The regiment entrained for Le Mans on January 1, arriving two days afterwards. There it remained until the 11th, when it was ordered to Brest, where it arrived on the 14th. At Brest, on January 24, 1919, the regimental colors were decorated with the Croix de Guerre with palm by Vice-Admiral Moreau of the French Navy. The citation said: The 372nd Infantry Gave proof during its first engagement of the finest qualities of bravery and daring exploits, which are the virtues of assaulting troops. Under the orders of Colonel Tupes, dashed with superb gallantry and admirable scorn of danger, the assault of a position continuously defended by the enemy, taking it by storm under exceptionally violent machine-gun fire, continued the progress in spite of the enemy’s artillery fire and severe fire. Made numerous prisoners, captured cannons, many machine-guns and important war material. (Signed) QUILLET, Colonel, Commanding 157th L. D. Of individual heroes in the regiment thus cited for gallantry there were many. Two of the most outstanding were Corporal Clarence R. Van Alen, of Boston, and Sergeant Clifton Merrimon, of Cambridge, both of whom were members of the “Old 6th Massachusetts” and both of whom received the extraordinary triple decoration of the Croix de Guerre with palm, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Medaille Militaire. On the morning of September 28, 1918, when his company was under a gruelling fire from hidden German machine-gun nests, Corporal Van Alen, having determined the location of one of these, rushed it single-handed. He killed four of the operators and brought the other three as prisoners into the American lines, himself escaping with a few scratches. Later on the same day, and during the same engagement, he rushed and captured single-handed a trench mortar battery that was inflicting severe losses upon the French lines. Corporal (afterwards Sergeant) Merrimon, near Bussy Farm on September 27, made an attack with hand grenades on an enemy machine-gun which was causing heavy losses to his platoon, and succeeded in killing the gunner and putting the gun out of commission. He then reorganized the remainder of the platoon, leading his men to their position south of Bussy Farm. Although gassed himself, he silenced the machine-gun single-handed. Colonel Tupes himself was decorated with the Croix de Guerre, and altogether four members of the regiment received the Medaille Militaire and fifty-two the Croix de Guerre. The 372nd sailed for America on February 3, 1919, landing at Hoboken on Lincoln’s Birthday. Demobilization was completed on March 6. * * * * * Of such nature was the work and the fighting of the 93rd Division of the American Army in France, which was composed of Negro soldiers and whose different regiments were so largely decorated with the Croix de Guerre with palm. CHAPTER X HOME-FIRES