Thursday, January 24, 2019

Dewey Shepherd Visits Sylva Relatives on Way Home to Macon County, Jan. 24, 1919

From the Jackson County Journal, Sylva, N.C., Jan. 24, 1919

Hero Visits Home Folks

Dewey Shepherd of Macon county, who was wounded in the severe fighting near Chateau-Thierry last June, spent two or three days last week with relatives here on his way home.

He was cited for bravery on one occasion. On the 6th day of June his company went over the top and had advanced two or three miles when it looked as if they would be captured if they were not reinforced. The captain called for a volunteer to carry a message back to headquarters. Young Shepherd stepped forward, carried the message back to headquarters, delivered it and started back to his company. He had gone about 50 yard when he fell wounded. He was shot through his left lung, just above the heart, and when lying on the field, received a wound in the ankle. This field he had to cross to get to headquarters was an open field and in plain view of the Germans. He states that he was picked up and carried to a dressing station within two hours after he fell.

He states that on the same day he was wounded he and three other boys were sent to capture a machine gun nest. They were advancing on the machine guns when they discovered a bunch of Huns on their right. He and the other boy were sent to capture them and had only gone a short way when his companion was shot through the head and fell dead. He brought his fire arms into play and fired several shots into the Huns and three of them fell dead. The other seven threw up their hands and began to shout “kamerad.” He marched them back to the two fellows he had left and they captured three machine guns and killed four more men.

Mr. Shepherd enlisted with the Marines in Atlanta, Ga., and has served 18 months in France. He is at home now on a 30-day furlough.

Shepherd stated that out of his entire company of 260 men only three got through without being killed or wounded.

No comments:

Post a Comment