Hughes High School - Hughes Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

Page 24 text:

or if anyone refused to pay the heavy taxes, some of these prominent citizens held as hostages, were immediately shot. This was a most unjust, but a very effective means of preventing any trouble or espionage by the Belgians. In this same city, a. few days later, all the male inhabitants were ordered to appear at the railroad stations. When they arrived, they were put aboard trains and sent into Germany to work in the factories and munition plants. They were not even aIIOWed to bid their families good-bye, or to provide for their welfare. When these loyal Belgian citizens arrived in Germany, they refused to work. They Were then placed in large unclean barracks and starved. Still they refused to work. Sickness and disease soon broke out among them, and when they became a burden to the Germans, they were again put aboard trains and sent back into Belgium. Here they died in numbers. There was little opportunity to give them food and medical attention. About this time the Food Commissions from the United States began to arrive. Stations for the free distribution of food were immediately established and the Belgians began to look upon Americans as the saviours of their people. But a nation that' can do the things that Belgium has done in the last four years, will not suffer long. In spite of all their sorrow, they are extremely happy and have begun with a vengeance to manufacture and rebuild. I will not dwell long-on the operations of the Buckeye troops in Belgium. Our first drive began on the morning of October 30th, and in live days of severe fighting we Pushed the Prussian Guard Divisions across the Lys River, drove them in disorder 15 kilometers t0 the Escaut River. Then in the face of the most stubborn resistance, log foot bridges were thrown across the Escaut River and the Division prepared to continue the attack just as soon as the units on our right and left had caught up to us. Our second drive began on the morning of November 9th, and as before, the hostile resistance was broken and we were about to penetrate the hostile lines when the order for the cessation of hostilities reached us. The lighting was over. I might ramble on at great length and never tire of telling about these wonderful experiences, but I want to take this opportunity to express to the pupils of Hughes High School my appreciation for their loyal support and splendid devotion to duty during the crisis which confronted us. Accept my sincerest regards and best wishes for all. Cordially, KENNETH G. ALTHAUS. Capt, Inf. U. S. A. l221

Page 23 text:

Cincinnati, 0., April 23, 1919. To the Students of Hughes High School: It was my good fortune to participate in the Welcome Home parade of the 147th Infantry. The rousing cheers and hearty greetings of the Citizens of Cincinnati filled all of us with pride, and again we realized how loyally the folks at home had supported us in our efforts Over Seas. Nine months of service in France and Belgium-were filled with new and thrilling experiences. However, I fear that the continued telling and re-telling of these war experiences will soon bore you to the utmost. After spending several weeks in the trenches and going Over the Top in the first phase of the Argonne Offensive, the 37th and 91st American Divisions were relieved from further operations in France and sent into Belgium, there to assist the Armies 0f the King in driving the hated Hun from their country. The 37th Division moved by train from an area near Verdun and after three days of tiring travel, detrained near the ruined city of Ypres, Belgium. From here we hiked across the famous HNo Man's Land of Ypres, a strip of territory ten miles Wide and over one hundred miles long, a tangled shell plowed desolation habited only by death, rats, and vultures. It stands as a monu- ment to the bravery and bull-dog tenacity of the British and Belgium soldiers.- It was extremely difficult to cross these battlefields over the hastily con- structed roads, and we stopped for a days rest in the ruined town of Hooglede, Belgium, which is situated on the Eastern edge of HNo Manls Land. There was little or no cover available for ofhces and billets, so we established Division Headquarters in an abandoned German barrack. The following morning a very disagreeable odor was noticed in the immediate vicinity and we sent the burying detail out to investigate. That evening they reported that they had buried 134 dead soldiers, most of them Germans who had fallen there eight days before. We did not know just what to expect in Belgium. We had heard so much about the German atrocities there. We thought that the entire country had been devastated and expected to find evidence of Child-mutilation everywhere. Much to our surprise, the country, except where there had been severe fighting, was in excellent condition. But Belgium has suffered. Its people have been robbed and enslaved. In the early months of the war, when the German army began its advance into Belgium, the German high command did not feel that any resistance would be offered. However, at Liege and Namur they soon hnd out that Belgium was a Nation, not a highway. As soon as a Belgian city came into their hands, many of the prominent citizens of the town were arrested and held as hostages. Then the Kom- mandantur issued the most stringent orders controlling the movements of the citizens and imposed the most severe taxes. If any of these laws were broken, l211

Page 25 text:

THE ARMISTICE OVEMBER the eleventh, found us in that famous. much talked of section, the Argonne Forest, which had been absorbing infantry and artillery of all calibers for some time in preparation for the coming drive. The Argonne is a real forest, a thicket of trees and underbrush left in its original wild state as a Government Reservation. It is broken only by a system of well built roads. Upon our arrival we were told to pitch. After we cleared a space for our tents we came face to face with the famous French mud. But do not get the impression that we kicked on our luckwthat was part of the game then, and we were there to play the game. Later, we had time to scour around the country for building material, boards, tar-paper and stoves. shelter stuff, that the French and even Germans always carried with them. We dotted the vicinity with little shacks, scattered and well camou- flaged, the largest of which became the quarters of the Battery Commandere the B. C. It was the telephone center and the center of all battery activities. Therefore, it was natural that the B. C., as always, got the dope 0n the Armis- tice, before the battery. The momentous day dawned, quite'as usual, the air full of miscellaneous explosions, Cloudy, murky, and chilly. The firing seemed to get unusually strong and then suddenly, later in the morning, there fell a silence which lasted so long that it seemed to be more menacing than the usual racket. At eleven fifteen the operator at the switchboard automatically pushed in his home plug in answer to the signal-drop, and began wearily to record the stereotype message head, HTo Vision 1. The Germans tthe operator is suddenly more alertl Hhave signed the Armistice.H The operator gazes blankly at his pad. The meaning of the words that he has written suddenly hits him between the eyes. With a yell he swings about, thrusting the news into the hands of the astonished Captain. The B. C. became the scene of noise and tumult. The available part of the battery was summoned together and the Skipper stepped forth. The boys stood at attention ready and waiting for the expected Hbawling out. With serious mien and measured words of most solemn and impressive tones the King spoke. HGentlemen, I have the honor to inform you of the greatest news the world has ever received. The Germans have signed the Armistice. The war is fmished-. He got no further. We yelled, shouted, and shot anything that would shoot, and danced about like a pack of Indians. Our demonstrations were suspended by the command, HAttention! But, continued after llDismissedl . with great hilarity. The remainder of the day was a succession of bright and happy hours. The firing had ceased and a new atmosphere seemed to take the place of the old. The sun came out to celebrate and drive away the clouds which were quite out of place as you will agree. It seems that the chemical action and l23l