Memoirs of 2dLt W. B. Jackson, USMC
MARBACHE SECTOR
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A few days later the Marines were relieved and we hiked to the town of Houdamont. Here you would hardly realize that there was a war going on just a few miles away. We spent most of August here doing field drilling etc. We had no more than arrived when I decided to try to ditch my police sergeant assignment. I asked the 1st sergeant to turn me back to line assignment. He refused. I asked for permission to speak to the Captain. Refused. I started down to my billet and whom should I meet but the Captain himself. My foolhardiness got the best of me. I saluted the Captain, told him that the 1st sergeant had refused me permission to speak to the Captain and asked the Captain's permission to speak to the Captain. He granted it. I told him that I had shipped in the Marines to fight for my country and not to spend the war doing police sergeant's duty. The next day I was assigned as an acting sergeant with a section (2 crews) and I lost the 1st sergeant as a speaking acquaintance for the next few months until I was made a 2nd Lieutenant and Sergeant McNulty was made a warrant officer.
There was a French sort of YMCA here and I got well acquainted with the French NCO in charge. The set up had a fine "Salle de Manger" with many interesting things to eat. Their off hour items were appealing and I found the "Salle de Manger" a fine place to hang out. Many items came my way through the courtesy of the French NCO rather than by purchase.
While here word arrived and somehow got to Company Headquarters that one of the Colorado Senators had given me an alternate's appointment to Annapolis. As the probability of the regular appointee failing the entrance exams was remote I preferred to stay with the outfit and so advised the people at home. However, the news apparently impressed the company commander and he was much more amiable with me than before. So it helped.
Jack and I did some little hiking around our immediate town. At one time we crossed the river to Pont a Mousson which was a deserted town sort of in no-man's land. Nobody was to be seen there, everything was closed up and the streets were hung with camouflage bunting. Its loneliness was impressive. Our life was quite routine with the exception of occasional guard detail, it was mostly drill, sack time and chow.
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