West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-11-16
few HEROES FOR
AMBULANCE men
Do Their Work Without Fuss
or Feathers.
NOT ALWAYS FACING DEATH

Like Sane People, They Keep Out Of
Range Of Guns as Much as Possible.
Writer pisolsims Tsles OF Thrilling
Deeds Sent by overxssious Core
spondsnts.
A letter written by Philip o. Mills,
SON OF the late General Samuel l..
Mills, q. 8. A. and published In the
New York World, describes the work
Of the American volunteer motor am
bulance corps in France. Mr.. Mills
claims that all the heroics with whom
American ambulance drivers have been
surrounded should be ascribed In a
great degree to overappreciative CORE
spondents In the war zone. Mr.. Mills
letter is written to Eliot Norton, broth
er Of Richard Norton, who commands
an American volunteer motor ambu-
lance corps. II says:
France. Sept. /.
Dear Eliot-Through various chan
nels the highly colored articles In mag
azines and newspapers about the
brave American boys at the front come
floating into our corps. stationed tenn
porarily within sound and almost sight
OF the guns beyond the town of Yer
dun.
They are our greatest amusement
and relaxation. do believe our Amer
lean public loves TO be bulldozed and
stuffed. The half baked war CORE
spondents who write the rot about the
ambulance drivers at the front have an
imagination that is stupendous and
awe inspiring. They should head their
articles, War as She Amt
Stories Of regiments returning from
the trenches crowding around ambu-
lances to thank them are rot. pure
and simple. They are either too tired
TO do anything except keep walking
or else are apt to sling the usual sol
uier tokes-the same the world over.
No Ballroom Speeches.
Most wounded are too busy keeping
their own nerve In both hands to both
er about ballroom speeches. The first
wounded load had any acquaintance
with had one among them who spoke
a little English, and his first question
was, When does the train leave for
Paris?
Because you see a star shell It
doesn't mean you are within sight OF
the enemy and right behind the first
line by long shot, for you can see
them twenty miles from behind the
lines.
"Sentries asking for passwords on
roads under fire Is foolish. You can
30 right up to any front line trench IL
you are a big enough fool without wor-
rying about any password. Every one
takes 1t for granted you wouldn't be
around there unless you had to.
Net All Serious.
"You can't make all life serious out
here, and this driving by the stars
with an iron grip on the steering
wheel may please some people, but 1
can't see why.
II wish you could have seen our
corps the other day INDUCING In all
afternoon game OF one-old-cat when
i've German taubes came sailing over
When they began dropping bombs
every one did 220 I'm record style and
In all directions and did not walt for
tauoe bomb checks either. But even
as they started to run the gang began
TO laugh, and It developed into a pur-
suit race In two minutes.
Don't get the idea that they come
over every afternoon; they don't
Don't get the idea that the daring
little ambulance driver lives In a con-
slant atmosphere Of shell strewn roads,
dashing through fires OF barrage. for
he doesn't, thank heaven. don't be-
heve they ever put a barrage fire on
road an ambulance had to travel
They have put roads under heavy she'll
Ing for hours and days at periods, but
no ambulance or anything else can go
through q barrage. That's cold fact.
Interesting Work.
AT times this corps has been through
periods Of night and day work, but It
hasn't lasted more than two or three
weeks at a time. and the work has
been dangerous to a degree II has
been a miracle that It has come
through with no casualties. but mostly
It goes on fits way doing its daily task
and making no fuss over Il.
The work Is interesting and has a
good element OF chance. but Il Is not
died with nights and days OF daring
deeds, but good, solid, helpful effort
where IL does count.
And. OF course. our close association
with eli the business OF war has a
mover ending thrill, for we sre little
part Of the great game"