Memoirs of 2dLt W. B. Jackson, USMC
MONJOUVAULT TRAINING AREA
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It was during our stay here that the Germans started their big offensive to break through the British and French to the north of us. Scuttlebutt had it that there was an extensive piece of line there without a soldier on it. Can't confirm it. But I was on gun watch that beautiful moonlight night and I remember that I rather regretfully wondered if the Deutsche would break through that night and the war be over without our having seen any action. They didn't Scuttlebutt again had it that Foch had filled the hole by dismounting rearguard lancers and sending them in the line as infantry. No confirmation here either.
Suffice it to say Heinz did not break through. So now he changed his plans and aimed his drive down towards Chateau Thierry a few weeks later. We finished our tour at Eix and withdrew to a series of towns back of the lines and further routine training days. We finally wound up at a little farming community oddly enough named Marines about 33 miles west of north from Paris. It was May-everything was green and beautiful. Jack and I fixed our "quarters" high up in an open shed full of baled hay. By moving a few bales we got down into a hollow- a dead angle to the baleful gaze of the company police sergeant, so we were never disturbed when off duty. It was in this general area that my corporal's chevrons finally caught up with me and I was assigned as gun captain to a definite crew. Jack and I were still in the same company although in different platoons. The month of May was really a holiday-the location approaching a home. But we did not know what was coming.
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