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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": 39,
    "pageIndex": 0,
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    "ocrText": "39\nthat. 111 Grapes cost a dollar for a handful and ten cents would have bought\ntwice as much in the States. Where ever there were soldiers the price was\nhiked ten and twenty times its worth. But when one can find a place where\nAmerican soldiers have never been, things are about the same price as in\nthe states except fats and sweets. 112\nAfter spending several days here we hiked overland to Kruth taking\nour guns only as we had so many horses \"kick off\" here, that trucks had to\nbring our caissons and other equipment. We were about two days on the\nroad when we pulled into Kruth on the night of Oct. 16th. Here we spent\ntwenty four hours sleeping. On the next night we hiked all night to a\nposition near Verdun. It was about five in the morning that we pulled into\nprepared positions.113 It was a hard night spent in the rain and then having\nto pull the guns in by hand. When the guns were in we made a dive for the\ndugout and slept until noon the next day. In the afternoon the guns were\nlayed and data for a normal barrage made, after we were assigned a\n114\nsector.\nADMIN\nEs\nCOVERT\n111\nThe canteens, called Estaminets and were sponsored by the French Government. The French troops\ncould buy wine, food and sweets to supplement their normal rations. Americans were very welcome, but were\nnot allowed to purchase wine.\n112\nNotice there is no mention of alcoholic beverages. The AEF was a dry army if ever there was one.\nThis was a deliberate policy of the United States government to pacify the mothers of America, the growing\nprohibition movement and powerful church groups. The French fought on oceans of cheap wine, the British on\nblack rum and the Germans on beer and wine. The Americans fought on what they could buy, steal or make.\nThe mountain boys could do wonders with a little water, sugar and horse corn.\n113\nThe 35th Division records show the 35th moving into the Sommedieue area which is Southeast of\nthe 129th's final position in the Verdun area. Kruth is in the Vosges Mountains and is just to far to hike in on\nday from Vavincourt or in one day from Verdun. The 129th's position was in the middle of the most heavily\nfought over ground, having the highest density of dead per square yard than any recorded battle ever. It was here\nthe Battle of Verdun was fought.\n114\nA sector is a subdivision of a military position that is assigned to a commander as his area of\nresponsibility. The sector is bounded by arbitrary lines on the flanks and rear and extends as far forward as the\nmaximum range of his guns."
}