THE DAIIA POST. Dallas PA. RibaY, JULY 3, LE
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My Experiences
in the World War
By General John J. Pershing
in sll countries by the North American
‘Werld rights reserved, including the
production in whole or part prohibited.
vx. U.
No Idea of Ending War in 1918.
No one suggested that the plans of
the moment or those to follow might
be carried so far as to terminate the
war in 1918. Concerning the part each
should play Foch asked expressions of
opinion of the respective commanders
in chief as to how these or any other
operations we might propose should be
conducted.
Marshal Haig gave his views and
plans, which agreed withthe general
outline suggested, as did General Pe-
tain, who wanted further to consider
the possibilities. As far as these pre-
liminary . operations applied to the
Americans, they were simply a restate-
ment of the plans we had been lead-
ing up to ever since our entry into
the war. I, therefore, advised that
details’ of organization and supply
were receiving every consideration in
the preparation of the American army
to do its part.
While at General Foch’s headquar-
ters I arranged with General Petain
for the expansion of the First corps,
then operating in the Marne sector, by
which four American divisions were
to be placed in the line with two in
reserve. It was my hope that this
would be the basis for the preliminary
formation of an American army on
this front. En route to Chaumont I
stopped to call on Liggett and apprise
him of the possibility of ‘additional
American divisions for his corps.
Expedition to Russia.
The supreme war council was prone
to listen to suggestions for the use of
allied troops at various places other
than the western front. - One of these, |
on which the British seemed to be |
especially insistent, was to send troops |
to help the so-called white,..z
Russia. to lo a
open the communica-
pough Murmansk in the ‘Arch-
La
I was opposed to any such idea, as
it would simply mean scattering our
resources, all of which were needed
on the western front. But President
Wilson was prevailed upon to help
and I was directed to send a regiment
provided General Foch had no objec
tions. As¢apparently he had already
considered the question, he gave his
approval and a regiment was accord-
ingly sent. The Three Hundred Thirty
ninth infantry, Lieut. Col. George E.
Stewart commanding, together with
one battalian of engineer and one
field hospital, were designated for this
service. :
First Field Army.
In view of the prospect for the early
assembly of corps and divisions te
form eur army, it became urgent that
the organization be hastened with all
possible speed. The outlines had been
determined and members of the First
army staff were at work on the details
My formal order creating the First
field army was issued July 24, to take |
effect August 10, with headquarters at
La Ferte-sous-Jouarre. |
Immediate consideration was given |
the improvement of the general sup- |
ply system. Although the recent re- |
organization had helped, it had been |
my purpose for some time to make |
changes in personnel in the S. O. S. |
particularly in the position of chief, |
which demanded great administrative
ability. After much thought the choice |
fell to General Harbord. His knowl: |
edge of organization, his personality,
his energy and his loyalty’ made him |
the outstanding choice. + Reluctance to |
lose his services in command of troops,
where he had shown himself a brilliant |
leader, caused me to delay until his di-
vision could be relieved from the
active front.
CHAPTER LI!
Early in August, 1918, I made an
inspection tour of the service of sup- |
ply, to note the progress and acquaint |
myself, the chief of staff and General
Harbord, by actual observations, with |
conditions.
The tour was made also with a view |
to such changes in personnel and im- |
provements in methods as’ would in-
sure complete fulfillment of the in-
creased obligations imposed upon the
service of supply by the tremendous
task of receiving, storing and trans-
porting the enlarged troop and supply
shipments.
Our first stop was Tours, whieh, be-
ing the location of the headquarters
of the 8. O. 8. with a huge American
military garrison of 2,400 officers and
4,360 men, had become a beehive of
activity.
We visited every activity at Tours,
beginning with the central records
office, a branch of the adjutant gen-
eral’s office of large proportions, where
the personal records of every man in
the A. E. F. were kept. We found that
the railway operators, numbering
thousands, comfortably situated in
portable barracks at Camp de Grasse,
were putting every energy into the
service. Certain engineer troops were
kept at this central point for railway
work, ready to respond to calls from
any direction. The well-managed
camp of German prisoners, under “Col-
onel Groome of the military police,
contained several hundred men used
as laborers.
A number of British women, known
as the Women’s Auxiliary Aid corps,
were lent to us bv their governmen
s it to | &merican operation against the St.
—i]
assist in clerical work,” The 250 wom-
en located at Tours occupied neat and
comfortable temporary barracks and
presented a very military appearance
on parade. Some fifty of them were ill
in quarters at the time and I gave in-
structions that they should be trans:
ferred to our hospital. Besides offi-
cially, these fine women, under the
proper restrictions that prevailed, be-
came. a valued addition to the social
side of life where they were stationed.
This force with us eventually num-
bered about 5,000.
Speaks to Men in Hospital.
The base hospital at Tours was then
filled with men wounded in the recent
engagements. They were receiving
the best of care under Col. A. M. Smith
and his efficient group of medical
officers and nurses.
Passing through the various wards
of this hospital I spoke to a fine-look-
ing young soldier who was sitting up
in bed, and asked him where he was
wounded, nreaning to inquire the na-
ture of his wound. In reply he said:
“Do you remember, sir, just where the
road skirts a small grove and turns to
the left. across a wheatfield and then
leads up over the brow of the hill?
Well, right there, sir.”
He was clearly describing the ad-
vance south of Soissons which pierced
the Chateau Thierry salient. Of course,
I was not there at the time, but it
touched me that he should feel that I
must have been very close to him.
At the base hospital in Bordeaux,
then under the efficient supervision of
Col. H. A. Shaw, chief surgeon of the
hase section, we found about 500 ef our
wounded, most of them soon to be sent
home. No matter how severely woungd- ;
—etinev-ware I never Bervd a word of
complaint from any of our nren. There
could not have been: found in the hos-
pitals of any army a more cheerful lot.
It was a lesson in fortitude, an inspi-
ration, to see their fine courage. Some
would never again see, others would
never be able to walk again, but they
all seemed proud of their sacrifice,
which many of their countrymen are
often prone to forget all too soon.
We arrived at Brest August 2 and
found the commanding general, G. H.
Harries, and staff at the station to
meet us. Base section No. 5 was built
around Brest, our leading port of de-
barkation. The section included four
French territorial departments. An-
other landing port for .troops was
Cherbourg. A large locomotive termi-
nal and repair shop were located at |
Rennes and a coal pert at Granville,
Major O’Neil’s Secret.
After an inspection of the store-
houses and the construction for addi-
tional storage on the piers, I asked for
the chief stevedore, Major O'Neil, who
came up apparently quite embarrassed.
To put him at ease I took him by the
arm and we walked together to where
some lighters were being unloaded. As
the port had made the record of han-
dling 42.000 arriving troops and their
baggage in one day, May 24, entirely
with lighters, I asked him to tell me
about it.
By this time he had overcome his
fright. and pointing to two officers.
each down in the bottom of a lighter
directing the work. he said:
“Sir, do you see those two captains
down there in their shirt sleeves? Well.
that’s the secret. I say to them: ‘Don’t
stand off somewhere and puff your
selves up In your uniforhs, but take
off Sam Brownes and your coats and
get down close to your men.
“Of course, those captains have now
become experts. I did the same thing
when I started, but since they are
trained I manage things generally and
they carry out my orders.
right to wear it.”
“Well,” 1 said, “O’Neil,
the man I have been looking for, and
I am going to send you to every port
we use to show them your secret.”
CHAPTER LIV
The French government had ex-
pressed a desire to bestow their dec-
orations on American officers and men,
and asked if I would accept an ap-
pointment in the Legion of Honor with
the grade of grand officer.
As congress had recently granted
| permission for members of our forces
to receive foreign decorations, the
French government was advised ac-
‘cordingly, and it was to confer this
honor upon me that President Poin-
care paid‘°his brief visit to Chaumont
August 6, 1918.
- ¥ met him at the station with a mili-
tary escort and conducted him to my
headquarters, where the senior officers
of the staff were presented. After
that formality we repaired to the
gmall area of barracks, where the
headquarters troop and band were
drawn up in line for the ceremony.
I was not insensible to the high per-
sonal honor, but regarded it mainly as
an appreciation on the part of the
French government of the assistance
America had already given to the
, cause,
Pershing Takes Command.
As the American army was now an
accomplished fact, it seemed advisable
to begin preparations immediately to
carry out the plan of campaign adopt-
ed July 24, providing for a distinctive
Mihiel salient.
I motored to Sarcus August 9, and
after discussing with Marshal Foch
the changed situation“in’ the Marne
sector and the practical stabilization
of the front on the Vesle, I suggested
the transfer of the First army head-
quarters to the St. Mihiel
where it could begin immediate prepa-
rations for the proposed offensive. We
considered the outline of my plans and
without hesitation = Marshal Foch
acquiesced in the transfer.
* Returning to Paris the same after-
noon I went to Provins to talk the
matter over further with General Pe-
tain. We took stock of available di-
visions for the“ St. Mihiel operation,
and he said I could count on him defi
nitely to do everything in his pewer
to furnish whatever we might require.
Having thus reached a general un-
derstanding regarding the preliminary
details of the move, I drove the fol-
lowing morning to La Ferte-sous-
Jouarre to take formal command of
the First army and to give instructions
to my staff regarding the movement of
headquarters to Neufchateau.
Bell’s Division In Action.
The Thirty-third division (Bell) was
still with the British when the com-
bined attack of the British Fourth
and the French First armies in the
Montdidier-Albert sector began Au-
cust 8 The division was in front line
i training with the British Fourth ‘army
-and was attached to the British Third
corps for the operation, the One Hun-
dred and Thirty-first regiment of in-
fantry being assigned to the British
Fifty-eighth division. This regiment
joined in the attack August 9 against
| the Morlancourt-Chipilly spur north of
region, |
the Somme. It reached its objectives
in splendid fashion and occupied a line
on the western edge of Gressaire wood,
extending southward along the river.
August 10, it continued to progress
against decided opposition, gaining the
eastern edge of the forests of Fosse
and Marcon. During the following
three days, the command having been
shifted, the One Hundred and Thirty-
first infantry under the Australian
Fourth division attained a line just
west of Bray-sur-Somme. The three
other regiments were in reserve during
the operations. The One Hundred
and Thirty-first infantry was relieved
August 20, having advanced over three
miles and suffered heavy casualties,
I motored to the British front Sun-
day to be present at Thirty-third di-
vigion headquarters, near Molliens-
aux-Bois, on the occasion of the visit
of King George, who was then visiting
his armies. General Bliss had pre-
ceded me and we both spent the night
there. That evening General Bell, re-
lating the details of the participation
sf his troops with the: British, said
their servisas
WC T——
had been urgently re-
I can wear |
my uniform now that I have won the
you're just |
IT ADDS TO YOUR
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| quested and that they had acquitted |
| themselves well.
King George Bestows Decorations.
sent decorations to selected men of the
Thirty-third division,
pated in the recent attacks of the Brit-
ish army. Soon after his arrival the
king invited General Bliss and me to
his room, where he presented me with |
the Grand Cross of the Order of the
Bath and bestowed the Order of St.
Michael and St. George on General
Bliss. The presentations were in-
formal, as the king simply handed the
decorations to us in turn, at the same
time expressing his appreciation of
American assistance.
We then accompanied the king to
the place where the men were assem-
bled for the ceremony. He was gra-
cious in his compliments as he pinned
the decorations on our men, and the
recipients were extremely proud.-
CHAPTER LV
The final decision /that the First
American army would undertake the
reduction of the St. Mihiel salient as
its first operation was transmitted to
army headquarters August 10 and the
army staff immediately began the de-
velopment of plans for the concen-
tration of the necessary troops for
its execution.
It was certain the psychological ef-
fect on the enemy of our success in
who had partici-s|
PAGE THREK
this first operation by the American
army as well as on the allies, our own
. J | troops and our people at home would
The king arrived August 12, to pre- | >= peop
be of great importance. The attack
must, therefore, not only succeed, but
a serious hostile reaction must be
made impossible. ;
The headquarters of the First army
were removed to Neufchateau be
tween August 11 and 16. The special
army troops assembled north of
Chateau Thierry were moved east-
ward ‘during the. same period.
Composition of First Army.
The following. corps and divisions
were placed at the disposal of the
First army for the St. Mihiel operation
and their condition may be summar-
ized as follows:
The First and Second divisions were
excellent as to training, equipment
and morale. They had attacked July
18 in the Soisséns drive.
The Third, Fourth, Twenty-sixth
and Forty-second divisions: were of
fine morale and considerable experi-
ence, as they had fought in the de-
fense about Chateau Thierry and in
the advance toward the Vesle river.
The Eighty-ninth and Ninetieth dive
isions were going through their sector
training on the front between Toul
and the Moselle river and the Fifth
and Thirty-fifth divisions were taking
their sector training in the Vosges.
(Continued on page 4)
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