Landed at Liverpool, England, July 10, 1918 next to Winchester,
England, and stayed 36 hours at Winnall Town,
Kitchener's "First 100,000 camp." Thence to Southampton
and to Le Havre, France, July 13, 1918. One day there and then
a three day freight ride around Paris to Dijon, while our boys
were putting Chateau Theirry on the map, three days, no sleep
and nothing but "corned willie" and hardtack to eat.
Trained at Recey-sur-Ource five weeks and then went to St.
Mihiel front, north of Toul. Transferred to Infantry, Sept.
12. Spent three weeks with the doughboys of 360th Infantry,
during the drive and after, dodging shells, dressing wounds,
cussing the Boche, eating more "corned willie" and
hardtack. Walked back to Toul for two weeks rest; then the French
gave us a truck ride to the Argonne, that for speed was a revelation
to Americans.
Entered the Argonne Oct. 21, at Mont Faucon, and was with
the doughboys in the biggest drive of the war, beginning
Nov. 1, and ending Nov. 11, accompanied by unparalleled artillery
fire. Traversed the region near the Meuse, through Romagne, Bautheville
Woods, Villers, St. Marie Farm, Dun-sur-Meuse, Monzay to Stenay,
Nov. 11th.
Walked from Stenay, November 21st, to Berncastel, Germany;
seemed like a million miles, but was only 21 days' hike
in mud and water, rain and snow, with little to eat.
After Xmas, 1918, located at Manderscheid, Germany, in der
Eifel, a most beautiful summer resort, in a mountainous
country; nothing to do, just occupy Germany. Visited Trier
and Coblenz frequently, also Cologne and Weisbaden.
Had three leaves of absence to Paris; three weeks altogether.
Spent a week at Nice and Monte Carlo, Marseilles and
Lyon.
Pistol competitor at the Le Mans Tournament in May, the greatest
rifle and pistol event ever held, on the largest range in
the world. Back to Paris, visited also Fontainbleau, the
famous home of Napoleon, Palace of Versailles, Chateau Thierry
and Epernay. Went to St. Nazaire to come home with my division,
but was left with some 200 other officers. After a week, sent
to Brest, where I waited twenty days trying to get away and finally
did, on the U.S.S. Aroostook, a mine layer.
Stopped at the Azores, one day, an odd flock of islands,
and landed in New York, July 2, 1919.