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{
    "localId": "17343226",
    "label": "The Memoirs of Sergeant Verne Chaney",
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{
    "id": "17343226",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "The Memoirs of Sergeant Verne Chaney",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/17343226",
    "collections": [
        "Verne E. Chaney Papers",
        "Subject Files"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Truman, Harry S., 1884-1972",
        "Spina, Frank E., 1887-1972",
        "Klemm, Karl D., 1880-",
        "Wooldridge, Glenwood F., 1893-1977",
        "Pershing, John J. (John Joseph), 1860-1948",
        "Thacher, John H., 1872-1960",
        "Miles, John L., 1878-1961",
        "Soldiers",
        "World War, 1914-1918",
        "Artillery"
    ],
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            "logicalDate": "1919-01-01",
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    "seq": 38,
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    "ocrText": "38\nShackelton's death, also of Sgt, Ficken being gassed. Also met a friend of\nmine named Fowler, he also gave me some details of Shackelton's death. 107\nFrom here we hike to Seigmulles, about eighteen hours from the big\nwoods. 108 It was on this move that we got so hungry we picked up crusts of\nbread that was left by some other outfit. As we were passing thru some\ntown about 9 o'clock p.m. some doughboy kitchen had some bacon left from\nsupper. Well! Those that were fortunate enough to get some before it run\nout, ate it as tho it were cake. There was a truck load of bread dumped on\nthe ground near by and with the aid of darkness, nearly every man had a\nloaf of bread, we were desperate. I really believe \"corn willie\" would have\ntasted like chicken that night.109 It was always a puzzle to me why we never\ndid feed or water when the time came. It seemed as tho the hikes were\nmade as long and as hard on the men and horses as possible. To prove the\nlatter hike could have been made in two days instead of one, we stayed in\nthe village of Seigneulles for about nine days.Our stay in Seigneulles was\nwithout events but was occupied with foot drill and \"cannoneers post\" and\ngun drill.110\nThere were a few French canteens here which kept us well supplied\nwith jam, cookies and chocolate at exorbitant prices. Jam was $2.00 a can,\nF \"NATIONAL AUMIN.* CORDS\nSCOVERANES\ncookies fifty cents for about a dozen. Chocolate was eighty cents and only\n20% sugar. It was nothing but bitter chocolate and small bars at\n107\nThe Engineente engineerl Division.\n110th Regiment was the regiment. of the 35th\n108\nThe 35th Division records show that the division stayed for nine days in the Vavincourt area.\nVavincourt is located midway between Verdun and Bar le Duc and to the West of the \"Sacred Road.' The editor\nhas been unable to locate Seigmulles on any map or in any reference. It may have been a suburb of Vavincourt.\n109\nThe canned corned beef from Argentina was called \"corn willie\" by the American troops. It was\ntough, stringy and almost totally inedible.\n110\nThe high command felt that it was better to keep the troops occupied than have them lay about.\nIt is a sure thing that the troops didn't feel that way. A \"cannoneers post\" was an inspection by the commanding\nofficer of the regiment."
}