". . . . . I have no pity for the dead.
They have gone out, gone out with flame and song,
A sudden shining glory round them spread;
Their drooping hands raised up again and strong;
Only I sorrow that a man must die
To find the unending beauty of the sky."
By
CAPT. CHARLES F. DIENST
Historian 353rd Infantry
FIRST LIEUT. CLIFFORD CHALMER
Historian First Battalion
FIRST LIEUT. FRANCIS M. MORGAN
Historian Second Battalion
FIRST LIEUT. CHARLES O. GALLENKAMP
Historian Third Battalion
FIRST LIEUT. LLOYD H. BENNING
Historian Headquarters Company
FIRST LIEUT. HAROLD F. BROWN
Historian Supply Company
FIRST LIEUT. MORTON S. BAILEY
SECOND LIEUT. WILLIAM J. LEE
Historians Machine Gun Company
Published By
THE 353RD INFANTRY SOCIETY
Copyright
Regimental Society, The 353rd Infantry
1921
PRINTED AND BOUND BY THE EAGLE PRESS
WICHITA, KANSAS
This history is dedicated to the men on the honor roll of the 353rd Infantry. Its purpose is to put into concrete and abiding record the service of the entire regiment, which required of these men on the honor roll the supreme sacrifice. Space allows for a general presentation of experience only. Those who were "there" will recall similar incidents for their own home circles.
The original plan was to have battalion and special company tell its own story, but the material collected showed too much over-lapping and at the same time too little comprehension of the regiment's service. For example: it appeared that almost every man, certainly every outfit, had a drink on the Germans in Xammes, but just how the 353rd Infantry co-operated as a unit in gaining and holding that difficult portion of the line did not appear in any of the accounts. It was necessary, therefore, to bring the accounts of the different historians together into a continuous story. To do this, paragraphs had to be shifted from one statement to another, and then these statements tied together with a connecting thread to make of all a regimental history.
The suggestion and inspiration for the history belongs to Colonel Reeves. The regimental historian gladly accords the battalion and company historians full credit for the material of the campaign chapters. No quotation marks were used because, as these chapters now stand, they are the result of the efforts of all contributors. Special acknowledgment is due to Capt. Carl G. Eades for the pictures. Mr. Connelly, secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society, and his staff lent invaluable co-operation in the initial stages of its preparation. Finally, the men of the regiment must thank Miss Florence Shoemaker and Miss Ruth Flesher for their help as stenographers, and the regimental historian wishes to share with his wife, whatever credit may be due him for his part.
CHARLES F. DIENST.
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