From the Chief of Infantry - National Infantry Association
From the Chief of Infantry - National Infantry Association
From the Chief of Infantry - National Infantry Association
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16<br />
<strong>Infantry</strong> Hero:<br />
CPL Aaron<br />
“Harry” Yamin<br />
Compiled by Doraine Bennett from personal letters and documents<br />
archived at <strong>the</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Infantry</strong> Museum<br />
CPL Aaron “Harry” Yamin <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 1st<br />
Battalion, 306th Regiment, 77th<br />
<strong>Infantry</strong> Division.<br />
May 12, 1918<br />
Dear Everybody,<br />
I’m writing this letter<br />
from <strong>the</strong> guardhouse. Don’t<br />
get scared. As one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
guards. Not a prisoner. I did not<br />
have my shoes polished right<br />
so I was put on guard as<br />
punishment. So you see <strong>the</strong>y<br />
are trying to make a man out<br />
<strong>of</strong> me in this army. I don’t know<br />
whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y will ever<br />
succeed….<br />
CPL Aaron “Harry” Yamin may have<br />
been concerned about his abilities,<br />
but when put to <strong>the</strong> test, he proved<br />
himself worthy <strong>of</strong> being called one <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>Infantry</strong>’s finest. He was awarded<br />
<strong>the</strong> U.S. Army Distinguished Service<br />
Cross for his action on 27 September<br />
1918, in <strong>the</strong> Forest <strong>of</strong> Argonne.<br />
Yamin was born to Jewish<br />
parents in Russia in 1896. His family<br />
immigrated to <strong>the</strong> United States in<br />
January 1905, settling in New York City. Yamin was drafted in<br />
September 1917 and assigned to <strong>the</strong> Army’s 77th Division at Camp<br />
Upton, Long Island, N.Y. He was promoted to <strong>the</strong> rank <strong>of</strong> Corporal on<br />
4 April 1918. Later in <strong>the</strong> month, Company B, 306th <strong>Infantry</strong> Regiment<br />
embarked from New York headed for France.<br />
After initial training with <strong>the</strong> British Army’s 39th Division at<br />
Bonnigues, France, <strong>the</strong> 1st Battalion, 306th Regiment, 77th <strong>Infantry</strong><br />
Division was ordered to Rambervilliers in <strong>the</strong> area <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> French VI<br />
Army Corps. In June, <strong>the</strong> 77th Division was attached to <strong>the</strong> French 61st<br />
Division d’Infanterie (D.I.). When <strong>the</strong> French unit was withdrawn from<br />
<strong>the</strong> sector in mid July, <strong>the</strong> 77th Division took command, remaining in<br />
action in <strong>the</strong> front lines until 4 August 1918.<br />
June 25, 1918<br />
Dear Ben and Everybody,<br />
I have decided to write this letter to you. I have not<br />
received any letters from you for a long time. In fact I have<br />
not received any mail from home in over two weeks. I’d<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r have one letter from home now than a steak. That’s<br />
going some. Seriously, I am anxious.<br />
Our outfit is now situated in a large deserted village.<br />
When I say deserted, I mean deserted. Not a civilian in sight.<br />
You ought to see <strong>the</strong> houses. They look like Seventh Avenue,<br />
after a subway cave in. Only a hundred percent worse. The<br />
buildings banged to pieces, wall and stairways crumbled. You<br />
ought to see <strong>the</strong> church. Every French village has to have a<br />
church. This one used to be a church. When Fritz got through<br />
playing with it, it ceased to be one.<br />
My squad is billeted in an old busted up shack that’s<br />
fallen to pieces. There is a squad on <strong>the</strong> floor above us. We<br />
are pretty comfortable, except when <strong>the</strong> boys upstairs forget<br />
<strong>the</strong>mselves, and tread a little too hard on <strong>the</strong> floor, that<br />
brings <strong>the</strong> ceiling down on our heads. O<strong>the</strong>rwise we are quite<br />
comfortable.<br />
You know we are supposed to be in <strong>the</strong> front lines. Two<br />
<strong>of</strong> our platoons are actually in <strong>the</strong> trenches. Our platoon is<br />
right back <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> line … It’s a very quiet sector … The only<br />
way we know we are at war here is when <strong>the</strong> big guns keep<br />
banging away once in a while. At present <strong>the</strong>y are very quiet.<br />
Also we have to wear our gas masks at all times. Several<br />
nights ago <strong>the</strong> big guns were banging away all night. We<br />
were up for an hour listening to <strong>the</strong> bang and whine and <strong>the</strong>n<br />
we went to sleep again.<br />
In August, <strong>the</strong> 306th <strong>Infantry</strong> Regiment with <strong>the</strong> 77th Division was<br />
ordered to <strong>the</strong> U.S. 1st Army Corps area where it relieved elements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
U.S. 4th Division and <strong>the</strong> French 62nd Division in <strong>the</strong> Vesle Sector. On<br />
August 17, <strong>the</strong> sector merged into <strong>the</strong> Oise-Aisne operation where <strong>the</strong><br />
regiment remained until 15-16 September.<br />
September 15, 1918<br />
Dear Sis,<br />
The days come and <strong>the</strong>y go and I don’t know which is<br />
which. I just found out <strong>the</strong> day and date. I also think today is<br />
Yom Kippur. I’m not doing much fasting. Nor feasting ei<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
Rosh Hashanah has gone by. General Pershing’s order<br />
was all men were allowed a pass to town, if it does not<br />
interfere with your<br />
military duties. As it<br />
happens, we were in<br />
<strong>the</strong> front line. There<br />
was a town nearby,<br />
but <strong>the</strong>re was not a<br />
whole building left in<br />
<strong>the</strong> place. So what’s<br />
<strong>the</strong> use….<br />
Guess after I<br />
finish this letter I’ll go<br />
down and see if I can<br />
CPL Yamin poses with his mo<strong>the</strong>r<br />
before leaving for France.