South High School - Tiger Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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-1. f-5 5 1 vii: Jap E V- 0 ,tif if rs nigib 5.3: ,. H939 ..,,, W5 lg, 9552 Vnmignfgy qliggenv AT THE MARNE July 141. 1918. Dearesl Mother: I am in the rear for a while again. Have been in the attack that began twelve o'clock Ull the night of July lil-th, and it was some glorious encounter. lt looked bad for us toward morning. as they broke our linesg but owing to the fact that our battalion shifted our barrage to tl1e front of tl1e gap made i11 the line. it enabled us to bring troops up to hold it. We were ready to retreat, and it was only for this incident that we did not. At 3:30 A. M. we launched a counter attack, capturing two tanks and many prisoners. Our losses did not compare with those of tl1e Boche. My old battery lost, too. however. No doubt you have read in the papers of the gains along the rest of the front. that over 17.000 prisoners were captured along the line. It was a great defeat for the Boche and one that will mean much in end- ing the war. The general opinion here is that it will end by fall, which will mean that we will return about next spring. We are leaving here tomorrow. tl1e destination not being known. On returning from tl1e lines, two French planes brought a Bot-he down and it nearly fell on top of us. I heard the crack of the machine guns above us. but was unable to see tl1e planes ow- ' ing to their altitude. All of a sudden l saw smoke and this Boche coming down right above us. l yelled lo the major to spur l1is horse and Ualloped to the rear. When l looked hack. the Ct plane was still coming. but it spun around as a spinning wheel that turneil parallel to the ground. It landed this way in back of a ridge of woods a little to our right. The Iwo l rench planes followed it and landed also. Une of the Hovhes was hit in the head. tl1e other in the arm. tl1e latter also breaking his legs in the fall. Both saluted their niarhines about six times before leaving for tl1e hospital. l should think they would too, since they were brought down as they were. l ani feeling line. lfverything goes along hrst rate. These sum-1-essive CIlt'0lll1lCl'S increase our morale o11e hundred per cent. The major is still the same old good scout that he always has been. l certainly have been lucky to have this job. Tliere is none better. Love to all, I...vw'1115N1:11 Marti.-xirnv. lol l'. ,-N, 2nd B. H. Q. 18

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,' ---X' 3:9 QFSIC-2 Vfictmig Ciifgene l orders and to keep in touch with the other regiments. We lost hardly any men the first day, as we were in the second line and were getting mostly artillery fire -large shells. Next morning lFridayl we went over again, but lost only five or six men. We waited until three-fifteen in the afternoon for the tanks, and then started over again. This time we got some reception. We got shelled by the artillery, were gassed, and then the machine guns opened up. This time our com- pany lost thirty-five men in the wink of an eye. We started out with about 250 men, which is the full strength of a company. That evening we dug in and stayed for the night. We were shelled all night, and a machine gun kept raking us most of the night until some of the scouts went out and took it and thirty-tive Germans. We had taken eight hundred the first day. Saturday morning about four-thirty we started out again, and everything went fine until we started over a hill about noon. The platoon which I was in started over the top this time with about fifty men, and in less than five minutes we had only thirteen left. Men were blown to pieces all around us. Legs and arms were flying all around. After we got over the side of the hill we kept on going up the other side. However, when we got out on top of the next hill, they were shooting at us from all sides but the rear, so we had to get back to a strip of woods about 100 feet behind. But we were no better off here, as they kept shelling the life out of us, and their aeroplanes were flying over us about a hundred feet from the groundg their machine guns popped the dickens out of the boys. The small tanks were with us up to this time, and they drew artillery fire to beat the band. Early the next morning fSundayJ we were getting ready to go over again. 1 had just dropped down on the ground, when a bunch of big shells started pop- ping around us. I felt a hot pain in my foot, and upon looking down I saw a hole thru my shoe. I took it off, but put it back again when I saw the sock soaked with blood. I got up and found that I could walk pretty well, so started for the first-aid about one-quarter or one-half a mile away. They put a bandage on it, and I walked over a mile to get an ambulance. From then on, things began to be O. K., altho I was on a road and under shell fire until early Monday morning. I was hit three times at Verdun, and an explosive bullet put a few bits of powder in my cheek. My right-hand blouse pocket was blown away, a big bit of shell hit my shinbone, and a bit stuck in the back of my neck. But the fourth one was a little worse, so I went to the hospital. Altogether, I wouldn't take a millioii dollars for my experiences over here, altho it was at times hell on earth. Expect to be home in about three months and will then tell you about everything. Guess that I can do it better that way than in 'a letter, so will wait until I hit home before trying to tell any more. Hope you are both well and that I will soon see you both. Your son, RALPH PLANTEEN, Co. G, 140 Inf. 17 ififln 'wil . we Ls. ff fiat! ...s I MEZZ. 14 X :iii ETSTQ

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Cliffs Viioildng gigs? THE ARGONNE FOREST-THE LAST FIGHT Nov. 24, 1918. Dear Dad: The papers tell us that today we soldiers are to write to our fathers. I am glad they reminded me of it, for now that I think of it, I find that you have been some- what neglected in my list of correspondents. The censor also allows us to write anything we like except that of knocking the methods of our government. I believe that such a restriction is unnecessary, for Uncle Sam has surely done wonderful things. During the night of October 18, 1917, we left port of Hoboken, N. I., on the President Lincoln for France. There were eleven transports, two destroyers and a cruiser in the convoy. We landed October 31st fHallowe'en nightl at Saint Nazaire without any mishaps. We stayed at Saint Nazaire Eve days, after which time we traveled by train to a training camp at Coi Quedon. Here we spent three months training, and on February 18 we entered the lines of Lorraine, our head- quarters being at.Luneville. This front, compared with the others we have fought at, was quiet, yet it was here we first experienced war. We held a front of fifteen kilometers for one hundred and ten days. We were the first American division to hold sectors without French aid. During the first part of July we posted our guns in Champagne near the town of Snipper, awaiting what proved to be the last German offensive. On the night of July 18th we were ordered to move to Chateau-Thierry. You have read of our success there, also of our success at Saint Mihiel, to which IIIV see place we went after the Chateau-Thierry drive. It was at Saint Mihiel that horse was killed. I kept him three doors from where I was sleeping, so you how narrowly I escaped. I have had many such escapes, but one only gets up off his stomach and brushes the dirt off aftera shell explosion. I have found, and all find it so, that it is wise when you think a shell is going to drop close to you, to lie flat on your stomach, so that the spare parts will not take effect under your skin. From Saint Mihiel we went directly to the Argonne front, where we fought the last fight. I will not in this letter try to enumerate the horrors of warg will leave that until I return. On October 16th I was ordered to Chalons at the rear to report to the doctor because of coughing spells 1 had been troubled with for some time. The doctor sent me to the hospital, which was located near Nantes. I remained there until November 16th, when I was sent here to this casual camp at LaMans. They say that from here we are to be sent home. I hope so, much as I would like to rejoin my regiment. Some of the largest cities I have visited are Paris, Nantes, Chalons, Vitry, La Mans, Bascarret, Toul, and Saint Nazaire. I will close now, dad. Love to all, Your son, LAWRENCE MCHARDY, 151st F. A. H. Co. 19 E- . ,,..,,, GJ -A wi '+'as':' ' - 0 Li- E155 -iff 1:0 . ' .. fifflv .-W' 12,--3, J f f ' 1 J 1 f ,Ct-g -. , ,sax at x .Srila 5 rl .nl L i O EMG