Description
Vallendar is a small village on the right bank of the Rhine, about six kilometers from Koblenz. After the armistice it was for a while the headquarters of the 23rd infantry, U. S. Regulars, which fought so brilliantly at Chateau-Thierry and Soissons. Two hundred feet above the town, which is located on the very bank of the river, an immense plateau extends far inland. It is perfectly flat, an ideal spot for a ceremonial which involves the attendance of large numbers of men. Here, early in the spring of 1919, General Pershing reviewed the famous 2nd Division, an inspiring spectacle, the sun glinting from long lines of bayonets, whole battalions wheeling as one man and marching off with uniform stride and in perfect alignment : it seemed as though the whole surface of the plain were in motion, giving an irresistible sense of martial power. It was on this spot that Secretary Daniels decorated the Marines, the latter standing at attention in a long line. The officer who stands nearest to us read an account of the act of heroism for which the medal was awarded, the Secretary of the Navy pinned the medal on the man's coat and shook him heartily by the hand, with a few words of congratulation, then passed on to the next. The 28th, or Keystone Division, composed originally of men from the state of Pennsylvania, fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the war, starting in on the 8th of July, 1918, in the second battle of the Marne, and swinging on through to the end, the murderous conflict in the Argonne.
