The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1916-08-18
HOW AMERICAN
Youth GOT the
French MEDAL
Wounded Driving Ambulance He
Is Given Highest Military
Honor.
ARE DONG A GREAT WORK
American Ambulance Drivers Remark
able Experiences Shown in Extracts
From Letters to Friends and
Relatives in This Country.

New York.-About go young Amer
leans are engaged In driving in the
different services of the American Am
bulance hospital in Paris. Some Idea
Of the great work they are performing
is contained In extracts from letters
sent to relatives and friends In this
country. The latest Of these commu-
n%ications IS from William 81. Barber,
twentyone-year-old son of j. A. Bar
Der, lawyer OF Toledo, and one-time
judge in the Ohio courts.
Young Barber is now recovering
from Il serious wound received In the
performance OF his duty at Verdun,
where he displayed such exceptional
bravery that he Was decorated by the
French authorities with the Medaille
Aiilitaire, the highest medal for mill
tary ,alor in France.
Young Barber started from this port
on May 6 and was wounded on June
&c. His captain. Lowering Hill. in re-
porting his casa to the Ambulance hos
pital, said the boy vas driving his m
bulance with three wounded soldiers
ut midnight along one of the most
dangerous roads ut VcrdW. He was
forced to stop by shells bursting
ahead Of him. During q lull In the
firing he started again, when Il shell
burst II few yards away. Many small
fragments struck him. Me penetrating
u lung and another his side. Not
withstunding his wounds he went on
until he fell showing, as his captain
said. the most splendid pluck, doing
dangerous work with enthusiasm and
GOODNESS. Recovering from the ef-
from his cot in the American Ambu-
lance hospital the following letter on
June 30 to his parents:
Tore Side and Legs.
Dear Folks ut Home, Abroad and
Grandma:
Sour nights ago l had = pretty mar
~ escape. | can mention no MnleS
here, but this is the gist OF the story:
II was driving my car, with three
wounded soldiers In it. along a road
that was being shelled. Well, l got in
the midst OF a pretty hot shower, 50 !
stopped my car and got under it. A
few minutes later l supposed 1t was
blowing over, 50 l got out. l had no
sooner got out when | heard n Of
those big oblses coming, the lotdest !
had ever heard. | ran TO the front of
INV car, crourhing down In front OF
the radiator. When it burst 1t struck
my ear.
Il was only hurt a little. | WAS not
dlsfigured in any way. It tore my side
and legs a little.
~The French treated me wonder
fully. l succeeded in getting The next
American ambulance driven by Wheel
er "a great boy, who took me to the
city Of, where our post Is. Here
| was given first aid, and the medical
chief personally conducted me In an
American ambulance, In the middle OF
the night, to a very good hospitn,. They
saw | have the best doctor in France
in Paris.
"Well. / woke up the next day In a
bed. and have been recuperating ever
since. Everyone Is wonderful to me.
General Petain. second to Joffre.
has stopped in to shake hands
with me, and many are my con-
x~ratulations, too, for. above my
bed hangs the Medaille Militaire, the
greatest honor the French can give
anyone. Really. I am proud, although
1 don't deserve 1t any more than the
rest. Please ECU my egOtisIn.
just &C Good n New.
.In three or four days ] 60 to the