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Our Army at the Front

Our Army at the Front

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Chapter 1 THE LANDING OF PERSHING

Word Count: 1690    |    Released on: 06/12/2017

her lines of soldiers spread out like fan-sticks, some in khaki, some in the two blues of land and sea fighters. Decorating the fan-sticks were the scarl

assive white goat. The goat was the most celebrated mascot in the British Army, and this was an affair of pri

he port city, his gilt chains of office blazing in the forenoon brightness, with his staff; another was the half-dozen or so of distinguished states

nd anxious for talk. Excit

landing of John J. Pershing, commander of America's Expeditionary Force. And the soldie

their history lessons it is safe to assume that all its hist

personal sense of making history. Of all the pies that one may not both eat and have, the foremost is that very taking part in a great occasio

e overtone picture of a great chieftain, marching in advance of a great army, come to foreign lands to add their might to what, with their coming, was then a world in arm

a very modern ship, with sailors hastily tying down a gang-plank, and doi

pbell, Admiral Stileman, and other men from both arms of England's service were there, not to feel of their feelings, but to make the landing as agreea

d introduced themselves to General Pershing. They met, also, a few of the American staff-off

me of his officers that they wanted, before leaving the ship, to pay their respects to the sk

meeting, of their hard work on the ship, of the weather, and what-not, all the while the soldiers on the decks

ing foot in England escaped his notice altogether, and was left free for the historian to embroider how he pleased. For General Pershing was in the act of being led to the salute of a guard of honor by General Campbell. An

t. And presently the American vanguard was fin

a splendid sun, and her hedgerows and wild blooms braved forth in crystal air. Those of the newcomers who sa

ldiers and England, but by the English. The secret of their coming, carefully kept, had given t

ve to introduce another general who had taken an Expeditionary Force to France-General Sir John French. Other introductions followed-to Lord Derby,

. He was unmistakable. No man ever looked more the ordained leader of fighting men. He was tall, broad, and deep-chest

sar, if Julius was in truth the unsoldierly looking person they m

ntagious flames of enthusiasm. He and his officers were cheered to their

desk, with a patient man in charge who could, and did, name the number of cents to the shilling once every minute for four days. A little English lady who visited America complained bitterly, just after arr

blocked out on the Baltic, and building up the liaison between English and American army procedure, begun by the he

indsor," the first meeting between America's fighter and England's

ell you how much your coming means to me. It has been the great dream of my life tha

e, General Pershing made the rule of unbroken work for himself and his officers till hi

distinction. He found that his exception was no exception at all. The English do not merely have the reputation of doing their real work at their dinner-parties-they deserve that reputation. Staff-officers, telling

officers were of one voice-that England's welcome had been precisely of the sort that pleased them most.

affairs in four days. And early on the morning of June 13, long before the break of day, General

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