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| | PVT. RUSSELL A. McCLOY
Serial No. 2,983,428
201 Harrington Ave., Detroit, Mich.
McCloy was one of the late comers in the Battery on this side. Inducted June 25th, at Custer, like all the boy’s drafted at that time, he did not get pass or leave to go home to see his folks or to venture from the confines of the camp, excepting while at Camp Mills, when a twenty-four-hour leave was given to either New York or Rockaway Beach.
Private MeCloy was of refined temperament and well educated. Before joining the army he was circulation manager of the Detroit Times, and at Custer made the acquaintance of Guelif and Smiley. In France this trio were wont to inspect the novelties of foreign cafés and various vintages, notably at Messac. These strange beverages were succint and insidious to the unfamiliar. They returned to our pup-tent camp, alongside of the Semnon river, about 11:00 p. m. For some indescribable reason McCloy appoints himself Sergeant of the Guard and awakens every man in the Battery, informing them in a harsh, military voice, to wake up, that they were to go on guard. Most of the men having toured the adjoining community were in the best spirits, though somewhat indolent. They responded but were denouncing army life in all known terms until the trick was discovered. Good-naturedly they returned to their primitive beds and McCloy, who had been in the recruit group, attained a general Battery acquaintance in one night.
At Coetquidan he attended Infantry Liaison School and studied airplane signaling along with Private Hamm. In the Puvenelle Woods McCloy and Hamm became the First Battalion Observers of our fire in infantry lines, occupying a lookout on the crest of the Mousson Hill, from which they had a panoramic view of the entire Metz sector and, ten miles distant, could see the cathedral at Metz. In the Observation Post they made notations of all enemy operations within sight or hearing. Heavily shelled, they remained at their post stoically resigned to destiny.
At the sacrifice position MeCloy and Hamm were guards in advance of our guns against enemy patrol activities. At Pont-a-Mousson McCloy was a member of the Provost Guard and had opportunity to visit many interesting points.
McCloy was thoroughly adaptable to army regulations and studied to be exact in the discharge of orders and duties.
On the final examination for discharge at Camp Custer the medical examiner discovered that he had a growth on his eye and they ordered him to the camp hospital to have it removed, which delayed his discharge from the army ten days after the rest of the Battery. The army surgeon successfully removed the difficulty.
Private McCloy performed all of the varied duties of a private with marked intelligence and capability. |