| | 2ND LIEUT. MARK E. ARCHER
Indianapolis, Ind.
Second Lieut. Archer was attached to the regiment at Camp Mills and assigned to Battery B but we did not come to know him until we reached Les Bain, France. At Camp Mills he took our outfit for a hike and obtained instant favor with the men as a body. He established a closer point of contact with them than any commissioned officer had attained on first impression.
The men were inclined to comment on his shortness of stature and slightness of build, in contrast with his military influence over them. In this respect he would remind one of descriptions in books of ‘The Little Corporal.” In fact, many of the finer and more human things attributed to Napoleon in the treatment of his men, as well as his rare understanding of the recruit, were exemplified in Lieut. Archer.
Through his lectures at Les Bain the men came to understand his democratic point of view and native good sense. His talks were instructive and inspirational and were delivered in a quiet, unconventional manner, having the men circled around him in an easy posture on the ground. He invited questions from the men about the care of their feet.
When under command of Lieut. Archer the men always had a peace of mind which they could not account for.
It was not unusual at Coetquidan for him to come into the barracks proper, sit on a box which acted as an improvised barber’s chair, and have Private Schonscheck give him a shave and haircut. While receiving these tonsorial attentions he would joke and talk with all the men around him.
He was thoughtful of them and in return he had their hearty liking and respect, and all were much disappointed when we learned of his transfer to his original outfit, which occurred September 14, 1918.
We give below contents of a letter received by a member of our Battery, which will give information of the fortunes of war which followed Lieut. Archer after leaving our outfit:
“Your letter came to me as a very pleasant surprise; in fact, one that brings me much pleasure. First, I wish to say that the boys could never have had a higher respect for me than I had for them. I was never more at home or happier than when with the boys of the 328th, so you can imagine how pleased I am to hear you say what you have about me. I say with all sincerity that I would rather have the love and respect of the boys than all the advancement and money in the world and nothing would afford me more pleasure than to see them all again, so, whenever you have a reunion let me know and I’ll sure be there if possible.
“As you know, I left Battery B about the 14th of September, 1918, with special orders to join the 30th Division. The Sergeant Major gave me a very nice special order, very similar to Garcia’s message in Cuba. Nobody knew where they were so I went to Paris, nice town, that Paris. Well, about the 22nd of September I joined the 30th at Varrennes and was assigned to Company E, 119th Infantry. This Division had been made shock troops. On the 29th of September we hit the Hindenburg line at Belhicourt. Zero hour was 5:45. I had the two platoons in the front wave. We went through all1 o. k. but our losses were over 60 per cent. They were wonderful boys. It was an honor to lead them. About 2 o’clock of the same day I was ordered to take what few men were left and stop a counter attack. We stopped it, but in going over the top to reach a German machine gun nest, I was shot with a machine gun bullet. This laid me up for a little while. About the middle of October, in an attack on the town of St. Behin, near LeCouteau, with my same platoons which had been filled up, again in the front wave (I was lucky in all the shows, I had a front seat), I was hit by a piece of shrapnel. This time they took me clear to London, 3rd General Hospital, where the shrapnel was removed by an operation.
“I was in London when the armistice was signed. Was brought back to the States in December and discharged at Camp Gordon, Ga., January 28, 1919. In all, six times over the top and twice wounded. Still as good as new.
‘‘I heard much of the bravery of Battery B in volunteering to go forward with the Infantry on the 11th of November. I sure am proud that I had the honor to once be a member of Battery B, and I often think of our experiences together, even the blackberry pickings. Only wish that you could have been supporting me on time 29th. It was a glorious fight and I wish I had the space to tell you of the wonderful courage of those men of Company F, 119th Infantry and how, by their loyalty to me, they saved my life. I loved them all, as I loved the boys of Battery B.”
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