas spread all 
 over the compailment. liis long legs W('a\iiig in and (Mil innoug 
 the numerous legs that Avere contained therein. 1 shuddered 1o 
 think AAdiat an awful time the boys nnist be havinu' who wei-e 
 located in the same compartment as Torry."
 
 52 MEMORIES OF THE '•4nTH" 
 
 At about three o'clock the next niorninji- Company I) and 
 Ileadciuarters Detachment were awakened by the officers, who 
 were endeavoring- to get them off the train at a phice called 
 Savenay. It was a mad scramble in the dark, every man en- 
 deavoring to find his pack, his mess gear and all the other stuff 
 which he might have unpacked on the train, but at last it was 
 accomplished. Company E continued on for about fifteen 
 
 WM. H. FAIKBAMKS 
 
 First Adjutant of Battalion as 1st Lieutenant. Promoted 
 
 to Captain and transferred from organization at Monterey. 
 
 Placed in command 3rd Depot Bn.. promoted to Major and 
 brought tliat organization to France. Placed in command 
 
 55th Telegraph Battalion: with 5th Corps during St. Mihiel 
 and Meuse-Argonne offensives.
 
 EAKLY EXPERIENCES IN FRANCE 53 
 
 kilometers to a town called 8t. Ettiene. With ]\Iajor Griswold 
 in the lead Company D and Headquarters stumbled sleepily up 
 a long hill, through narrow, crooked streets for a couple of kilo- 
 meters, finally arriving at a group of buildings known as Base 
 Hospital No. 8. Here we were cjuartered in new barracks and 
 furnished clean beds with white sheets in which to sleep. This 
 fact is worthy of note in passing as it was the only time that 
 such luxury was enjoyed by any whole unit during ovir stay in 
 the A. E. F. 
 
 In the meantime, Company E had continued their way on 
 to their headquarters at St. Ettiene. On arriving there they 
 marched to their l)illet which happened to be a large barn on 
 the edge of town. Here they were able to make themselves 
 very comfortable. Bunks and mess tables were made out of lance 
 poles and very soon a model camp had been created and they 
 were ready for work. 
 
 Permanent quarters for Company D and Headquarters 
 "were finally found at Savenay in a large chateau. This proved 
 rather small to accommodate all comfortably, so a couple of 
 large tents were borrowed from the hospital and erected along- 
 side the chateau. These tents were soon being used to put on 
 a sideshoAV with Lally as the fat lady and "Red" Gray as the 
 spieler. Enough lumber was borrowed from the engineers to 
 make bunks for the men in the chateau and the hospital loaned 
 enough beds to go around in the tents; so once more all men 
 in the Battalion had a good bed, which had not been enjoyed 
 since leaving Monterey. 
 
 While waiting for orders to begin work we had oppor- 
 tunit.y to learn something of the habits, language and every 
 day life of the French people. As oiu- subs<'(|iieiit experieiu'es 
 in all the villages where we were billeted in France were very 
 similar, it will be well for the readei" to learn sonu'thing about 
 them. The peoi)le wei'e extremely hospitable to lis and we wece 
 soon acquainted and made fliciii iiiidci'sland, with our half 
 Fi'ench and half American lingo, just wliei-e we were from, \vh;\\ 
 the United States looked like, etc pjvei'yl)ody pinvdiascd a 
 Fi'ench-Amei-ican dictionary, A\liicli Avas al\va\'s carried and 
 continuallv referred to. With the aid of this diet ioiiarv and
 
 54 .AIEMORIES OF THE "-tllTU-- 
 
 the assistance of a few men in the Battalion who conld speak 
 French, Ave soon mastered the simpler words and phrases. 
 
 The inhabitants of these villages consisted mostly of old 
 men, women and cliildren : the yonnger and middle-atied men 
 Avere all absent in service. They were for the most part poorly 
 dressed and wore wooden shoes. Althonoh it has always been 
 the custom for European women to work in the fields and do 
 other manaal labor, this condition was greatly enhanced hy 
 the absence of so many men. The women were daily in the 
 fields, doing all the tasks which a man could do — ploughing, 
 pitching hay, raking or digging — showing surprising energy 
 and strength. The drinking of wine and other beverages is 
 universal by men and women. However, the manner of their 
 drinking is entirely different from what we had been accus- 
 tomed to seeing in our own country. All the drinking places are 
 provided with tables and chairs and the people sit about in a 
 sociable manner, drinking slowly and seemingly for the pleasure 
 and not the effect. During all of our service in France we saw 
 very few cases of intoxication except occasionally on fete days. 
 
 One day each week there is always a public market day 
 in these small towns. It is generally held in the "place" in 
 front of the City Hall or "Hotel de Ville" as it is called. The 
 peasants from the surrounding country bring in their products 
 and sell them from little booths to the village folk. In other 
 stands itinerant venders offer every conceivable commodity 
 for sale. A custom which always interested the Americans 
 was the selling of eels. They were kept alive in a tub. and 
 skinned and dressed as ordered by the customer. 
 
 During these first days in France we were fortunate in 
 having time and opportunity to learn a great deal about our 
 new friends — the French inhabitants. Withal we found them 
 a very hospitable, open-hearted, courteous, kindly people. They 
 were particularly gracious to us Americans and showed us 
 every consideration. ]Much has been written about the French 
 and their peculiar customs, but it was the good fortune of our 
 outfit to receive universally fine treatment during all of our 
 stay in the A. E. F., and the wi'iter believes that much of this 
 was due from the fact that we made friendlv contact with them
 
 EARLY EXPERIENCES L\ FILWCE 
 
 00 
 
 in the very beginnino-. More will he said about this angle of our 
 experiences as onr story progresses, but the writer is sure that 
 each of ns will always affectionately I'ccali the kindliness, the 
 gentleness, and the good uatured spirit in which these simple 
 home folks of the valley of the Loire received us. Bowed down 
 with fonr years of the horrors and griefs of war, as they were, 
 they had not lost faith and were embned with that spirit of 
 service to their country, which eventually helped more than 
 any other one thing- to bring victory abont. 
 
 K. S. \\ lOIISTIOK 
 
 First Lieut. Di'iital Corps. .loiiicd tilth .hniu;ii\. 1 :i I i«. 
 
 Was of incst inui l)lc v;iluc to ( )i-f;'an i/,:i t ion ;is a H wen- liaiU.s' 
 
 in need of il-'uta I wmk. l'roiiioIc(l to Captain in Maicli, IIMI".
 
 VII 
 OUR FIRST REAL JOB 
 
 'npllE first job assigued to our Battalion was tlie building of 
 a standard ten-wire lead from St. Nazaire to Nantes, a dis- 
 tance of approximately thirty-nine miles. This was the be- 
 ginning of the vast wire net which was planned to take care of 
 the connnunications in the area known as the SOS — Service of 
 Supply. The headquarters of the American Expeditionary 
 Forces was located at Chaumont ; the headquarters of the SOS 
 at Tours. The principal base ports in France were located at 
 St. Nazaire, Bordeaux, Le Harve and Brest. At all of these base 
 ports vast warehouses, railroad terminals and supply bases of 
 every description were being erected, and throughout the SOS, 
 storage warehouses, motor parks, ordnance stores, base hos- 
 pitals, supply dumps, forestry camps, railroad asseml)ling and 
 repair shops, etc., were being constructed. Adequate commun- 
 ication had to be secured with all of these activities from head- 
 quarters SOS at Tours, from GHQ (General Headquarters) at 
 Chaumont, and then in turn with "the front." It was, there- 
 fore, with a feeling that we were at last "on the .job" where 
 we could do some real work when we started this first con- 
 struction w^ork from one of the base ports. 
 
 The Battalion had been fully equipped in the States and it 
 was expected that we would have this ecjuipment in France 
 very shortly after arrival. Due, however, to the fact that at 
 that time, equipment of this kind was extremerly short, not hav- 
 ing begun to arrive in sufficient quantities from the States, it 
 was all "pooled" at the base ports and issued to the various 
 organizations in accordance with the most urgent requirements. 
 We succeeded in obtaining sufficient transportation to meet 
 our urgent requirements, but practically no line construction 
 tools were available. By borrowing every conceivable kind of 
 tool in the way of shovels, digging bars, hand saws, bits aud 
 braces, axes, etc., from the French inhabitants, we were finally
 
 OUR FIRST JJEAJ. JOB 57 
 
 a])le to begin actual work. Later, regular signal (•oi'i)s equi[)- 
 ment became available, and we had as good an outfit as was 
 obtainable anywhere, but we will always remember those first 
 few weeks when we acconii)lished difficult work despite poor 
 and inadequate tools. 
 
 AVhile the route of the line was being determined, ar- 
 rangements were made with the French government to secure 
 poles from a supply which they had on hand in Savenay, and 
 gangs were put to work in the yards, framing and roofing. The 
 poles were of a native wootl, similar to our pine and were of a 
 very light type. They could hardly be classed as a "C" in the 
 States, but it was from this type of poles that all of the pole 
 lines in France were constructed, and it can be easily under- 
 stood that the problem of properly strengthening leads thus 
 became a more difficult one. 
 
 As this was the first real jol) done by our men as a mili- 
 tary organization, it was necessary to follow some jilan to se- 
 cure the maximum of result, as it was evident from the first 
 that work was going to be done under high pressure. The work 
 itself did not present any particular obstacles to overcome. To 
 men who had built lines in our Western mountains, across 
 deserts and swamps; and who had been a part of the organ- 
 ization to carry the "threads of speech" across three thousand 
 miles of hills, valleys and plains between San Francisco and 
 New York, this little toll line in the rich farm land valley of the 
 
 
 y-- 
 
 [ 
 
 ^ 
 
 L 1* 
 
 1^^ 
 
 h Zgtff^^P^^ 
 
 4 
 
 ^Hv^^L 
 
 ^^^^^^^^^^K 
 
 pyK ' 
 
 
 VmR»8v' ' ■ 
 
 yBOX 
 
 i^Mc 
 
 "f! 
 
 On St. Nazaire-Nantes lead: left to riglit. I.ieut. 
 Smith, Scott, Director I^eMarie and his assistant, Cap- 
 tain Moore, leaning- agrainst the "Big McFarhind." 
 Two E Co. linemen completing- guy.
 
 Wire stringing- with derrick. 
 
 American constructiuii by 411tli l)etween St. Xazaire and Nantes. 
 
 First pole yard, Savenay. 
 
 "Doc" Cook and gang- "pulling in" near Savenay. 
 
 Reel wagon, St. Nazuire-Nantes.
 
 OUR FIRST REAL JOB 59 
 
 Loire was easy. The problem of fully utilizing a military or- 
 ganization, divided into the different units and grades of ai-iiiy 
 life, did present some angles of diffieulties whieh had to he 
 overcome if the maximum results were to be had. These prob- 
 lems were worked out by the officers in consultation with the 
 men of the organization. Advantage of the previous exper- 
 ience was taken, and it was not long before the eight sections, 
 into which a signal corps Telegraph Battalion is divided, were 
 eight gangs of telephone workmen, digging holes, setting poles, 
 stringing wire, etc. 
 
 The two companies eai-h had a surveying crew which 
 staked and laid out its own portion of the line. No fine tran- 
 sits were available ; makeshift affairs, consisting of a pair of 
 field glasses set on a stick, had to be used. As fast as stakes 
 were placed in the ground, the French inhabitants would pull 
 them up for firewood. After sending an interpreter over tlie 
 route of the line and explaining, this trouble was overcome. 
 Each company had been furnished with a detachment of 
 twenty-five Greek laborers; they were nsed for digging holes, 
 handling poles and the usual ''grunt" jobs. These Greeks Avere 
 among some of the first civilian laborers hired by our Govern- 
 ment and were somewhat of an experiment. They became 
 quite proficient in learning line work and remained with oui' 
 outfit until we were called to the front some months later. 
 
 The route of this lead made it necessary to cross private 
 property in many places, and although we had been furnislied 
 Avith general permits by the French Government to be used in 
 case of right-of-Avay difficulties, it Avas thought best to secure 
 verbal permits by careful exj^lanation. This Avas dotic by in- 
 terpreters and created an extremely kindly feeling all along 
 the route. The peasant farmers Avere in m^arly all cases (ibliu- 
 ing and ready to alloAv us to set })oles and anchoi's on their 
 property Avhere necessary. The Avriter recalls one case avIkm-c 
 a pole had to be set in a yard surrounded by a high stone wall. 
 It happened to be on the pi-cmises of the nuiyoi- of Ihe liltle 
 toAvn throngh which the line passed. On seeinu- il would he 
 difficult to get the pole e(piipped Avilh Ihe cross arm oxcf witli 
 the help on hand, the mayor opened the I'l-ont dooi' of his house 
 and invited us to eari-y the pole throuLih llie hallway and into
 
 CHAS. VV. SMITH 
 
 Assig-ned to Battalion at Savenay and immediately made Adjutant. 
 Mr. Smith was able to speak French fluently and was of invaluable 
 service to us in negotiating- with the French: it was no doubt due to 
 his ability in this respect that enabled us to get along so well and secure 
 favors that others could not obtain. Promoted to 1st Lieut, in October, 
 1918. He undoubtedly had more duties assigned to him than any other 
 one man in an>- single organization in the A. E. F.
 
 OrR FTKST REAL .loi^, 61 
 
 the hack yard. This pi-oved the easier way and llie ]»()1;' was 
 quickly in the ground. I'pon returning through tlu' house the 
 crew found a tahle set with wine and glasses and the hospitable 
 mayor waiting to serve them. 
 
 On account of accessibility for maintenance, however, the 
 greater portion of our leads in France were set alongside tlu' 
 highAvay. On this first work of ours, trucks were equii)ped 
 with deri'ieks Avliich ;uud)led i)o]es to be set more rapidly than 
 by hand and pike poles. Ti-ucks were also ecpiipped for the 
 stringing of wire after the pole line was ready. All of this 
 worlv was watched M'ith a gi'eat tleal of interest by the French 
 Postes and Telei)hone officials, and the writer will quote from 
 notes made by one of the members of a party delegated to ex- 
 plain the details to a grou}) of French officials who came to 
 look over this particular line. 
 
 "At the end of the line holes were being dug by means 
 of the long digging bars and spoons in the more or less soft 
 ground, while a short distance away, a number had to l)e l)lown 
 with dynamite. Upon our approach to the latter place, the 
 party stopped for a moment to see several effective charges 
 blown, the electric current being supi)lied from a Xash Quad 
 truck, much to the surprise of the s{)ectators who looked on in 
 open-eyed amazement like boys seeing their first circus. Erect- 
 ing of the poles liy means of a truck equipped with a derrick 
 was the next step. Next we can.e to the 10 reel truck paying 
 out wire immediately behind a truck with an ari-angement 
 which had efficiency written all over it. This contrivance, 
 built oil llie idea of a long arm with pins si)aced to the width 
 of a 10 pin X arm, worked on the idea of a sec-saw. dipping 
 doAvn on one side of a pole, picking up all 10 wires on the other 
 side, moved along to the next pole and set tlicin down on the X 
 arm where a lineman was A^•aiting to steer tliein into the |)i'oper 
 spaces' on the X arm. 
 
 "AVe next came upon the wire pulling uaiiii. w liicji proNccI 
 the most interesting to the French Fiigineers, that of |)nlling 
 10 wires at one time, the itu)ti\e power used heiiiL; an antn 
 tj'uck. This caused the remMr]< by one ot" lln'in that they only 
 pulled (lilt- wire at a time and the lineiiijin ciirricd tlic wire on
 
 62 
 
 :\[E:\roRiEs of the "-niTir' 
 
 (;K0RGE K. <►. KlTHERFl'KD 
 
 First Lieutenant, Company 1. under which assignment he 
 served practically during entire period of service. At time 
 of Armistice was going to Officers' School and would shortly 
 have been promoted to Captain. 
 
 liis back. The method of making the transpositions was also 
 exi»hiiiied to them, this feature being taken care of on the reel 
 truck. Copper sleeves for splicing wire was also new to -them. 
 
 "The next and last step, the guyed aud completed lead, 
 brought out very favorable comment. 
 
 "An amusing incident happened this day when, for the 
 first time, a French lineman tried to use American "hooks." 
 This Frencb.man had seen some of our linemen "hit the stick''
 
 OIR FIRST }IKAL JOB 63 
 
 about five feet from the gTOuncl and run up to the "roof." He 
 started and after a very laborious c-liml) reached the top, and 
 then he could not get down. lie finally succeeded by takin<i 
 it very easy and a few inches at a time. Tlius was the Amer- 
 ican hook and safety belt introduced to the French, who later 
 were making plans to replace all their old style climbers." 
 
 After completion of our St. Na/.a ire-Nantes i)i'oject. or(h*rs 
 were received to string the wire on the pole line continuing east 
 from Nantes in the direction of Tours to a place called Heau- 
 prean, a distance of approximately forty-one miles. This 
 pole line had been erected by another Battalion, ])ut they were 
 short on telephone linemen, and as the fame of our ''wire 
 stringing machine" had reached Tours, we were assigned the 
 .job of completing the wire job. It is generally conceded that 
 this Avas one of the fastest wire stringing jobs perfornu'd in the 
 A. E. F. 
 
 During the time our work had lieen progressing, almost a 
 complete change of officer organization had taken place in our 
 Battalion. ]\Iajor A. II. Griswolcl, who had commanded the 
 outfit from the time of being called into service, was ordered to 
 Tours about three weeks after arrival at Savenay, for the pui-- 
 pose of assuming charge of the Telephone and Telegrai)h De- 
 partment under the Chief Signal Officer, A. E. F. Captain 
 Barbour was ordered to Tours to take charge of uuiinlenance 
 Avork, and Lieutenant Curran to the same place to handle engi- 
 neering Avork. Captain C. IT. ]\Ioore, Avho had been in command 
 of Company D from the time of being called into service was 
 ordered to assume command of the l^attalion, and continued in 
 command until the outfit AA-as ordered to return to the States. 
 Lieutenant Scott assumed command of C()ini)any E, and Lieuten- 
 ant Coates of Company D. Second Lieutenant CliaiTes \V. Smith 
 had been assigned to us and he Avas made Battalion Adjutant. 
 
 During the month of April, Lieutenant IJul hertiird had re- 
 tui-ned to the Battalion, l)ringing with him 1 he two •piaranl ined 
 sections Avhich Ave had been obliged to leave behind ;it (';ini|» 
 Merritt. We Avere badly in need of these men as during the 
 time Ave had been in the A. E. F. avc had lost many by assign- 
 ments on "s|)ecial duty." This was a form (d' proi-eduii' whi(di
 
 6-1 MEMOT^TES OF THE ••411Tir' 
 
 greatly disturbed our ori^auization and consisted of taking men 
 aAva}^ from the outfit for some special duty in other parts of 
 France. However, at tliat time, competent tele])h()ne and tele- 
 
 nOAALD W. .SCOTT 
 
 Fir.st Lieutenant. Conapany D; assigned to commanrl Com- 
 pany E shortly after arrival in France; pi-omoted to Captain 
 July, 1918. continuing- in command of Company E. Captain 
 Scott was taken seriously ill early in February, 1919, and 
 was taken to the Hospital at Chaumont, where a serious 
 and complicated operation was performed. He was there 
 until May, when he was evacuated to the U. S. Apparently 
 fully recovered, he was discharged and returned to the 
 employ of the Telephone Company, lieing assigned to the po- 
 sition of Wire Chief at Fresno. Here he was prospering and 
 very happy with his wife and daughter. Suddenly, he was 
 taken ill about the 20th of September, 1920. and only lived 
 a few days. His untimely passing has saddened the hearts 
 of his old comrades as he was much beloved by all.
 
 66 
 
 .ME.MOHIKS OF THE "411TH^' 
 
 grapli men Avere not plentiful, and it was quite necessary to 
 take these men for im[)ortant work at other points. At the 
 time it seemed hard to part with our men, as they had become 
 part of the "family" and it made it more difficult to do our 
 work, as no replacements were possible for some months after- 
 wards. 
 
 And so our first complete job in France was at an end, as 
 the wire stringing had been completed to Beaupreau and the 
 lines all connected through to Tours at 3 :30 P. ]\I. Satnrday, 
 May 25th. These were the first completed circuits from head- 
 quarters SOS to a base port, and to show how urgently they 
 were required, one of our testors had to wait until nearly 
 eleven P. ^\. that evening ])efore taking any chance on disturb- 
 ing the heavy traffic. 
 
 Our outfit was being gradually drilled into a smooth going 
 telephone organization, ^lany almost insurmountable diffi- 
 culties had been overcome on this first job and we were becom- 
 ing more and more embued with the importance of the service 
 we were able to give our country. The men were working 
 hard and doing it with a spirit which brought results. "Day- 
 light to dark" was our working schedule and yet we were 
 "raring to go" and anxious to know where the next job was 
 to be.
 
 VIII 
 PARIS AND ENVIRONS 
 
 T F a vote could have been taken of the entire or.uanizatiou as 
 to the place they desired to go next, it would have been "to 
 the front" as the first choic^, and to the "battle of Paris" as 
 the second. The stage was not yet quite set for us to be sent to 
 the battle zone as an organization, and when we were told the 
 next morning after completing Beaupreu jol), it would 
 be Versailles, there was loud rejoicing, as tlie i)ros- 
 pect of being stationed almost at the gates of Paris 
 was indeed a hai)p3' thought. The move was to be overland by 
 motor truck, and Ave had an early reveille at -liOO A. ]\I. so as 
 to be on the road by daylight. The country through Avhicli we 
 passed was higher and more wooded than that in which Ave 
 had been accustomed while living in the valley of the Loire. 
 The first night Ave camped on the roadside not far from La 
 Fleche, and it was a regular gypsy life. We visited the village 
 in the evening and derived much pleasure in comparing the 
 slightly different customs of these people with those among 
 whom Ave had been living. The next morning Ave Avere on the 
 road at daylight and arrived in LeMans about ten A. M. This 
 is quite a large city, and it Avas here that the Wi-ight Brothers 
 first had an opportunity of demonstrating their aeroplane in- 
 ventions to the French, after our country had refused to listen 
 to them. This city became one of the big embai'l<ati()n centers 
 after the armistice. 
 
 After leaving Le I\Ians the road is practically straight for 
 a distance of tAventy-five miles. And AAdiat a Avonderful road 
 it Avas ! Built first in a A^ery early day by the Ronuuis, it had 
 been carefully maintained under the system of talking care of 
 roads by the French. It had not been subjected to any heavy 
 truck traffic like the roads further to the south Avhich Avere 
 beginning to feel the strain of heavy truck trains from the base 
 ports, and Ave traveled along in our trucks for miles and miles
 
 1. Alexander III Bridge; looking toward the Grand Palace of Art. 
 
 2. American Army and Red Cross Nurses July 4, 191S. Parade, Paris. 
 
 3. French Cavalry July 4, 191S, Parade. Paris". 
 
 4. Eiffel Tower. 
 
 5. Trochadero Museum. Paris.
 
 I'Aias AND ENVIRONS 
 
 69 
 
 with hardly any more jar tliaii had we l)eeii ridiH<i' in the Com- 
 inandino' Officer's McFarhiii. lie drove the entire distanee 
 to Paris, al)ont two hundred and forty miles, in sevtMi hours. 
 Our camp that night Avas on tlu^ roadside about nine kilometers 
 from Chartes, which is one of the very oldest cities in France 
 and rich in historic interest. The cathedral is a very large and 
 V)eautiful one, and its spire can l)e seen nearly as far as the eye 
 can reach in all directions. 
 
 From here on the country was more thi(d\l\' poi)ulated as 
 Ave were nearing the big center of Paris. At noon we stopped 
 at St. Cyr, which is the "West Point" of France. The school 
 covers a large space and during the Avar it Avas one of the most 
 important training centers for French officers. Here Avas also 
 located one of the large aeroplane factories. We saAv many 
 Avrecks of Bosche planes AA'hich had .just come in from the front : 
 also the remains of allied planes. Practically every one in the 
 outfit Avas destined to have an air ride from this field and an 
 adjoining one during our stay in Versailles. After lunch Ave 
 droA'e on into Versailles and on up the Hill to Camp Satory 
 Avhich Avas to be our station. Arrangements had been made for 
 us and Ave Avere soon settled. This Avas an old French Camp, 
 the buildings Avere of Avood and not in a very good state of 
 
 July 4. 1918, celebration at Si. Gerinaine. Battalion 
 standard and colors. Lieut. Smith standing against door; 
 he made address in French to townspeople, who iiractic- 
 allv turned the day into a fete for members of ilif lllth.
 
 70 :\[E.M()1J1ES OF TIIK ••411Tir' 
 
 repair. However, as we did not have to go to work immediate- 
 ly, everyone pitehed in and cleaned np. 
 
 While waiting' for aetnal work to begin on oui- new job 
 permission was given to visit Paris and see some of the other 
 many interesting things. About forty decided to visit the 
 Palace of Vei-sailles, and as practically everyone in the or- 
 ganization had an opportunity of nuiking this visit later, it 
 will l)e interesting to cln-onicle a few of the sights, although 
 it would take a volume to tell all about the wonderful palace 
 and its surrounding's where Louis XIV and his Royal family 
 played centuries ago. We hired a guide to take us through the 
 Palaces and grounds ; he was a little old Frenchman who spoke 
 fair Euglish and who had a great deal of pep and ambition. 
 We first visited some of the rooms on the second floor, the first 
 one we visited containing a very fine bust of Napoleon and 
 many war relics of his time. The rooms were elaborately fin- 
 ished, all had hardwood floors, and the walls Avere hung witli 
 the most gorgeous and beautiful tapestries. We passed on into 
 the state bed room of the King which was in the front of the 
 Palace, overlooking the marble court. The beds were wonder- 
 ful creations, the canopies and coverings of heavily embroider- 
 ed silk. Next we visited the State Council Chamber where the 
 King- held meetings with his ministers. There was a small 
 throne in this room, and the table around which the ministers 
 used to gather was most beautifully inlaid with gold and silver. 
 Then in succession we visited the card room, the music room 
 and various other- chambers Avhich were used for different en- 
 tertainment and social purposes, and then into the Hall of Mir- 
 rors, which has since became more famous as the room in which 
 the Paris Peace Treaty was signed. Stepping out onto the bal- 
 cony from this room a fine view was obtained of the very ex- 
 tensive gardens; first the terraces, with their fountains and 
 flower l)eds; then large stairways lead down to the lower walks 
 and the lagoon. Looking past the lagoon, the end of the gar- 
 dens, fully a mile and a half from the balcony, presented a most 
 imposing scene, the trees which were very large and symetrical- 
 ly trinnned, giving the effect of a high green wall. Stepping 
 back tlii'ough the Hall of ^Mirrors, we passed on into many
 
 PARIS AND ENVIRONS 
 
 71 
 
 other beautiful rooms, the walls and ceilings of wliicli were ilee- 
 orated with very fine paintings, the woodwork heavily gilded. 
 We then saw the winter ballroom, which Avas not as large as 
 the other and was nsed for private dancing parties. From the 
 walls were hung large oil paintings of famous l)attles. Next 
 we visited the eha])el. which Louis XIV had built for liimself 
 
 \\ IM.I A ^1 11. (I l{|{ A \ 
 
 Fii'st Lieutenant, CVmiimn.v 10 (luiins IraininK fanip perioil; 
 made BaUaHon Adjutant just prior to leavinj^' ]Vrontere>-. 
 Transferred fi'oni organiy.ation sliortly after arrival in 
 France and assigned to special engineering duties at SOS 
 lieadfiuarters. Tours. Had charge of planning lines of coni- 
 numication in SOS and Advance Section. Promoted to Cap- 
 tain and then to Ma.ior during Summer and I'^aU. litis. Signal 
 Officer Advance Section after Armistice.
 
 72 ]\IE:\rORIES OF THE "411TH" 
 
 and court attendants in Avliidi to worship; it was most elab- 
 orately finished, the pews being' covered Avith fine plush. The 
 yallery of battle pictures contained oil paintings of all the 
 famous battles in which the French have taken part from the 
 time France was first inhabited by the Phoenecians up until the 
 war of 1871. All of these paintings were very well preserved 
 and looked like new. And then, lastly, we visited the room 
 Avhich is only used for the purpose of swearing in the President 
 of France at the time he takes the oath of office. 
 
 Passing out of the Palace onto the Terrace the famous foun- 
 tains are in view. At that time the water was turned off on 
 account of the war, but it was easy to visualize the scene when 
 it was in full i)lay. We crossed on through the garden to 
 the bathing pool and other places of interest, and then on to 
 the coach house. Here are housed all the famous coaches and 
 other vehicles which have been used by the memliers of royalty. 
 They were all carved and heavily gilded. The writer's special 
 attention was directed to one which had been l)uilt for r, special 
 state occasion and had only been used twice. In glass cases 
 around the walls were the harnesses which were of the very 
 finest leather, with gold and silver mountings, buckles and 
 trimmings. From here we visited the petite and grand trianon 
 Palaces. These two palaces were used by the King when he 
 tired of living in the Grand Palace. They were nnicli smaller 
 and not as elaborate. One particular room of interest to all 
 visitors was one used by Louis XIV in which to dine. The table 
 was set on a trap door on the floor and was lowered ])elow to 
 the kitchens and pantries where the meal was placed upon it. 
 It was then raised into the room, where the King dined aloiu'. 
 We miglit have remained and been interested for many hours 
 longer, but the day was drawing to a close, and after visiting 
 the dairy farm of ^Marie Antoinette, we wandei'ed l)ack to camp 
 well pleased with our l)rief visit to the F^alaee of Versailles. 
 
 A GLLMPSE OF ACTIVE SEKVICE AT THE FRONT 
 
 During the time that Ave had lieen in France many inquiries 
 liad been made from time to time as to Avhen we Avere going to 
 the front? It Avas all verA- Avell to be luiilding toll lines and
 
 PARIS AND EX VI RONS 
 
 73 
 
 :\ISI-:. GAIIRETT KXIIIIUTING A PAIR OF FRKNCH 
 CI.IMBERS OR HOOKS 
 
 dointi' other important telephone and tele<iraph work, bnt the 
 allies dnring- these months were passing through the most erit- 
 ieal period of the \var, and every man in the outfit was anxious 
 to get further up where he could hear the roar of battle and 
 really feel that he was a participant. Although the I'uited 
 States had at this time l)een in the war for over a year, and our 
 P^irst Division had been in Fi-ance for most of that year, Amer- 
 ican troops had not engaged in any real fighting. During 
 March, at a conference in Paris, Secretary of War I^)al<t'i- ;iii(l 
 (Jeneral Pershing had decided that oui' forces should he tui-ncd 
 over to ^larshall Foch ; the I'resident had approved by cal)!!'. 
 and on the 2Sth of ^larch, at a mecling of the allied (Miinmand- 
 ers, (Jeneral Pershing had made Ihal nicnioi-ablc dcdai-al ion lo 
 ^larsliall Foi-li : "All that we have isyoni-s: use it as yon \visli."" 
 There were foui' American l)i\isioiis in Franec at that 
 time — only a little )noi-e than lOO.OOO combatant troops, (icn- 
 ei-al Pershing's offer was accepted: the first di\isioii was sent 
 to the line op|)osite .Montdidier ; the I'titli went in the line at
 
 Arch lie Triuniiilie. 4. Bastile Monument. 
 
 Napoleon's Tomb. 5. French Cavaliy July 4, 1919 Parade. 
 
 "The Obelisk" looking- across 6. American Infanti y July 4, 1919 Parade, 
 one of the fountain.s, Place de la Concorde.
 
 PARIS AND ENVIRONS 75 
 
 St. Mihiel. At last American trooi)s had entered tlie wai- on tlie 
 firing line. Dnring the month of April and ^lay npwards of 
 350,000 American troops ponred into France ; there was now 
 no qnestion as to the nnmhers wliich were coming. l)iit how 
 wonld they fight? That was the vital question to America, to 
 the Allies and to the common enemy in iMay, 1918. German}^ 
 belittled the possibility of onr fighting well ; the Allied press 
 had taken snccess for granted ; neither side was quite sure ; the 
 stage was set for the trial. The little town of Cantigny was the 
 center of a small salient projecting into the Allied line west 
 of Montdidier. 
 
 An attack had been planned to take place by the 28th In- 
 fantry of the 1st Division on the morning of the 28th of May, 
 but an event of the day before is mentioned here, as it made the 
 forthcoming success in taking Cantigny the only ray of light 
 on an otherwise dismal picture. On the morning of ]\lay 27th 
 a great mass of German troops had sud(k*nly pushed across the 
 Ailette, over the strong position of the Ghemin des Dames, and 
 before the day was done they had pushed across the Yesle and 
 were on their way south to the Marne. The connnuniques had 
 little encouragement of allied progress. The next day, how- 
 ever, the 28th Infantry, supported by French tank battalions, 
 a platoon of French flame throwers and a small force of 1st U. 
 S. Engineers, passed all obstacles, overcame the German de- 
 fenses, captured or killed the defenders and lield Gantigny 
 against all subsequent counter attacks. 
 
 This small engagement was of great importance; it gave 
 encouragement to the Allies and confidence in the ability of V. 
 S. troops to fight "on their own." General Pershing in si)cak'- 
 ing of this engagement in his report said : "Although 'Incal, this 
 brilliant action had an electrical effect, as it demonsli-ated oni- 
 fighting qualities under extreme battle conditions."" 
 
 The 411th had the oi)portnnity of liclping in a small way 
 in this engagement, as on the moi-ning of .May 2.')lli an oi-chn- 
 was received to rush a snuili detachment of cxix'rl lincnicn 
 under command of an officei- to assist the SiLinal Officer of 
 the 1st Division in i)i"epai'ing tlie lines of connnunicalion on 
 the proposed offensive against Cantigny. l/ieiit eiiant .\. !'>.
 
 Tfi 
 
 :\iE:\roRTER of the •'4iith 
 
 .mi:mbeiis of company d are photographed with some 
 of their french friends at brie compte robert 
 
 Coates, with a detachment of fifteen men, avms hnrried 
 across country by motor truck to ^larseilles la petite and Fon- 
 taine. They did most efficient work, in keeping- up communi- 
 cation, and had an opportunity of installing telephone service 
 in temporary headquarters for ^larshall Foch and General 
 Pershing. This detachment had many lively stories to tell upon 
 their return and the camp was all trenil)liug with excitenuuit 
 for many days. Active service had l)een experienced and 
 everybody wanted to be up where the ""Big Show" was going 
 on. 
 
 On June 1st Company D was moved to St. (lermain-En- 
 Laye, a wealthy suburb about twelve kilometers northwest of 
 Versailles, that they might be more advantageously located to 
 carry on the work. Tlu^ night of the day they moved will be 
 remembered as our first experience in air raids. At tliis time 
 it was almost a nightly occurrence for the Hun bombing planes 
 to make air raids over Paris and the surrounding sul)url)s. A 
 verv elaboi'att^ svstem of signaling- (k'viees of all ]\iuds had been
 
 PARIS AND EX VT RONS 77 
 
 installed for the purpose of advisiuu' the inhabitants as soon as 
 the outlying observation posts detected the (Ternians coming 
 over. As soon as the "alerte" was sounded, every light in the 
 city and sul)urbs was ininiediately switched off, trolley lines 
 and the subAvay stopped and in fact an absolute cessation of 
 traffic took place. The inhabitants immediately sought "abri"" 
 locations, and absolute quiet Avas presumed to i)revail until the 
 "all clear" signal was given. On this particular night of oui- 
 first experience, the "alerte" was sounded about 11:30 P. ]\I. ; 
 the sky was immediately lighted with a great many seai'ch- 
 lights weaving their shafts of light back and forth across the 
 heavens in search of the Hun planes. The anti-aircraft guns 
 opened fire and the sky was filled Avith boquets of fire from the 
 bursting shells. Added to all of these deafening noises Avas 
 the shrill blast of sirens from every side Avarning the inhal)it- 
 ants to flee to the "abris. " One's impression at first Avas that 
 a gigantic Fourth of July celebration Avas being rehearsed, and 
 the writer, in common Avith many others of our outfit, stood out 
 in the open scpiare of the Palace of Versailles a A^ery much in- 
 terested spectator, until a gendarme came along and hustled 
 lis all to cover. Air raids Avere of very frequent occurrence af- 
 ter that and interfered very much AAdth our rest. The men Avere 
 Avorking A'ery hard from daylight to dark and Avent to bed 
 each night dead tired, only to be aAvakened after a couple of 
 honrs sleep and hustled doAvn into the caves, to stand in half 
 slnmber until the "all clear" Avas given. 
 
 The .job Avhich had been assigned us in this locality Avas an 
 extremely important one and had to be finished in the very 
 shortest possible time. It consisted in the building of a tAventy- 
 four Avire lead from a junction Avith the British lines at a suudl 
 place called Ham to La belle Epine, just south of Paris, a dis- 
 tance of approximately thirty-threi^ and oiu'-thii-d miles. This 
 lead Avas to serA^e as the connecting link between ( 'luiunumt, tin- 
 t(»ll sAvitching point to be La belle Ei>ine just outside 1 lu' gates 
 of Paris. After careful consideration it Avas decided lo l)uil(1 
 the lead along the higlnvay ami to utilize an existiui: l^'i-eneh 
 lead jointly Avherever possibh". Tliis jol) |)i-esente(l many dif- 
 ficulties in the AvaA' of sli'eiiut heuiiiu ttie 1^'i-ench h'ad. buihliuL;'
 
 78 MEMORIES OF THE '-^IITH" 
 
 through forests, over canals, cable Avork through a half mile 
 railroad tunnel, private right-of-ways over property owned by 
 Royalty, transposition problems in connecting- with a different 
 system of the British and constant delays and annoyances in 
 obtaining the necessary material which had to be hauled long" 
 distances by motor truck. Everybody in the organization was 
 working- from daylight to dark, as orders had been received 
 that the work absolutely had to be finished not later than 
 June 30th. 
 
 As the foregoing work was nearing completion we re- 
 
 JOH.N I. .»l UNS 
 
 Second Lieutenant Signal Corps. Assigned to 
 BattaHon in .July. 191S. With Company D until 
 discharge in U. S.
 
 TAlilS AND EXVllfOXS 79 
 
 ceived orders to begin tlic const nid ion of the toll opei'atiiig 
 buildings and exchange at La helle Epine. The buildings, 
 three in number — exchange, barracks and garage, were con- 
 structed "with Adrian bai-rack material. On account of the 
 importance of the equipment to be i)laced in the toll operating 
 exchange building, it AA-as believed that it would later be de- 
 cided to build of more substantial material — it being ({uestion- 
 able if the light Adrian barrack material would withstand the 
 elements after a few weeks. A concrete floor was laid in this 
 Iniilding with a slal) of concrete three feet thick and a finish 
 oue inch thick. A three inch (dearance was provided l)eyoud 
 the outside edges of the wooden structure to permit of the i)er- 
 manent structure above mentioned. The garage and bai'racks 
 Avere erected of the Adrian barrack material, reinforced in the 
 Aveak places so as to assure the structures standing up under 
 the heavy Avind and rain storms Avhich Avere of more or less fre- 
 quent occurrence in that locality. Part of the plan of the J^a 
 belle Epine pro.ject involved the use of the French underground 
 cable from this point to Paris. Permission Avas obtained to 
 build a manhole directly across from the exchange building ; a 
 trench was tunneled under the higliAvay and tile ducts laid. 
 The necessary duct runs Avere also provided fi'om the cahh' to 
 the distril)uting frame, to the engine room Avhere the power 
 plant Avas to be located and to other i)oints Avhere it Avas ap- 
 parent they might be recpiired. An engine base of concrete 
 Avas constructed in the garage and Iavo storage hattei-y charii- 
 ing and Iavo lighting sets mounted. In fact, a conq)lete lay- 
 out for the establishment of the toll sAvitching center Avas plan- 
 ned and completed. It Avill he easily understood that the ob- 
 taining of the necessary materials for all of this Avork uiulei- 
 the conditions AA^hich existed at that time, lack of propei- tools. 
 etc., Avas a big handicap, but the .job had to l)e done, and was 
 acconqilislu'd despite the handicai)s and in record time. 
 
 In the meantime, the remainder of the organization Avas 
 engaged in building a lO-Avii-e lead ft'oni La belle Kpine to 
 Guignes, a distance of about t went \-t'ive miles. This consti- 
 tuted the last remaining gap (d' the ( 'haumont-l'aris lead, and 
 j-ight at that time Avas most urgeully i-eqnired — not oidy to
 
 LEGEND 
 
 % Routt of telephone 
 
 LEAD BUILT 6Y Allt-" TEl_.BN. 
 SCALE )M MILES
 
 PARIS AND P]XV1R0NS 81 
 
 handle the heavy amount of traffic from (JIlQ at (Miaiimont to 
 Paris bnt also that eomnninication miuht be estal)lisiie(l witli 
 British GHQ over the lead which we had jnst completed from 
 La belle Epine to the connecting' British point at llam. The 
 pole line was practically comi)leted and we were jnst I'eady to 
 begin stringing- wire when the news which we had been await- 
 ing- for months arrived: "The 411th Telegraph Battalion will 
 report to the Chief Signal Officer of the First Ai-my witlioul 
 delay." 
 
 Before leaving the area of the SOS and chronicling the 
 events in the zone of the army, the writer believes lie shouhl 
 tell the reader a little of Paris. It was the writer's good for- 
 tune to have made many visits to the "City of Lights" during 
 his stay in the A. E. F., and it is difficult to tell very much about 
 this city in a short narrative. Therefore, this portion of our 
 story will be confined to a recital of places visited during a 
 day and a half sojourn in the style capital of the World. 
 
 Visiting Paris for the first time, and especially during that 
 period, one is not impressed with any particular idea of being 
 in a large city; the buildings are not high, the people do not 
 livn-ry, everybody appears good-natured and in fact one seems 
 to feel that all are jnst there to have a good time. But we had 
 heard all our lives that there was a great deal to see, and after 
 picking up a couple of army fi'iends. we started out, and it so 
 happened that the first place of note we visited was the .Alado- 
 line. So far as memory serves the writer, this is the only large 
 church in France which did not have a spire. It is of the (ire- 
 eian type of architecture with larg.e doric columns in fi-out. AVe 
 strolled along- the Rue Royale to the Place d;' hi Coucorde, 
 Avhich without doubt is the most wondei-ful INace in Kuroi)e. 
 Located at the end of the world famous Champs Elysees and 
 in front of the Tuileries (Jardcns, il has witliiu its confines the 
 monument of Alsace-Lorraine (at lluit time (li-aix'd in iiiotirn- 
 ing-, in which state it had Ixmmi since the war of ISTO; a slatnle 
 made of melted cannons ca|)tui'e(l l)y Napoh'ou (Ini-iiiu his dif- 
 ferent wars, surmounted l)y a figui-e of the great (leneral on 
 horseback; Cleopatra's Needle: and many otluu- statutes, nioii- 
 ments ami fountains, c(iniiiiemoi-at i\(' of historical ex'euts. ('ross-
 
 1. station, Tours. 
 
 2. Stop of Leave Train. 
 
 3. T^^here 41Uli men first went 
 
 "up in the air." 
 
 4. Effect aerial bomb "Metro." 
 
 5. Aerial raid. Paris. 
 
 6. French telephone installers, Paris.
 
 PARIS AND P]XVIROXS 83 
 
 iuji' the Place de la Concorde, we reached the Bridge of Alex- 
 ander III spaiininj^' the River Seine. This bridge is said to be 
 one of the most beautiful in the world. As we pass across the 
 bridge we hesitate a few minutes to watch the craft of all de- 
 scriptions moving up and down the river; "How mucli more 
 use the people here seem to make of their waterways than we 
 do in our country," someone in the party remarked. 
 
 Reluctantly we leave the busy I'iver scene and i)ass on to 
 Les Invalides. In the courtyard are many relics of i)ast w^ars 
 and trophies captured in the present great, war. Here we saw 
 for the first time (jferman aeroplanes, parts of Zei)i)elins, dif- 
 ferent types of artillery captured from the enemy ; in fact, 
 everything that was being \ised on the front as an instrument of 
 destruction. The Tomb of Napoleon is located back of Les 
 Invalides ; the well-like room is solid marble and is a very splen- 
 did and imposing resting place for so great a warrior. ]\Iany 
 soldiers, whose uniforms represented all the allies, were pass- 
 ing in and out. Around his tomb were clusters of battle flags, 
 not only those that he had captured from the enemy, but those 
 which had been captured by his comrades, all showing th-^ 
 l)attle scarred effects of cannon fire. Someone complained 
 about this time of having a sore foot, and suggested that we 
 take a ride through the Bois de Boulogne, the great park of 
 Paris. This Park is to Paris, what Central Park is to New 
 York and Golden Gate Park to San Francisco. During all of the 
 time that our organization was stationed at Versailles we 
 passed through "the Bois" almost daily, and the writer is sui*e 
 that all will carry a mental picture always of its evergreen 
 trees, its little lakes overhung with trees and surrounded by 
 flower-bordered paths; its beautiful winding roads; its tea 
 gardens and promenades. On our return we passed through the 
 Arc De Triomphe at the head of the Champs Elysees, stopping 
 for a few minutes to admire the bas-reliefs aiul the inscriptions 
 of Napoleon's ^larshalls and Generals on the inside walls of 
 the arches, as well as the names of many of the cities which he 
 captured. As we left the Arc, we had our fii'sl view down the 
 Champs Elysees from the P^toile. Ali-eady there was a (•ons|)ie- 
 uous coloring of Amei'ican Olive Drab, but only a hint of what
 
 84 
 
 ME:\roRiEs; of ttie "4iiTir" 
 
 "vvas to eonu> wlien this boulevard liecanie the most American- 
 ized street of Europe in the succeeding months of 1918 and 
 1919. With its broad, well paved boulevard, bordered on either 
 side by Avide sidewalks and lined with trees, is it any wonder 
 that this tliorouuhfare is the favorite promenade for the Pa- 
 risian and visitors? We rode on down the Champs Elysees, 
 again passing through the Place de la Concorde and on dowii 
 town to the "Cafe de la Paix." This cafe is a sort of institu- 
 tion in Paris, and it used to be said that if one were to sit in 
 
 H. T. EAST 
 
 Second Lieutenant Signal Corps. Joined 411tli August. 1918 
 and assigned to duties as Supply Officer.
 
 PARIS AND ENVIRONS 85 
 
 front loiiii' eiionuh he woukl see everybody in the world wliom 
 he k]iew pass by. And here we ate, dranlc and ua/.ed u|)ou the 
 pronienadors. 
 
 After hineh we visited the Bastile. The original building, 
 you will remember by referring to your history, was torn down 
 at the time of the French Revolution. On the site of the fam- 
 ous old prison is a column, surmounted by a statute of liberty, 
 connnemorating the 14th of July in the History of France. We 
 again crossed the river to the world famous Notre Dame Ca- 
 thedral. At this time the entrances and windows Avere entirely 
 covered Avitli sandbags for protection against air raids and 
 "Big Bertha" shells. The grotesque gargoyles inade quite 
 some impression on the whole party, and all agreed that the 
 church was typical of the infinte care of French art. We then 
 visited the Pantheon, the Luxembourg Gardens and took a ride 
 through the subway or "]\Ietro" as everyone calls it in Paris. 
 The subways of Paris are well organized and compare favor- 
 ably witli the best in our country. We had only stafted our 
 tour, l)ut the day was draAving to a close and we had to post- 
 pone our sightseeing on the outside to another day. The writer 
 will not here take the time of the reader in telling about the 
 night life of Paris, because it is a story by itself ; every soldier 
 and officer who has been in the A. E. F. has "covered" all of 
 its angles and novelists of international renown have written 
 stories of its individualities and allurements. 
 
 The next day we visited the Eifel Tower, the Trocadero, 
 and then through the Tuileries Gardens. Here was a most rest- 
 ful spot not far from the center of the city ; many people were 
 seated thronghont, people of low and high degree, and every- 
 where children playing; little did it seem that only twenty-five 
 miles away the German Army was preparing what proved to be 
 its last great offensive on Paris, for the very avowed purpose of 
 destroying the idols of the French as they had in 1870. In- 
 deed, as we were strolling leisurely along, enjoying tlu'se I'elics 
 of the past, a "Big Bertha" exploded only a few l)locks away. 
 A few women screamed and the children were somewhat star- 
 th'd, l)ut only for a few minules and then they i-csiuiumI their 
 l»l;i\'. In the center of tlu- uarch'us in the forward court is a
 
 1. Ori!2:inaI Mohilization Order. 
 
 2. '-Pinis" Declaration of successful ending- of A^'ai 
 '■J. liLiUeliu Board "La France Libre" Paris.
 
 PARIS AND F.XVIKOXS 
 
 87 
 
 statute of Lafayette: the tlonatioii of tli(> school cliildrcii of 
 America. And then we turned aiul })assed on to the Louvre. 
 The orijiinal Louvre was eoinnieneed in 1541 l)y Francois I: in 
 1564 Catherine de Medici carried the work on and betian that 
 I)ortion of the building known as Les Tuileries : from this time 
 on there were additions made by different rulers, Napoleon 
 causing' a great deal of work to be done during his time. AVe 
 stood in the courtyard where the Ilugenots were slaughtered 
 and here saw the foundations of the original Lonvre: stand- 
 ing in front of the Louvre, we could look through the Tuileries 
 Gardens, on past the Place de la Concorde, up the Champs 
 Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. Here was a vast work of art 
 and architectural beauty and we marveled at the hugeness of 
 it and the centuries it had taken to bring it to this point of per- 
 fecion. The French have dedicated this ground in the very cen- 
 ter of their beloved Paris that they might have a proper set- 
 ting for these works of art and the relics of a history rich in 
 achievement. The whole is made up of many small parts, each 
 detail being carefully and artistically planned, and the com- 
 pleted work blending into a never-to-be-forgotten ])icture of 
 beauty. But our play-day of sightseeing is over, and we must 
 again take up the trend of our more serious woi-k. 
 
 NO'l'ltK I) AMI-:
 
 IX 
 IN THE BATTLE ZONE 
 
 (CHATEAU-THEIRRY) 
 
 TT is the i)iii-po8e of the Avriter, in telliniz- this story of oui- or- 
 ganization, to weave in a small portion coverinu- the move- 
 ment of the American Army, that the reader may have, briefly, 
 an idea as to the general plan. It is well to recall at this time 
 tile maniiei- in which a regiment of the 1st Division liad dem- 
 onstratetl its skill and al)ility in taking the town of Cantigny. 
 Within forty-eight honrs after their snccess, not only the whole 
 '2nd Division, hut tlie 'Avd Division, had received orders and 
 were on the way with all possil)le speed to Chateau-Thierry to 
 stem the (lerman tide which was threatening to In-eak across 
 the ]Marne and on to Paris. The first American uint to meet 
 the German offensive was the 7th ^Machine Gun Battalion of 
 the 3rd Division. After being more than twenty-four hours on 
 the road, two companies of this unit reached Chateau-Thierry 
 on the afternoon of ]\Iay 31st and immediately went into action. 
 They helped the French stop the fierce effort which the Ger- 
 mans were making to cross the river, and until tlie (Jermans 
 retreated in July there were machine gunners of this Division 
 holding the river-crossing at Chateau-Thierry. The i-emaindei- 
 of the 3rd Division and the 2nd Division came up into line and 
 in the early days of June were face to face with the Germans 
 along a considei'able front iuclndiug Helleau Wood and Hour- 
 esclies village. 
 
 The figliting of tlie 2nd and -U'd Division had confii-med 
 what the 1st Division had accomplished at Cantigny. The 
 American resistance and fighting (pialities gave new courage 
 to the French, strengthened the allied cause, led up to the great 
 offensive of the allies which started on rlnly 18tli, t-nding with 
 the reduction of the Chateau-Thierry salient and tlw German 
 retreat to the Vesle. 
 
 Our oi-ganization i-earlied La Kcrle, which was the licad-
 
 IN THE BATTLE ZONE 91 
 
 (luarters of the then forming First Army, on July 29th. We 
 immediately be^ian installation of switchboard and other equip- 
 ment to eare for a large headquarters. Also began surveying, 
 staking and digging holes for a toll line from La Ferte to 
 Chateau-Thierry. Early in August a detachment of one officer 
 and eighteen men was moved to Chateau-Thierry for purpose 
 of making switchboard installation and installing telegraph sta- 
 tion. On August 6th the l)alance of one company was moved 
 to Chateau-Thierry and they were engaged in the installation 
 of telephones there, and the building and maintaining of lines 
 to 1st and 3rd Corps headquarters. On August 9th Company 
 E and Headquarters moved to Chateau-Thierry, and at once en- 
 gaged in surveying and laying out contemplated toll line 
 routes from Chateau-Thierry north to Fare-en-Tardenois and 
 Coulonge. Part of the plan involved using abandoned German 
 pole lines in this territory and French lead along railroad 
 from Chateau-Thierry to Armentieres. However, just as this 
 work was under way, orders were received to move entire Bat- 
 talion to Neufchateau. This move consumed two days and 
 was part of the great troop movement to the Toul sector in 
 preparation for the 8t. ]\Iihiel offensive. Our rate of speed was 
 rather slow as we had to move along in our designated place 
 in the line of march. The roacis were .iammed with every 
 imaginable kind of motor vehicle, and the whole train would 
 have to stop frequently owing to a traffic .jam somewhere 
 ahead. The first part of tlie journey took us along the recent 
 battle front and we saw evidences on every hand of the great 
 struggle which had been made in driving the Hun from this 
 salient. In the afternoon we passed through the town of 
 Chalons-sur-Marne and that evening stopped at a small village 
 called ]Marson to eat supper. Here we met a company of Pol- 
 ish soldiers who were fighting with the French ; they were 
 mostly from America and s{)ok'e English. They greeted us 
 with much luippiness and extended an invitation to take coffee 
 Avith them. Our journey was resumed after supper and we 
 drove until 11 -.'M) P. il., stop])iMg for Ihe remainder of the night 
 at a small village called l^ossesse. Tlie next morning we were 
 on the way shortly after daylight and during the day passed 
 tlu'ough a yevy pretty connti-y — not so many villages, but nian\'
 
 92 
 
 MEMORIES OF THE "411TH" 
 
 C. II. nOOKE 
 
 CDinmanding- Company D from June i".i, 1917, to shoi'tly after arrival in 
 France when was assig-ned to command Battalion. Transferred from or- 
 ganization just prior to outfit sailing- for U. S. in April. 1919, and as- 
 signed to duty as Chief Signal Officer Base Section No. 9. with head- 
 i|uarters at Ant^verp, Belgium. 
 
 more farms. Bar-le-Due was i)assed at ten in the morning- and 
 a stop was made at Hondelaiueourt for Inneh; here was our 
 first introduction to a Salvation Army Hut where they were 
 serving lemonade and hot doughnuts. There was a l)aro-ain 
 counter rush made for the doughnuts ; the corned willy which 
 was heing served by the mess sergeant went begging. In the 
 aftei-noon we passed througli the little village of Domi-ery, 
 the birthplace of Joan d'Arc. and that evening arrived at our 
 destination ; Company E and Headquarters going into camp in 
 a barracks just outside of Xeufchateau and Company D in an 
 air sciuadroirs barracks near Colombev-les-Belles.
 
 4 "til I I I II. U \ I'll U \ I I \ I l().\, I'KI.SIDK) ()l \I(>\ I l. Kl I , 
 
 1 I ( )K \ I \. SI
 
 X 
 ST. MIHIEL 
 
 '"P^HE work of the Battalion during the next month -was 
 varied and covered a large area. The First Army had 
 officially begun functioning on August 10th and headquarters 
 had been established at Ligny-en-Barios. Three sections of 
 No. 1220 switchboard were installed and installation made of 
 the necessary sub-station eciuipment. A 16-wire Repp construc- 
 tion lead was luiilt from Toul to Saizerais, a distance of ap- 
 proximately 15 miles ; a similar lead was built from Void to 
 Ligny, a distance of approximately 20 miles: a 32-wire lead 
 was built from Ligny to Willeroncourt, a distance of approx- 
 imately five kilometers; Avire was strung on existing French 
 leads and existing American pole lines strengthened and addi- 
 tional circuits placed thereon. In fact a complete net-work for 
 the first Army area was built up from existing lines and new 
 construction wherever necessary. In addition to the building of 
 lines and other plant, arrangements had been entered into 
 whereby our Battalion was to cover a certain portion of the 
 First Army area in the operation and maintenance of the plant. 
 This resulted in the men being scattered over a considerable 
 territory with consequent difficulties in housing and feeding 
 them. The 401st Telegraph Battalion, which was the organ- 
 ization composed chiefly of employes from the New England 
 Telephone Company, had been added to the units of the First 
 Army headquarters, and worked alongside of us in llie vai-ious 
 assignments of duty. During the remainch'r of August and tlie 
 early part of September, while we wei'c busy cveiw minute of 
 the time in establishing, operating ami maintaining tlic army 
 net briefly outlined above, there luid been preparations by 
 every unit of all the services foi- tlu' "l^>ig Show" wliich every- 
 one realized was coming off in the near future. And iu)\v lei 
 us divert our attention and see just what the Staff of our newly 
 organized First Army was pi'eparing for ihe enemy. .M'ler
 
 94 
 
 MEMORIES OF THE "411TIi'^ 
 
 the organization of the First Army, American troops practical- 
 ly withdrew from active fighting for thirty days. There was 
 no pressing emergency calling our troops to the front ; the 
 Germans had not recovered from their reverses at Soissons, the 
 Champagne, and the ^larne : the British had lannched an of- 
 fensive against Amiens in the North ; the French were attack- 
 ing on the Sonth. With the approval of the French High Com- 
 mand, General Pershing was planning the doom of St. ^Mihiel. 
 Here we will qnote from a report covering the conditions sur- 
 ronnding St. Mihiel, so that we may have a clearer under- 
 standing : 
 
 "When the Germans took the St. Mihiel salient in 1914
 
 ST. MIIIIEL 05 
 
 they established their line with an eye for advantageous posi- 
 tions which must evoke admiration from any one who sees 
 them. In the point of the salient they held all the hitih ground 
 and the French lines opposite were all below them. The (ier- 
 mans could see practically every time a French soldiei- moved, 
 and their artillery could fire from direct observation. Almost 
 the only low ground the Germans themselves had at the point 
 of the salient was the town of St. Mihiel, and they kept pai-t of 
 the civil population in St. Mihiel so that the French would not 
 disturb the troops there by shelling. The side of the salient 
 running north from St. ^Mihiel crossed a range of hills where 
 it .joined the main liattle line. On these hills the (lei-mans were 
 in a strong position but as the French were also on the hills, the 
 German advantage here was not so marked. The German line 
 on the side of the salient east from St. Mihiel ran along a com- 
 pletely commanding line of hills terminating in the isolated 
 peak of Mont Sec. From there they crossed an open valley 
 and then ran into the hills again near Pont a Mousson. The 
 French positions in the valley would not have been so bad, if 
 it had not been for Mont Sec. Ask any American who was 
 there, and he will tell you that you could not wink your eye 
 without the German observers on that cursed mountain seeing 
 you. Every American who ever served on that part of the line 
 has a clear picture of ]Mont Sec in his mind. A report of G-2 
 (Intelligence Section) of the 1st Corps gives a vivid picture of 
 the St. Mihiel Salient : 
 
 "The strength of the enemy positions had for four years 
 seemed impregnable, and had withstood in 1914 and 1915 the 
 bloody attacks of the French at Les Eparges, Apremont aiul 
 the Bois le Prethre. Such names in the early ])ai-t of the war 
 had vied in notoriety with IMons, Yi)res, Louvain, Tahur, \';in- 
 quois and Verdun. They were symbolic of the days of ti'cncli 
 warfare, in which oi)posing trenches were often no faiMlier 
 apart than ten meters; and in which mining and underground 
 warfare played a principal pai't. They typified campaigns in 
 which 100,000 lives were sacrificed to i)ush back a trench line 
 a few hundi-ed meters." 
 
 "From Augnst 21st to September I'Jth. .\mefican pr('i);ira-
 
 96 :\I E:\rORIES of the "411TH" 
 
 tions for attack were ordered to be made in all secrecy. The 
 troops were moved in at iii.ulit and hidden in the woods. Traffic 
 on the roads was ordered limited to the normal amonnt ; the 
 artillery and the air service were forbidden to show any nn- 
 nsnal activity. The heavy artillery that was bronght np was 
 not even alloAved to fire any registration shots. Despite all 
 the jn-ecantions, liowever, it seems pretty certain that the Ger- 
 mans kncAv perfectly well that they were going" to be attacked, 
 and prisoners captnred before the attack showed that they even 
 liad a fairly accurate idea of the day it was to be. Consider- 
 ing the dominating observation points in the hands of the 
 enemy it was practically impossible for onr own army to make 
 preparations nnnoticed. The (icrmans were, however, a good 
 deal pnzzled by the whole business. An officer on the staff of 
 the German General told an American officer after the armis- 
 tice that our preparations had lieen so easily detected that the 
 German Staff luid decided that they were a feint until almost 
 the time of the battle. They then ordered the troops to hold 
 the lines if attacked, l)ut tliey seemed to have made little prep- 
 aration to do this, and as they began removing their heavy ar- 
 tillery they undoubtedly weakened the morale of their troops. 
 
 "It rained hard on the night of the 11th of Septembei': it 
 had l)een raining hard for a day or two ; slimy mud Avas every- 
 where. At one in tlie morning, the (lermans Avere awakened by 
 a terrible crasli of artillery. For four hours the shells dropped 
 on their trenches and dugouts, on their roads and battery ])osi- 
 tions. and for that matter, everywhere else. Particular atten- 
 ion Avas paid to ^lont Sec. It Avas deluged Avith smoke shells 
 so that its observers could not see Avhat Avas going on. Then 
 at five o'clock came the ban-age and the infantry attack on the 
 southern sector. Much of the German Avire Avas old and a good 
 deal of it A'ery Ioav. Some the Americans cut. some they just 
 Avalked over. According to the habit Avhich liotli sides had ac- 
 quired, the forAvard trenches Avere occu])i(Ml only by patrols. 
 There Avas practically no resistance there. At the next line of 
 trenches Avhere resistance should have developed, the artillery 
 had done so Avell that, in most places, there Avas not much either. 
 Many Germans came out of their dugouts merely in time to sur- 
 render.
 
 ST. .MIIIIEL 97 
 
 "This was the first battle uncle)- Amerieaii coumiaiul — cer- 
 tainly a most auspicious beginninji'. Our total casualties (in- 
 cluding- the French troops involved) were about 4,000. The 
 (Jernian ju-isoners numbered 14,489 and 44:5 gnus." 
 
 On the evening- of Septend)er 11th Company U of oui- or- 
 ganization moved up and camped just back of the lines at 
 (Jeronville. At daylight the next morning when the offensive 
 started, they began the construction of a sixteen wire lead from 
 ^loulin Neuf forward to Rambecourt, a distance of approxi- 
 mately 11 kilometers. One circuit of this lead was extended 
 on to Mont Sec by lance pole construction, a distance of ap- 
 proximately six kilometers. This Avork was done under exceed- 
 ingly difficult conditions ; the roads were blocked with traffic 
 and it w^as practically impossible to haul any of the nuiterial to 
 the route the line was to take on account of the mud. It was, 
 therefore, necessary to carry the poles, wire and other material 
 by hand. 
 
 On the other side of the salient ('om])any E had been moved 
 up to Rupt, a distance of approximately ten kilometers from 
 St. ]\Iihiel, the night before the engagement started. The next 
 morning they began the construction of seven circuits across 
 what had been for four years "no man's land" into St. ^Fihiel. 
 It happened that Major C. H. Moore, Captain 1). W. Scotl. 
 Lieutenant Chas. W. Smith and ]M. S. E. Jordan of our organ- 
 ization were the first Americans to enter St. ^lihiel on the 
 morning of September 13th. The civilians who Avere Icfl in 
 the tOAvn A\'ere absolutely frantic with joy: yesterday tliey were 
 prisoners ; today they were free. Tliey told many tales of tluur 
 long* exile during German occupancy and were loud in theii- 
 praise of the Americans, calling them their deliverei's and sav- 
 iours; the food which had been su])])lied by the American Re- 
 lief associations had materiall>' assisted thcui. I^'i-eiich flags 
 long" buried in the bottom of Iruiik's and oilier undisi-ovci-ablc 
 places were already displayed in almost cvci-y window. On 
 the way out of the village the niciiibt'i-s of our advance parly 
 met (ienei'al INu-shing and liis slalT on tlu' way into the newly 
 freed toAvn.
 
 - « fe 
 
 X OJ - 
 
 O 
 
 m 
 
 C <i^ 
 
 c X § <■ I ? ^ i i: 'B 
 
 ^ P- 11 ~ •!■ • 7 '5 "c 
 
 % % i I' l^ ^ 
 
 
 Z r. ^
 
 XI 
 MEUSE-ARGONNE (First Phase) 
 
 AX/'ITIIIX a very few days after the St. Mihiel offensive l>e- 
 gan, the eommandinji' officer of our Battalion was "1ii)|)e(l 
 off" to be ready to move within an hour's notice, as the head- 
 quarters of the First Army Avas <>'oinii- to be ehan^ied vci-y shoi-l- 
 ly. On Sept. 17th we moved to Lemmes, a little town aboul fif- 
 teen kilometers north of Souilly on the Verdun road. Kuniors 
 were flying thick and fast that anothei- "show" was to l)e pull- 
 ed off, and we began at once preparing another net to handb' 
 the communications of the First Army whose new hcachiuarters 
 was to be Souilly. It had t)een decided that we wouhl use, as 
 far as possible, the lines and equij^ment of the Fi-ench which 
 were already in j^lace, Souilly having formerly been one of tlieii- 
 Army heachpiai'tei's. However, this work necessitated a great 
 deal of re-arranging and patching up of the French nel to nud<e 
 it a satisfactory system for the handling of our heavy traffic-. 
 American switchboards were installed at many small liead- 
 (piarters, additional telephones installed, telegraph stations 
 opened. It was also necessary to place telephone operatoi-s 
 alongside the French operators to learn the location of the 
 various lines, switchboai'ds, etc. The reader will please keej) 
 in mind that all this work had to be acc()mplished in eight or 
 nine days, as the offensive was scheduled to start on Sept. "Jlitli. 
 After Avhipping the lines of communication into shape, ()|)erat- 
 ing crews and maintenance crews were ])laced at the vai'ious 
 headquarters and as much precaution taken as possible lor 
 evei-ything to be in shape when the heavy load came. 
 
 When First Army liea(l(piar-ters hatl been established at 
 Ligny ])i'evious to the St. .Mihiel operation the first women 
 tele|)hone 0[)erators had been brought forward fi'om Xeiif- 
 chateau and other j)oints to haiulie the Fii'st .\rmy s\\ it rhbonrd. 
 They had proven theii- worth aiul when the .\rmy moxcd to 
 Souilly they canu' also; in fact they had bei-oiiie iiidispeiisible.
 
 100 
 
 :^rEMOKiEs OF THE ••4nTir" 
 
 AVliat it meant to liavf our Anierican girls over in France, op- 
 erating an American telei)hone system, bnilt by Americans, for 
 the vise of American troops, may be inferred from the foUow- 
 ing incident : A very busy officer lifted his receiver to place 
 a call, and when he heard "Number please?" in the old famil- 
 
 GHACE I). HWKER 
 
 Chief Operator, First Army Headquarters during- St. 
 Mihiel and Meuse-Arg-onne offensives. It was due in a great 
 measure to her efficiency tliat tlie operation of tlie exchange 
 was so well liandled. One of very few women in any of tlie 
 services wlio received the D. S. M. which was awarded to 
 her at Coblenz where she was acting as Chief Operator after 
 the Armistice. Lieutenant-General Liggett personally made 
 the award, the occasion being made one of much ceremony. 
 Miss Banker's home address i.s 227 Van Houten Ave., Passaic, 
 New Jersey.
 
 MErSE-AK(;()XXE 101 
 
 iar way, he shouted, "Tlianlv (Jod you ai-c heiT at hist," so 
 loudly aud devoutly that everybody witliiii hcai-iiii: had a 
 hearty laugh, includiug the operator at the other cud of the 
 wire. Many complimentary things have been said about the 
 work of the young lady operators, and General Ivussel, Chief 
 Signal Officer of the A. E. F., in writing of them the day after 
 the armistice, made tlie following statement: 
 
 "The bringing of women telephone operators to France 
 for service with the American Expeditionary Forces, to i)artici- 
 pate in active war service, had no precedent, and for this reason 
 the experiment was watched with uiuisual interest. It pleases 
 me a great deal to say that by your ability, efficiency, devotion 
 to duty, and irreproachable and businesslike conduct of your 
 affairs, personal and official, you have not only justified the 
 action taken in assembling you, but have set a stancUird of ex- 
 cellence which could hardly be improved upon and which has 
 l)een responsible, in no snudl measure, for the success of our 
 system of local and long distance telephone communication."* 
 
 We had opportunity of observing the work of the young 
 ladies at First Army headquarters, and were all unanimous in 
 the opinion that without their assistance it would have been 
 practically impossible to have taken over the French net and 
 made it answer the purpose of caring for our communications. 
 In addition to all of them being thoroughly trained telephone 
 operators, they were all fluent in speaking the French lan- 
 guage, which was of immeasureable and indispensible value. 
 
 And while speaking of teleplione oi)erators, tluM'e is aiu)tlier 
 group of signal corps men who have sometimes been overlooked 
 when achievements have been discussed — the men who acted as 
 telephone operators of small switchboards scattered here and 
 there from the Base Hospital to the front line ti'ciich. Forced 
 oftentimes to work under extremely uncomfoi'tahh' sui-roiuid- 
 ings — perhaps in a dugout with just enough room lo nio\-e. ami 
 only candle light to work by — he did his work day in and (la\' 
 out with a degi'ee of efficiency second to inme. ()!' course he 
 growled about doing "gii'ls" woi-k"" as he (•alle<l it, and al- 
 ways seized the first opitortunity to get out of such detail; 
 lU'vertheless he did a good jol).
 
 1. Camp Juvin. 
 
 2. Road near where Hicke>- was wounded. 
 
 o. French artillery nioving- through La Ferte. 
 
 4. On guard.
 
 .MHrsH-AR(;()XXE 103 
 
 Thi' .Meiise-Ai'^oimc l)attle. fouiiiit hy our Fii'sl Ai-iiiy, 
 was the largest battle in American history. It was a part of 
 the great allied offensive from the sea to Switzerland which 
 began on the morning of the 26th of September, 1918, During 
 the time from September 13th to about September 21st more 
 than 300,000 American troops had been moved from the rest 
 areas, from the base ports, from St. ]\Iihiel and other places to 
 the front between Verdun and the western rim of the Argonne 
 forest. These troops were moved for the most part by means 
 of motor trucks. Unless one has actually M-itnessed a big troop 
 movement of this kind, little conception can be had of just 
 what it means. It reciuires approximately one thousand trucks 
 to move the men of an American Division, allowing twenty-four 
 men to a truck which was the average numl)er usually carried. 
 There were fifteen divisions moving into this area, and as one 
 division takes up about four miles of road, not counting their 
 own artillery, sui)ply. ammunition, engineer trains, etc., there 
 was upwards of sixty miles of road occupied in the movement if 
 all liad been under way at one time. It will be kept in mind 
 also that a large movement of this kind is fui'ther complicated 
 by the necessity of moving only during the night as the terri- 
 tory inunediately back of the lines is approached; the success 
 of the operation depending in a very large measure upon the 
 degree of secrecy maintained. 
 
 '■ i*hysically and artificially the 4:0 kilometei- front which 
 the Amei'ican Army was to attack was al)out the most difficult 
 point on the western fi'ont. The Argonne Forest had been con- 
 sidered impregnable for four years. We accepted this verdict, 
 also, for the plan of battle was for the French to go upon Ihc 
 west of it while our ai-uiy went up east of it, and by outflank- 
 ing il, I'eiidei' it untenable. Tlie plan was iu)t to take i1 1»\' di- 
 rect assault. It is a thick growth very much i-eseiuhliiig the 
 Wilderness in Virginia, only the Wildei-iiess is fairly level 
 while the Argouju- is full of steej) hills nud ravines. The -irowih 
 is like the Wilderness, the lack of roads is the same, and the 
 character of the few roads that exist is jiol vei-y diffei-ent. .\ 
 fair picture of the Ai'gonue does not incliule the iteautiful roads 
 of France.
 
 104 
 
 :\rK.Mo|,'fKS «>K TIIK ■• 411 Til 
 
 TCLtPHONE LlNtS 5ulLT By 411 — 
 
 Tel.Bn- Argonne-Meuse: Drivel 
 
 LCOEND ^ „ 
 
 mwm^ Li^rs cor^f*LCTe:Ly bu/lt &y 4//— 7el. Q^. 
 
 /P-^/t. ffOAlXS 
 
 Aei'oss iIk' Vfil!<'.\' of the Aii'c from tlic Ariioimc is aiiotlici' 
 •woods l»o;is1 iiiij- half a do/en iiaiin's IhiI no roads riiiiiiinu' north 
 in ihc dii-c'-iion we wanted io <_:<). These wonTs w.-vc also a con- 
 sidcT'ablc irnniediate ohsta'de. i<'i'oiii ihes:' woods to thi- .Mciise 
 tlie (lernian lines wyv^.- in the open Imt were slroniily phieed on 
 the hilfs. <)n the whoh' 'I'l mih- front thece wei'e only three 
 main north and south roads one np the Aii'e \'alley. (tne from 
 Esiies to Montfaneon, whiidi was vci'\' p(»or. and one aloiiii' 
 the MtMise which coidd he under fire fi-om the other hank of 
 the river, l^esides these lhi-t-e roads, one snh.ject to shellfire, 
 there was one from I'.et hineonrt to Montfaii<-(»ii, hnt it went 
 diafronally aeross 1he direction of onr altaid-:, it crossed tlie 
 spheres of three diffei'ent di\isions \\hi(di nunh' its use soiiie- 
 Avliat eompl iejited. ()n the map also there are sn(di roads indi-
 
 .Mi:i si: AUM.oxM'. 
 
 10.-) 
 
 i-;it('(l ;i^ llic I'lic \'\o\\\ .\\()iM>iirl to N'crv. lull tlicy were ton 
 |utor iJis llic llllli li'iinicd > \o lie nl' imicli lu'lp. AccordiiiL;' to 
 llicorv f;icli (li\isioii in (■(iiiil>;ii iiCi'ils a road jo itsdl'. We had 
 nine di\isi(ins in line; our ronniinnirat ions, t luM-crorc. shoidd 
 lia\i' had nine roads I'aralh'l to onr adxain-r. 
 
 'Thf phin of allark was as I'oMows: The \ ('orps was to 
 dri\(' straight np the nii(MK" oi' the connti'v l\ inu Itrtwci'n ihc 
 Ai'iionnc and the .Mcnsc. Il was to he ihr jioinl i^\' altark. Thi- 
 1st Coi'ps on ils h'l'l was !o Urr\) the (icrnians luisv in the Ar 
 L^'onnc and lo adxaiif,' np the Aire \'alh'_\ io Ivt'cp ni luui-h w ith 
 ihc main ailacU, The 'Ird ('orps. on the rn.ihl, was to cover th(> 
 Ici'rilorv lu'lwccn ihc niani allark and tin' .Mcnsc. 
 
 When Ihc allack started, llic ls| Corps opposite the Ar 
 L^-onin- and the Aire \'aHe_\ had in line two divisions with e\ 
 perienee, the 77lh and I'Slh, and one ureen division, the :i.">th. 
 The .">! h ( 'orps in the eentei' had three Ljreen divisions in line, 
 the illsl, the ;i7lh and the 7''th. The :\vi\ Corps on ih.' ri'jht had 
 one untried division, the :>:ird, the Sdth. whieh had liad a little 
 riuhtini;' with the A nsl I'a I ians, and one divisiioi, the Ith. thai 
 had had experienee on the N'esle. The Isl, I'nd. :ird, L'tith, :?'_'iul. 
 rjiid. the uiosj Irii'd divisions, were in reserve or ioined the 
 h'irst Arniv lalei' in the ri'_;hl. 
 
 Six onl of the inne divisions initially atlaekui'.; had never 
 111 en in a real hatth' hel^nc. The exeru'nee (d' the corps stalls 
 v\as vcrv limited: the armv was simicwhal laekio'.; in traininL;' 
 and experience. It was also laidviiii; in the appliances of war, 
 I'appilv this did not appiv to unns, (>nr armv hail plenty of 
 ■jnns lor the nnlial homha rd nieni and alter that mere than 
 eonid he lianled lhi-(niL;li the eonntry. Willi a verv lew ex 
 eeptions all o\' oiii' uiins eaiiie from the h'reneh, I p to the lime 
 t he war ended |irael ie;i I l,v no muis (d' A nu-riean make had reaeli 
 ed t he I'ronl , 
 
 We were, then, in iiiaiiv ways somewhat lai'kiii" in exper 
 ieiiee and eipii|imenl. < >n llie oilier hand we had iinmhers and 
 a t reiiiendoiis olTeiisive sjiiril 'the will to vielmv whieh the 
 (ierman military writers used In he so I'mid (d' wriliii" ahniil. 
 This was as (dia rael erisi ie (if I hi' ima'.rnial ion and eoidideiiee ol 
 llie command as it was the iTjIitiiii; spirit (d' I he troops. This
 
 m^-:^*^jdit '^^&Mr^4ri&^^. 
 
 1. Where kitchen was the night Itefore. 
 
 2. Ruins Vaux. 
 '.]. Near Cheppy. 
 
 4. Ruins Chateau-Thierry. 
 
 5. Ruins Dun sur Meuse. 
 
 6. Avac'duvi Ruins.
 
 MErSK-AJ{(i()XXK 107 
 
 Ar.iionne-^Ieuse l)att]e had a time limit to it. Its object must 
 he yained hefore the main Oermaii ai-mies liad reti-eated from 
 the hi"' salient in France. It was a (juestion of breakino' every 
 German line on that fi'oiit quickly and ending the wai- in 1!)1S. 
 or fighting another year, and it is fortunate "we liad a (Gen- 
 eral and an Army that were willing to push the fighting, pay 
 the price and finish the wai'. "' "To Iloboken or hell before 
 Christmas." 
 
 On !^epteml)er 24th our Battalion l)egan the construction 
 of a ten wire lead from Bois P'oucheres through Recieourt in a 
 northwesterly direction to the edge of the Forest de Hesse, and 
 l)y working every available minute of daylight, hauling and 
 distributing material at night, had completed the lead to the 
 edge of the forest which Avas just behind the German front 
 lines during the night of the 25th. This lead was to constitute 
 the main axis of eomnnmication with First Army headcpiarters 
 as the Corps headiinarters advanced. That night Company D 
 slept under their camouflaged trucks in the edge of the forest 
 and the next morning shortly after the infantry "went ov(M' the 
 top," was busily engaged in carrying the lead forward throuuh 
 the Avoods in the direction of Avocourt. As a tem]iorary 
 measui'e, cross arms were attached to trees through this foresi 
 and insulated wire used. Reference has l)een made to the con- 
 dition of the roads from Avocourt to ^lontfaucon and Very: 
 for the first feAv days they Avere al)solutely impassable for any- 
 thing exce])t the vei'y liglitcst vehicles. During the day of 
 September 2(jth Ave Avere able to haul some of our line matei'ial 
 and poles and establish a dum]> at Avocourt, but from that 
 point on to Montfaueon, Avhere the first SAvitching point Avas 
 to be established, every pound of matei-ial including the poles 
 had to be cari'ied on the backs of soldiers. The building of this 
 lead across the old "no-man's land" north of .\vocour1. 
 through the Forest de Montfaueon 1o the " waler-liole" south 
 of ^lontfaucon, constituted a task Avliidi tried our men to the 
 vei-y limit of i)hysical endurance. Pei-forming the very hardest 
 kind of woi'k in liii^ging matei'ials lont:' distances ovei- shell toi-n 
 fields and woods heavy with mud and watiM", covered with al- 
 most contiinial rain, sle<'|)ing in I'ecently e\acua1e(i (Jerinan
 
 1. Test station near front. :j. Repairing- truck. 
 
 2. Hustling- tlieni in at Li.s<-ny. 4. Waiting for •■cliow." 
 
 5. Camp Imacourt.
 
 :\rEi:sE-ARGONNp: 109 
 
 duuouts filtliy with vci-iiiin ;nul rats, liviiiii' on scant food owiiii;' 
 to difficulty in brinying up supplies, subject to scatterin<i' shell 
 fire in the day time and air raids at iiight, these men accom- 
 plished I'esults worthy enough to be chronicled alongside of the 
 many brilliant exploits further to the front in that long- battle. 
 
 Orders had been received that this lead to the "water- 
 hole"' nmst be finished on October 2nd: its need being most im- 
 perative. About dusk in the closing hours of that date our men 
 were strung out along the cluttered, traffic congested road 
 through the forest, along Avhieh the circuits were being con- 
 structed. Some were pulling up slack, some w^ere on tops of 
 poles "tying in/' others distributing material from the trucks, 
 when suddenly the "put, put, put" of machine guns was heard 
 and almost before any one of the thousands of soldiers scatter- 
 ed along the road and all over the ad.joining area realized what 
 was happening, a nund)er of German planes had swooped dowji 
 on a "straffing" expedition. There was a hustle for cover, the 
 anti-aircraft guns turned loose and everyone yvith any. kind of 
 a w^eapon took a shot at the marauders. It w-as quickly over, 
 and the first thought of the writer who happened to be stand- 
 ing at the "criss-cross roads" was "surely our former good luck 
 will be broken and some of our men will be hit." Sure enough, 
 in a few minutes a couple of our boys were seen coming down 
 the road bearing a stretcher carrying "Jerry" Hurley. He had 
 been hit by a bullet w^hich pierced his leg just below the knee, 
 luckily missing the bone. The wound was cpiiekly dressed and 
 "Jerry" Avas sent back to our headquarters in our own P>at- 
 talion ambulance. He is the only man in our organization who 
 was wounded in action and therefore entitled to wear a wound 
 chevron. Uui'ing his convalescence and evei' aftei- he was the 
 most envied man in the outfit. 
 
 Reference has been made a number of times to the "watei- 
 hole." This was located just at the foot of the hill south of 
 ]\rontfaucon. A natu'ral spring of clear, eold wat(M- existed here 
 and the Germans had built a small concrete building over the 
 same, installing a gasoline pumping station. We had pre- 
 empted this on the first day of the drive as the location for 
 installation of our switchint:- station. It conlaincd facilities for
 
 no 
 
 MEMORIES OF THE '^4nTn" 
 
 cooking, and the men who were stationed there later operating 
 the switchboard and maintaining the lines were envied as hav- 
 ing most Inxnrious, comfortable ([iiarters, althongh they only 
 bad a concrete floor for a bed. It became the rendezvous of 
 all signal corps men passing to and fro, and liad the reputation 
 of never refusing a "hand-out" as long as there was anything 
 in the larder or any chance of foraging. 
 
 Iipon the completion of 
 the lead to the "water- 
 hole" we immediately be- 
 gan the construction o^' a 
 sixteen wire Repp con- 
 struction lead from Very 
 to Ivoiry, which was to 
 fit in with the 1st Corps 
 lead being built from the 
 left thi-ough ('heppy. 
 This line was liuilt along 
 the side of the ridge ex- 
 tending between the two 
 towns. The locality Avas 
 yet under observation by 
 the German balloons and 
 observation posts a n d 
 there was almost daily 
 shell fire, a battery of 
 "75's" being located at 
 the foot of one of the hills 
 in front of Very. It was 
 Avhile doing this work 
 that the saddest day in 
 o u r Battalion history 
 came. While engaged in 
 digging holes for the pole 
 line, "Shorty" Barker of 
 our outfit and Sergeant 
 Singleton of the 319th 
 Field Signal Battalion 
 
 V. •'•SHOHTV" ItAKKKIi 
 
 Private l.st Class with Company D; 
 Ijronioted to Chauffeur working' as a 
 Hneman KiUed in action by explosion 
 of German "77" shell October 25, 1918, 
 while engaged in building telephone 
 line near Very, France, during Meuse- 
 Argonne offensive. Buried in cemetery 
 neara Cheppy, France, by liis comrades. 
 Later body was removed to military 
 cemetery near Romagne, France.
 
 MErsE-Aia;oxNE in 
 
 '\>li() was attaclu'd lo iis for duty, were iuslatilly killed 
 by the explosion of a "77"" shell. '"Siioi-ty" had eiideai-ed 
 himself to every officer and man in the oruani/at ion by his 
 (|niet, nnassuinin<z- niannei' and always eayer williii^iiess to do 
 his fnll duty no inattei- where it might be. For him to be taken 
 away from us in this sudden, unexpected nniiinei- was a terrible 
 shock to us all : and yet everyone realized that auy da\- aii\- one 
 of ns miiiht be called upon to make the same sn[)reme sacrifice. 
 Onr dear comrade was bui-ied in the little cemetei'v not far from 
 where he .uave his life to his country, and it was a sad crowd 
 of men who ayain took np the toil of onr daily life. Lieuten- 
 ant John L. Bnrns, who was in command of this detachnu'iit. 
 was knocked down by the force of the same exi)losion but was 
 not injnred. All of the men comprising' this detachnn'nt were 
 recommended for especially meritorious and distinguished serv- 
 ice hy the Commanding Officer of the 411th. l)nt no awards 
 were ever inade, and like many other heroic deeds, their only 
 reward mnst be the fond memory of their comrades who know 
 of their bravery and duty well done. 
 
 During the time that this construction work was being 
 done in the forAvai'd areas the remainder of the Battalion was 
 scattered over the Fii'st Army area, installing swit(dd)oai-ds, 
 iMinning temporary lines to ammunition dumps, air fields, etc.. 
 providing circuits to connect with existing Frencdi lines, oper- 
 ation and maintenance of telephone and telegraph stations. 
 
 As the American front line moved forward, we began the 
 continuation of the main Army axis from the "water hole" or 
 test box No. 5 to Epinonville, via Iviory in general northwest- 
 erly direction of Oesnes and Landres St. George. At a jtoint 
 just beyond the intersection of the lead and the main ("hari)en- 
 try-RomagiK^ road, the utilization of an existing Boche ])ole 
 line l)egan, and dui'ing the I'emainder of the time that this axis 
 was being extended Ave were constantly availiiiL;- om'sel\-es of 
 the use of ahandoned (iei-man plants. 
 
 It is not the pui'pose of this narrative lo tell much in de- 
 tail the movenn-nts of the various ninls of the First .\riii\ dur- 
 ing those first two weeks of the .\i-goniH'-Meuse oireiisixf; to 
 do so would recpure volumes, ami oui- I'caders who participated 
 Avill desire to studv the whole s1oi-\- from the many histories
 
 1. Camp (in A'(ii(l-I.isn>- line. 
 
 2. As evening shadows fall. 
 
 3. Ruined French tank. 
 
 4. Moving'. 
 
 ."). Romagne. 
 
 II. In a sliell hole.
 
 .MKrsE-APv(;()X.\E 
 
 113 
 
 which will be written. However, we do desii-e to keep in iiiiiul 
 the general movement of onr army durinu' these last weeks. 
 On the Kith of October the Kriemhilde defense had l)een 
 reached all aloni:- the line from the Argonne to the Mense. That 
 defense was two and a half miles in depth: it took our Army 
 tAventy days to go that short distance. The hills around Ro- 
 magne, Bantheville and Landres-St. George were the l)ackbone 
 of the German resistance. They were fighting to save their 
 main line of communications, the fonr track raili'oad through 
 ]\Iezieres over which the men, supplies and annnunitions for a 
 large part of the German Armies in France had to be carried. 
 When the -SOth of October came Ave had worn thi-(»ugli the (ier- 
 man Kriendiilde defenses in many places and in some places 
 they still held the last fringe of them. Hut the enemy knew 
 that they could not cling to the last defenses and that there 
 was no other line l)ehind them that could save the precious 
 railroad. They also i)rol)ably realized that the comi)arative 
 ({uiet of the last days '>f Octol)er was pi'eparatory to another 
 genei-al attack. It Avas during these days that Ave first began 
 to hear I'umors of an armistice, and Avliile all were tii'ed of the 
 Avar's daily grind. Ave kncAv the enemy Avere ready to be on 
 the I'un anil eveiy mother's son Avas keyed up to give him a 
 Liood li(d\ins'. 
 
 »JT. AT BIN
 
 
 
 1. Where ■•Push" helped. 
 
 2. Void-I^igny line. 
 
 3. Washing- mess kits. 
 
 -t. "SOS" foi' Repp materiaal. 
 
 .5. Helping Poilus move out. 
 
 6. "Get the top arm through tonight.
 
 XII 
 MEUSE-ARGONNE (Second Phase) 
 
 '"T'HE second phase of the l)att!e of the Argonne was sched- 
 ided to start on November 1st. Our organization in conjunc- 
 tion with other Signal Corps troops of the First Army liead- 
 qnarters had been working night and day to be in readiness. 
 An incident which might have l)een very disastrous occurred 
 the night before the new offensive was to start — a fire at First 
 Army Headquarters. A number of the l)uildings in which im- 
 portant fStaff headquarters were located burned to the ground. 
 Fortunately, however, the building in Avhich our excliange was 
 located Avas saved. All of the available men were called in from 
 all directions and by working incessantly all night, temporary 
 lines Avere run into the switchboard, and while a great deal of 
 confusion resulted, the lieavy load was handled Avithout api)re- 
 ciable delay. 
 
 The race of the enemy for his last line of raili'oad connnun- 
 ication began when our troops "jumped off" on the morning 
 of November 1st, and, indeed, it was a race. The German re- 
 sistance of the last thirty days had disappeared and they could 
 not stop the allied advance. Yet, their retreat Avas Avell con- 
 ducted, even though rapid, and a very stubborn rear-guard re- 
 sistance Avas maintained. 
 
 During these last eleven days of the "push" just before 
 the Armistice, our Battalion Avas busily engaged in extending 
 the center axis of communication forAvard in the direction of 
 Buzzancy and Nouart. It Avill l)e i-ecailed by the readei- that 
 there was a sudden SAvitch in the direction of this axis aftei- 
 leaA'ing Imecourt, and at the time it Avas perhaps difficult to 
 understand, but it Avill be remembei-ed thai llic Army was 
 making a SAveeping turn to the EastAvard in tiie direction of 
 Stenay and our line of connnunication Avas l)eing changed ac- 
 cordingly. The AA^riter will covei- in a later chaptei- all of the 
 detailed Avnrk ])crfofiii('(l l)y the l>attalion dui-ini; tlicse last
 
 German conci'ete Tank Fence 
 
 Hindenberg Line. 
 
 Dead Man's Hill. 
 
 Burning Balloon. 
 
 Just ruin.s — neai- Avacourt. 
 
 5. Near Avacourt — road over which 
 w^e. traveled first day of Meuse- 
 
 Argonne offensive. 
 
 6. Shell hole in liillet — Chateau-Thierry,
 
 :\rErsE-AK(iux.\E 117 
 
 days, Init desires to touch here upon the woiidei'i'ul spii-it of the 
 men in our organization during this time. They liad lieen work- 
 ing up to the very limit of endurance, the weather was extreme- 
 ly bad, the roads most miserable, good food difficult to get up 
 to the men, and all in all the strain was beginning to tell. How- 
 ever, the work in hand was being carried on with a determined 
 effort and the writer does not believe a nuiii in the outfit 
 would have taken advantage of an opportunity to i-eturn to 
 the SOS if it had been offered him. But the end was near at 
 hand and our hard work was nearing completion as persistent 
 rumors of the Armistice were being circulated every day. The 
 writer was forced to leave the organization the day before the 
 eventful day for the Hospital and therefore missed the actual 
 rejoicing. .Months afterwards (in April, 191f), .just al)out the 
 time the Organization sailed for the U. S.) he n^ad an article 
 in Collier's by Frederick Palmer, a portion of which touched 
 upon the (dosing days of "America's Greatest Battle," and 
 with apologies to him and the indulgence of the read,ei-, the fol- 
 lowing is quoted, believing that he has covered the nu^at of the 
 matter in a most interesting and entertaining mannei*. 
 
 On the luorniiig of November 2 the German communique aimouuced 
 for the first time in the four years and more of its literary propaganda 
 for the German peojjle and the world, that the German line had been 
 broken; and on that day our whole line made another spring forward on 
 schedule time. The whaleback was ours. We looked down on the valley 
 of the Meuse, winding toward Sedan. The survivors of the step-by-step 
 ailvance in the Argonne had only to stretch their legs now. Motor trucks 
 followed the infantry over unharmed roads, hurrying uj) supi)lies. Other 
 motor trucks brought the reserves. Civil population in villages, unin- 
 jured except by a few shells, welcomed us. It was a man-li against a 
 little artillery fire and some machine-gun fire, while we gatlienMi in the 
 stragglers of the many broken German divisions. 
 Crossing the Meuse Canal. 
 
 Our mo\emeiit was now becoming fan-shaped, with our rushing divi- 
 sions on our left sjireading out into the sector of the French Fourth Army, 
 and the divisions on our right gradually forming their front on the bank 
 of the curving Meuse. Of course the oth, on the extreme right, was the 
 first in position for a crossing. It had to pass over the Meuse Canal 
 after it hail passed over the river. By 1 a. m. of the .Srd a ])atrol was 
 across the Meuse, but was checked at tlie canal by machine guns, which 
 also stopped some engineers who were trying to liuild a footbridge over 
 
 the river, but the artillery joined in witli tin ichine guns and forced 
 
 them to dig in on the l)ank of the canal. However, the evening was yet 
 young. Two footljridges were put oxer the canal before morning, but 
 when small columns tried to rush across all their efforts were swept 
 back bv well-directed lilasts.
 
 Enti-ance to Verdun. 
 
 Verdun. 
 
 Dead Man's Hill. 
 
 4. Barli Avire entanglements near Etain. 
 
 .5. Front line dressing- station near Verdun. 
 
 6. Verdun — Signal Corps "dump" on left.
 
 .METSf^-ARGONXE 119 
 
 At nine-thirty the next morning the army sent word that the cross- 
 ing must be effected, as the whole movement of the army depended upon 
 it. Therefore it was not in order to wait on darkness. We must get to 
 work immediately. We should try at many points, and at some points 
 we were bound to succeed. At Clery-le-Petite we started to make a bridge 
 of pontoons, but the pontoons were smashed by shells almost as fast as 
 they were put in the water; and, although the bridge was made, there 
 was no crossing it against the hurricane of fire. A little later two bat- 
 talions, attacking by sur])rise without artillery preparation, gained a 
 crossing at Brieulles, and about the same time another battalion, the men 
 used improvised rafts, or duckboards, poles, and ropes, and swimming, 
 slij^pcd over into the Chatillon Woods. As all the men were wet to the 
 skin and the night was cold, action was the only means of keeping warm, 
 and before morning they had cleaned up the woods. The next thing was 
 to master the town of Dun-sur-Meuse. "Take the shelling and the ma- 
 chine-gun fire," was the divisional command. "Go through Dun and then 
 go east. Push things along. ' ' By midday of November 5th Dun was taken. 
 The German was being given no time to rest; and the next <lay the men 
 of the 5th advanced four miles among the heights on the other side of 
 the Meuse. 
 
 The enterprise of the oth ha<l forewarned the Germans what they 
 might expect from the 90th, which had farther to go than the 5th, and 
 had some bad ground to clean up on the way. Meanwhile a regiment 
 of the 32d had come in between the 90th and 5th; so the "Arrow's" were 
 not out of the pursuit. 
 
 Mouth-Watering Hounds 
 
 The Germans on the bank ojtjiosite the 90th were intrenching, and 
 while dropping gas shells on our bank their artillery was as cjuick as 
 their machine gunners to concentrate their fire on our attempts at cross- 
 ing. The 90th went through much the same experience as the 5th. The 
 Texans were not in a mood to be stopped by a river now that they had 
 tasted pursuit, and after stiff fighting they took the town of Stenay on 
 the other side of the 10th and extended their advance to the hills beyond. 
 
 Wright 's 89th, of the Fifth Corps, in the center, was keeping up 
 with the 90th, and it found, as the 90th and as the 2d, on its left, had 
 found, that the Germans were continuing to cover all the ajjproaches to 
 the river with machine-gun and artillery fire. It had been the "race- 
 horse" 2d which had captured the German officers at a card game, and 
 which in one of its night marches captured an officer in the midst of his 
 inspection of his machine-gun platoon prejiaratory to making a strategic 
 retreat. All the divisions were making night marches, but the 2d had 
 particiilar reasons for urgency on this score, because there was the 1st 
 in reserve ju'essing up for a chance — yes, it liad the impudence to think 
 that it might go through the 2d — to relieve anybody in the front line 
 that was tired — with all the mouth-watering watchfulness of a hound 
 waiting to pick up a bone if another hound droppeil it. When it was 
 decided that the 80th, which had been put in without sufficient time for 
 recuperation after its service in the Third Corps, should be given a little 
 rest in reserve, the 1st, which had been thirty-six hours at a stretch on 
 its feet, had its ambition — as our first division to arrive in France to be 
 in at the finish — gratified. To every man of ours the sight of that val- 
 ley, as he moved downhill after he liad fought an uphill fight for six 
 weeks, was as the sight of water calling a thirsty num in the desert. The 
 little men from the tenements, in the 77tli, New York's own Liberty Di- 
 \ision, kejit forcing thenisehes along under tlieir heavy pa(d<s, for it is 
 not tlie liabit of JNIetropolitans to miss a jiarade. As tli(> First National 
 Army division to arrisc in Franc(\ tlicy had Just as inucli tight to be in
 
 1. Ready for an "alert." 4. An Arms' liaireiil. 
 
 2. Hunting' the cootie. •"). Sewing' on 1st Army "A's." 
 
 3. Rolling- kitchen; Cook Bi-uce in foreground.
 
 ME rSE- A R( ;ON XE 121 
 
 at the finish as the 1st — though, to tell the truth, it was uot sentiment 
 which kejit a division in or took one out, but the tactical considerations 
 of the moment. The 42ud, pressing forward for an opening with all the 
 fervor of the 1st, went through McRae 's "Jersey Lightnings" of the 
 78th — all honor to them and their commander: they who had shown the 
 endurance of por])oise hide after their grueling attacks in the Grand Pre 
 gap by making a fifteeu-mile advance fighting along the edges of the 
 Bourgogne Wood. 
 
 ' 'Press the Enemy' ' 
 
 As the 42nd represented twenty-six states, it would not have jiaid 
 much attention, even if its orders had been different, to army sectors 
 when it was in full cry after the enemy on the way to the River Meuse. 
 The report that the Rainbows had entered Sedan was due to a misun- 
 derstanding by one who read the Rainbows' message on the subject. 
 They had entered Wadelineourt, a suburb on the other side of the river 
 from Sedan. The difference was as that of mistaking Jersey City for 
 New York if the North River was about a sixth of its breadth. 
 
 The French took Sedan; an<l that was as it should be. There was 
 historical fitness in those veteran poilus, in their faded blue coats, being 
 the first to enter that town where a French disaster due to a ti'avesty of 
 imperial leadership had glorified the Hohenzollem and his army which 
 was now broken in retreat; and it was equally fitting too that the Brit- 
 ish veterans should take Mons, where Sir John French 's ' ' contemptibles ' ' 
 had show'u how bravely men could die against overwhelming odds. 
 
 The 42nd side-slipped out of the French sector. On the night of 
 November 10 the 2d and the 89th Divisions accomplished their crossing 
 of the ]\reuse. The next morning we continued to advance along our 
 whole front on the other bank, while our Second Army in the St. Mihiel 
 sector made an attack which was a part of plans already made. As an 
 army we had no orders yet except to press the enemy, gaining every ad- 
 vantage that Yve could. We had no official word that the armistice 
 would be signed. One of the most convincing reasons which the Germans 
 had for signing it — and many officers thought that the Germans might 
 not sign it, as they still had a large army in being — was the events on 
 the Meuse during the first ten days of November which gave us all the 
 liositions of the Meuse. On many occasions German peace talk had had 
 no ol)ject apparently except to injure the morale of the Allied armies; 
 and throughout the peace discussions of October it was not the business 
 of the soldiers to be influenced by it, but to go on fighting all the harder 
 until the order to cease firing came. 
 
 When Dreams Came True 
 
 Until eleven o'clock on November 11 the German nitillery was fir- 
 ing at some points where we were not attacking. Instantly the mess- 
 age that an armistice was signed came from Marshal Foch's head- 
 quarters it was transmitted over the lines and operations were stopped 
 as fast as units could be informed. Some small parties, working their 
 way against machine-gun nests, could not lie reached in time. Individual 
 soldiers who were creeping forward in woods and ravines had to be 
 warned in person before they stopped sniping at machine-gun nests \vlii(di 
 they were encircling. The 79th Division had only one more hill In takr 
 before it gained the great plain of the Woevre. When one of the ad 
 vanced units received the word that the war was over a soldier ex 
 claimed: "Hell! Aren't you going to let us take the last hill an<l finisli 
 the job?" The New Englandeis of the 2fith were fighting beside the 
 79th, advancing steadily after their terrible days in the battle for tlie 
 heights on the east liaiik of tli(* Meuse. Now we had them all i'\ce|d thai 
 one hill.
 
 122 
 
 :\iE:\roKTKs of the -^irnr' 
 
 Oh, the happiness of that day of the armistice to one who had been 
 four years with the war! The guns were silent — silent all the way from 
 Switzerland to the sea; the grindings of the mill of hell had ceased. And 
 the happiness of the succeeding days following our troops to the Ehine 
 and in seeing King Albert enter Brussels, the British guarding the bridge 
 at Cologne and the French in Alsace — dreams come true at every turn 
 of the road in every soldier's face and in every face in every village! 
 But this is not an article of impressions. 
 All Proved Themselves 
 
 The ]Meuse -Argonne battle had been won. Our army, in the course 
 of the winning, had stretched its resources to the utmost. We had only 
 two fresh divisions in reser\e, while the French had fourteen and the 
 British seven — which I mention to show that, although we came into the 
 war late, we were all in at. the end. Six of our National Army divisions 
 participated in the final phase. All had proved themselves. But why 
 think of the army in divisions when the gaps in the ranks of divisions 
 had been filled by strangers to the localities from wiiieh they came? In 
 order to have rejdacements we broke up two National Army divisions — 
 which was a heartbreaking thing to do — and all the more so as the pres- 
 sure on the lines of communication required that some of the battalions 
 should be turned into labor troops. 
 
 Our hospitals were full. Our teams of surgeons, our divisional sur- 
 geons, our privates, our officers, all hands, were groggy with the kind 
 of fatigue that one night's rest would not cure after that fearful six 
 weeks' draft on their nerve energy. One does not forget the stretcher 
 bearers, and least of all one does not forget the nurses. I mean not the 
 women of the volunteer organizations, but the army nurses, the practical, 
 trained women under army discipline who worked double time. They be- 
 came hollow-eyed with w^eariness, but remained cheerful and smiling. In 
 all the gatherings of veterans ' associations they should have a place of 
 honor. 
 
 Tlie last construction woik in the liattlo zone. "Deadendinj 
 outside of Verflun, Novemljer 20, 191S. 
 
 the jol)
 
 XIII 
 THE ARMISTICE 
 
 /^UR men were scattered over a wide area on November lltli 
 and therefore no opportnnity otfered for a big' celebration 
 such as was being indulged in liy other organizations. The 
 news seemed too good to be true ; we had dreamed of such a 
 time for some weeks and had visualized our desires and hopes 
 as to just ''vhat form of exjiression they woukl take. The pos- 
 sibility of the report being untrue, as a similar report of a few 
 days previous had been, clung to us : peace meant so much that 
 we did not dare to be optimistic for fear of disappointment. 
 Then when eleven o'clock came and firing ceased, our fears 
 disappeared: and then in the afternoon the big observation 
 balloons were hauled down, and as the short afternoon began 
 fading into early twilight, tlie big celebration of fireworks be- 
 Gan. we too began to find ourselves and search for somethijig
 
 124 
 
 mp:mories of the - -411x11" 
 
 with wliich to make a noise and matei-ial with Avhieh to turn 
 the darkness into light. 
 
 A short time after the Armistice we were informed that 
 tile First Army headquarters was not going on into (iermany, 
 and that after a few days work, completing worlc under way, 
 we wonld be moved back into a rest area. And shortly there- 
 after Ave started down the ]\leuse Valley to Verdun, the trip 
 being made after dark. We will never forget that trip ; it was 
 a hright moonlight night. The valley averages a mile or so 
 in width with the surrounding hills jutting into the flanks at 
 irregular intervals and the Meuse river wending its way 
 through the center. The camp fires of troops resting for the 
 night lighted up the landscape and completed the naturally 
 beautiful picture. It was the first time in over four years that 
 the soldiers had had the privilege of fires at night and they 
 were indulging it to the limit. There was light aplenty with- 
 out the moon, for on all sides the victory celebration was still 
 in progress, and the shells and vari-eolored flares lighted up 
 the sky for miles and miles. And everybody was happy ; the 
 old tenseness was gone ; in its place was hilarious laughter and 
 spontaneous raillery hurled at each other and passers-by.
 
 XIV 
 AT FRAVAUX 
 
 '"pllE neAV headquarters of the First Army was established at 
 Bar-siir-Aube, which is a small village near Chaumont and 
 some hundred and fifty miles southeast of Paris. Upon reach- 
 ing Bar-snr-Anbe, our headquarters was estal)lished at Fra- 
 vanx, about tAventy kilometers distant. Our liard Avorldng 
 days were past and we had opportunity to rest and think it 
 over. It would be natural to think that after the months of 
 hard, constant work, the opportunity to take i1 easy would 
 have immediately resulted in everybody becoming physically 
 fit. The exact contrary liappened, and for the first month or 
 six weeks after reaching camp there were times wdien more 
 than fifty per cent of the outfit would be marked "quarters" 
 at sick call. HoAvever, toAvard the close of December, everybody 
 began to round into shape and began to ask : "When are Ave go- 
 ing home?" During this time Ave had performed some small joI)s 
 in connection Avith the establishment of First Army headquar- 
 ters, and constructed a tAVo circuit lance pole lead for a dis- 
 tance of about tAventy kilometers to one of the Corps head- 
 quarters. But the ma.ior ])ortion of our time Avas spent: "two 
 hoiu's each day to physical exercise, military drill and train- 
 ing ; tAvo hours per day to pistol practice, study and motor me- 
 chanics school: practice mai'ch on Fridays: Battalion ins|)ec- 
 tion on Saturdays." Opportunity Avas noAV afforded for men 
 to go on leave, and during the remainder of our stay in France 
 most of the men Avho desired to visit places Avliicli they had not 
 yet seen Avere able to do so. 
 
 Christmas time was appi-oaching and as our lliouizh.ts were 
 Avandering to our homeland and our families, Ave had io nud^e 
 the Holiday Spirit here in this little French village to drive 
 aAvay our lonesomeness. Through contributions to our mess 
 fund Avhich had recently l)een received from oui- fi'ieuds in the 
 Telephone Company at home, avc had abundant funds Io pur-
 
 126 
 
 MKAIUIJIHS OF THE "illTlI 
 
 chase the wherewithal. A committee was appointed to look 
 after the arrangements and the Mritei' will tell abont the 
 resnlt by reprodncing a letter written by him a few days after 
 to the fi-iends at home wlio helped to make it all possible, as 
 follows : 
 
 Christmas With the "411th" 
 
 Of conrse, at this Chi-istmas time our thoughts were with 
 our folks at home, and we were all longing for the day to come 
 when we Avould again tramp on our native soil and l)e able to 
 
 GEOKGK AV. MILI.KH 
 
 Second L/ieut. Sig'iial Corps assigned to llllh .Januar\' 
 1919 at Fravaux.
 
 ME rSE- ARGON X E 127 
 
 stick our feet under the table with our own home peo[)le. How- 
 ever, do not think for a minute that we hid ourselves away with 
 our secret yearnino' and let the day ^o by without enjoyment. 
 As I have told you in a jtrevious letter, Fravaux is a very 
 small village of fifty-two inhabitants when everybody is at 
 home ; just now there are eight people away (French soldiers 
 who have not yet been discharged from the army) and the re- 
 mainder of the present jiopulation is made up of oiu- organiza- 
 tion. You will readily understand, therefore, that we had to 
 nuike our own Christmas celel)ration. 
 
 We have a very good barracks building which we had set 
 aside as the dining- room ; each company having- their field 
 kitchen in opposite ends of the building. A Christmas connnit- 
 tee was appointed and the dining' hall was transformed into a 
 veritable evergreen house. A big Christmas tree was obtained, 
 with plenty of decorations. There are no electric lights in the 
 town, but then a little thing like that never bothei-s mucli : if 
 what we need is not working, we just get busy and make it. 
 Company D had found a small gasoline electric light ])lant in 
 one of the dugouts at ]\Iont Sec a few hours after the 1)och(' 
 made his hasty retreat from that sectoi'. With theii- custonmry 
 destructive precaution the Germans had used a sledge liammei- 
 in an endeavor to put the engine out of commission. However, 
 our mechanics got busy, and now we have electric lights in the 
 mess hall and in the various offices, and have also placed some 
 street lights, to the wonderment of the populace. Having ar- 
 ranged the projK'r stage setting' for the occasion, the really big 
 problem was to find the materials from which to prepare "the 
 eats." ^\r. Turkey is rather a rare old bird in this i)art of 
 France, and the i)easants guard liim very closely, aiul 1 l)e- 
 lieve they must keep him with theii* precious jewels, liecansc 
 the price is about the same as gold. The committci' finally 
 piclx'ed np enough turkeys — buying' one here and one ihei-e — 
 at the rate of 81/' francs per kilo. How much is that .' Well, 
 to save you g'etting our your slich- i-ule, it is ai)proximately 1') 
 cents pej' pound. Now our folk's at home <h)n"t tliiidc it is mm-li 
 of a job to prepare the (,'hi-istmas turkey — sini|)ly phiciuL;- it in 
 the |)atent I'oastei', tni'iiini;- ou the i^as, and looking at it once
 
 128 ME.AIOHIKS OF THE "illTIl" 
 
 in a while to st'e that it is ])roi)erly hasted. But it is ([uite some 
 task to eook turkey for 225 hungry soldiers, with all of the 
 other things that go with a Christmas dinner, on field ranges, 
 firewood that lias just l)e('n eut from the forest, ami other dif- 
 ficulties. Our cooks are I'eally wonders, and I will leave you 
 to judge hy giviug you helow the menu: 
 
 Sou}) — Clam Chowder 
 Dill Pi(ddes 
 Roast Turkey. Yorkshire Dressing- 
 Apple Sauce 
 Mashed Potatoes Creamed ( 'ji iiliflo^ver 
 
 Fruit Cake. Brandy Sauce 
 Yin Eouge (Ked Wine) 
 Choc()late Candy Cigars 
 
 Mixed Nuts 
 Hot Chocolate Cigarettes 
 
 And believe me, the whole dinner was just as good as the 
 meiui looks; more tlian that, it was served piping hot, the 
 kitchen police having perfected a system which worked with 
 the smoothness of a cafeteria. Perhaps their alacrity was as- 
 sisted hy the fact that they all wore waxed mustaches — I pre- 
 sume, to imitate French Avaiters. 
 
 Aft(M- a couple of liouj's' eating-, the mess hall was cleared 
 so that the seating ai-raugement might be changed for the 
 "show" and moving pictui'cs. The following progi-amme was 
 placed befoi'e the guests: 
 
 1. Overture Battalion nJazzers 
 
 Partridge, Kidd, Agaard and (Jraham 
 
 2. \'ocal Solo Sgt. Bartholomew C. Dally. Jr. 
 
 3. Reading Parker 
 
 4. Quai-tette Agony Four 
 
 5. Piano Solo Card (3d Depot Battalion 
 
 ('). .Monologue Candidate IMorris (former vSgt. Major ) 
 
 7. \'ocal Solo . Nicholson 
 
 8. Piano Jazz AYm. Burns 
 
 ( Bi'other of our fjieut. Burns.)
 
 AT FRAVAUX 129 
 
 9. .AIonoloLiuc Candidjilc PattiTsoii 
 
 (Former Sgt. Patterson) 
 
 10. \'i()liii Solo Card and (lose 
 
 C^d l)ei)ot P>attalion) 
 
 n. Talk Major ]\roore 
 
 12. (ii'aiid Finale, "Then We Will Know We Are Thi-oimir' 
 Agony Foui- and Assemblai>e 
 After the nnisical pi'oui'anmie, Professor Xortlinip i sur- 
 geon of light), world famous cineniographist, with his ndllion 
 franc machine will persuade some of his latest film successes to 
 flit liglitly across the screen. Ladies will please remove tlndr 
 hats, and gentlemen will leave their gnns with the doorkeepci-. 
 If the show pleases yon, tell others; if it does not. tell us; tlie 
 management will refund yonr niidvcl and our committee on 
 kiclvs will guarantee yon satisfaction. 
 
 STAFF 
 
 Gilded — ^la.jor ]Moore, ]\Iajor ^IcCoy (surgeon). Captain 
 Coates, Captain Scott, Lientenant Rntherfnrd, Lientenant Nie- 
 moeller, Lientenant Smith, Lietitenant Bnrns, Lieutenant East. 
 
 Nickel Plate — Stage manager, l^oc Cook ; electrician, Tom 
 Burns; carpenter, Miram Leonard; propert.y, Use; music. Part- 
 ridge; costumes. Ceo. ^leyers ; wardrobe mistress, Ilalpin ; 
 kicks and complaints, Bevan and J. L. Johnson (heavyweight 
 wrestler and boxer, respectively.) 
 
 (yhickering piano used; shoes and costumes fui-nishcd by 
 Madame Gouverenment. 
 
 Remain in your seats aftei- the show; Santa (Mans \\ill 
 come down the chimney and fill \\p your sock. 
 
 FINIS 
 
 Yon will note reference to candidates i\Iori'is and Paltci-- 
 son on the programme. iMse's Joi-dan, Ilari'is and Sergeants 
 ]\Iorris, Pattei'son and liutchins ai"e attending an officei-s' ti'ain- 
 ing- school about fifty kilometers ffom here. We inxilcd llicni 
 "home" for Christnuis and sent a Iriick foi- Ihcm. 'i'lu' Presi- 
 dent of the United States was at Langrcs to I'cview troops of 
 the First Army; but tliat didiTl make any diffcrciici' ; all (>x- 
 (•e])t Sci'gcanI llulcliius cainc up Ium-c. -IusI niculion lliis to
 
 1. Pravaux, France. 3. Snow scenes, Fravaux. 
 
 2. Dining- room Christmas 1918 Dinner. 4. Fresh air after "hunk fatig'ue." 
 
 n. Christmas. 191S.
 
 AT FRAVAUX 131 
 
 show the old 411th spirit : they always like to get back to the 
 organization whenever they have been gone for any length of 
 time. Sergeant Hntchins was assigned some duty whieli he 
 couldn't leave. 
 
 You will note one of the songs the Agony Four sang was 
 entitled "'Then We'll Know AVe Are Through." Of course 
 there has been a lot of discussion as to when we are going home ; 
 one day one eroAvd Avill start a rumor we are to go at once ; the 
 next day another crowd will have it we are going to stay six 
 months — so this is what they sang: 
 
 When the major gets his eagles, 
 
 AVhen the captain gets his leaf. 
 When the Alse. 's are shavetails, 
 
 And the privates have no grief: 
 
 When they salvage our equipment 
 
 And the Fords and Garfords, too, 
 When they load us on a trans})ort. 
 
 Then we'll know we're through. 
 
 Pretty good n'est ce pas? 
 
 The whole neighborhood of French people for miles around 
 came to our Christmas party, and thought it was wonderful. 
 The old lady with Avhom 1 am billeted, in telling me about it 
 the next moi'uing. said: "First you Anun'icans put iu tele- 
 phone connection with Bar-sur-Aube, then you put iu electric 
 lights, and now you have a moving picture show. You are 
 surely changing things in our village." Alany of them had 
 never seen a moving picture l)efore, especially the ok! people 
 and the children. 
 
 During the mouths of January and u]) to I-i'i-hruai'v "JOlh. 
 life at Fravaux contiuued with the sanu^ old (pu'stiou : "When 
 do we go home?" always in mind. We had succeeded in making 
 ourselves very comfortable: eveiy possiljle opi)ortunity was 
 given to enjoy ourselves: we had built a iiioviug piclui'c Ihcalre 
 at which nightly shows were given: had organ izi'd a band and 
 were really having a very good i'uue. But thai was not going 
 home, aiul when orders came on the last mentioned date to 
 move to Montlouis, the aiuiouucement was hailed with joy. as
 
 132 
 
 :\IE.AiOKIES OF T 1 1 E ' • 4 1 ITI 1 
 
 it meant at least that we would Ix' that much nearer a port of 
 embarkation. We had been a unit of the First Army since its 
 organization over seven months ])efore and it was not without 
 many regrets that we said good bye to the many friends that 
 we had formed during that assoeiatiou. At the review and in- 
 spection held a few days prior to our departure, Colonel 
 Parker llitt. Chief Signal Officer of the First Army, had com- 
 I)limented us most highly npon the record we had made, and 
 the order covering onr removal from the First Army Avas Avrit- 
 ten in the following eommendatory language. 
 
 "1. Pursuant to S. (). :n, Ibp-s. 1st Army, AEF, G-8, 
 dated February 17th, 191!), the 111th Telegraph Battalion is 
 relieved from duty with the 1st Army, and assigned to the S. 
 (). S. This battalion reported for duty with the 1st Army 
 July 28th, 1918, at LaFerte-sous-Jouarre. 
 
 ■'2. 'i'he 411th Telegraph Battalion participated in the 
 following operations of the 1st Army: 
 
 CHATEAU-THIERRY 
 
 ••July 29, 1918, to August 8, 1918, establishing switching 
 stations, telegraph offices and lines to Corps Headquarters. 
 
 From Producer to Coiisiinier iil Kravaiix
 
 AT FRAVAUX 
 
 i;« 
 
 ST. .MilllHL 
 
 "From September 12th. 1!)18, to Sei)temljei- 1(51 li, 1!)18, 
 the entire Battalion was eriya*ied in the eonstrnction, iiiaiiilen- 
 ance and operations of tele^jraph and telephone Ai-niy net woi-k. 
 
 MErSE-ARdOXNP: 
 
 "From Sei)tember iMJtli, 1!)18, to Novemhei' lltli, 1!)1.S, the 
 entire Battalion was engaged in the eonsti'uetion and mainten- 
 ance of main axis of the Army. Rontes of axis: Sonilly, Ville- 
 snr-Consnaces, Reciconrt, Avoeonrt, Ivoiry, Gesnes, Landres. 
 St. (Jeorges, Imecourt, Bayonville, Xonart, Stenay. During this 
 period the advance detachments of this organization Avere fre- 
 quently under fire. 
 
 "3. The Chief Signal Officer takes this occasion to ex- 
 press his apjn-eciation of the services of the 411th Telegraph 
 Battalion while a part of the forces of the 1st Army. The un- 
 tiring efforts and constant labor exerted by this organization 
 added materially to the success of the 1st Army. 
 
 "(Signed) PARKER IlITT, 
 
 "Colonel, Signal Corps, Chief Signal Officer.'" 
 
 A farewell party was given in onr theatre the night before 
 leaving Fravaux, and we had as our distinguished guest, .Miss 
 ^largaret Wilson, daughter of President Wilson, who enter- 
 tained us with hei' songs, and was an interested sped a lor (hir- 
 ing the I'eiiuunder of a very delightful program. 
 
 A "BLOWOUT*
 
 XV 
 MONTLOUIS 
 
 /^UR uew station Avas ]Montlouis. a small villai>e just outside 
 ^^^ of Tours, SOS head(iuarters. Tpon arrival there "vve were 
 informed that we would be engaged in the repair and recon- 
 struction of the toll lead between Tours and Gievres ; upon 
 completion of which the same work Avould be done on the lead 
 from Tours to St. Xazaire : and then it was hoped that we 
 might be released for return to the States. Complete new motor 
 and signal corps equipment was issued to us, and all of our 
 preparations looked as though we were booked for an indefin- 
 ite stay in France, especially as no other Telegraph Battalions 
 were being sent home at that time. However, there was a job 
 to be done, and Avith the same old characteristic "-illth Spirit," 
 everybody Avent to it with a liang. The Avork Avas Avell under 
 Avay and nearing comidetion, Avhen. at a meeting called by Major 
 jMoore on 3Iarch 17th. he informed us that the Battalion was 
 to be relieved and prepared for early return. Like the Armis- 
 tice, the neAvs Avas so good, Ave Avere afraid to l^elieA^e it for 
 fear of disappointment. The next Aveek Avas filled Avith the 
 hustle and luistle of finishing our Avork and preparations to 
 depart. On ]Mareh 25th Ave marched doAvn to the little toAvn 
 of Yaretz some tAvo kilometers distant from ]Montlouis to take 
 the train for Brest. Just before boarding the cars for our last 
 railroad trip in France Ave Avere addressed by our old Com- 
 manding Officer, Major Moore, expressing his appreciation of 
 the loyalty sIioavu and good Avoi'k Avhich had been done during 
 his association Avith us from the time Ave had been called into 
 service. He had received orders only a short time before de- 
 taching him from the organization and ordering him to Ant- 
 Averp, Belgium as Chief Signal Officer, Base Section Xo. 0. 
 
 The Avi-iter Avill ahvays look back upon this parting from 
 liis old outfit as one of the most trying days in his life. He had 
 l)een associated Avith them from the lieginuing of their service
 
 .AEONTLOUIS 
 
 135 
 
 ERNEST V. IRISH 
 
 Sprained ankle during- last days of Meuse-Argonne just 
 before Armistice. Sent to Hospital and then evacuated to 
 U. S. While on board U. S. Steamsliip Maui retui-nins" lie 
 was suddenly stricken witli pneumonia. dyiiiK on .laiiuary '2i, 
 1919. Buried in Cleveland, Ohio, witli niilitar\- lioni>rs.
 
 136 
 
 MEMORIES OF THE "411TH" 
 
 and kiieAv all of their faults and virtues. It had been his con- 
 stant endeavor to "write their faults upon the sands" and re- 
 niendier only their virtues. His parting- from you all meant 
 more to him than any of you will ever know, heeause even at 
 that time it was l)eing- impressed upon him that tlic Spring of 
 
 i». 'r. \vii,i<:v 
 
 Was stricken wUli "flu" while on special dut>- in 
 Paris, France, Fel)ruary, 1919. Died few days later. 
 Buried in militar.v cemetery at Suresness, near 
 Paris.
 
 MONTLOriS 137 
 
 1919 was tlie time for a iiiaii lo he swiii^iiiu back into ciNilian 
 life if he desired to have an ecjiial oi)portunity. However, a 
 .soldier must abide by the orders issued to him aiul he tried to 
 be as cheerful as possible. Yet, it was a nervous, t reiiiblin,<:- 
 Commanding- Officer who stood out there under the trees on 
 that cokl, ^\■indy March morning and said his last words to you 
 as an Organization. I lis heai't wouhl not stay down out of his 
 throat and the salt water woidd not stay out of Ids eyes. The 
 only thing that saved him from bi-eaking down was the reading 
 of General (libbs' letter of good wishes, which is re])roduced 
 helow. The writer in acknowledging his feelings at this time 
 does so for the reason that he wishes each and all of his old 
 comrades to know .just how keen was his regret that he could 
 not have the pleasui-e and honor of retui-ning to oui' homeland 
 with you. 
 
 200-411th Tot. Bn. 
 
 AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES 
 HEADQUARTERS SERVICES OF SUPPLY 
 OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER 
 
 :M;ir.-li 19. 1919 
 From: Chief Signal Officer, AEF. 
 
 To: CoiiiiiiaiKliiig Officer, 411th Telej>ra])h Battalion, Si^njil Corps. 
 Subject: Separation from the American AEF. 
 
 1. On the departure of your organization for the I'nited States the 
 Chief Signal Officer of the American EF. desires me, in saying farewell 
 to yourself, your officers and your men, for him, to express his deep 
 gratification o\ev the fact that they have conducted themselves at all 
 times while on a foreign soil in a manner true to the traditions of an 
 American organization. 
 
 2. Upon its arrival in France the 41 1th Tek'gra|ili Battjilion was 
 assigned to the important work invcdved in the constructioTi of the \ast 
 net worlc of the system requii'ed for the lines of communication. The 
 reputation gained by it in carrying forward this work was suidi that 
 upon the formation of the 1st Army in July, 191S, the 411th Telegraph 
 Battalion was immediately selected for assignment witii this Army. The 
 work of the Signal Corps organizations in this war has been the subject 
 of most lavish praise by division, cor{)S and army coininanders, and our 
 Commander-in-Chief has placed himself on record as saying that without 
 the aid of this service the successes of our Armies would not have been 
 achieved. The 411th Telegra])h Battalion, on the record of its task well 
 done, can looked with pride on its share in the credit rctUctcil on this 
 Army. 
 
 ;!. In their return lionie and to their pursuits in ri\il life, the Ciiief 
 Signal Officer wishes that all good foidnnc may attend yourself and the 
 members of vour command. 
 
 (iEOKMlh; S. (ilHIiS. 
 
 Brigadier (u'neral I'. S. A., .\tting ( '. S. O.
 
 XVI 
 RECORD OF A. E. F. WORK 
 
 TX chrouii-lin^' the i'Xj)erienees of our outfit in the Aniei'ican 
 Expeditionary Forces in the fore,uoin<i' chapters, it has not 
 beeu i)Ossible to mention the (h'taih'd work pei-fornied by the 
 organization. Probal)]y fcAv of tlie men who lielped to do the 
 work realized just what was aceomplished. Therefore, the 
 following' information Avhich has l)een taken from the actual 
 monthly reports rendered to the (1nef Signal Officer, A. E. F., 
 l)y the Commanding' Officer of the 411th, in conjunction with 
 the maps whieh appear heretofore, will give the reader a elear 
 conception and serve as a reference when any particnlar fea- 
 ture may be under discnssion with his bnddies. Only the pe- 
 riod from March, 1918, to ^larch, l*)lf), inclusive has been re- 
 prodnced here, as that period covered our actual work "over 
 there" and serves the purpose of this chapter. 
 
 March, 1918 
 
 On l)oard transport at sea. Arrived in Brest harlior 
 morning of 3Iarch 4. 
 
 Sent freight and baggage detail ashore to care for Bat- 
 talion property. 
 
 Battalion disembarked, marched to Pontonezen barraclvs. 
 
 In barracks at Pontonezen where men washed clotlur.u- and 
 bathed. 
 
 Practice march, about seven juiles. 
 
 Entrained at Brest 11:30 a. m. Arrived at the present sta- 
 tion (Savenay) ^March 12th. 
 
 Billettiug and establishing camp. 
 
 Entire Hattalion engaged in construction of new telephone 
 and telegraph line. Ordering material and tools, hauling and 
 distributing nuiterial, framing and haiding poles, surveying 
 and staking line, and obtaining light of wav.
 
 KECOHD OF A. E. F. Wol^K 139 
 
 April, 1918 
 
 Headquarters and sni)ply estal)lislH'd at Savciia.w 
 
 Company D headtiuarters estahlislicd at Sa\;'iia\-. ( 'oni- 
 pany eniia.ued in completing' snrvcy of telegraph and tele- 
 phone linr from Le C'ornais on hiiiliway \ia l^ovcc and Lavaii 
 to a point approxijnately three miles east of Monloii-, 1 hence 
 along- right-of-way of P. 0. railroad via Montoii- Id St. Xa- 
 zaire, a total distance of ap]>]'oximati'ly 1!) miles. Holes were 
 dng and poles eo]ni)letely eqnipj)ed for lO-wire lead set. A 
 second cross arm was placed on i)ole lead from ^loiitoir to St. 
 Nazaire to take care of local circuits. This is a distance of ap- 
 proximately fonr and one-half miles. In addition to above the 
 necessai-y arrangements Avith reference to right-of-way were 
 made as line proceeded: an interpreter arranging with the 
 Fren(di inhabitants and explaining each thing that was done 
 in order that a spirit of friendliness and helpfnlin'ss with them 
 might be established and maintained. Trees trinnned along en- 
 tire line so as to provide i)roper clearance. Sni-\e\- ol' leu- from 
 Lavau to Savenay made — a distance of ai)proximately fonr 
 miles. 
 
 Company E heachpiarters established at St. Ktieiine. Com- 
 pany engaged in com[)leting snrvey of telegra])li and t(dei)hone 
 line from Le Cornais on highway via St. Etienne, Coveron and 
 St. llerblain to a point on the right-of-way of the \\ < ). railroad, 
 known as Roche ]Manrice Crossing; thence along said right-of- 
 way to connect with pole line of the Postes Telciiraph and Tele- 
 l)hone, a total distance of approximately 111 miles; thence on 
 P. T. & T. pole .line to signal office at No. P' l>nc de Sebastai)o!e. 
 Nantes, an approximate distance of two and one-half unJes. 
 
 Holes were dng and poles completely e<|nippei| foi- Id-wire 
 lead set. 
 
 Same care exercised as to dealings with KrtMudi iidiabit- 
 ants as indicated in report on T) Comj^any. 
 
 Trees trimmed along eidii'e i-iglit <d' way so as to pro\ide 
 proper clearance. 
 
 Kecomniendations: The personiud of this Pattalion is com- 
 posed of men qualified to do the (dass of work in whiidi now 
 engaged — which we believe is the woi-k (■ontenii)lated for l»ase
 
 140 
 
 :\rE:\r(3RiER of the "4iith" 
 
 line siii'iial troops as outlined in Signal Corps Drill Re.uulation 
 VM7. Part VI. However, the entire training- period of this Bat- 
 talion was consumed in training' for the duties of a telegraph 
 ])attalion, I l)elieve more efficient i-esults could l)e obtained if 
 more time during' training jx^riotl were devoted to the training 
 of men as to construction methods, line worlc, etc. If the tele- 
 graph l)attalions were given this additional training they would 
 be qualified to do either base line or telegraph battalion duties. 
 Telegraph operators and specially qualified signalmen should 
 l)e trained separately and furnished telegraph battalions as 
 required. 
 
 The working strength of this Battalion is approximately 
 80 per cent of that contemplated in tables of organization. This 
 is due to absentees on detached service. If this plan is to be 
 continued, it is recommended that the strength of each com- 
 pany be increased by 25 additional men. The present strength 
 of officers and non-commissioned officers is sufficient to care 
 for this increase. 
 
 May, 1918 
 
 The duly performed by the 411th Telegraph Battalion dur- 
 ing the month of May was: 
 
 Completed construction of a 10-wire toll lead from Xantes 
 to St. Nazaire, including the placing of all transposition and 
 phantom l)rackets. 
 
 Five circuits of No. 17 bronze wii'c strung on second cross
 
 RECORD OF A. E. F. WORK 
 
 141 
 
 anil from Moiitoir to St. Na/aire, a distance of approximately 
 five miles. 
 
 Leg' from Lavan to Savenay, a distance of approximately 
 four miles eonstnicted, ten pine crossarms jilaeed thereon. Two 
 circuits of Xo. 12 copper looped on Ijavau-Savenay leg and all 
 transposition and phantom brackets placed. 
 
 A 22 pail- Xo. 14 duplex cable was constructed from tei-m- 
 inal i)ole in St. Nazaire to switchboard to care for fi\-e toll line 
 circuits and five local circuits to Montoir with two extra pair 
 to care for trouble. Toll circuits on Savenay leg carried into 
 switchboard at Base Hospital No. 8 by duplex cable. 
 
 Toll test panel installed in Signal Office at Xantes, and toll 
 circuits brought into same by duplex cable. 
 
 Before turning over the completed job of the Xantes-Si. 
 Xazaire and Lavau-Savenay toll lines to operating departiiuMil 
 complete tests were made so as to l)e absolutely sure line was 
 free of all trouble or interference. Only two or lliree minor 
 cases of trouble were found (mostly in French contact pairs) 
 and after this trouble was eliminated, line talked exceedinulx' 
 well. 
 
 After completion of Xantes-St. Xazaire project, acting in 
 accordance with orders i-eceived office Oh id' Signal Officer, 
 arrangements wei-e made to siring five toll circuits on the leml. 
 east of Nantes to Beaiipreau, a distance of approximalcly 11 
 miles. In oivier to coiii|)lete this work diiriiiL; the linie spec 
 ified bv office Cliier Siuiial orficer from M;i\- 201 li to .M;i\- 2:)tli.
 
 142 MEMOKIES OF Tl I E " 41 ITI I ' ' 
 
 it was necessary to woi'k from daylight until dark. AVork was 
 completed and lines connected throngh to Tours at 3 :30 P. ^I. 
 Saturday, jMay 25th. 
 
 Time from May 25th to IMay 31st consumed in moving Bat- 
 talion to new station at Versailles. 
 
 June, 1918 
 
 Duties performed by the 411th Telegraph Battalion during 
 the month of June, 1918. 
 
 Headquarters and Company "E" established at Camp 
 Satory, Versailles. Company "D" established at French ar- 
 tillery barracks, St. Germain en Laye. 
 
 In accordance with instructions office Chief Signal Officer, 
 a survey of a 24 wire (4-6 pin crossarms) telegraph and tele- 
 phone line was made from La belle Epine to Ham, where a 
 .junction was to be made with the British. After all available 
 routes had been carefully considered it was recommended that 
 line be constructed on highway and that we build .joint with 
 the existing French lines whenever it seemed advisable to do 
 so. This plan was approved by office Chief Signal Officer. 
 Accordingly liiu^ was surveyed along highway from La belle 
 Epine to Ham, a distance of approximately 331/. miles. After 
 preliminary survey was completed, the 405th Telegraph Bat- 
 talion M^as ordered on job to construct that portion of line be- 
 tween Versailles and La belle Epine, a distance of approxi- 
 mately 12 miles. Field notes containing preliminary survey of 
 this portion of line turned over to ALijor Kick, commanding the 
 lOCth Telegraph Battalion. 
 
 Arrangements were made with the French Poste T. & T. 
 to furnish the necessary fixtures for the purpose of placing 
 their wires on such portions of the lead where we were to con- 
 struct a joint lead. Owing to a scarcity of these fixtures same 
 had to be obtained in many different places, necessitating long 
 hauls l)y motor trucks. Arrangements also made for obtaining 
 necessary poles from French for lead, together with necessary 
 wire for the third and fourth crossarms. 
 
 Owing to contour of country at St. Germain and difficul- 
 ti(^s whieh eould not be overcome in building line through town, 
 it was decided to use cable through a i-aih'oad tunnel at this
 
 i{ECUUD OF A. E. F. WUiilv 143 
 
 ])oiut. This obviated the necessity of ))uil(liiiu li'ad through 
 the forest of St. Germain, whicli would have been impracticable 
 from maintenance standpoint. The necessary special toll cable 
 ( 2-48:3 feet) for this job was obtained from tlie Fi-ciicli. together 
 'witli necessary fixtures, terminal boxes, etc., for its installa- 
 tion. 
 
 The highways along the route of this lead arc lined on both 
 sides i)y at least two rows and in many places four rows of 
 trees for practically the entire distance. For this reason, it 
 was found necessary to move French lead in most instances to 
 provide proper clearance. 
 
 Pole line equipped with four 6-i)in crossl)ars was construct- 
 ed for entire distance from Versailles to railroad crossing at 
 Conflans, from which i)oint to Ilam (junction point with T^rit- 
 isli), a distance of approximately four miles, three arms were 
 placed. A total of approximately 300 ])oles of ne^x construc- 
 tion was placed in this lead. New poles Avere also placed 
 Avhere French poles Avere defective. Spans in French lead were 
 replaced Avhere necessary and entire lead moved and strength- 
 ened as conditions Avere found necessary. (Juying of entire 
 lead completed. 
 
 'I'welve wires of No. 12 172 11). coi)i)er placed on 1st and 
 2nd crossarms. TavcIvc Avires of French Avire (approximately 
 15,") 11). copper) placed on 3rd and 4th crossarms in accordance 
 Avith instructions office Chief Signal Officer. 
 
 Tree trimming over entire lead completed. 
 
 405th Telegraph Battalion replaced by 403rd Telegi-aph 
 Battalion on A^ersailles-La belle Epine ])ortion of line, on -lune 
 24tli. Such nu)tor (Mjuipment and tools as could be spai'ed were 
 turned over to them and such assistance as possible Lziveii them 
 in getting started to Avork. 
 
 Instructions received office Chief Signal Officer as to 
 buildings for sAvitching office and installation of crpiiimuuit 
 tlierein at La belle Epine. ]*reliminary sui-veys made and ai'- 
 rangements for o])taining nuderial and ('(piipnieiil beuuii. 
 
 i^ortion of liiU' assigned tliis Battalion from N'ei-sailles to 
 ITam completed, except the [ilacing of t i'ans])osit ion bi-aclcets 
 and a small amount of (deaiung U|t. I'laciiiL; of transposition 
 brackets dela\'ed accoinit same iu)t beitm a\ailal»lc. Insti'uc-
 
 144 
 
 .AiE.MoiHKs OK THE ••4nTir' 
 
 
 tioiis were received from ot'fiee Chief Siuiial Officer that this 
 line should l)e eoiiipleted by June 8()th. Tn ordoi' to accomplish 
 this result it had been necessary to work the entire Battalion 
 from six A. M. to nine P. J\I. for last ten days of month. 
 
 July, 1918 
 
 July 1st to 6th enuau'cd in the i)lacin^- of ti'atispositiou 
 brackets on 24 wire lead from Versailles to contact with Brit- 
 ish at Ham. This work not completed ])y June ^-JOth, owinu- to 
 fact that transposition bi-ackets not available. (Hrcuits in this 
 section of the lead were also tested out with l>ritish and their 
 Marines test station, and miscellaneous cleanup work done 
 dnrinp' this ])eriod. 
 
 July 7th to l;5th line ci-ews of the Battalion assigned to 
 assist the 4()8rd Telegraph l^attaliou in sti'inuiim wirt> between 
 Versailles and La belle Epine. 
 
 July (ith to '21 ap])i'oxiuu»tely 25 nuui of Company E en- 
 pa.ued in the construction of an operating' room, ^iarage and 
 barracks at La belle E])in(\ Tlu^ exchange building was eon- 
 strneted of the Adrian bari-ack lumber furnished, and in order 
 to provide proper clearance for the equipnu^nt to be placed, it 
 was deemed advisable to eonstrnct the building two feet high- 
 er than regulation Adrian barracks. A concrete floor was laid 
 in this building with a slab of concrete 8 inches thick (1-3-5 
 mixtui'ci aiul a finish one inch thick- (1-21- nnxture). The
 
 RECORD OF A. K. F. \\n\U\ 
 
 145 
 
 roof ajul sitles of this operating room were covered with tar 
 roofing- paper 9 inches in thickness. A three inch clearance 
 Avas .provided beyond the outside edges of the wooden structure 
 to permit the construction of a permanent structure around the 
 wooden structure, thus providing for the protection of the 
 equipment. This wall is sufficiently strong to support a sul)- 
 stantial two story structure. The garage and barracks were 
 erected of the Adrian barrack material furnished, reinforced 
 in the weak places so as to assure the structure standing up 
 under the heavy wind and rain storms which are of more or 
 less frequent occurence in this locality. An engine base of con- 
 crete was i)laced in the garage and two storage battery chai'g- 
 ing and two lighting sets mounted. A part of the plan of t!u' 
 La belle Epine office pro.ject involved the use of the F'reiu-h 
 underground cable from this i)oint to Paris. I'eniiission was 
 obtained from them to build a uumhole directly across the road 
 from the operating building. A trench Avas tunneled luuler 
 the highway to the proposed disti-ibuFiug fi'amc in the oi)erat- 
 ing building and four single tile ducts laid in this trench, Avhicli 
 was two feet wide, with a foui- inch layci- of conci-ete undei'- 
 neath, aiul a two iucli hiyer over the lilc The dncts wci-e Inir- 
 ied approximately one meter a1 lln- entrance of tlie exchange 
 and graded down to a deptli of two meters at llu' uuinlu^h'. 
 Three sei-tions of cable were pulled in. The manhole was cov- 
 ered with a sial> 7 inches thick of coni-i-ct e. Tlie nccessjiry
 
 14(j ME.MOKIES OF THE '-^llTir" 
 
 duet runs were also provided from the cable frame to the dis- 
 tributing frame, to the engine room where the power plant is 
 to be located and to other points where it was apparent they 
 Avould be required. In order to provide a' temporary switch- 
 ing- and test station a toll test panel was installed in a building 
 across the street, the circuits from La belle Epine lead being 
 brought into this ()anel ami thence to the undergrouud cable 
 by tAvisted pair. 
 
 July the 13th tlu' Battalion moved station Versailles and 
 St. Grermain to Boissey St. Leger and Brie Comte Robert, "D" 
 Company being established at the latter place and Headquar- 
 ters and "E" Company at Boissy St. Leger. 
 
 July lilth to July L'Tth Battalion engaged in the survey and 
 construction of a 10 wire lead from La belle Epine to the east 
 limits of Guigues. a distance 39 kilometers. The work com- 
 pleted on this line up to July 27th is as follows: La belle Epine 
 to Villecresues — holes dug and poles set to stakes No. 336 with 
 the exception of 8 poles between 245 and 254 and 14 poles in 
 the village of Brevgues. Crossarms placed to ])ole Xo. 169. 
 Guys placed to pole No. 136. Villacresnes to Guignes — 597 
 poles crossarmed (complete and delivered to stake) ; 274 holes 
 dug and poles set; 29 guys placed approximately 50% of tree 
 trimming completed. 
 
 Acting in accordance with (). C. S. ()., a surveying crew 
 was furnished for the purpose of surveying and staking lead 
 from east limits of Guignes to Provins — portion of Chaumont- 
 Paris lead to be erected by the 416th Ry. Tel. Bn. Complete 
 survey made and field books furnished to the 416th ; also trans- 
 position data sent to office Chief Sigiud (3fficer. 
 
 On July 19tli the last section of lines on the La belle Epine- 
 Ham lead was turned over as completed. Acting with accord- 
 ance 0. C. S. 0. arrangements were made to make tlie necessary 
 tests with the British at ^Marines to determine if the circuits 
 were all in the clear and ready for cut over. Upon making tests 
 it appeared that there must be some transposition errors and a 
 crew of engineers and linemen Avere sent over the line for the 
 purpose of checking. A large numl)er of errors and faults Avere 
 found and a crcAv of 16 linemen put on to clear same. Work 
 Avas completed on July 24th and ai'rangenu'Uts iiuule Avith Brit-
 
 RECORD OF A. E. F. WOlJiv 147 
 
 ish to cut over the circuits at noon, July ^.Ith. 'I'his dati' was 
 kept and circuits cut into service that aftei-noon. 
 
 . July 29th Battalioii moved fi-oni Boissey St. L(\i;pr and 
 Brie Comte Robert to Headquarters 1st Arniy. July :5()11i and 
 81st consumed in cleanin<>' up billets and ^ettino' settled in saiiU'. 
 
 August, 1918 
 
 August 1st to 8th stationed at La Ferte. Company "E" en- 
 gaged in surveying-, staking and digging hoh^s for a toll line 
 from La Ferte to Chateau-Thiei-ry. Balance of company en- 
 gaged in making- telephone installations at Ileadcpuirters 1st 
 Army and the iu:^cessarv work in switchboard room. Men also 
 assigned to take care of trouble and act as wire chiefs and 
 switchboard men. Gloved detachment 18 men and one officer 
 Company "D" to Chateau-Thierry for i)urpose of making- 
 switchboard installation. Installed switchboard and establish- 
 ed telegraph office. Balance of Company D engaged in biuld- 
 ing several small lance pole lines and testing out French eir- 
 circuits on railroad from La Ferte to Chateau-Thierry. August 
 6th moved balance of Company "D" to Chateau-Thierry, en- 
 gaging them in the installation of telephones in Chateau Thierry 
 and the building and maintenance of lines to 1st and 3rd Corps 
 headquarters. August 9th moved Headquarters and Company 
 ''E" to Chateau-Thierry. August 9th and 12th engaged in sur- 
 veying and laying out contemplated toll line i"out(^s from Cha- 
 teau-Thierry north to Fare-en-Tardenois and Coulongs. Part 
 of plan involved using abandoned German pole liiu^s in this 
 territory and French lead along raili'oad fi'om Chateau-Thierry 
 to Armentieres. 
 
 August 12th and 18tli consumed in moving entire Bat- 
 talion overland by motor transportation from Chateau-Thierry 
 to Neufchateau as per par. 1, S. O. 32, Hq. 1st Army. Company 
 "D" upon arrival was sent direct to Colombey-les-Belles. Au- 
 gust 14th to 17th detachment of six men Company "E" en- 
 gaged in maintenance work Neufchateau. 
 
 August 15tli moved llcachiuartci-s and "F/" Company to 
 Vaucouleurs. 
 
 August 17th to August 28tli CoMipauy ■■[)■■ engaged iti 
 making- switchboard installalion at Artillei-y I lead(|uai'1 ers.
 
 148 
 
 :\rEMORIES OF THE "411TH" 
 
 Xeiifc'hateau, an additional section of switcliboard at Colom- 
 bey-les-Belles and switehliOard for ^Meteorological Bnrean at 
 latter place and snrveying-, staking and constructing- a 16 Avire 
 Repp lead from Toul to Saizerais, a distance of approximately 
 18.2 kilometers. This lead Avas built on private right-of-way 
 from No. 150 to 200 yards from highway, poles placed 132 feet, 
 storm-guyed every 12 poles, double crossarms at all storm-guy 
 poles, test pole placed in center of line, poles graded to uni- 
 form length of 5% meters, 3 meters being used at all railroads 
 and road crossings where possible to obtain, poles set 4 feet in 
 ground. Extremely difficult digging was experienced on this 
 job, formation being a very heavy shale rock, necessary to 
 blast about one-third of holes. 
 
 August 17th to August 31st "E" Company engaged in 
 making switchboard installations at Void and Ligny — one ad- 
 ditional section of 50 line board being installed at latter place. 
 Installation of telephone lines made at Headquarters of 1st 
 Army and a sufficient crew established for the proper main- 
 tenance and construction of all work at 1st Army Headquarters. 
 Balance of "E" Company during this period engaged in sur-
 
 RECORD OF A. E. F. AVORK 149 
 
 veyiiig', staking and eonstruetiiig a 16 wire lead from A^oid to 
 Ligny, a distance of approximately 25 kilometers. Lead eon- 
 strneted on the same specifications as Toul-Saizerais line as 
 detailed in Par .1. Same type of digging experienced and nec- 
 essary to blast abont one-third of holes. Material for this work 
 all had to be hanled from Tonl, a distance of 30 to 50 kilo- 
 meters. 
 
 Angnst 28th moved "D" Company to camps along high- 
 way near Void and ]\lenil-la-]\lofgne to assist in completing 
 A^oid-Ligny lead. Angnst 31st received instrnctions to station 
 "D" Company at Void. Angnst 29th and 30th three wire de- 
 tachments of "D" Comj)any strung 2 No. 12 copper circuits on 
 existing lead from Void to Vaucouleurs, a distance of 6.7 miles. 
 Transposition brackets placed and circuits phantomed. Au- 
 gust 29th moved Headquarters and "E" Company to St. Aubin. 
 
 RECOMMENDATIONS 
 
 From observation it is apparent that little attention is 
 given to the training of telephone operators in field and t-ele- 
 graph battalions. Under present conditions good telephone 
 operators are equally important as telegraph operators. Full 
 efficiency cannot be obtained from circuits when the operating 
 force is untrained and inefficient. It would be my reconnnen- 
 dation that the training of telephone operators (male) be given 
 most careful attention, and officers also trained for their su- 
 pervision. If officers, provided with definite, well defined writ- 
 ten traffic instructions, could be trained for duty and detailed 
 in si)ecific areas, the volume of business which could l)e 
 handled over existing circuits would be very gi-eatly increased 
 and the satisfactory service obtained of imnuMise \;iluc. 
 
 The Avork of a telegraph battalion is such tluit they nnist of 
 necessity move from place to place very often: the saving of 
 transposition is a very great factor, and a sufficient nnnibei' of 
 pyramidal tents should be provided to house the enliri' bat- 
 talion. Small sections could then be camped in \icinity of work 
 and more efficiency gained. In sunnner months, shelter luihcs 
 can be used to advantage, but during winter months they will 
 not i)i-ove adequate for working parties. Tin- nio\ iiu: into and 
 out of billets takes tinn? and the sanit;iry conditions is an im-
 
 150 . 
 
 :\rEMORiEs; of the "41itii 
 
 portant factor to be always kept in mind. It is recommended 
 that snfficient tentage be added to eqnipment of telegraph bat- 
 talions to provide shelter for entire organization. 
 
 It is most nrgently recommended that the motor transpor- 
 tation as called for in Tables of Organization be i^rovided tele- 
 gi'aph battalions. Keeping transi)ortation in running order un- 
 der the conditions which pi'evail, is difficnlt and full effi- 
 ciency of the organization cannot be obtained if the full ciuota 
 of motor vehicles is not sui)plied. 
 
 September, 1918 
 
 September 1st to September 11th built standai'd (i-ai'm h^nl 
 fi-om Ligny to Xaix, approximately (S kilometers, and rel)uilt 
 oUl i)ole line from Xaix to a point just north of Demange, a 
 distance of appi'oxiinately 8 kilometers, on (iondrecourt-Liuny
 
 RECORD OF A. E. F. WOJJK 151 
 
 road. Three No. 12 copper eirenits were struno' the entire dis- 
 tance and one 8-pin Repp arm placed Avith No. 19 hronze to care 
 for existino- eirenits. The work was completed Sei)teml)er 11th. 
 
 From September the 6th to September the 8tli. l)uill two 
 Xo. 19 bronze circuits on -l-pin crossarms on French lead fi-om 
 Ligny to ^lanlan, a distance of approximately 5 kilometers. 
 
 Septembei- lOth to 14th built a 32-Avire, 4-8 ])in Repp arm 
 lead from Ligny to AVilleroncourt, approximately 5 kilometei's. 
 
 September 8th to 9th, placed one 8-pin Repp arm on exist- 
 ing' lead from Moulinneuf with four No. 19 bronze circuits 1o 
 Boucq, a distance of approximately 5 kilometers. 
 
 September lOth and 11th, i)laced one 8-pin Repp crossai'iu 
 and strung four No. 19 bronze circuits on existing lead from 
 Void to Pogny, approximately 7 kilometers. 
 
 September 13th to 17th, built pole line with two 8-piii 
 crossai'ms and eight No. 19 bronze circuits from Mouliinieuf to 
 Raml)ecourt, a distance of approximately 11 kilometers. One 
 circuit of this lead extended on to ]\Iont Sec by lance pole con- 
 struction, a distance of approximately 6 kilometers. 
 
 September 12th to 16th, extended from French pole lead 
 from Rupp to St. ]\Iihiel, a distance of appi'oxinuitely 10 kilo- 
 meters. Seven circuits were strung on this {)ole lead, using 
 French equipment and material, except about 100 poles and 7-"') 
 kilometers of wire which we furnished. 
 
 Foregoing comprises principal work performed from Sep- 
 tember 1st to September 16th. However, during this period a 
 great many smaller jobs were performed such as stringing 
 twisted pair to connect with existing circuits, installing tele- 
 phones, surveying, testing and clearing ti'ouble on existing 
 French circuits, maintaining the whole i)lant and other neces- 
 sary work incidental to a telephone and telegrai)h battalion. 
 
 September 17th, moved Headquarters and "E" (Company 
 from St. Aubin and "U" Company from Void to Lemnies. en- 
 tire battalion taking station at lattei- ])oint. 
 
 Se])tember 18th, began inslallalion of two r)0-line inauiielo 
 switchboards at Souilly, together with a roll lest switchboard. 
 Began installation of telephones reipiii'eil Ity (iei)ai-tments. 
 
 Se])tenibei- ISth. sui'veyed and staked a Ki-wire iJepp b-ad 
 fi'om Osches to .Julvecoiirt , a distance of ai)pro\ini;it ely 4 l;ilo-
 
 152 MEMOKIES (JF THE '-411X11" 
 
 meters. Seventy holes were dui; when orders were received to 
 abandon project. 
 
 September l!)th, two 40-1 iuc switclil)oards installed at 
 Evres. 
 
 Sei)teniber 22nd, 2U-line switchl)oard installed at Froidos, 
 eonsolidatinu' lines which hatl previonsly been served on three 
 small switchboards. 
 
 Sei)tember 24th, work be.yan on construction of Repp lead 
 from Bois Fouuheres to ^lontfancon, a distance of approxi- 
 mately 15 kilometers; four circuits to be placed on crossarms 
 and two circuits knobbed on poles. Owing to bad condition of 
 roads and extremely heavy traffic on same, it was not possible 
 to haul material fartluu- than Avocourt, the poles and other ma- 
 terial for this 7 kilometers of line from Avocourt to ^lontfau- 
 con being carried in by man power. Work of this lead to be 
 completed night of October the 2nd. 
 
 September 28th, 12-line switchboard installed at Fleury. 
 
 The work detailed above constitutes principal construction 
 work performed for period September 18th to September 30th. 
 However, there had been 15 other small jobs in the nature of 
 stringing twisted pair to provide network for Army lities in 
 conjunction with existing French lines. 
 
 Army lu^work of lines maintained from Headquarters 
 1st Army to Corps Headquarters, together with necessary de- 
 tails to handle maintenance of outside and inside plants at 
 Souilly and Ligny. 
 
 October, 1918 
 
 Completed 8-circuit Repp lead from Bois Foucheres to 
 Montfaucon, a distance of approximately 15 kilometers. 1)egan 
 on Septeml)er 24th, supervising distribution of circuits to Fifth 
 Corps. 
 
 Built S-circuit Repp lead from A'^ery to Ivoiry, a distance 
 of api)roximately 5 kilometers. This woi-k Avas performed un- 
 der extremely bad road conditions and a greater portion of 
 material had to be carried in by nmn power. 
 
 Lead of 8 circuits built fi'om Anbreville to Dombasle, a 
 distance of kilometers. This lead jiarallels the Verdun-Cler- 
 mout national liiiihwaA- and raili-oad. Owinu' to shortage of
 
 TN^:("OT^T) OF A. E. F. WORK 153 
 
 poles and Kepp material, it was decided 1o iitili/.c llic former 
 P^reneli railroad lead. This pole line had been considerably 
 damaged by shell fire and bombing raiding parties : howevei-. by 
 a redistribntion of the availal)le French brackets and obtaining 
 additional lyrackets from the French, we Avere abb' to rj-con- 
 struct approximately two-thirds of the distance of the lead. 
 Remaining portion of lead constructed by placing two 8-pin 
 Eepp arms on existing poles along railroad highway. 
 
 Lead of 4 circuits on one 6-pin Repp arm const I'ucted on 
 existing French i)ole line from Dombasle to i^x'thhiinville, a 
 distance of approximately 5 kilometers. 
 
 Constructed eight circuits to Repp arm pole line fi-om a 
 point known as Test Box Xo. 5, one kilometer south of Mont- 
 faucon to Epinonville via Ivoiry, a distance of appi"Oximatel\" 
 6 kilometers. 
 
 Constructed four cii'cuits one Repp arm pole lead fi'om 
 ]\Iagazin to a French centi-al located west in woods near Post de 
 Bruyeres to an artillery P. C, located just north of Cumieres. 
 Length of line approximately 10 kilometers. 
 
 Reconstructed entrance of three French leads inlo Souilly 
 so as to permit the building of engineer's barracks. 
 
 Engineering, set poles and strung messenger for outside 
 cable distributing plant at Souilly. 
 
 Relniilt one mile of a 2-arm Repp 8-circuit pole line just 
 Avest of Bethlainville so as to provide proper clearance for 
 aeroplanes on ncAv air field under construction. 
 
 Began construction of lance pole omnibus line for use of 
 road engineers from Varrenes to Romagne : nltimate tcrmiiud. 
 Landres St. Georges. Line completed as far as crossi-oads en- 
 tering- Gesnes, where work had to he suspended aci-(»unt enemy 
 shell fire. 
 
 Continuation of 2-ann IJepp lead siu'veyed froiii poinl 
 Avhere lateral lead, mentioiuMl in Par. G, ends at Ei)in()nville in 
 geinu'al northAvest direction of (iesnes and J^andres St. Geoi-ges. 
 Pole lead constructed about half Avay between Epinonville and 
 Tbenuiin Char])enf ry-Romagne ronte wliere it Joins lioctie pole 
 line. Work susi)ended at this point for present. 
 
 The foregoing compi-ises the pi-ineipal const I'lict ion work 
 c()iii|tleted during the nu^ntli. but in a(ldili<ni there has been a
 
 154 
 
 ^rE:\roT7iKs of the "4nTii 
 
 total of ai)|)i"oxiinately 16 small jobs in tlie natin'o of striiiuiiii!- 
 twisted pair to serve aiiminnitioii dumps, etc., and to ])rovide 
 tile lines for eonneetino' with existinu' French lines of eommnn- 
 ication. 
 
 Survey made of standard 10-pin, two erossarm 8-meter 
 pole lead from Souilly to Very, a distance of 106,903 feet, 32.585 
 Ivilometers or 20.2 miles. vSurvey follows as near as possible a 
 straight line from Souilly to point just north of Julvecourt 
 where it crosses the highway to the plateau about one-third of 
 a kilometer west of said hijihway ; thence in a strai<iht north- 
 westerly direction to a crossiuu* of the Verdnn-Auhreville high- 
 way just east Aubreville; thence across the western edge of 
 the Forest de Hesse; thence in practically a straight northerly 
 direction to Very. Complete field notes made up, together with 
 I'oute map. line staked and ready foi' consti'uction crews to stai"t 
 work as soon as orders are issiunl. 
 
 From October the 1st to October the 15tli, a total of 65 
 men of "P]" Company of this oi'gani/ation engaged in main-
 
 RECORD OF A. E. F. AYORK ^ 155 
 
 tenance of Army network of lines from Ilcadcjnarters First 
 Army to Corps Ileadcinai'ters, to,uether with other necessary 
 details to handle maintenance and installation work at Sonilly 
 and Lig-ny. On the latter date, tliis work was taken over by 
 the 319th Field Si^inal Battalion. Under date of October the 
 25th, details were i)laced at various points for maintenance of 
 main axis lines of conimniiication, consisting- of a total of 20 
 men. 
 
 November, 1918 
 
 Rerouted !J circuits No. 17 copper from railroad right-of- 
 way to main road at Dombasle for a distance of 20 spans. 
 
 Reconstructed 8 circuits No. 17 copper from Romagne to 
 Gesnes and 4 circuits Xo. 14 iron for 40 spans west of Gesjies. 
 
 Reconstructed 8 circuits No. 17 copper on German lead 
 from point half way between Epinonville and Gesnes to Lan- 
 dres St. (ieorges, continuing the 4 circuits from Landres St. 
 Georges to Nouart by way of Inunecourt, Bayou ville, Remon- 
 ville and Barriconrt. 
 
 Reconstructed 4 cii-cuits Xo. 17 coi)pei- on (ierman lead 
 from Buzancy to Xouart. 
 
 Constituted and reconstructed one circuit from Regret to 
 r)ur-sur-i\Ieuse along railroad for railroad operation line, also 
 fi-om Verdun to Varrennes Tunnel, placing instruments in all 
 railway stations and installed one 12-line switchboard in (b'|)o1 
 at Verdun. 
 
 Recovered 135,000 feet of No. 17 twisted pair wire in ('ha- 
 tel Chehery and on road from Chatel Chehery to Chatel la 
 Forge: also i-ecovei'ed 75,000 feet of main axis of line from (Jes- 
 nes to Landres St. Georges. 
 
 The foregoing comprises the principal consti'uction work' 
 comi)leted during the month, but in addition there has l)een 
 a total of nine small .jobs in the nature of string twisted pair 
 foi" local installations. 
 
 Detachment of 30 men from Company "E" engaged in 
 maintenance of telephone and telegra])h lines from Ville-snr- 
 Cousa)ice to Nouart and on load fi'om Cliep|)y and ivoii-y.
 
 156 
 
 MEMORIES OF THE "illTIl" 
 
 December, 1918 
 
 Coniiilyin^- Avitli iiisti'uetions, Ohief Signal Officer. 1st 
 Army, a two circuit lead of Xo. 17 lironze wire was constructed 
 from Montigny-sur-Aube to La Ferte-sur-Aube from which 
 point tlie 401st Telegraph Battalion carried construction to 
 Bar-sur-Aube. The total length portion of line built by this 
 battalion was 1(3.5 kilometers ; 12 kilometers of same built on 
 existing French pole lead ; the remaining four and a half kilo- 
 meters constructed by placing a 4-pin Repp arm on lance poles. 
 Lance poles were spaced at 100 feet ; at intervals of every 1000 
 feet "A" fixtures were constructed to add to the strength of 
 the lead, storm guys l)eing also placed at every fifth pole. Phy- 
 sical transpositions were placed : the portion built by this bat- 
 talion making one complete "A" section and transposed as ou 
 29-10 of a 10-piii arm scheme. 
 
 Entire battalion in training at Fravaux during month ; two 
 hours each day devoted to physical exercise, military drill and 
 training, and tAvo houi's per day to pistol practice, study and 
 motor mechanics school : jn-actice march on Fridays ; liattalion 
 inspection on Saturdays. 
 
 Six linemen of battalion on special duty at Bar-sin--Aube 
 during month, taking care of telephone installations, mainten- 
 ance, etc. 
 
 During month a total of 30 men and 4 officers have l)een 
 sent on 7 day leave of absence. 
 
 The heavy truck equipment of this organization, consist- 
 ing of 12 Oarfords, 8 Federals and 2 Quads, have been in con- 
 stant, continuons service since IMarch. All of these trucks were
 
 RECORD OF A. E. F. WORK 157 
 
 overhauled during month and placed in good meehanieal con- 
 dition : othei- motor vehicle eqnipnient also being ovei-liauled 
 — Avork still in progress. 
 
 January, 1919 
 
 Company "E" moved to Spoy ( Anbe) one and one-rpiarter 
 kilometers from Fravanx, Jannary 18tli, 1919. 
 
 Entire battalion in training at Fravanx and Spoy diii'iiig 
 month; three hours each day devoted to physical exercise, mil- 
 itary drill and training, and two honrs per day to pistol pi'ac- 
 tice, study and motor mechanics school. Practice march on 
 Friday : battalion inspection on Saturdays. 
 
 Six linemen of battalion on special duty at Bar-sur-Au1)e 
 during month, taking care of telephone installations, mainten- 
 ance, etc. 
 
 During month total of 34 men and 2 officers have been 
 sent on leave. 
 
 Preparations made to comi)ly with embarkations instruc- 
 tions No. 13, IT(j. S. 0. S. by properly marking baggage, etc. 
 
 February, 1919 
 
 From Fel)ruary 1st to February the 2()th, entire battalion 
 in training at Fravanx and Spoy during month ; three hours 
 each day devoted to physical exercise, military drill and train- 
 ing, and two hours per day of pistol practice, study in motor 
 mechanic school; practice march on Fridays; battalion inspec- 
 tion on Saturdays. 
 
 Six linemen of battalion on special duty at Bar-sur-Aube 
 from February 1st to February 20th, taking care of telephone 
 installations, maintenance, etc. 
 
 February 20th entire battalion moved to ^lontlonis, 
 (Indre-et-Loire) as per Par 4, S. 0. 3L., Hdcirs. 1st Army, 
 American E. F. February 17th, 1919. 
 
 February 22nd to February 28th engaged in arranging bil- 
 lets, securing ]Motor and Signal Corps equii)ment. etc., pre- 
 paratory to functioning again on active duty. 
 
 Engineering detail of 6 nuMi engaged fron) Februaiy 22nd 
 to February 28th in chaining and preparing accurate field notes 
 of toll line from Tours to Gievres, preparatory to repair of 
 same.
 
 XVII 
 "FRANCE AND US" 
 
 ^T^FIE writer has always felt that if he ever reached the actual 
 point of tellinu the story of the 411th 's participation in 
 the World AVar, he would touch upon the relationship and as- 
 sociations of the American soldier and the French people. 
 (Generally speaking', he believes our organization established as 
 friendly relations with the various French people with whom 
 we came in contact and lived amonu', as any other oroanization. 
 And yet, the writer recalls nuiny instances where both officers 
 and men had a rather querulous attitude toward our French 
 friends , and one which he never believed was justified. 
 However, he always had the feelinj^- that there was some psy- 
 chological reason for this rather universal feeling' among the 
 soldiers of the A. E. F. This (luestion, in his mind, was 
 very satisfactorily answered by the reading of an article with 
 the same heading as this chapter by Will Irwin in ^lay, 1919. 
 Believing that the view of the matter which he has so ably pre- 
 sented will be a source of much pleasure and gratification to 
 the avei'age uuiu who saw foreign service, it is reprinted here- 
 with : 
 
 He was standing before a jeweler's shop in the Eue de la Paix, Paris 
 pursuing that occupation so popular with the American Expeditionary 
 Force, "honeying" the diamond rings in the windows — a tall, lean, 
 good-looking youth with the shoulder straps of a second lieutenant. I 
 stepped up beside him, myself attracted by the glitter, passed a remark 
 or so, learned that he came from West Virginia, and asked him how- 
 he liked it over here. 
 
 "Like it?" he said. "You got the wrong word, friend." 
 
 ' ' You probably will if you stay long enough, ' ' said I. 
 
 He faced me. 
 
 " You don't mean to tell nic you like France! '' said he. 
 
 'I sure do! ' ' said I. 
 
 "And you like the Freiu-h.''' lie asked. 
 
 "And the French," said 1. He opened his mouth as though to 
 speak, shut it again, and simply walked away. What was the use, his 
 manner said, of arguing with a lunatic? 
 
 I could not in decency have reported this conversation when it hap- 
 pened, some weeks before the armistice. But the time has come, I feel, 
 to face a certain situation if we are ever going to correct it. The ex-
 
 "FJJAXCE AM) IS" 15!) 
 
 trcmist Echo de Paris, the Royalist organ, caine out with it the other 
 (lay when it spoke of a rift between the French and tlie Americans. You 
 cannot correct any human tangle without admitting that it exists; so I, 
 who am not only fond of France, but belie\e in lici-, begin by admitting 
 that the Echo de Paris was right. 
 
 My young lieutenant of the Eue de la T'aix was an extreme case 
 of course. Doubtless he would have felt the same about any foreign 
 country. He belonged to the American type recorded l)y Jacques Fu- 
 trelle, "who looked over the roofs of Paris and eouhin't see where it had 
 anything on Paterson, New Jersey." But still he expressed the extreme 
 of a feeling that has grown up in a i)art of the American Expeditionary 
 Force. If you looked only on the surface, if you considered the passing- 
 moment as eternal you might say that the traditional friendship be- 
 tween the two republics stood in danger. 
 
 France is our counterpart in the Old World; the Fren(di ideal is most 
 near to our ideal of any on the other side of the water. In these days 
 when we are trying to found the league which is to end war it is most 
 important that the two republics should understand one another. Tliiit 
 is why, admitting this situation, I have set myself first to explain it, the 
 second to show that it is only a passing phase. 
 
 I suppose that in the beginning we overplayed France; and pi'cjliaidy 
 the writing trade, to which I belong, was partly at fault. But it was 
 easy, very easy, to enthuse over France in the days of her trial by fire. 
 The national peril and the national grief had purged her of all pettiness; 
 her men were heroes, her women heroines. We who saw the early stages 
 of the great Eurojiean struggle knew that France of all the Great Powers 
 bore the smallest responsibility for the disaster, as Germany bore the 
 greatest. We knew that she drew tlie sword reluctantly, partly to save 
 herself from extinction, partly to fulfill her faith to her ally — Russia; 
 and whatever else may be said of the successive French governments 
 they ha\'e always been distinguished bv tludr fidelity to their national 
 obligations. 
 
 France in arms struck you always with pathos as well as admiration. 
 To this day the sight of a baggy, ill-fitting French uniform moves me 
 emotionally, it calls up so nianf memories, heroic and ])athetic. INFost of 
 all I remember not the dramatic moments but the family men of the 
 French Army going to the Gare de 1 'Est to plunge back into the hell's 
 kettle of ^'erdun. That baggy uniform, its horizon blue turned to green 
 by the weather, was hung with a collection of junk — as canteens, haver- 
 sacks, spare lioots, battered helmet, long bayonet — which made the wearer 
 look like a tin peddler rather than a soldier. In one hand he carried his 
 gun; to the other, usually, clung a wife trying to keep back her tears, 
 and often four or five children taggeil ])ehind. They were such thorough 
 democrats under the uniform! They looked what they were — plain citi- 
 zens forced to fight for their homes; and fighting like tigers, but peace- 
 ful farmers or paper hangers or grocers, not soldiers, by nature and in- 
 (dination. There was a glory for us in recalling that this was the only 
 republic in the European War, and that it was the military backbone of 
 the Alliance, so proving that a republic could beat a monarchy at her 
 own game, when necessity arose. American after American came to 
 France in those days Cjuite calm and sui)erior-minded about the war; 
 and the heroism and suffering of France turneil him into a jiartisan. 
 
 That feeling as the United States swept on townid war communicated 
 itself to the country. It had, of course, a historic background to work 
 on — the memory of Lafayette and Yorktown — and the republican tradi- 
 tion to give it strength. And a kind of a]>ologetic reaction helped. For 
 though e\'ervone who has studied our scdiool liistoides knows that Fi-aiice
 
 160 .MEAiUKlES OF TllK ••411Tn" 
 
 helped us in the Eevohitionary War the popular idea of Frauce was of a 
 frivolous people — in the view of the unco guid, even an immoral x^eople. 
 
 The French are not frivolous; though they understand the art of re- 
 laxing in their hours of ease they are at bottom deadly serious. The 
 French are no more or less immoral than their Continental neighbors; 
 they owe that old reputation partly to their mental habit of calling a 
 spade a spade, partly to a fashion for a certain kind of story which pre- 
 A-ailed in French literature during the very period when Victorian ideals 
 prevented the British or American fictionist from calling a leg a leg. 
 A Story of Disillusionment 
 
 In the light of this new revelation on French character we grew 
 ashamed of our old opinions and went to the other extreme, as Ameri- 
 cans have a way of doing. To us, at the moment when we entered the 
 war, every Frenchman was a Lafayette or a Chevalier Bayard. 
 
 In that spirit toward France we entered the war. The average Amer- 
 ican boy in the ranks, who volunteered for service "to help save Frauce," 
 expected to see at the pierhead on the other side an army of giants drill- 
 ing like clockwork, surrounded by ravishingly beautiful women with sad 
 tearful eyes, who would hail him as a deliverer. He got his initial disil- 
 lusion at the docks of Bordeaux or Brest or St. Nazaire, when the first 
 detachment of the French Army burst upon his sight. Usually this was 
 a territorial battalion, doing the merely mechanical work of policing the 
 port and guarding German prisoners. 
 
 The territorials are men between thirty-eight and forty-five years 
 old, and therefore inferior as first-line troops; they are used only in a 
 pinch for actual front-line fighting. In uniform and equipment they 
 usually got the worst of it; but no French soldier ever gets very much 
 the best of it. The French uniform comes in only three sizes — large, 
 medium and small. It seldom exactly fits anyone. Since loose clothing- 
 is more comfortable than tight the welterweights choose middleweight 
 uniforms, and the light heavies heavyweight. So the clothing of any 
 French detachment always looks baggy. Also, since France was obliged 
 to count every penny, the uniforms abandoned early in the war when 
 France took to protective coloration were handed over to the territorials 
 to be worn out. In the same platoon of territorials the American ob- 
 server beheld red caps incongruously ranged beside horizon-blue overseas 
 caps. The territorial, seeing no real necessity for behaving otherwise, 
 was shockingly loose about drill and about certain points of military eti- 
 quette which,' the doughboy had been taught, were essential to expert 
 soldiering. 
 
 Was that the French Army? Were these the heroes of Verdun? 
 They were, literally. Several brigades of these old shambling territorials 
 found themselves in the trenches before Verdun on the morning of Feb- 
 ruary 21, 1916, when the Germans began the "bombardment of unheard- 
 of intensity" and launched the attack which was to make the Crown 
 Prince heir of a world empire. They gave ground against the very flower 
 of the German Army, but they did not break; they held, these middle- 
 aged, short-breathed family men, until France could get up her reserves, 
 organize her transport, and hold before the Verdun forts. The doughboy 
 had yet to learn — if he ever did learn — that the talent of the French 
 Army is not for drill or parade or military etiquette, but just for fight- 
 ing — fighting with intelligence, with bravery, with efficiency — fighting 
 like all hell. Even when his military experience took him out of the 
 territorial belt into more active regions, and he encountered the famous 
 French troops, like the immortal Twentieth Corps, the doughboy missed 
 some of the frills. True, such troops as the Twentieth Corps, having the 
 French sjiirit of ilrama and behavior aiii)ro]iriate to the emergency, can
 
 "FRANCE AND TS" IGl 
 
 put up a uiost impressive appearance of military snap on occasion, such 
 as a review for a visiting monarch or a presentation of decorations. But 
 even the Twentieth Corps when engaged in the ordinary business of get- 
 ting from place to place can look like Coxey's Army. 
 
 All of which, rightly understood, is a compliment to the Froncdi 
 Army. There in the north stood Germany, two-thirds again as large as 
 France, more than twice as rich, and growing richer every day, as France, 
 owing to the hold-up of 1871, was growing poorer every day. She hail 
 each of her male citizens under arms for two years. In that two vears 
 she must make each Frenchman a better fighter than the corresponding 
 German — it was the only chance she had. So France omitted from her 
 military program all fancy evolution, goose step, unnecessary parade. She 
 taught the army just enough of fours-right and shoulder-arms to get them 
 without unnecessary confusion to the ]ioint where they were needed — and 
 no more. For the rest she taught them practical fighting. 
 Our National Deity in France 
 
 The French officer who really understood his business took little 
 pride in seeing his company move as one man on the parade ground. He 
 gloried in the fact that it could intrench faster, by the stop watch, than 
 the next company in the battalion; or that it had been complimented by 
 the general for its skill in taking cover during maneuvers. But we are 
 looking at it with the eye of the average doughboy. He had seen the 
 French Army; and he had a feeling somewhere that people had decei\'ed 
 him. 
 
 Nor were some of his later experiences calculated to efface that im- 
 pression. Perhajjs we admire efficiency too much; perhaps the French 
 admire it too little. We like to see men — institutions and men — efficient; 
 but efficiency strikes the average Frenchman, I think, as a mild bore. 
 It has to be practiced now and then of course; he is intelligent enough 
 to see that. But why bother about efficiency between emergencies? 
 Above all, why struggle to give the appearance of efficiency? 
 
 I have often watched with amusement the different ways of French 
 and British transport, which are i)robably equally efficient in a pinch. 
 While resting or while parked the British driver and his helper were al- 
 ways doing something to the old bus — washing, even painting, polishing 
 the brass of the hub cabs until it shone. Beside a British convoy a 
 French convoy looked rather disreputable. The truck bodies got washed 
 now and then — perhaps. Usually they looked dingy. The hub caps were 
 never polished. But when the Frencdi driver was seen toying with his 
 car he was busy at the engine. It ran; which to the eye of the French- 
 man was the main point. That and a thousand other little points wherein 
 the doughboy could discover differences between Anglo-Saxon ways and 
 French ways fooled him. 
 
 In this same matter of transport he did not know that the Freiudi 
 organization of 18,000 motor trucks, thrown together in three days, sa\ed 
 the situation at Verdun; nor that this organization, whii-h workcil like a 
 watch for six months, became a model for the other l^miipcan annies. 
 The doughboy watched the Frenchman only in his moments of hdsuridy 
 work between action and action, when he saw no reason in the world for 
 keeping u}) the strain, which was disagreeable anyway to his fi-ee, artistic 
 Latin nature. As I have said, possibly we make too niu(di of a national 
 god of efficiency; the average memln'r of the A. 10. !•'. watched tlH> S. O. 
 S. of the French Army sloU(diing al)out and thought scornfully of French 
 ways. 
 
 The American soldier landed at Hrcst. say. As I write this I am 
 looking from the cabin of a homeward-bound trans|ioit upon Hrcst. and 
 I have seen m.anv more attractise snots in sunn\- P'rancc. .lust now it is
 
 162 MEMOKIES OF THE ■'411Tir' . 
 
 a model c-anip. It couldn't be a model camp in the days of " Huirv ii]i, 
 America! " when we were straining- every nerve to reach our great ;i\ci- 
 age of 300,000 troops landed in ;i month, and to turn those troops into 
 fighting units. It was never really bad, as the medical records show, 
 but it was not a first-class hotel or a <'omfortable sylvan retreat either. 
 
 A short or long period of <lrill in camp, and the doughboy was hurried 
 for the final trimmings to a camp somewhere out toward the line. The 
 activities of his regiment or brigade or division centered round some 
 little provincial French town, often only tlie \ illage center for a few farm- 
 ers. Before he arrived that town had been through two and a half to 
 three years of war. E\cry man capable of carrying a rifle or swinging 
 a pick had long ago been taken away. Before his arrival successive waves 
 of troops — native French, colonial French, white British, East Indian 
 British; even, if the town was invaded in 1914, German — had crowded 
 into it, established billets, lived for months, broken billets and passed on. 
 It was lucky if it had escaped attack by aircraft or, during the German 
 advance and retreat, by artillery fire. Once probably, it was a pretty 
 little village with all the doorsteps waxed, with the cobblestones swe])t 
 clean, with flower boxes in every window. The automobile parties pass- 
 ing through smiled upon it and exclaimed "How picturesque!" 
 
 But now — For two or three years armies had scraped off the paint, 
 torn up the floors with their hobnailed boots, broken the windows, used 
 the trees in the village jiark for hit(diing posts, ground into everything 
 the grease of overflowing mess tins. Rugs and carpets and curtains had 
 worn out and no one had replace<l them. No one had painteil or cal- 
 cimined either — both money and labdr were lacking. The town looked 
 like the last rose of summer. 
 The Wail for Stoves 
 
 At best the doughboy, when he got acquainted with the town, missed 
 many a thing which he had been brought up to consider essential in a 
 well-regulated community. Sanitation, for exam])le. In that the French 
 are behind us — but so is all Europe, even Englainl. A town like Bar-le- 
 Duc, for example — large, prosperous, picturesque — with only an open 
 canal for a sewer. Then again he missed stoves. On that question of 
 heating the interior of a house we never shall agree with the Southwest- 
 ern European. Phillip Gibbs has been writing his impressions of the Ignited 
 States; and he, like every other British dis("overer of America, reports 
 that our interiors stifle him. Californians \isiting the East for the first, 
 time say the same thing. 
 
 The French go in for heating even less than the English — it is with 
 them a matter of economy. They put on under-clothing thicker than a 
 board, and stand it — except on the coldest days, when they make up a 
 little fire in the fireplace. The w-ail of our overseas Army during that 
 first hard winter of 1917-18 was for stoves, stoves, and more stoves. 
 
 For humans the doughboy found in these villages the stay-at-homes 
 of a very tired i)eople. They had been through three years of want, of 
 hard work, of danger, of worry, and of the irritation which came from 
 entertaining involuntarily hordes of foreign visitors. The men were 
 gone; so were many of the young women. From tearing their emotions 
 all to pieces the war had come to bore these people to extinction. They 
 were polite, as the Frenchman is to the last ditch; but where was that 
 gay animation the American recruit had expected from the French? 
 
 They drilled the doughboy for months, while he dwelt in a billet of 
 the little town or more likely in a colony of board huts on its outskirts. 
 Then one day they marched him up to the line and gave him his round 
 in a quiet sector of the trenches. After that — Montdidier, Chateau- 
 Thierrv, Lorraine, St. ]\rihiel, the Argonne. the ]^leuse and finally Sedan.
 
 ••FILWCE AXD IS' 163 
 
 Did he enjoy this? At the time, to speak tlie cold truth, he did not. 
 I have lived on more or less intimate terms, now, with the armies of 
 five nations, and I here record my opinion that few, very few, liked this 
 war. Talk about the romance of the fight! Except in the air or — what 
 was next to that — on the glaciers of the high Alps, it was about as ro- 
 mantic as the Chicago stockyards. Once during the fighting beyond 
 Montfaucon a staff officer of the Eainbow Division told me that thev 
 had just rounded up and pardoned fourteen deserters. These men <iis- 
 appeared during some of the early fighting — at the Vesle, I believe. The\- 
 were reported as missing. Three or four months later they rejoined their 
 units. In their own defense they declared that they might have deserted, 
 Init they'd been fighting nevertheless. Investigation proved them truth- 
 ful. At the Vesle they had fallen in love with the tanks, had deserted to 
 follow them round, had charged beside them every time they went into 
 action — and, most miraculousl}', had all come back alive. 
 
 Xow here were boys who really liked war for itself; but I mention 
 them as an exception. You found that type everywhere, but it was in a 
 distinct minority. One had only to witness a battalion going into action 
 to know that they didn't expect to like it; to witness them coming out to 
 know that the outcome had fulfilled expectation. 
 
 Then the armistice, and a long wait in camp for transport home or a 
 hike into Germany. And looking back the doughboy felt that he had had 
 a rotten time. Now even such broad-minded human beings as you and I, 
 dear reader, hate a place where we have had a bad time. It may not 
 be the fault of the place in general, but only of the one dishonest cab- 
 man who cheated us; or the one bad restaurant which gave us a poor 
 dinner; or the gods of weather, who sent up a pouring rain that day — 
 we tend to blame it all on the town. And the doughboy, waiting and 
 extremely homesick, laid it all on France. 
 
 There was one major grievance which he cherished, and which I, for 
 one, find it hard to explain away. From the moment when he entered 
 France he found himself overcharged. 
 
 There was one in-ice, for the natives, he discovered, and another for 
 him. This did not hapjaen everywhere; there were places where the 
 mayor or priest took measures with the populace. But these were prol)- 
 ably the exception. Perhaps this is not the deep-lying reason for the 
 feelings of part of the A. E. F., but at least it is the reason they most com- 
 monly give. I shall not attempt to defend this, but only to explain. 
 Charge and Overcharge 
 
 In the first place the Americans arri\eil in Fiance ]ii('c('(|(>d by a 
 reputation for wealth without limit. The first comers did nothing, per- 
 haps, to efface this impression. They were our first volunteers; ami 
 always in the vanguard of volunteers is an undue proportion of rich 
 men, who can afford to enlist. Being flush and feeling kindly toward 
 France they made "keep the change" their formula. A Frenchman, no 
 matter how rich, never does that. The rej)ort flew that they had enor- 
 mous wealth. 
 
 One Frenchman whom I met in a railway carriage had seen the l()7th 
 Kegiment, which used to be the Seventh, of New York City. He sol- 
 emnly assured nie that every man of them was a millionaire — not in dol- 
 lars, but in francs. When I disputed this he triumidiantly cited tiicir 
 actions to prove his case. 
 
 Imagine three thousand millionaires dumped on any American town, 
 and ask yourself if the grocer, the druggist and the liidel keejier would 
 keep their prices down! Moreover, overcharging the soldier was not 
 exclusively a French custom. Our own people did it, until stopped by 
 authority, on the Mexican Border.
 
 164 MEMORIES OF THE ' ' 411T11 ' ' 
 
 Last March some Canadian trooi)s encamped in Western England 
 had a riot which ended in five deaths. Official investigation showed 
 that it started in an attack on local shops which were overcharging the 
 Canadians — own kinsmen to the English. 
 
 Again, the rules of the game are different in the Latin countries. 
 Overcharging the stranger is a perquisite of trade. A friend of mine has 
 an office in the post office building, Eome, and lives just outside the 
 walls, at a point placed inconveniently for rapid transit. So he com- 
 monly takes one of the little open-faced, one-horse cabs characteristic 
 of the town. It happened that he nearly always called the same cabman, 
 a pleasing person named Giuseppi. The charge was always the same — 
 two and a half lire, with tip. 
 
 After three months of this, Giuseppi one evening took only two lire 
 out of a five-lire note. 
 
 "Haven't you made a mistake.?" asked my friend. 
 
 "Oh, no!" said Giuseppi. "You were a stranger when you licgan 
 to ride with me, but now I see you are settling down among us and I 'ni 
 charging you Eoman prices.'' 
 
 All of this, not with the air of a iiinn |u'rf(irming a virtuous net 
 but of one doing business. 
 
 Indeed, the Northern French overcharged their own countrymen 
 who came to them as soldiers from other provinces. Only the French, 
 knowing the language and customs, sat down on the tradesmen when 
 they went too far. We bore it all like patient Americans, but — also like 
 Americans — we kicked violently among ourselves. Nothing so irritated 
 our Army as to feel itself done. 
 
 While engaged in telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth 
 I must record that the A. E. F. is not generally pleased with the Y. M. C. 
 A. In this piobably the men are scarcely just. The Y^. M. C. A. was 
 spotted; it had faults of organization and it made here and there some 
 bad mistakes in choice of personnel. Still, I do not know what we should 
 have <lone without it. Now in about two cases out of three when the 
 doughboy ex[)resses himself on the Y. M. C. A. he charges that he has 
 paid more fof cigarettes or chocolate than at the regular canteens, and 
 has therefore been done, niulcte<l, bilked. 
 Little Missionaries 
 
 It apjiears that early in the game both the canteens and the Y'. M. 
 C. A. charged cost price for such comforts as chocolate and cigarettes. 
 However, the Y. M. C. A., unlike the canteens, had at first to pay ocean 
 freight and duty on tobacco. With rather bad judgment, I think, they 
 added this into the cost price; and therefore a package of cigarettes 
 which cost eight cents at the canteen, say, cost ten or eleven at the Y^. 
 M. C. A. but next door. The doughboy didn't know that; or hearing of 
 it didn't believe it. All he saw was that the Y. M. C. A. was overcharging 
 him; and, as I say, it is his chief grievance against the institution. 
 
 Y^et this I notice about the American Expeditionary Force. The 
 longer they stayed and the more the contact they had with the French 
 the better they liked the land and the people As a general rule — of 
 course there are many exceptions both ways — the 1917 man liked it better 
 than the 191 S man. So, too, because they had more opportunity of get- 
 ting about, The officers, I find, liked the country better than the rank 
 and file; and for the same reason the S. O. S. liked it better than the 
 boys who wallowed in the mud of the Front. 
 
 One morning I found myself at breakfast at Chaumont with a major 
 in the Medical Corps. He had taken only a brief turn of the Front; his 
 work, since his arrival in the summer of 1917, had lain in a town of the 
 southeast, where he had not only ran a hospital but helped in caring for
 
 "FRANCE AND 1!^" 165 
 
 the civilian population. Ami he was an ciitliusiast over France and 
 Frenchman. 
 
 "I wasn't at first," he said. "We eanie down there full of affec- 
 tion for France, friendly as the dickens. The French we met were coldly 
 polite; behind this shell I felt that they were watching us; that we never 
 had their full confidence. Then they be^au to overcharge us. We knew 
 that, and the boys resented it. Yes, the reasons for overcharging were 
 what you say; but there was another, which I think you've missed. The 
 German whispering propaganda had been busy, very busy. The people 
 had been told that our American millionaires forced us into the war to 
 make uj) for the losses on their loans to the Allies, that when it was all 
 over we 'd have a mortgage on France. They really thought, I believe, 
 that we came into the w'ar just to make money. Soaking us on prices 
 was their way of getting a little of it back before we owned the country. 
 
 ■'I think the children w^ere the first missionaries. Of course our boys 
 like<l the children, and the children liked them.' Well, some of the kids 
 had been having a hard time — not a jsiece of candy since the war started, 
 and running round barefooted in cold weather. If you want to know 
 what the strain of the war has been on France get out of Paris and see 
 a little town like mine. The boys began to give them chocolate; and 
 sometimes when they found a little fellow with his feet on the ground 
 they'd club together and get him some shoes. The people saw this; an<l 
 it didn't match up with the idea of a mercenary invader who had come 
 to grab France. 
 
 ' ' I suppose the ice was broken first wdieu the mothers began to 
 drop in to thank the boys for what they'd done — nice, cordial French- 
 women, whose ways the boys liked. Then all of a sudden the whole town 
 got chummy. There isn't an old Frencdiwoman in town who wasn't 
 mothering two or three American boys — sewing on their buttons au<l 
 all that sort of thing. And the boys feel toward them as though they 
 were their own people. And from tliat very time the prices they charged 
 us came down to town level. There isn't a boy in my outfit who isn't 
 pro-French — most of them will be writing letters back to the town for a 
 long time after the war. 
 
 ''With the French Army, or at least the officers, it took a little 
 longer. Oh, yes — they were jiolite — just too polite. I never understood, 
 myself, the difference between that p)oliteness and real cordiality until 
 after the Battle of Chateau-Thierry. The morning after we recei\ed the 
 news that the Eegulars and Marines had stopped the boche flat-footed at 
 the Marne, three French officers came into my tjuarters. They stepped up 
 to my desk and saluted, and the senior officer made a little s}iee(h: 
 
 '' 'We're really comrades now^'! 1 remember he said; and wlieii 
 they shook hands with me one of them was crying. From that time mi 
 we were real friends — we'd got through the veil of politeness. Vou see. 
 they'd been from Missouri on us. We looked good, yes — but cduid we 
 fight .^ Would we fight without the incentive of hate.' We'd siimx n our- 
 selves poor haters. They knew now not only tiiat we could fight Imt that 
 we were a litter of wildcats." 
 General Good Feeling 
 
 Before the armistice T liad noted here and there among our Anu'ri- 
 i-an troops, especially among tiie new divisions, ti:at undercurrent of ill- 
 feeling of which I am now treating. It seemed a shame; for by e\ery 
 test which I could put we were at that moment a jtet nation with tin- 
 French. An official of the French Government concerned with tli(> morale 
 of the country worked last August a very ingenious jdan — vvhicdi I re- 
 gret that I may not describe — to try out Fremdi feeling. It showed thai 
 we were decidedly jKipular witii flu- |ie(i|ile in general. In fact, my i'ln;;
 
 166 MEMORIES OF THE ' • 411 TIE ' 
 
 lish friends in Paris showed l>y rluiry British coniments that they were 
 a little jealous. 
 
 ''Ah, yes, one loves his latest sweetheart liestl'" said one of them 
 to nie. 
 
 Ou the niglit of the armistice I saw four or five American flags 
 carried by the Parisian populace to one British or Belgian or Italian. 
 
 Still, we have our faults, surprising as it may seem; and contact with 
 an alien people is a great searcher of national faults. The American 
 character travels straight toward results. We are impatient with side 
 issues; and all the old, crowded, com])lex Eurojiean nations consider 
 side issues to a degree w'liich we can never fully appreciate. We have 
 not — no northern people has — the exquisite surface courtesy which a 
 Frenchman never loses. 
 
 In our anxiety to get results we were often tactless from a French 
 point of view. This cause of irritation was exaggerated by our general 
 ignorance of the language. I wonder if the American schools, after this, 
 will teach us speaking French instead of the book French they taught in 
 my generation. And we ran into certain French peculiarities which we 
 found it hard to understand. For example, early in our war a fine old 
 chateau near Bordeaux was leased for a headquarters. By the terms of 
 the lease we w^ere to leave everything exactly as we found it. The 
 chateau in its four or five hundred years of existence had never known 
 sanitary plumbing; the owners bathed in washbasins or rubber tubs. Ex- 
 pecting to stay a long time we installed, by permission, drains, batlitubs, 
 toilets, a water-heating system. 
 When the Boys Whoopsd It Up 
 
 When, last January, we ended the lease and moved out the officer 
 who conducted the business offered to leave the plumbing where it was, 
 since its removal would cost as much as it was worth. The French 
 owner refused. We had to take out our ]duinl)iug. What he wanted from 
 that chateau was not sanitation but venerable beauty and the sense that 
 he dwelt in the same identical house as his ancestor of the tenth gener- 
 ation back. The American finds it hard to understand such a ]ioint of 
 view; and he is a bit brusque in expressing his opinion thereon. 
 
 In discussing another of our failings I must begin by an explana- 
 tion. Xot the least of our pride in the Expeditionary Force was its good 
 behavior. For general morals we were the prize winners. But of 
 course soldiers in a non-prohibition country will get drunk now and 
 then. One reason for our prohibition wave is the fact that many Amer- 
 icans have no moderation in their use of alcohol, and that they some- 
 times tend, when drunk, to tear up the sidewalks. Your French jioilu 
 who in his reaction from the trenehes took to liquor got a blissful and 
 genial jag, which expressed itself in talkativeness and in flirtation. The 
 American whooped it up. 
 
 As two coyotes on a moonlit night can give the impression of a whole 
 wolf pack, so two drunken Americans could give the appearance of a 
 drunken Army. They might l)e surrounded by fifty poilus, all half-seas 
 over; it was the Americans whom one noticed. 
 
 This tendency brought its most deplorable effects in Paris. The 
 capital of the world was not a leave center. Nevertheless all sorts of 
 commissions and activities centered there; soldiers were constantly com- 
 ing and going on military errands; moreover, though Paris was officially 
 barred, men nevertheless got Paris leave by pull or cajolery. In spite 
 of the provost marshal and the military police we always had the Amer- 
 ican drunk with us; and when present he always announced himself. 
 The French, who, as I have said, grow merely genially expansive w^ith 
 li(]U(ii-. dill not like this.
 
 ■' FRANCE AND I'S" 167 
 
 Xevertheless, Freueh feeling did not begin to c-hauge until we locked 
 horns a hit at the Peace Conference; at .one time, indeed, there was a lock- 
 ing of horns all along the line. For fifty years — even before the Franco- 
 Prussian War — Germany has been the nightmare of France. There she 
 sat on the northern border, waiting, France rightly felt, the first open- 
 ing to swoop dowm and to complete the enslavement begun in 1870. All 
 this time France had borne a heavier and heavier burden of armament 
 taxation just because Germany was arming more and more. 
 
 The nightmare came true in 1914; and it surpassed the imagination 
 of the most pessimistic Frenchman. To most Frenchmen beyond middle 
 age the evil institution of predatory war was identical with Germany; 
 and lasting- jieace meant the suppression of Germany, and nothing else. 
 ^Moreover, all France came into the era of "arms down" in a curiously 
 abnormal state of nerves. The strain — and no one who has not been 
 through it can imagine it — had been too great for humanity to bear. 
 They stood up to it, these nervously organized French, until the last 
 moment of need; then in many of them something snajiped. As I hur- 
 ried towaril the boulevards on the morning when the armistice was an- 
 nounced the first thing I noticed was the number of women weeping. 
 Afterward many and many a w-oman or middle-aged man of my knowl- 
 edge or acquaintance had a nervous collapse. All nerves were in fact 
 much less normal than during the war. 
 
 In that state a number of able, highly patriotic and well-willed but 
 slightly old-fashioned French statesmen came against Wilson, with his 
 League of Nations and his ideas of a far-reaching settlement to end the 
 causes of war. To say that the French Government as at present con- 
 stituted is against the League of Nations would be putting the whole 
 thing falsely. 
 
 "What we want," said one official to nie, ''is a strong League of 
 Nations — that 's the point. ' ' 
 
 However, with their intense nationalism their idea of a strong league 
 meant mainly something which would guard France against Germany. 
 With this always in view they asked more, often, than their confreres of 
 the League of Nations or the Peace Conference thought it possible to grant. 
 
 Now' M. Clenienceau, the iron man of France, was least of all among 
 the French delegates convinced on the League of Nations question. He 
 cannot be described as exactly hostile; but, as a British friend put it to 
 me, his attitude is "sympathetic cynicism." Still, he would welcome 
 what the French consider a strong league. And Clenienceau is a fighter 
 — all his life he has fought with everything he had from his eyebrows 
 to his toenails. Opposed on the slightest proposition he goes at his op- 
 jionent 's throat. 
 The Noisy Minorities 
 
 M. Clenienceau understands as well as the next man that the jdain 
 French people favor a League of Nations or any other plan which prom- 
 ises to end war. And he is enough of a democrat to wish to represent 
 his people. But he is also implacable on Germany; and when opi)Osed 
 on that question he bares his teeth and gives his celebrated imitation 
 of the tiger. 
 
 Anotiier thing complicated tlie program. With the unexpected ar- 
 rival of victory the imperialistic element in every Allied nation woke 
 up, rubbed hands and said, "Now is our chance." P''rance is about five 
 per cent Royalist; and those people will never see affairs except in the 
 light of the struggle for empire. Fiance has its gentlemen of high fi- 
 nance, who would welcome empire because it would be good for business. 
 So have Italy and Britain, for that matter; and so have we. Let us 
 not cast the first stone.
 
 168 MEMOKIES UF THE •■411TH" 
 
 Reading the spirit of our jjolitic's from the other side of the water I 
 thiuk I trace in some of the opposition to the League of Nations a body 
 of gentlemen who want an empire clear down to the Isthmus, with all 
 accompanying trai)piugs of a huge standing army and gumshoe diplom- 
 acy. It would be good business, and it would be ''swell."' Only, these 
 gentlemen dare not express themselves njieniy. 
 
 The French are, more frank. The gun barrels of Armagedeon were 
 not yet cleaned before the Eoyalists and the imperialists were denumd- 
 ing e\"erythiug in sight, fathering a i)olicy which would mean glory for a 
 time, and then — more war, under the horrible, intensified conditions of 
 "the next war." Again I say, the French were not alone in possessing 
 this element. 
 
 Now there are in Paris two newspapers of great technical excellence 
 which represented this class — the Echo de Paris, Royalist, and Figaro, 
 Clerical with Royalist leanings. From the day of the armistice they de- 
 manded things. They began with the disarmament of the left bank of 
 the Rhine, then demanded possession of the left bank, and then, the pipe 
 drawing freely, thirty kilometers the other side. No one, outside of a 
 few countingrooms and of certain Royalist circles where people discuss 
 over tea their lost cause, ever took these proposals seriously. The dis- 
 armament of the left bank — that is another proposition. Tlie Rhine 
 Valley has always been a pist(d ]iointeil at the heart of France. l>is- 
 armament of the left bank would diaw the cartridge; and — if I may 
 prophesy — it will be disarmed. 
 
 Bewildered Correspondents 
 
 Now from the first these two organs set up Wilson as a bugaboo; 
 and, along with him, Wilson's country. Out of courtesy they put on the 
 soft pedal during the period of Wilson's official visit. No sooner was 
 the conference down to business than they started up again. 
 
 And with Wilson had arrived a shipload of first-class Washington 
 correspondents and star reporters to do the Peace Conference for our 
 j^ress. I will match the American newspaperman against any of his eon- 
 temporaries across the water, and give odds. The more I see of the for- 
 eign press the more on the whole I admire the American. But just let 
 me hint that some of them, though won<lers on a big fire, marvels on a 
 national election and world-beaters on the tariff, wobbled a bit at first 
 on French atmosphere and world politics. In our splendid isolation our 
 newspapers and newspaper men have never much regarded Eurojje as 
 anything but a place where the rich traveled and broke the bank at 
 Monte Carlo and got their jewels stolen, whereas the most mediocre little 
 Fleet Street reporter discoursed on the Balkan problem and the German 
 plot against Persia and France 's future in Morocco. In five or ten 
 years of world contact we shall change all that, but I am speaking of now. 
 
 The American rejjorter walked into Europe and read or had trans- 
 lated to him a hot leader of Petrinax from the Echo de Paris and felt 
 all his sense of nationality injured. The popular Matin and Petit Pa- 
 risien — this last has ten times the circulation of the Echo de Paris — might 
 be most kind and comiilimentary on that day. Humanly, he ilid not no- 
 tice them. He noticed the Echo de Paris. 
 
 Then he misread the French he met in Paris, as almost every Amer- 
 ican does in the beginning. I know;; for I've been through it myself. 
 The true Frenchman has a pessimistic pose. He is, I think, always play- 
 ing a little game with himself. If one thinks things are coming out well 
 he'll be so horribly disappointed if they come out badly! If one thinks 
 things are coming out badly how happily surprised he'll be if they come 
 out well! Let us therefore work for the best and expect the worst.
 
 ''FJJAXCE AX J) IS" 169 
 
 From 1914 clear through to 1918 Americans over only a month or so 
 liave come to me and whispered: "These people can't last more than 
 two or three months longer. They say so themselves!" 
 
 I'aris is \ery gossi])y; and the gossip is always i)essiinistic. 
 
 Many a man who had read the Echo de Paris listened to the Fren<di 
 and got the straight of some events inside the conference or the subsid- 
 iary committees, rushed to the wire or to the mail chute with a story 
 true as to its facts but untrue — though he wrote sincerely — in the im- 
 portance he gave to those facts. The stories grapevined back to France; 
 and that stirred uj) more hard feeling. 
 
 Well, I myself must be careful to temper facts with a sense of pro- 
 portion. Do not believe that the attitude whiidi 1 have dcsci-ibcd in the 
 American Army is universal or even typical. 
 
 Anyone, as I have said, dislikes a place where he happened to have a 
 liad time; so, too, he likes a place where he had a good time. When he 
 begins to think he had a gloriously good time he will begin unconsciously 
 to like France. If your boy when he first conies home has some acrim- 
 onious AA'ords to say about the sister republic don't pay any attention to 
 liini. Wait two or three years until he has attemled a few camp-fire re- 
 unions and then, at a moment when he has forgotten what he said when 
 he first came home, put the question and hear what he has to say. Don't 
 wait too long if you want the truth. By ten year's he will have swung 
 to the other extreme. 
 
 As for the old-timer, who has had a idiance to get acquainted with 
 France and the French — listen to liim. He has seen — past the fluff — 
 the sober solidity of French family life, the beautiful strength of their 
 natural ties. He has learned that though the French have some ways 
 in business irritating to us they get the business of the world done in a 
 manner most astonishing. He knows that though, like the jaeasant Scotch 
 and the native New Englander, they are close and thrifty they have back 
 of their thrift a stern sense of obligation. He knows that, like America, 
 France is made up of all kinds of people, some of whom you like and 
 !-'ome of whonr you don't. But the charm of the people — with their 
 courtesy, their sense of humor, their way, like an amiable dog, of enter- 
 ing into the spirit of the occasion — has probaldy got to him, as it gets 
 to e\'cry man of good will. The condiination of charm ami idiaracter 
 cannot be beaten in the end. 
 
 i'erhaps indeed he has gone a little further and reached the Fremdi 
 mind. He can tell you then that they are a nation of thinkers, with a 
 talent for looking facts in the face; that however lively the play of 
 surface emotion the little hard French head is always sitting ajiart, 
 cooly thinking. He may have gone far enough to know that the French 
 schools and universities are, in two-thirds of the exact sciences, better 
 and sounih'r than tlK)se German universities which were su(di a craze 
 with (lui- world of learning before the war. The German, you see. knew 
 how to advertise; the French did not. 
 
 Before I left Paris I talked this situation oxer with a wise i-'rcncdi- 
 man who ailmires America and who wants abo\e all tliinys to maintain 
 a friendship not of the governments so much as of the peoples. Tliougli 
 he admitted the facts I fouml him calm, unperturbed. 
 The Building of Friendship 
 
 "We're going through a necessary stage of friendship," he s;iid. 
 '' When you first meet your friend he is wonderful, wonderful. Then yon 
 find that he has his disagreeable traits, his little ways that jar ujion you. 
 Yon weather that, take him as he comes — and you're friends.'" 
 
 " 'A friend is one who knows the worst about you, and iloesn't give 
 a ilanm I ' ' ' 1 (luotcd.
 
 170 
 
 MEMORIES OK THE "411Tir 
 
 "Exactly. The idea with which you Americaus came — that we were 
 all super-humauly brave and good and beautiful — couldn't last a week 
 after you saw the reality, because we're just people like you. 
 
 ''Did you ever consider," he added, "how trying it is to eutcrtaiu 
 a stranger; or to be entertained? There isn't a family of my acquaint- 
 ance which I like well enough to dare to take under the same roof with 
 my family for six months. We'd all get on each other's nerves. You've 
 come here, two million three hundred thousand men, and thousands and 
 thousands of men and women in auxiliary services. You've saturated 
 France. I suppose there is no village so small that it hasn't had Amer- 
 icans, if only one military policeman. We didn't invite you to come — as 
 indixiduals. In that sense we were forced ujion each other. Good will 
 and patriotism carried both sides a long way; but inevitably we got a 
 little on each other's nerves. That will ])ass too; we'll get ilown to a 
 working basis of friendship. 
 
 "I've been through all this before. The British came to us in 1914. 
 They never saturated France as you have done, because they could keep 
 so jnany of their activities at home. Except for a little occupation of 
 Paris at first they never went much beyond the northwest-em corner. 
 Do you know that toward the end of 1915 personal relations got a little 
 strained? We were sna})ping at each other, no one knew exactly why. 
 That stage passed, naturally and without much effort on either side. 
 We've got down to working friend.ship with the British. We know the 
 worst about each other, and don 't give a damn. ' ' 
 
 As the years roll on, we will think less and less of the few 
 unpleasant experiences we luul in the A. E. F., and fenieniber 
 only those things Avhieh gave us the .ureatest pleasure. AVe 
 will reiiiemher the many courtesies and favors bestowed upon 
 ns l)y the French i)eople in the various communities where Ave 
 wei'e l)illeted, and for.yet the times when we were slightly over- 
 charged for a bottle of wine or a feed, when our appetite was 
 fullei' than our purse. "VIVK LA FKANX'E" 
 
 He Says: "A Good Gernii
 
 XVIII 
 HOxMEWARD BOUND 
 
 tttE arrived at Brest on .March 2(i. 1919, the following' clay 
 ^^ and marched out over the ohl, somewhat familial- I'oad the 
 same as upon onr arrival in ]\Iareh, 1918, but upon i-carhini;- 
 I'oritonezen, we beheld a complete transformation. WhcM-c there 
 had only been the old stone barracks then there was now a 
 reiiular little city of barracks, tents, kitchens, delonsino' estab- 
 lishments, bath houses and exi^ry other conceivable establish- 
 ment for the handlin<i' of troops. We were told that they had 
 taken care of as many as 70,000 troops at one time. Compared 
 with the hard-board beds and cold quarters which had been our 
 lot npon arrival a little over a year ago, we "were sitting on 
 the world." While we had some rather disagreeable details 
 given to ns during our stay in Brest, our food was good, we 
 w^ere able to get good baths whenever we wanted them, and we 
 were all so happy to be just on the eve of onr departure for 
 the States, that work, even though dirty, ditl not worry us 
 much. 
 
 After we had received the nsnal and necessary delonsings, 
 re-outfittings of clothing, eqnipment. etc., and received the 
 requisite nnmber of inspections, the day of departure fiiuilly 
 arrived. Onr scant supply of francs and centimes were changed 
 into good old V. S. dollars and cents and we found ourselves 
 "walking up that gang ])laid\." The T". S. Cruisei- Cliarlestou 
 was to be our transpoi't for return home, and we puUeil up an- 
 chor at 10 A. M., April 10. 191!), steaming slowly out of the l>ar- 
 boi- of Brest. Although our hearts were overHowiuu' with 
 gladin:\ss that we were noAV on oui' way to the hoiiiehmd, it was 
 not withont many pangs of regret and sadness that we stood at 
 the rail of the ship and watclnnl the shoi-es of Fi-aiu-e gradually 
 nun-ge into the horizon and pass out of sight, i^'oi' Mu)re than 
 thirteen mouths we had been practically hei- guests; we had the
 
 1. Leaving- Camp Mills. 4. Band's farewell concert Montlouis. 
 
 i!. Tliree new "Louies." 5. Meeting- with homefolks at Oakland. 
 
 2. Fii'st sight of "Mi.«s Lihei'tv."
 
 HOMEWAHl) BOIM) 17:-5 
 
 oppoi'tniiities of learning French customs, quite a bit of their 
 language and their courteous hospitality. AVe had made many 
 friends; in fact some of the friendships bordei'ed on romances: 
 we had experienced with their delightful people many of their 
 deep sorrows during the dark days of 1918, and all of their 
 .joys in the victory celebrations following the end of tlu^ wai'. 
 In our heart of hearts we knew that our pleasant experiences 
 and friendships woidd long outlive the memory of oni- discom- 
 forts and disappointments. 
 
 Our Commanding Officer, Captain A. B. Coates, was the 
 commanding officer of troops on board, and as the Battalion 
 Avas the only regular organization, the remainder being casuals, 
 it fell to our lot to take care of the supervisory work of hand- 
 ling the berthing, messing, etc., of the officers and men of th( 
 Army. All this might have gone very Avell, if practically every- 
 body aboard had not come under the spell of sea-sickness be- 
 fore we were more than two hours at sea. For the first three or 
 four days there was hardly a corporal's guard in the mess line 
 or anywhere else except the l)unks. A few old "sea-dogs" of 
 our outfit weathered the storm and were a])le to maintain some 
 semblance of order among the troops aboard until gradually, 
 as the storm wore iself out, recruits were put in service and 
 order restored. 
 
 AYliat a difference in this homeward bound trip and tlu' 
 one over. After the storm had subsided and those who had 
 been so deathly sea-sick had ceased to wish that the ship would 
 strike a mine, groups could be seen forming here and there all 
 over the ship, and what was the topic of their conversation .' 
 What they had done in the war! Indeed not I Instead, "What 
 I am going to do as soon as I get out ;" "Believe ]\\v. I am going 
 to have some feed when I hit New York;" "Oh boys, won'l our 
 American girls look good," etc., etc. A spirit of .iolly dieei' 
 pervaded all and the only disturbing element was thai Ihe old 
 ship couldn't go fast enough to reach tlie end of our ocean voy- 
 age. And when land was sighted and we sailed slowly up 
 thi'ough New '^'oi'k's lo\ver harhoi-, ])ast Ihe Slatute of Lib- 
 erty, to noboken. amid the shrill whistles of fadorx- and rixcr 
 craft and the ehe<M-ini;' thousands of oiii- own coiuit lymen. oni-
 
 174 MEMORIES OF T 1 1 E " 41 IT i 1" ■ 
 
 hearts were filled with uratitude that we were again setting- 
 foot on U. tS. soil. 
 
 We arrived in lIol)oken on A[)i'i] 'Jlst. going directly to 
 Camp ]\Iills, N. J., where we remained for eight days. Unring 
 this time we all had an opportunity of visiting New York, and 
 the days passed very pleasantly, although everybody was anx- 
 ious to be on the way home to families and friends. We left 
 Camp Mills on April 29th, arriving in San Franeiseo on ^lay 
 4th. The members of the Ijattalion from Oregon, Washington 
 and other northern points left ns at Granger, AVyoming, at 
 which point they were transferred to the Oregon Short Line 
 for Camp Lewis. The writer must here leave the northern dele- 
 gation as he has no record of what happened to them as a body 
 after leaving- the southern crowd at Granger. ,0n the evening 
 of May 5th the Battalion was officially welcomed home at tlu- 
 San Francisco Commercial Club under tlie auspices of the Tele- 
 phone Society. The talks, eats and usual stunts at a banquet 
 of this kind will be left to the imagination of the reader and we 
 Avill pass on to the real dramatic incident of the evening. The 
 silken Stars and Stripes of our own Battalion colors, borne by 
 our color guard, were brought into the banquet hall and return- 
 ed to the Telephone Conq)any to be preserved for all time. ^Ir. 
 Henry T. Scott, who had been at the head of a group of dis- 
 tinguished telephone and army officials at the time the colors 
 Avere presented to the Battalion at ^lonterey, made the accept- 
 ance speech. In a voice trembling with emotion and tears of 
 happiness dinnning his eyes, he made a little talk of acceptance 
 ^that will be remembered all their lives by those present. His 
 voice, his manner and gestures expressed the heartfelt, Avhole- 
 souled welcome which he, on behalf of our friends and asso- 
 ciates, wished us to feel. It is to be regretted that every man 
 belonging to the organization could not have heard this talk and 
 enjoyed the atmosi^here of the occasion, as it Avould have been 
 a most pleasant place of adieu from the comradeship in arms 
 back into civilian activities.
 
 XIX 
 LOOKING FORWARD 
 
 r TPOX coiiiplctioii of this chapter, oui- narrative of the 411th 
 
 Avill eoiiie to a eh^se. The writer has I)e(Mi thinking foi- 
 many months that there ought to be some way of perpetuating 
 the friendships and eonn-adeships formed during our period of 
 service togetlier. Wlumever ami wherever you meet any of 
 your l)uddies from the old outfit, you always have a talkfest, 
 don't you.' You begin recalling old times: one will bring up 
 some incident that happened at ^lonterey: another something 
 during the trij) through the canal or on the ship crossing the 
 Atlantic; another one of the Big Parties put on at "^ladame 
 Cocaud's" in Savenay: another of the rats at Avacourt : still 
 aiu)11u'i- of a ])ai-ticularly good time in Paris, etc., etc 
 
 Wouldn't it be a good j)lan to organize "The Four-Elev- 
 enth Association," with a General Secretary at some central 
 point? Tie Avould collect information from Corresponding Sec- 
 retaries, located at as many places as might ])e found neces- 
 sary, and thus be able to keep in tom-h with all former mem- 
 bers, lie would issue a ])ulletin of news or "memories" three 
 or four tinu\s a year, containing {)ersonal information about the 
 uuui scattered all over the country. The writer ])elieves there 
 Avill be nnich I'eal enjoyment in tlie remaking of old friemlshiiis, 
 wliich have l)een neglected but not forgotten ; and, perhaps, 
 some day, AVe might have a gi'and reunion at old ^Monterey. 
 Are you for it ? All right! 
 
 "George" has kindly consented to act as General Secre- 
 tary of the proposed Association. What "(;(M)rge?" H. ( ). 
 Kutlierfurd, of course, lie is now located with the Traffic De- 
 partment of the Pacific Telephone and Tcb-graph ('(tiii|iauy a1 
 Saci'amento, Galif. lie will outline a |>lan ami submii ii to you 
 ill the very near futui'e. 
 
 The roMowinu' persouMi'l I'osliM' has been |»rrparcd lo cii- 
 abh' i-eadei-s of '" Alciiiorics" to licI in toui'li with obi cotnrades.
 
 176 :\rEMORIES OF TlIK • '41 ITU- 
 
 aiul to serve as a ready means of reeallin^' some name at any 
 time in the future. The addresses are the veiy latest which it 
 has l)een |)ossil)le to obtain aftei- contiiuicd con-cspoiKh'nce all 
 over the country: 
 
 PERSONNEL ROSTER 
 
 Abbott, C. S 1487 Sixth St., Alameda, Calif. 
 
 Adams, A. E Box 518, Stockton, Calif. 
 
 Adams, Albert S 457 D Ave., Coronado. Calif. 
 
 Agard, Roy Jl Ill W. 2nd St., Tulsa, Okla. 
 
 Agnew, T. C Box 501, Keokuk, Iowa 
 
 Albertson, Asel L Box 318 Idaho Falls, Idaho 
 
 Allison, Theo P Box H, Fowler, Calif. 
 
 Anderson, Alfred "Santa Rosa, Calif. 
 
 Andrews, William B 8901 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 Atkinson, Chas. B 451 E. 39th St.. Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Baeh, Gilbert W 4716 X. Winchester St., Chicago. 111. 
 
 Bachelor, Arthur H 326 E. 54th St., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Bacon, Bruce 269 S. 12th St., San Jose, Calif. 
 
 Bailev, Orrin W^ 16111/2 Ash St., Spokane, Wash. 
 
 Baird, Richard B 286 Tillamook St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Barbour, W. C *Spokane, Wash. 
 
 Barker, Christopher S.. 88 N. Marengo St., Pasadena, Calif. 
 
 Barker, Elmer F Beattie, Kansas 
 
 Barnes, Walter War, W. Ya. 
 
 Barnes, William W Davey, W. Ya. 
 
 Barrett, Richard M 15991/2 Belmont St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 BaA's, Thomas J 1814 Ashmore Place, Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Beardslee, Leonard L.... 112 Oak St., Modesto, Calif. 
 
 Bechtold, Jacob Y *Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Beebe, Carroll E 50 Post St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Becker, Ernest T 219 Raniona St., Palo Alto, Calif. 
 
 Beisell, Albert 526 N. 105th St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Bennett, George R... 1106 Magnolia St.. So. Pasadena, Calif. 
 
 Bevan, Albert E 1222 W. 22nd St., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Biedebach. Heurv E.. ....292 Galena Ave., Pasadena, Calif. 
 
 Bischoff, William L 961 Bates St. S. E., Grand Rapids, Mich. 
 
 Blair, Lewis A "Chico, Calif. 
 
 Blair, Robert H 200 Ferguson Bldg., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Blessing, James H "San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Blue, Albert A 182 Clinton Park, San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Boggs, Paul P 1 McKinley Ave., Baldwin Harbor, L.I., X. Y. 
 
 Borne, Hal R ". * Albany, Ore. 
 
 Boyle, Cecil A : 458 E. Burnside, Portland, Ore. 
 
 Brainard, Lawrence W Payette, blaho 
 
 Brakel, Leslie * Portland, Ore. 
 
 Brant, A. W 551 Washington St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Brome, George H.. P. O. Box 921, R. F. D. No. 4, Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Brown, Clifton S 2617 Cedar St., Berkeley, Calif. 
 
 Bruce, Robert I 589 Day St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Brunick, Tideman R Route 1, Box 7, Arlington, S. D. 
 
 "■■ Care Telephone Company.
 
 LOOKING FOR WA I J I ) 177 
 
 Bullock, Tyler M 41 Luckie St., Atlanta, Ga. 
 
 Burger, George.... 4157 Pearl Road, Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Burns, John L... Prescott, Wis. 
 
 Burns, Thomas M _ *Sacramento, Calif. 
 
 Cadr, Con H Care L. F. Robinson, Fihnore, Calif. 
 
 Calloway, Allen J Western Electric Co., Salt Lake Citv, Utah 
 
 Campbell, A. B.. 118 S. 1st St., Corvallis, Ore. 
 
 Campbell, A. J r... 2922 Walnut Ave., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Campbell, Lester W ^Portland, Ore. 
 
 Carlson, John A. *Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Carras, Gust H 178 N. Main St., Salt Lake City, Utah 
 
 Certain, Fred.... 122o S. Branson St., ^Marion, Ind. 
 
 Chamberlin, James A Care J. N. Chamberlin *San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Clark, Russell J Care First Nat '1 Exchange, .509 Fifth Ave, X. Y. 
 
 Clements, Henry D.... Care H. P. Worthiugton, 935 Security Bldg., 
 
 Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Coates, A. B. 627 Broadalbin St., Albanv, Ore. 
 
 Cobb, Thomas B Box 252 Weston, Mo. 
 
 Coculo, Harry Storrs, Utah 
 
 Cole, Charles F -*San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 ('oles, Herbert M. 257 Castro St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 (V)llins, Ernest T 929 1st Ave., Spokane, Wash. 
 
 Conable, Max D Gold, Potter Co., Pa. 
 
 c;oiilin, Michael 4801 Halsted St., Chicago, 111. 
 
 Connaway, Elton 75(5 Race St., Denver, Colo. 
 
 Connell, Bruce Colorado Bank & Trust Co., Denver, Colo. 
 
 Council, John B Grand Hotel, Billings, Mont. 
 
 Cook, RoUand J. 5861 S. Flower St., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Cooper, Duncan A Box 167, Huntintgon, Quebec, Canada 
 
 Cotton, Jerome L Nespelem, Wash. 
 
 Curran, William H Indiana Bell Telephone Co., Indianapolis, Ind. 
 
 Dahlgren, Reinhold E Fergus Falls, Minn. 
 
 Davidson, Neal 2306 11th Ave. N., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Davies, Frank C 1407 Peoria Life Bldg., Peoria, 111. 
 
 Davis, James L 1429 C St., San Diego, Calif. 
 
 Davis, Walter A Sebastojjol, Calif. 
 
 Davis, Walter D 209 W. Heron St., Aberdeen, Wash. 
 
 DeVecehio, Walter W 86 Otis St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Dobbas, Eugene B. 1705 H St., Sacramento, Calif. 
 
 Dolan, John A Care Inter-Allied Rhineland High Commission 
 
 Coblenz, Germany, Europe 
 
 Donahue, Daniel F Hotel Imperial, San Jose, Calif. 
 
 Donald, Frank E 709 12th St., Modesto, Calif. 
 
 Dothager, Harlev Wellsburg, Iowa 
 
 Driscoll, George's 128 N. 17th St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Dubois, Grant P *Sacramento, Calif. 
 
 East, H. T 7;iii Insurance lv\(di;nigv, I'.ldg., Chicago. 111. 
 
 Eggan, H. R 1632 Summit Ave., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Klkins, Glen A 263 W. 13th St., Eugene, Ore. 
 
 Elliott, Julian 91 N. Virginia St.. Reno, Xev. 
 
 Ellis, Thomas Adrian Xiotaze, Kan.sas 
 
 Evans, David W 140 New Montgomery St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 * Care Telephone Company.
 
 Mi-:.M()inF:s ok tiik "4nTir' 
 
 Fairbanks, II. X SIVA W. 10th St., Riverside, Calif. 
 
 Fairbanks, William H 309 E. 8th St., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Fall, John W 914 Wisconsin St., Racine, Wis. 
 
 Fisher, Jesse B 2002 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif 
 
 Fowler, Edwin W. 2122 Cambridge St., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Foote, C. H *Richmon(l, Calif. 
 
 Trace, James A 616 S. Oaks St., Tacoma, Wash. 
 
 Freeman, Lloyd SI 6 Slieridan Ave., Tacoma, Wash. 
 
 Garman, Chas. C. Turon, Kansas 
 
 Garrett, Klmer L 16;;2 Fifth Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Gaskell, William E 542 Taylor St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Gershon, Arthur 4834 Prairie Ave., Chicago, 111. 
 
 Gilbert, John H Weed Lumber Co., Weed, Calif. 
 
 Gillett, George G 1542 W. 55th St., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Gingras, Harry L.... Box 25, Ashland, X. H. 
 
 Gio, Fred A Oregon Citv, Ore. 
 
 Glass, Harry H 1327 E. 41st St., Los Angeles,' Calif. 
 
 Goldenbee, George 1615 E. 38th St., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Gottfried, La Von E _ ^Portland, Ore. 
 
 Gould, Charles R 275 W. 17th St., Eugene, Ore. 
 
 (iraham, Emniett J ....548 South St., Hollister, Calif. 
 
 Graham, Henry J 284 Worcester Ave., Pasadena, Calif. 
 
 Grav, Leslie L 2201 Clinton Ave., Alameda, Calif. 
 
 Griswold, A. H 463 West St., New York City 
 
 Guenther, Charles E *Dunsnuiir, Calif. 
 
 Hall, Herman H 1886 E. Yamhill, Portland, Ore. 
 
 Hackathorn, Chas. C Box 47 Bergholz, Ohio 
 
 Halpin, John W 702 Rider Ave., Akron, Ohio 
 
 Hansen, I'eter 609 27th St., Tacoma, Wash. 
 
 Hansen, John W 1115 E. 24th St., Oakland, Calif. 
 
 Harris, Ariel C. 1537 S. VanNess Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Harris, Guy M ^Portland, Ore. 
 
 Harter. Rali)h 1 351 Center St., Naperville, 111. 
 
 Havdoii, Clarence 1 931 N. Lake Ave., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Hei-tor, Hobart \V 3006 W. 60th St., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Heinz, H. E 2800 Portland Ave., Minneapolis, Minn. 
 
 Henry, F. P 42 Stockton St., Napa, Calif. 
 
 Hershberger, Martin H. Box 371, Tucumcari, N. Mex. 
 
 Hershev, B. A : 802 Kimbark St., Longmont, Colo. 
 
 Hickey, Hugh L 131 Barson St., Santa Cruz, Calif. 
 
 Higlev, Harrison M Albion, N. Y^. 
 
 Hines, Harry E Barton, N. I). 
 
 Hoffer, William J 750 Lawrence St., Eugene, Ore. 
 
 Holman, Rav L Dan\ ille, Ind. 
 
 Hons, Alfred H 86 Otis St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Huff, William F 1445 W. 25th St., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Hungerford, Frank C 143 S. 30th St. E., Cedar Rapids, Iowa 
 
 Hunter, Flovd L Route 2, Box 1, Eugene, Ore. 
 
 Hunter, Lewis G 723 E. 35th St., Tacoma, Wash. 
 
 Hurley, J. L Box 456. Fresno, Calif. 
 
 Hurwitz, Monroe 654 Clayton St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Huston, Clark B ". West 9th St., Albany, Ore. 
 
 Hutchins, Ernest A 526 1st Ave., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Care Telephone Company.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD 179 
 
 Ijams, Daniel L *Eugene, Ore. 
 
 Ilsey Jaiiu's II 807 W. Madison St., Stockton, Calif. 
 
 Jackson, Othel K 518 E. Hoffman St., Hammond, Ind. 
 
 Jensen, Max A Box 175, Wyndmere, N. I). 
 
 Johnson, Arthur L 488 Wilcox St., Hammond, Ind. 
 
 Johnson, John B 82 Rooney St., Santa Cruz, Calif. 
 
 Johnson, Joseph L... Boone, Iowa 
 
 Johnson, John P. Box 702, Miles City, Mont. 
 
 Johnson, William E ..." 992 Minnesota Ave., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Jones, Josiah Adamsville, Utali 
 
 Jones, Ralph *Portland, Ore. 
 
 Jordan, ('has. E 696 E. 61st St. N., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Kearns, Henry C 27 16th St. S., Fargo. N. D. 
 
 Kidd, Martin C 2100 M St., Sacramento, Calif. 
 
 Knox, T. E Livermore, Calif. 
 
 Krater, Alexander C Indei)endence, Invo Co., Calif. 
 
 Kruse, Ered W 400 F. Pope St., Palto Alto, Calif. 
 
 Kuhn, Walter L Clyde Hotel, Portland, Ore. 
 
 Kurtz, August L. Saratoga, Calif. 
 
 Labeau, Wm. A 1178 Alhina Ave., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Lalande, Earl 221 North Brov^Mi St., Rhinelander, Wis. 
 
 Landis, Frederick H 2520 High St., Denver, Colo. 
 
 Lally, Bartholomew C. 1370 California St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Langdon, James D. 316 Huntington Ave., Boston, Mass 
 
 Larson, Charles O.... 732 Bush St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Larson, Walter L 110 North 77th St., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Latham, Ernest L Elks Club, Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Laverty, Ralph W. 1123 Devisadero St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Lee, John H ......2501 Yesler Way. Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Lemay, O Tiburon, Calif. 
 
 Lentfer, Ernest W Sylvan Grove, Kansas 
 
 Leonhar<l, Herman M New Salem, N. Dak. 
 
 LeValley, C. L 312 West Huron, Ann Arbor, Mich. 
 
 Lewis, Garner T. 234 Western Ave., Connersville, IikI. 
 
 Lindsay, Ralph W 510 Van Buren St., Eugene, Ore. 
 
 Lonergan, Jos. A *Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Lovell, Arthur Care I). H. McNulty, 1807 Lunt Ave., Chicago, 111. 
 
 Lucia, James 14 Sonora Place, San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Lundy, Don J ..1624 42nd Ave. No., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Lynch, Edward S 543 Harlan St., Emoryville, Calif. 
 
 Lvnch, John.... 515 Thomas St., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 AfcArtor, Leo ....R. F. D. No. 3, Box 28, Tacoma, Wash. 
 
 McCall, Clyde D 9;i7 Fast Everett St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 McConougiiy, Geo. E.. 2011 5th Ave., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 McCreary, Alfred B Watertowii, S. I). 
 
 McCoy, I)r. A. D. S Leiterman (Jeneral Hospital, San I-'rancisco, Calif. 
 
 McDaniel, Alvin R . K'alls, Texas 
 
 McDonald, Hector C 1262 N'alencia St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 McDonald, Roy M .....1220 West Main St., Fort Wayne. Ind. 
 
 McDonald, W." F * Fresno, Calif. 
 
 McGrew, Harrv J 17351/^ Sante St., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 McKelvey, Patrick J 309 East 8th St., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 McNulty', D. H 1807 Lunt Ave., Chicago, HI. 
 
 " Care Telephone Company.
 
 180 MEMOKIES OF THE -'^llTir- 
 
 MacNaniara, Arthur K 715 Mission St., San Eafael, Calif. 
 
 Madeira, Chester U 2;52 East 89th St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Manny, Karl C 2.37 East 47th Place, Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Maynaril, Jr., Raymond K 1015 Fair Oaks, So. Pasadena, Calif. 
 
 Mead, Earl A Care Interniountain Institute, Weiser, Idaho 
 
 Mendelson, Jos .1618 ;5rd Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Mereier, Albert C .404 West 72ud St., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Merrill, Warren S *San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Mervine, Harry , Conrad, Iowa 
 
 Meyer, Edward M *Portland, Ore. 
 
 Miller, Edward A 1121 Franklin St., Bellingham, Wash. 
 
 Miller, Geo. W 706 South 8th St., Norfolk, Neb. 
 
 Milner, John A Benton, Wis. 
 
 Montanye, Wni. D. W^ 1424 Grace Ave., Spokane, Wash. 
 
 Moon, Goldwin F 8536 Dibble Ave., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Moore, C. H Reno, Nevada 
 
 Morris, L. W" 2726 Bush St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Myers, Geo. E .' 1224 Taylor St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Neighbor, Roy R. F. D. No. 2, Kirklaud, Wash. 
 
 Nelson, Fred 1448 35th St., Oakland, Calif. 
 
 Nelson, John 1433 Mansfield Ave., Spokane, Wash. 
 
 Nesvig, John Box 345, Leeds, N. D. 
 
 Nicholson, Christopher S 582 E. 21st St. N., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Niemoeller, E. F. W 2913 Bailey Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 Nooney, Jesse 2908 15th Ave. S., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Norbo, Joe Bemidji, Minn., Route No. 2 
 
 Northup, Harold W ..*Sacramento, Calif. 
 
 Olseu, Hans 934 Davis Place, Seattle, Wash. 
 
 O 'Neil, J. B ..2507 K St., Sacramento, Calif. 
 
 Ortner, Fred J 1600 39th Ave., Oakland, Calif. 
 
 Parker, John L Rohrsburg, Col. Co., Pa. 
 
 Partridge, Ralph F 718 N. Madison Ave., Pasadena, Calif. 
 
 Patterson, John B .546 9th Ave. E., Eugene, Ore. 
 
 Patterson, Percv J Care 546 9th Ave. E., Eugene, Ore. 
 
 Phillips, Frederick T 4122 So. K St., Tacoma, Wash. 
 
 Pierce, Harold .3503 Arroyo Seco Ave., Los Angeles, Caalif. 
 
 Pierce, W. H 137V^ South Ave. 19, Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Porter, Aubrey A 8668 B Drive, Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Powell, P. M 707 Jefferson Ave., Toledo, Ohio 
 
 Prince, Richard W 646 Kline St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Quinn, John T Care Porto Rico Telephone Co., San Juan, Porto Rico 
 
 Radford, George A 4711 7th Ave. N. E., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Reger, F. J 521 A St., Santa Rosa, Calif. 
 
 Richardson, Jay G Colton, N. Y. 
 
 Riley, Roscoe C "Portland, Ore. 
 
 Robb, ('harles A 326 W. Hawthorne St., Eureka, Calif. 
 
 Rochford, Charles H. Corning, Calif. 
 
 Rolisou, Alvin M Redding, Calif. 
 
 Rolph, Carl D .108 E. 28th St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Rose, Charles L South Bend, Wash. 
 
 * Care Tele2)hone Company.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD 181 
 
 Rutherfurd, Geo. R. O *Safraniento, Calif. 
 
 Kiitledse, M. M. l;i8 W. S.ird St., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Ryder, Earl A *Portland, Ore. 
 
 Saunder.s, Francis M 1649 Woodside Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Sawyer, Eugene M 1.5.5 W. 75th St., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Schuehterman, Ferdinand H... 129 N. Second St., Alhambra, Calif. 
 
 Schussman, A. W P. O. Box 905, Ritzville, Wash. 
 
 Shapland, Ernest R 22(i Curtis St., Rochester, N. Y. 
 
 Shelton, L. R *San Francisco, (Jalif. 
 
 Sheridan, Frank F 130 S. 5th E., Salt Lake Citv, Utah 
 
 Sherrett, Harold J Apt. F., 340 Grant St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Simmons, A. L 516 Kiowa St., Leavenworth, Kansas 
 
 Skwira, Peter R. F. D. Xo. 2, Box 39, Holdingford, Minn. 
 
 Smith, Bert B *Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Smith, Curtis K Beamau, Iowa 
 
 Smith, Chas. Watt 1831 Berrymau St., Berkeley, Calif. 
 
 Smith, Frank C... 412 11th St., Pacific Grove, Calif. 
 
 Smith, Harry Jas ....R. F. D. No. 4, Box 239, Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Snelling, Harrie 182 E. California St., Pasadena, Calif. 
 
 Solberg, L B 108 Linn St., Ithaca, X. Y. 
 
 Staggs, Norman K *Spokane, Wash. 
 
 Stamp, Ira M 114 N. 48th St., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 Stewart, James F. Atwater, Ohio 
 
 Stier, Carl L 1524 W. Gardner Ave., Spokane, Wash. 
 
 Stockman, J. A. 746 Orange St., Riverside, Calif. 
 
 Stradley, Charlie C... 916 W. 35th Place, Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Taylor, John C ^Portland, Ore. 
 
 Tennant, L. V Cuban Telephone Co., Calle Aguila 161-167, Havana, Cuba 
 
 Thatcher, Thomas L Port Gamble, Wash. 
 
 Theroux, George .Care Fred A. Gio, Oregon City, Ore. 
 
 Thomas, Edwin S ..266 N. loth St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Thomas, James R American Oil Fields Co., Fellows, C!alif. 
 
 Thompson, George C 86 Otis St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Torrey, Frank W .....Russ House, S 1st St., San Jose, Calif. 
 
 Treen", Shirley M 419 W. 73rd St., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 True, Wallace W. 2402 California St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Tuel, Clyde L P. O. Box No. 36, Sumner, Wasli. 
 
 Tustin, E. B 578 S. 11th St., San Jose, Calif. 
 
 Underwood, Ralph 'Port la ml, Ore. 
 
 A'eazey, John J 516 S. Stafford Ave., Huntington Park, L. A. Co., Calif. 
 
 Vehslage, Herman C Artois, Glenn Co., Calif. 
 
 Yochatzer, George W Merrill, Ore. 
 
 Yogel, Arthur M 1721 15th St., Su])erior, Wis. 
 
 Wagner, Raljjh E 23 Homestead St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Ward, Arthur B .■>804 California St., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Ward, Louis J Letterman General Hospital, San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Warner, Charles 509 W. Sinto Ave., Spokane, Wash. 
 
 Warner, Harry E 1548 B. 3rd Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Weaver, Elmo B 1022 E. 68th St., Portland, Ore. 
 
 Webb, Thomas T. 327 Henry Bldg., Seattle, Wash. 
 
 * Care Telephone Conijiany.
 
 182 .ME.MOKIKS OF THE ••411Tir" 
 
 Webster, K. S Orleans, Yt. 
 
 Weimer, Leslie L 801' S. Traftou, T;u-oma, Wash. 
 
 Weitendorf, Ezra W 1469 Richard St., Milwaukee, Wis. 
 
 Wells, William M *Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Wheeler, Lvle H 252.5 E. .S7th St., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Wilkinson, George A 115 W. Green St., Ithaea, N. Y. 
 
 Wilkinson, Leland S 115 W^. Green St., Ithaca, N. Y. 
 
 Williams, John C - ^Portland, Ore. 
 
 Williams, Robert E. 91:5 N. 12th St., St. Joseph, Mo. 
 
 Wiswell, A'irgil W 416 2()th Ave., San Francisco, Calif. 
 
 Woodward, Daniel D *y^ortland, Ore. 
 
 Woodward, Franklyn H P. O. Box 21.!, [Milwaukee, Ore. 
 
 Woolsey, Harold B 1146 Formosa Ave., Hollywood, Calif. 
 
 Woolsey, Leon H Tehachapi, Calif. 
 
 Worthington, H. P 9;i5 Security Bldg., Los Angeles, Calif. 
 
 Yarnell, Donald I\I. - 800 Howard Ave., Altoona, Pa. 
 
 Young, Neal D Shirley, Maine 
 
 Younger, Robert C 1240 Dolore-s Way, Sacramento, Calif. 
 
 * ('are Telephone Company. 
 
 In conclusion, the ^\•l■itel• laiow.s of no better creed to leave 
 with his old conii-ades tlian to ([uote the preainl)le to the Con- 
 stitution of the American Le,uion : 
 
 "For God and Country, Ave associate ourselves to.aether for 
 the followinii' [Purposes: To uphold and defend the Constitu- 
 tion of the United States of America; to maintain law and or- 
 der; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred per cent Ameri- 
 canism ; to i)reserve tht^ memories and incid(Mits of our associa- 
 tion in th';' Great War; to incidcate a sense of individual ol)li- 
 •iation to the community, state and nation; to combat the 
 autocracy of both the classes and tlie masses; to make riiiht the 
 master of miuht; to promote peace and good will on earth; to 
 safeguard and transmit to i)osterity the principles of justice, 
 freedom and democracy; to consecrate and sanctify our com- 
 radeship l)y oui- devotion to nnitnal liclpfuliicss. " 
 
 FINIS.
 
 Members o{ Battalion at Domremay. birthplace 
 of .loan d'Arc, "The Maid ol Oreleans."
 
 University of California 
 
 SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 
 
 Return this material to tfie library 
 
 from which it was borrowed. 
 
 m m 
 
 DEC 4 1997 
 
 SRLF 
 2 WEEK LOAN
 
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 This little sheirt is -'. s^r.ple f)t v/hat we should like t- send, pcriod- 
 iCP.lly, to all r.cmberc of the eld 411th. In it we want to distribute to everycne, 
 little iters of intcrcEt; news of prcfent wheroab-uts^ trials, tribula+icns :ind 
 perhaps recall a fc\7 sc?jid:ils of the- pp.st. i^iany r.re the tiir.es v/hcn we have a few 
 quiet inor.ents to -ursclvcs frr thought r.nd rer:itiiscence thct we recall those good 
 rid times. Bad sor.etir.cE, surei But wc h^ve frrgottcn fr.pst of these. We even 
 recall with pleasure the tir.e in Jlor.tercy 'vhen, filled -rith self-i:;.prrtance over the 
 fact that wc had just lerrncd t- drive a rctfrcyclfe, v/C srnshed the blrr.cd thins ^? 
 and were nearly c-urt-rartialed for it. Tic get little tugs at the heart-strings ever 
 r.any of the &],d r.cir.erics, net the least cf these one of Borne passing out the; "rice 
 and" in the grey davm, and when we recer.bcr Miller and Bailey after a day in the wild- 
 ernees pushing the eld Garf^rd over the slippery places en the road frcr. Fcrt de B- is 
 BourruE. With rapture wo close our eyes and see big Tt-rroy directing the French 
 "jazz" crchoctra at Hcnt Luis. 
 
 '.Ve get hrrresick for a talk with the old "gang", get tc wondering where 
 they are, what they are dcing. V/herc is Morris, how is Patterson, Burns, Brant, 
 what is Davies doing these daysS 
 
 Don't ycu see the possibilities; If this sheet is the neans of get- 
 ting the old bunch together, cf placing one in touch with mother; if it remakes old 
 friendships, not frrgctti.n but neglected, it will have served its purpose. Let's 
 keep it alive. Who knows but that it may be the r.c^.r.E cf, someday, getting us r.ll 
 together for a grand reu:ii-nl 
 
 00000000 
 ,, ^ ^^^ Gevcrnrent printin£ cffico has on sale a Dair-phlet cf interest tc 
 
 all who served in France and especially to those who operated with the First Arr.y, 
 
 llnll V^l^^i'"^ ^^t "l^Tl ^"'^^^ ""^ ^""- ^'-^^ J- P'^rsJiing." The cost is eighty-five 
 cents and It imy b= had bv writing to Wr. J. H. Brinker, SuT,erintendent rf 
 
 wTaHp^rSio^^: '''''^'''' '' '' ^'- ^-^^^^ --^^^- -P^ and^Lc^unts of all 
 00000000 
 
 All liaill Jess Fisher is itrrried. The happy cruple have a crcfcrtable 
 billet in cne of L-s Aiigelea' beat apartr.ents. Ho drives his ovm ccJ- and furnishes 
 his o^n gasoline. Jess will be rcr.er.bcred as the bry whoso credit was always good 
 with the i::ess-sergeant, 
 
 • 00000000 
 
 Dr. McCoy has received a perr.saient coracission in the Kedieal Corps, 
 P.agular Anr.y. The Majcr is stc.ticned at the Letterr..an Hospital, Presidio of San 
 " '^' Ask "D-c" who threw the hand-full of shells in the fire at Les^jtes! 
 
 enlistr:cnt, 
 when chow is 
 
 "Sacrar.ento" Jci 
 Jre is very acti- 
 served. 
 
 3 O'lliel is still on the job in the 
 ifo in the Airxrican Legion being pre 
 
 00000000 
 
 town o! 
 sent at 
 
 ■ hie 
 
 all I
 
 Grant DuBois, erstwhile battalion supply sergeant, is pursuing sor.e- 
 rhat si.T.iliar duties in the Traffic Depactir.o-.-.t in 5acrar:cntc. We often wo:3de:- if hi^ 
 wuld again like tc make that trip from Savcncv tc St, Btienne "per l.:ctccyclet". 
 
 00000000 
 
 ■Harold W, Northup hasn't yet gotten over the habit of hidinc his 
 
 is nov/ handling the cciTx:is:;rry chest 
 sar-.e brand. 
 
 00000000 
 
 We v/ant to he?x fror. every person v;ho receives this initial co;jy. 
 Give us cotjrents nnd v/liatever news items you can prrvide. It hrs been cftiraS-ed 
 that with six issues a year (cne every two conths) twenty-five cents fron each will 
 cover the prstage and crst of the paper,_ 
 
 If ycu ch2.nge yr-ur address let us knew, The;whclc cutfit is interest- 
 ed in what you are doing — ?.nd we are trying to prrvide thc.mcdiur., Wiith the 
 "Battalion History" and y-ur "file" --f thi? she-et yu willhrwe a little £t:/y of 
 every r.rn v/ho was in t!;e crganirrticn. Twenty years frcr. new your children will 
 wan^ to know about hew Jerry Hui-ley w.is wou:ided i;i the Argcnne - and "'There is he 
 now, Papa?" You can toll ther. that Jerry is still hiking sticks for The ?,I. & T.Co, 
 Jiand getting all fixed for a pension. 
 
 Address all coracunicaticns to 
 
 G, R, Hutherfurd, 
 1411 "J" Street, 
 Sr.crrj7.ento , Calif-rr.ia, 
 
 c/o The F.T. 
 COKPJUT ATTEITIONI
 
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