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Colonel Johnson Cc Many Exacting Duties 1 fantry When Not Builc ?South Carolinians Gloriously Sustainec As many Dillon boys were in Col. Johnson's regiment, the following article written by Col. Johnson and published in Sunday's State will be of monv Dillon Deople: I IX I CI COl IV Froiu Commanding officer, One Hundred and Seventeenth Engineet iRegiment. ' To Commanding general, Forty-second Division. . Subject: Commendation for the One Hundred and Seventeenth Engi neer Regiment. At the request of chief of staff, i am giving you a brief outline of the service rendered before Sedan by tin One Hundred and Seventeenth Engi teer Regiment, so that suitable recognition may be received. Part One. I 1 While at Exermont, where we relieved the First Engineers, who had acted as infantry through that campaign and had done 110 road work ?' had been i Wfiaisoever; aim ai" released as divisional reserve, the reg merit was exteremely busy getting the roads back into passable shape; ie that sector; also in burying dead 'Germans and American soldiers of he First Division. When orders came for the movement of the division, i Company D of the One Hundred and Seventeenth Engineer Regiment was! gilared for the purposes of the march with the column and under order of % tie commander of the Eighty-fourth Brigade. The remainder of the regi-j went was placed in the column of I and under the command of the comtnander of the Eighty-third Brigade. 2. The regiment left Exermont November 3 and proceeded by marching tc the vicinity of Verpel and on Atovember 4 to Brieulles. However, the brigade commander, because Brieulles was under an intense bom. bardment, ordered regimental head-j quarters to move duck i0 /miuc. * two battalions and train, however, . proceeded by marching as fas as Authe, where they were stationed and Vbevouaced. On the night of the 3rd, near Verpel, two detachments to be cited later remained on the very steep -grade gouth of Verpel to aid traffic with snatch teams and other paraphernalia. These detachments made iih* hjJte the following day. On the j ijgkt of the 4th, at Authe, certain i individuals, to be named later, spen4' almost the entire night aiding tra.\"!: ourer and repairing the bipass across -a creek near this village. These same individuals on the following day and 5jight were busy, without regard for 4of>s of sleep and food, in making ^reconnaissances. Z. During this entire march from bcermont on the 3rd to Authe on the morning of the 5th, the regimental tuaiii was blocked in the traffic and the men of the regiment went prac tlically without hot food and oniy a modicum of cold food The traiu arrived at Authe on the morning of the 5th, at which time the men received almost their first hot meal. %. When regimental headquarters Arrived at Brieulles on the afternoon or the 4th, it was learned that the causeway across the Bar Valley, a Vlistance of some 1,000 feet, consisting of a fill about 15 feet high, had ttoeen entirely demoblized by the Gerunans in their retreat; they having fctlewn a crater in this fill about every "75 /ret, which extended in most instances below the level of the original creek "bottom. This fact was reported to division headquarters. J5 At midnight on the 4th of November while at Authe, field orders were received through the commanding Officer of the Eighty-third Brig ade, which in subparagraph (i) placed the entire engineer regiment, less two companies, in divisional reserve and ordered them on the 5th to Ver-j rieres. Subparagraph (ht detached; < one company of engineers to the tSTrjtTjtj-fourth Brigade and one company of engineers of the Eightyv third Brigade. "This disposition was effected by vjrders to the units concerned that yrigfAl and the units were prepared on the morning of the 5th to pioceed #t> the points indicated in that order. On the morning of the 5th. however, the division engineer proreeded to division headquarters and called the attention of the commanding general to the fact that there was no way ?? lake snnnlies or even light traffic across 'he Bar Valley north of Bruielles ami that the division, including the engineers, was going across this valley, underfed already, and that no provision was being made to get our Artillery or trains across. Verbal or ders were immediately given to the ^division engineer to withdraw the' companies from the Eighty-third and| Highty-fourth Brigades and to make immends Engineers Performed--Served in Inling Roads and Bridges in This Heroic Unit i State's Traditions. such disposition ot the regiment as ?- - " - < *1.. -14 Ai , would laKe care 01 me siiuauuu. 6. It was necessary then fcr the regiment to discard such equipment as was needed to serve as infantry, and reassemble their engineering equipment. It was therefore almost noon before they could get on their way to the points to which they were ordered. The First Battalion, under Maj. A V. Hooks, was ordered to proceed to Brieulles, where regimental headquarters was immediately moved from Authe on the early mom tng of the 5th, and at once constructed a corduroy bipass across the Bar .'alley and also a bipass around a lemoblished culvert "about a half kilometer to the north of the road to .Jetite Armoises and Sy, and twoj bridges in the forest to the south of Sy. All of this work proceeded night and day until finally the lines of communication were opened and two, companies had gotten in direct contact with the infantry before the infantry reached its final objectives, clit 11 I U11 i ciuiiuaiooaii c muuv along the Meuse River on our immediate front in advances of the out-J posts of the infantry. Part Two. 1. I wish to call attention to First Lieut. Harold F. Percival, theu at- ( tached to regimental headquarters,1 wh0 worked all night at Authe as-; sisting traffic across the creek on the1 edge of that town on the night of November 4 and who was busy all day on the 5th, making reconnaissances, on which reconnaissance disposition of engineer troops was largely based. He was sent out i again on the night of the 5th on similar duty remaining out almost all I night and also the day of November 6. 2. I wish to call attention to Sergt. i Roy E. Wickstrom, No 18844S. headquarters detachment, who on the' night of November 6 in the dark took out a detachment and made a reconi- i liaissance so accurate that it enabled; the divisjon to get a platoon at a' bridge previously reported O. K., he> having reported it too light for trucksj in time to begin this repair within a half hour after its collapse. Part Three L _ . | l.y wish to call atlention to 3iaj. A V. Hooks, commander of the First Battalion, One Hundred and Seventeenth Engineer Regiment, who, in spite of the fact that he was suffering from cold and fever, believed to be influenza, which at a less strenuous time would have been considered a serious illness, so handled his battalion that he built a corduroy road across the Bar Valley at Brieulles which handled our entire divisional supplies without serious delay, his battalion working night and day with such promptitude and, dispatch that he was able to release one of his companies at noon on November 6, which was marched immediately without rest through the territory where the Second Battalion had completed bridges and opened up lines of communication until it came in direct contact with the infantry still advancing, which company immediately began making repairs according to orders, in a zone of intense bombardment. With his other two companies he completed his corduroy road at Brieulles at 10 o'clock the night of November 6, and as the Second Battalion had completed prac_ tically its work in this immediate front he was ordered to rest his remaining two companies and bring them up to Chemerv the morning of the 7th. Fart Four. 1. I wish to call attention to the commanding officer of Company A. 117th Engineer Regiment, Capt. Jos. j W Barnwell, who received orders to | transform from infantry reserve to engineers at 9 o'clock on the 5th of November and who by 11 o'clock had led his company, one of its first hot meals in several days, his train havjing arrived at 9 o'clock at Authe, and I immediately went to work according to orders, assembled his company and 'ptoceeded to Brieulles where he built i a bipass in the crater just north ot i the corduroy road, moving his coni|Pany on the afternoon of the 6th withjout rest to Chemery, arriving at iChemerv at 7:30 p. m., where he rereived orders incidentally delayed [and proceeded to Chemery, makinc I light repairs 011 his wa>' forming con-, ; tact with the infantry which was maintained until th^- v.ero put on road maintenance ii? the Divisional sector on the 8th. 2. I wish to call attention 10 First( I Lieut. William E. Matthews, Coin1 pany A, 117th Engineer Regiment, wh0 spent from midnight until morn ing on the 3rd of November on the Yorpel road assisting over a difficult hill which lieutenant and his detachment made the hike the next day. On November 4th this entire platoon had i their packs on for ten hours hiking across fields without food 3. I wish to call attention to Sergt. James D. Smith, 186843 and Sergt. First Class F. A. Blackwell, 186822. both of Company A, 117th Engineer1 regiment, who on the night of November 5 remained all night with snatch teams on the corduroy road across the Bar Valley at Brieulles maintaining the passage of traffic, who with their squads worked the following' day and made all the subsequent hikes. 4 I wish to call attention to Sergt.' Walter E. Johnson, 186970, Company A, 117th, Engineer Regiment, who worked all night November 6 assisting traffic at the causeway at Bar Creek, and who with his squad on November 7 hiked 22 kilometrets, which kept them on duty 40 hours without rest. 5. The spirit of the men of this com pany throughout this campaign was splendid. No one grumbled at the hardships, lack of food and sleep and long hours of work, but seemed happy at an opportunity to serve. Part Five. 1. I wish to call attention to Capt. John L. M. Irby, Company B, 117th Engineer Regiment, wh0 with his company on November 5 was put to work on the corduroy at Bar Valley, who worked continuously until 10 o'clock the following night in spite of the fact that they had been for several days hiking with insufficient food and rest and who on the following morning were interrupted by the division engineers on their way forward to strengthen the approaches to the temporary bridge built by this regiment at Petite Armoises, the approaches to this bridge having been found insufficient. He got his company dispatched on this woik with inci edible promptness, and while materials were lacking his men procured materials from telephone lines, transporting the same on their shoulders and allowing the truck supplyto pass this bridge within three hours, constructing something like 100 feet of corduroy road f?r this purpose. Captain lrby is to be complimented very highly on the extreme judgment and sound engineering principles exhibited on the Corduroy roads he constructed both at this point and Brieulles. 2. I wish to call attention to First Lieut. Joseph B. Stribling, Company B, One Hundred and Seventeenth Engineer Regiment, who from 6 o'clock p. m., until midnight on November 3 with a snatch team and a detachment aided the traffic on the Verpel road and who made the hike the following day with his company and served with them through all subsequent difficulties. 3. Captain Irby says that no one in his company needs special mention; that everyone in his company worked with equal willingness and de_ light. Throughout this campaign the men of this company in spite of the excessive hardships and the fact that they were working night and day seemed delighted to know that so much depended on them and were sensitive to their responsibilities. They deserve great credit for the manner in which they discharged their duties and the cspirits de corps exhibited. Part Six. 1 I wish to call attention to Capt. Beverly M. English, Company C, One Hundred and Seventeenth Regiment, who was ordered to reassume the role of engineers from that of Infantry reserve at 9 o'clock, November 5, and who at 2:30 that afternoon was at work on the corduroy road across the Bar Valley at Brieulles and completed in a highly creditable manner its work by 10 p. m., November 6. The following day they were ordered forward to Chemery and upon arriving there were ordered to Chehery, where they arrived with the town under intense bombardment and plentifully supplied with gas. There the company was billeted, the company train arriving later in the night. Capt. Beverly M. English commanding C company says: "Up to this time only one day's rations had; reached the company in the three j days just passed, and the men had; been hiking and working on an aver-j age of a meal a day, two of which | meals were without coffee or bread." i The following day this company was withdrawn to Artaise and put on road . n aintenance. Captain English also says: "There are no officers or men of this company who deserve special mention, but to each of them we a/re indebted for the best spirit and work there was in them to give." 2. The officers and men of this company while assigned no very dif-, fieult task, performed extremely arduous labor with little food or rest, for excessively long periods, and their spirit and desire to serve could not be surpassed. An officer of the One Hun died and Seventeenth T H. and M P informed Captain English that 2, 000 trucks passed over the corduro; road at Brieulles, which would meai that in addition 7.000 to 8,000 othe vehicles must have passed. It did tak all of the transpo tation until th corps finally coi -cted a plan! road. Part Seven. 1. I wish to mention especiall; Major E. B. Havden, commaning th< Second Battalion, One Hundred an* Seventeenth Engineers Regiment who had an especially cliffic^ilt rol on this campaign, in that the SeconBattalion was assigned to both th reconnaisance and the constructioi covering a very large area Majo Hayden was ordered to Grand Ar moises on the morning of the 6th o November, he having had bridge constructed during the night of th< 5th at Petite Armeises, at Sy am two bridges in the forest at the soutl ot Sy. On November 6 he and hi headquarters arrived at Grand Ar moises where regimental headquart ers was established on the same date Major Hayden managed the disposi tion of his battalion with wonderfu judgment and skill and his construe tion was done in such a manner tha traffic was held up to a very smal degree?-almost none. On his arriva a\ Grand Armoises the artillery wa held up by a damaged culvert on th< road to Stonne, and in spite of thi fact that the available men wen without tools, due to the intense traf fic in his rear, this repair was madi with salvaged German tools and with in an hour traffic was able to move A bridge leading into Grand Armois es which was holding up division staf curs and signal trucks was also buil at 6 p. m. without tools except sal vncreri material. He also disnosed hi forces so that a bridge was repairei during the night of November 6 tha allowed tiaffic to Maisonqelle and th< main road into Chemery to pass b; 10 a m. the following day. Part Right. 1. I wish to call attention to Capt Wallace A. Mason, commanding Com pany D, One Hundred and Seven teenth Engineer Regiment, who oi the day of November 5 and night o November 6 and the early morning o the 7th built the bridges at Petit Armoises, two bridges south of S; [and a bridge at Sy, also one jus north of Verrieres, which work wa so strenuous that the men could no be brought into company headquar ters for food, the delivery of whicl was excessively difficult. Captaii Mason states that he drew two days rations between November 2 and 6 and therefore fed his men on vege tables gathered from the fields am salvaged potatoes and flour the Ger mans had left behind. His entin movement from November 1 to ! covered about 50 kilometers and eacl move generally succeeded a hari day's or night's work, his men neve grumbling but cheerfully went ou and completed more than they wen ordered to do. This company was or dered to move up and form contac with the infantry the morning or xno vember 7. They entered Bulson ii contact with the fighting, after stren uous reconnaissances and repairs, es tablishing lines of communication fo light traffic up to that point. The fol lowing morning they proceeded ti Harricourt and pushed their repair and lines of communication up to thi Meuse River. Reconnaissances wen made of the Meuse, locating possibl sites for bridges, 200 yards in ad vance of the infantry outposts. .2. I wish to call attention to Firs Lieut. Elliott H. Downing, Compan; L, One Hundred and Seventeentl Engineer Regiment, who built at S; a bridge and have no more interrup tion to traffic than the origina bridge; also, a 20 foot box bridge north of Verrieres. 3, I wish to call attention to Sergt Gavin W. Miller, No. 187787, Com pany D, One Hundred and Seven teenth Engineer Regiment and Corp Clyde S. Cook, No. 187665, also Pri vate John Murphy, No. 2036197 o the same company, who made recon naissance on the Meuse River fa in advance of the infantry outposts 4 This entire company having beei with the Eighty-fourth Brigade ant not with the remainder of the regi ment on ifs entire march receive! less attention on account of congestet traffic than the remainder of the regiment, if that be possible, am therefore performed this work undei very trying circumstances, and ye they served with excessive zeal ant utmost cheerfulness and with highes efficiency. Captain Mason Individual lv went through many personal dan gers from shell fire and was practi callv everywhere at once. He re uiained firm with every detail of hiterrain in mind and pushed his op erations to the utmost. Part Nine 1. I wish to call attention to Capt R. H Woelful, commanding Com pany B, One Hundred and Seven teenth Engineer Regiment, who was - taken out of Divisional Reserve and placed back to serve as engineers on - the morning of November 0 at Authe. y Although this company had been 11 marching with u small supply of r food, separated from its train, it e changed its equipment back into ene gineers and proceeded with the SecIt end Battalion to Bruelles 011 November 5, ftom which point it took up it? reconnaissances which were pushy ed out as far as Stonne and Grand e Arnioises in a very short time, being rt helneri in this undertaking hv a nia , toon from Company F, One Hundred e and Seventeenth Engineer Regiment i At Grand Armoises a repair - was e made in an hour of excessively hard ii work, that allowed the artillery colr umn to move toward. They also - built a bridge on the Southern edge f of Grand Armoises, allowing Division s headquarters transportation to get in e to Grand Armoises at 6 p. m. After i this was completed during the night Ii one platoon was ordered up to build s a bridge north of Stonne, Opening - up the route to Maisoncelle, which - was complete by daylight. During the t. night train and kitchen joined the - company which moved to Levivier the 1 following day, at which place two - craters were found and repaired that t day and the following night. Captain 1 Woelful managed his forces with 1 splendid judgment, inspiring confis dence and zeal into his men. e 2.1 wish to call attention to Sece ond Lieut. Don B. Morrow, Company e E, One Hundred and Seventeenth - Engineer Regiment, who after severe al days of strenuous work took his - platoon at 3:45 a. in. on November i. 7 to the bridge north of Stonne to - supply assistance and tools on that f undertaking, where they worked and t labored until the undertaking was fin ished, where they remained replacing s the corduroy approaches which in I one instance were destroyed. This t, work was turned over at 4 p. m. to e the Three Hundred and Eighteenth V Regiment. 3. I wish to call attention to First Lieut, ft. H. Worcester, Company E, One Hundred and Seventeenth Engin eer Regiment, who assists by Com-pany F, with great judgement and i skill enabled the artillery to pass f through Grand Armoises with very f J short dela\, and who at 1 o'clock in e.the afternoon with his platoon who V, had received nothing but a small port tion of reserve rations, the train not s having arrived, hiked eight kilomett ers with full packs and with but a - few German tools built a bridge it | north of Stonne, including 200 feet a of corduroy approaches The fastenI'jings for the framing of this bridge . in the absence of other material was - salvaged from German telephone lines i and Lieut. Worcester gives great - credit for the zeal displayed in this e undertaking to Sergt. (First Class) 9 Jere L. Foutz, No. 187890 and Sergt. William W. DeWolf, No. 187794, both i of Company E, as well as to the enr tire second platoon t| 4. I wish to call attention to First e | Lieut. Justus G. Chesley, Company E, -,One Hundred and Seventeenth Engit neer Regiment, who was assigned the - task of building a bridge across the 1 creek about 100 yards from Levivier. " It was necessary to complete this " bridge by 8 o'clock a. m. on November r 8, so that the First Corps Headquar ters could occupy the chateau across 0 the creek. The work was started at 10 3 a. m on November 7 and completed 5 at 1:30 thut night. The men worked e15 1-2 hours straight with 1 1-2 e hours for their meals. This bridge " was 33 feet span between mud sills, and the only timber available was 1 standing timber near the bridge and V heavv wire salvaged from nearby 1 fences. Considering the privation and i", hardships of the five preceding days " this is a remarkably performance, 1 and Lieut. Chesley and his men dee serve the greatest credit^ | 5. This entire company, which was called on from time to time, just af" ter completing strenuous tour of duty " to undertake still another strenuous course of it, and one naturally ex" pected remonstrance, but was pleasf antly and continuously surprised "'with the absolute freedom and wllr lingness with which the officers and men marched away, always to their 1 new duty. *1 Part Ten "i 1. I wish to cu attention to Capt. John L. White, commanding Coin' panv F. One Hundred and Seventeenth Engineer Regiment, who with 1 his company aided in letting the ar'* tillery through Grand Armoises. and '.who moved his company again out j ' to the main highway to Chetnery, on ''which road he built five bridges op" ening up the main route for the di"Ivision by 10 o'clock on November 7.. "iIn one instance Captain White with " his enlisted medical men, company | * barber, first sergeant, transportation j ' sergeant and wagoners in an enter-1 gencv repaired a bridge on this main route to Chemery. This company de. serves special mention on account of - the fact that they had scarcely reach ed Grand Armoises after a long march j | without food and after having assist ed in repairing the break in the road at that point were immediately marched over to the main route to La Fullierie Farm, and before their train or food could reach them and before they could secure any sleep or rest the reconnaissance reports began to come in, and after a hard day's work and marching they were iinme- H diately dispatched in details to the various bridges where they worked all that night and the next day. ; 2. The men of this company, al-1 fc.Vl though none are named individually by Captain White, deserve the highest praise, as their spirit and zeal though tried to the utmost was far in excess of that which could be expected, When their tour of duty was completed I do not think that a man in the company could have gone without food and rest and have performed another hour's work. Fart Seven. ; 1. In recounting the devotion to service exhibitefi by this regiment, it is necessary to call attention to the fact that, while the personnel of the regiment naturally possesses the fiber of real soldiers, their efficiency in this and other campaigns, their ever intense desire to serve, the habit of 'industry in every element of the reg, iinent is due in a large degree to the personal influence and guiding hand of Colonel William Kelly who commanded it front September 1, 1917 to September, 14, 1918. Part Right. 1. The One Hundred and Seventeenth Engineer Regiment has been practically in the line since February ' 18, 1918, and in warfare of movements since July 16, but in?no campaign save that before Sedan did they have any opportunity to show their skill as Engineers, and in this instance there was nothing lacking in their performance in that capacity, ana tneir willingness to serve ana their great pleasure in shouldering responsibility was phenominal I am sure that every member .of this regiment will carry with him throughout life the personal satisfaction of I | having, in that campaign, delivered I a service which in itself will justify ! his having left his home for service i in France; it will, however, be of great deal more satisfaction, if in addition, they have evidence that their services are appreciated by others than the members of this regi- " 'm ment. Jn J. M. Johnson, Rfll Colonel, U. S. A, 117th Engineer Regiment. Report of Operations. From commanding officer, One Hundred and Seventeenth Enginee&fc^HB| Regiment To chief engineer 5th Corps, Am- TrB erican expeditionary forces. Subject; Report of operations One Hundred and Seventeenth Engineer Regiment from November 3 to $ inclusive. 1. The Forty-second Division is relieved and is now being grouped in an area between Buzancy and Artaise. The relieving engineers did not call on my office for information as 1 to the sector, therefore, I am forward- I ing same direct to your office. On 1 entering the line November 4, this I regiment with the exception of two companies which were attached to the Eighty-third and Eighty-fourth Brigades, respectively, for use by the infantry brigadiers, was placed in in fantry divisional reserve, but who released upon the urgent recommendation of the division engineer, who had through the C. 0. Three Hundred and Third Engineers, been informed as to the tremendous road demolition ahead When the regiment 1 was relieved and placed back in command of the division engineer to I function as engineers it was about 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon of the fifth, but at that late hour one bat- I talion was put to work making a corduroy road north of Brieulles, which was practically the only avenue of supply forward. This tfas completed in 21 hours on the 6th. 2. This regiment has also construci ted the following bridges as designatjed: 2 bridges in Bois de Sy at 292.0? ! 303.8. I 1 bridge at Les Petites Armoises. 2 bridges ai Grande? Armoises 5 bridges on the Tanny-Chemery road. i 1 bridge at 294.2?311.2. ! 1 bridge at 294.6?311.9. i 1 bridge at 295.3?311.6. T!ie latter also required some mine i craters on the road from Harsucourt, also I>ut a foot bridge across a canal i to the north of Reniilly. All of them extremely temporary. They will take. any reasonable traffic easi'v, accom fv J modating 155's with a large margin, A but should be taken over by the army 1 or corps at once and replacing same 1 jrith more permanent construction. I Tlie liasion between myself and fl the corps was Inoperative. One corps M officer called at my headquarters at Chemery, agreeing with me to take over the roads and bridges to the fl (Continued on page six.) k