“We took our positions at various places to wait for camions that were to take us somewhere in France, when or for what purpose we did not know.  Our turn to enbus came near midnight.

GETTING TO THE FRONT UNDER DIFFICULTIES

“We at last got under way after a few big ‘sea bags’ had hit near by.  We went at a good clip and nearly got ditched in a couple of new shell holes.  Shells were falling fast by now and as the tenth truck went under the bridge a big one landed near with a crash and wounded the two drivers, killed two Marines and wounded five more.

“We did not know it at the time and did not notice anything wrong till we came to a crossroad, when we found we had only eleven cars all told.  We found the rest of the convoy after a hunt, but even then were not told of the loss, and did not find it out till the next day.

“After twelve hours’ ride we were dumped in a big field, and after a few hours’ rest started our march.  It was hot as hades and we had had nothing to eat since the day before.  We at last entered a forest; troops seemed to converge on it from all points.  We marched some six miles in the forest.  A finer one I have never seen—­deer would scamper ahead and we could have eaten one raw.

“At 10 that night, without food, we lay down in a pouring rain to sleep.  Troops of all kinds passed us in the night—­a shadowy stream, more than a half-million men.  Some French officers told us that they had never seen such concentration since Verdun, if then.

THE BIG DAY DAWNS

“The next day, July 18, we marched ahead through a jam of troops, trucks, etc., and came at last to a ration dump, where we fell to and ate our heads off for the first time in nearly two days.  When we left there the men had bread stuck on their bayonets.  I lugged a ham.  All were loaded down.

“We finally stopped at the far end of the forest, nearing a dressing station.  This station had been a big, fine stone farmhouse, but was now a complete ruin—­wounded and dead lay all about.  Joe Murray came by with his head all done up—­his helmet had saved him.  The lines had gone on ahead, so we were quite safe.

“Late in the afternoon we advanced again.  Our route lay over an open field covered with dead.

“We lay down on a hillside for the night near some captured German guns, and until dark I watched the cavalry, some 4,000, come up and take positions.

“At 3:30 the next morning the regiment was soon under way to attack.  We picked our way under cover of a gas infected valley to a town where we got our final instructions and left our packs.

GAS AND SHELL SHOCK

“We formed up in a sunken road on two sides of a valley that was perpendicular to the enemy’s front.  We now began to get a few wounded; one man with ashen face came charging to the rear with shell shock.  He shook all over, foamed at the mouth, could not speak.  I put him under a tent and he acted as if he had a fit.