Sky Pilots: The Yankee Division Chaplains in World War I

4. Aisne-Marne

67 Chapter Four Aisne-Marne “Hell Is before Us” While the initial German spring offensive showed promise, each separate thrust ground to a halt as French or British resistance stiffened. However, that all changed on May 27, 1918, in the Champagne-Marne region, when a massive German push rolled back French and British defenders on a wide front stretching from Soissons to Reims. In a matter of days, the Germans had opened a pocket that stretched almost to the Marne, its axis pointed straight at Paris. The untried 2nd Division, composed of one brigade of Marines and one of Army troops, was called upon to stem what looked like an overwhelming tidal surge. Amazingly, though untested, the fresh, eager, often reckless young Americans did just that. The brutal month-long fight came, nevertheless, with a large price tag.1 Late June 1918 found the Yankee Division on the move. Some units travelled by truck, but most rode the “side door Pullmans,” the famous “40 and 8’s.” Rumors abounded that the division would soon be in Paris to take part in the July 4th celebrations. Hopes ran high, as the trains reached the outskirts of the “City of Light,” only to be dashed as it soon became apparent that it would be once more into the fight. Over the course of the next few days, unit by unit, they made their way back toward Château-Thierry to relieve the 2nd Division. As the columns passed each other, tired, hungry, battle-weary soldiers and Marines greeted their relievers. Some Marines called the National Guardsmen “Boy Scouts.” Most, however, were happy to quickly impart some hard-learned lessons and grateful for a cup of hot coffee from the Yankee rolling kitchens. All of them were simply relieved to be out of that hell hole that had bled them of all but their fighting spirit. As for the men of the 101st Machine Gun Battalion, Doc Hesselgrave observed that whatever the future might bring, they were in good spirits and ready to take on the Boche. “All carried their present burdens with light hearts and unreserved gaiety,” he wrote. Lt. Col. Chase of the 101st Engineers had a more sober view. After getting his first look at the new sector, 68 SKY PILOTS he observed: “A busy front and no trenches. Hell is before us but we will come through.”2 By coincidence, Anselm Mayotte had been transferred to the 12th Field Artillery Regiment in the 2nd Division on June 15, just in time to take part in the heroic, month-long effort to blunt the German offensive at Belleau Wood and nearby Vaux, as the panicked French poilu retreated toward Paris. Although he was still a relatively new chaplain, Mayotte took to his assignment like a veteran. Despite the near daily shelling and other enemy activities, he remained with the men. “I am living in a tent in the woods and like this open air life very much,” he wrote, “Of course, there are many hardships and privations, but I do not mind these because by sharing these with the men, I find is the best way to gain their confidence and sympathy.” He said Mass in the open air and heard confessions. Each day, he visited on horseback all six batteries in his regiment. This commitment to the troops was at the essence of his duty. Soon he would write: “The one desire of the soldiers is to be at the front. It is my desire too, and in spite of the dangers and hardships, I hope to be at the front until the end. That is where the chaplain can do his best work.”3 Chaplain O’Connor offers mass for the 101st Infantry near Etrépilly in July 1918, using the tailgate of an ambulance for an altar. Courtesy of the Military History Institute. Aisne-Marne 69 New Arrivals Little by little, new chaplains were being assigned to the Yankee Division. One of these men was Harrison Ray Anderson, who had almost given up any hope of a transfer. Returning from his visit to the hospital one day, he received orders to report to the 103rd Infantry Regiment of the 26th Division . Ray wasted no time complying. On the way to his new assignment, he stopped at Chaumont, headquarters of the AEF chaplaincy, where he met with the Rev. Paul D. Moody, himself formerly the chaplain...