Trench Ballads, and Other VersesGarrett, Erwin Clarkson
History
Trench Ballads, and Other Verses
Garrett, Erwin Clarkson
World War, 1914-1918 -- Poetry
With the French. Army in France, Aug. 7.—General Mangin, who was in
direct command of the Allied forces in the drive against the German
right flank south of Soissons, has issued the following order of the
day thanking the American troops for their brilliant participation
in the battle which caused the German retreat between the Marne and
the Aisne:
"Officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the Third
American Army Corps:
"Shoulder to shoulder with your French comrades, you threw
yourselves into the counter-offensive begun on July 18th. You ran to
it like going to a feast. Your magnificent dash upset and surprised
the enemy and your indomitable tenacity stopped counter-attacks by
his fresh divisions. You have shown yourselves to be worthy sons of
your great country and have gained the admiration of your brothers
in arms.
"Ninety-one cannon, 7,200 prisoners, immense booty and ten
kilometers (six and a quarter miles) of reconquered territory are
your share of the trophies of this victory. Besides this, you have
acquired a feeling of your superiority over the barbarian enemy
against whom the children of liberty are fighting. To attack him is
to vanquish him.
“American comrades, I am grateful to you for the blood you
generously spilled on the soil of my country. I am proud of having
commanded you during such splendid days, and to have fought with you
for the deliverance of the world.”
“The Stars and Stripes,” the weekly paper of the A. E. F. in France,
in giving a tabulated form of the record of the various divisions,
and their insignia, which was worn on the shoulder of the left
sleeve, said the following of the First Division:—
Division Insignia: Crimson figure “1” on khaki background, chosen
because the numeral “1” represents the number of the division and
many of its subsidiary organizations. Also, as proudly claimed,
because it was the “First Division in France; first in sector; first
to fire a shot at the Germans; first to attack; first to conduct a
raid; first to be raided; first to capture prisoners; first to
inflict casualties; first to suffer casualties; first to be cited
singly in General Orders; first in the number of Division, Corps and
Army Commanders and General Staff Officers produced from its
personnel.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account