Scarlet Fields: The Combat Memoir of a World War I Medal of Honor Hero

14. Valor Above and Beyond

14 Valor Above and Beyond Nayhone sent someone after a signal corps he’d told to wait near for orders. In a few minutes they came in, a corporal and two privates. Nayhone outlined to us what we were to do. As we got away from the dugout we circled well around to the right. The signal corps men said the wire they were using was fine French wire and had to be laid where it would be out of the way of traffic. As we crossed the valley it seemed to me that the firing was less general than it had been. But over toward Cunel the rifles and machine -guns were still clattering away. It sounded as if the gap between us and the 7th was about half a mile wide. When we reached the spot we were headed for, on the northwest slope of Hill 253, I told the signal corps men to lie low while I reconnoitered for an observation post. I found a shell hole that seemed a good place.It was in a fringe of trees just outside the forest proper,and the top part of a tree had been blown down across it. The corporal installed my phone and fixed it so that the bell wouldn’t ring. There would be a slight buzz instead. I tested it. Sergeant Nayhone answered. I told him I was all set. He said, “Good! Don’t phone anything not of major importance. You’re too close to them.They might hear you.” The signal corps men shook hands with me and wished me luck. They pulled out. It was two-thirty by my watch. In a few minutes Sergeant Nayhone called. He told me he would call at short intervals all night to be sure that our connection was not broken, but that I was not to reply unless he asked a question or I had 162 chapter fourteen something to report. Instead of replying I was to scratch the mouthpiece with my fingernail. I was not to ring him unless I had to, and I was to make all reports in code. About three o’clock I could hear the Germans moving about in the woods to my right, almost at my back, as I faced Hill 253.They seemed to be shifting farther to the left.This would bring them into the woods that covered the hill facing me to the right.The valley was narrow here. I could distinctly make out their commands and hear the clatter of their equipment and sounds of digging. When I reported this to Nayhone I heard him chuckle. Nothing much happened the rest of the night, and the worst part was my struggle to stay awake. I was knee-deep in mud. There were dead bodies around which smelled as if they’d been there considerably more than one day. There were no comforts provided with my seat behind the scenes. I was pretty nearly light-headed from hunger and lack of sleep. Every now and then I tried rubbing my sore head, hoping the pain would wake me up. But even that didn’t always work. Once at least I must have passed out. I had the receiver clamped to my ear and was awakened by a voice repeating my name. I answered. “Can’t you ring me oftener?” I asked. “I’m damned near all through!” Whoever was on the phone said, “Stay with it! You’re doing excellently!” I asked where Nayhone was.He told me the sergeant had collapsed and that they were working on him. I heard another voice say, “We’ll have to spare the sergeant all we can or we’ll lose him.” Nayhone was one of the cleverest Intelligence men on the entire front. I could tell from their voices that they were mighty anxious about him. Daylight came. I found it was a little easier to keep my eyes open now that there was something to use them for. Right away I saw why Nayhone had picked this post for observation. valor above and beyond 163 It was on a ridge almost connected at an angle to the left with Hill 253. From their hill at my right the Germans would have to march down through the valley straight across my front, and up the slope of Hill 253, in order to get at...