Saturday, October 6, 2018

Lt. Brown Writes of Battle of the Marne, 1918

“Foster V. Brown Jr. Writes of Great Marne Battle,” from The Badin Bulletin, Albemarle, N.C., published once a month. The Bulletin is a newsletter for employees of the Tallassee Power Company in Badin.

Foster V. Brown received a shower of letters from his son, Lieut. Foster V. Brown Jr., yesterday—some written while he was in the hospital after he received the wound which caused widespread report of his death, and some written after he had recovered. The young soldier has apparently sobered very much during his almost full year in active fighting with the famous 28th Infantry. It is also apparent from his letters that the Regiment has suffered severely in casualties, altho’ Lieutenant Brown does not specify how many were fatalities.

In one place he describes how officers he knew best fell during the wonderful drive on the Marne when the tide of battle was turned. He says that he was the only officer of his battalion who escaped injury the first day of that fight.

He tells of being lonesome at the absence of men he had learned to love, but seemed to be resigned to a fate of war that removes one’s comrades all in a day.

One of the most significant descriptions was that of a German girl, 18 years old, who proved to be the fiercest operator of a machine gun encountered during the entire fight. It became necessary, he wrote, to tear this girl away from the gun before the weapon could be silenced. Lieutenant Brown sent his sister a souvenir of grim significance. It was an epaulet from the shoulder of a major’s uniform. The German who wore it evidently paid the price, for Lieut. Brown intimates that he carried out his father’s injunction to “send every Boche to hell.” The young officer confesses ignorance of the kind of life led by the now dead German leader.

The people of Badin were happy to hear the report that the death of Lieut. Brown was erroneous. He is well known in Badin, having been employed by the Company for a considerable time. Lieut. Brown is a brother of Mrs. J.E.S. Thorpe.


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