South High School - Tiger Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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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

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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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,- I+-at J M' fffia ' I WS 5 .jlxxx ai . 119329 fflfie Vficciiinvfg ftfijgenv WATCH ON THE RHINE Luxembourg, Nov. 28,1918 THE A i Dear Mother and Father: I have received letters from all members of the fam- ily during the last month, but have been unable to answer any until now. As you undoubtedly notice by the headlines, I am spending this Thanksgiving Day in the Duchy of Lux- embourg. I for one certainly have a good deal to be thankful for. I have come thru all the drives, alive, and what's more-untouched. Our division was one of the first to start this last drive, which had so much to do with the Germans' calling for peace. At one time during the advance our division left the divisions on its right and left eight kilometers behind. By the time the Americans reached the Meuse 2 river, the Germans begged for an armistice. By the way, you know the friend of mine whose slip I sent home for a Christmas package? Good old Powell made the supreme sacrifice in this last drive. He was killed by a machine gun bullet. We got the machine guns afterward. There were seven of them. My pal Hollis Empey was killed the night before the armistice. It was while we were trying to cross the Meuse river on a pantoon of bridges that a piece of shell hit him. He certainly was a fine fellow. A truer friend I never expect to have. After the armistice, we had the job of following up the retreat of the Germans, taking over the evacuated territory as soon as they left it. We passed thru a portion of Belgium. They sure did welcome us. All along the streets of the villages were lined up evergreen trees decorated with bright colors, tinsel and flags of the Allies. Here and there were archways with inscriptions like this, To The Sons of The True Freedom, which was the first one I saw on crossing the boundary from France into Belgium. Others had writings to this effect, Honneur aux Allies, Honneur au Liberateurf' In one village that I was billeted in, they gave us their sitting-room and brought down feather mattresses and pillows to sleep on. Bremchiel, Germany, January 11, 1919. When I last wrote our company was in Luxembourg. Now, however, we are ten kilometers the other side of the Rhine, in Germany. Our regiment crossed the border into Germany December 1. From where we started in France, which was on the Meuse river, to where we are now is over 300 kilometers. I spent Christmas in the village of Stopperich. Four of us fellows were billeted in a bakery. We decorated it up as best we could with Christmas houghs and holly. 20