It was thick with Prussian troopers, it was foul with German guns; Every tree that cast a shadow was a sheltering place for Huns. Death was guarding every roadway, death was watching every field, And behind each rise of terrain was a rapid-fire concealed; But Uncle Sam’s Marines had orders: “Drive the Boche from where they’re hid. For the honor of Old Glory, take the woods!” and so they did. I fancy none will tell it as the story should be told-- None will ever do full justice to those Yankee troopers bold. How they crawled upon their stomachs through the fields of golden wheat With the bullets spitting at them in that awful battle heat. It’s a tale too big for writing; it’s beyond the voice or pen, But it glows among the splendor of the bravest deeds of men. It’s recorded as a battle, but I fancy it will live, As the brightest gem of courage human struggles have to give. Inch by inch, they crawled to victory toward the flaming mounts of guns; Inch by inch, they crawled to grapple with the barricaded Huns; On through fields that death was sweeping with a murderous fire, they went Till the Teuton line was vanquished and the German strength was spent. Ebbed and flowed the tides of battle as they’ve seldom done before; Slowly, surely, moved the Yankees against all the odds of war. For the honor of the fallen, for the glory of the dead, The living line of courage kept the faith and moved ahead. They’d been ordered not to falter, and when night came on they stood With Old Glory proudly flying o’er the trees of Belleau Wood. “POOR OLD SHIP!” C. FOX SMITH IN PUNCH Reproduced by special permission of the Proprietors of “Punch” She wasn’t much to brag about, she wasn’t much to see, A rusty, crusty hooker as a merchant ship could be; They sunk her off the Longships light as night was coming on, And we had to go and leave her there and, poor old ship, she’s gone. All that was good of her, all that was bad of her, All that we gave to her, all that we had of her, Poor old ship, she’s gone! The times we spent aboard her, they was oftener bad than good, But bad or good, we’d live the lot all over if we could; She’s stood her trick as well as us, she’s had her whack of fun, She’s shared it all with sailormen, and poor old ship, she’s done. Hard times and soft times and all times we’ve been with her, Bad days and good days and all sorts we’ve seen with her, And, poor old ship, she’s done!