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| | 1ST CL. PVT. CHARLES ROZEMA
Serial No. 2,046,725
Zeeland, Mich.
Inducted May, 1918, at Camp Custer.
Tall, like many of the boys, he came from Western Michigan, and was of Dutch descent. The precious few Sundays we had free at Coetquidan it was Roz’s custom to go from one end of the barracks to the other inviting the boys to go to church with him. He was a clean living, high thinking soldier who tried to introduce the Christian interest in others into army life.
He was called the “four-lined driver,’’ and could handle horses admirably . Along with the rest of the drivers he was subjected to the dangers which surrounded those who brought ammunition to the Tautecourt position. In Pont-a-Mousson, during a review by the Colonel, he was sitting on the left forward mule drawing the water cart. Something got into those mules’ minds and they began to back and back, till finally they emersed the water cart and themselves in the canal just to the rear. Rozema, seeing the baptism coming, dismounted in time to escape a bath.
He was wont to share to the last one a box of cigars which he would buy now and then, and when we went into the lines Rozema had been provident enough to lip a couple of boxes of cigars under his arm, which he shared with everyone. He seemed to diffuse a sort of consideration for others and set an excellent example of patience. |