The Arvada enterprise., 1916-08-17
HOW AMERICAN
YOUTH GOT THE
FRENCH MEDAL
Wounded Driving Ambulance He
Is Given Highest Military
Honor.
ARE DOING 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-
nications is from William NJ. Barber,
twenty-onc-yea son of J. A. Bar
Der. lawyer of Toledo, and onc-time
judge in the Ohio courts.
Young Barber is now recovering
from Il serious wound received in the
performance of his duty ut Ncrdun,
where he displayed such exceptional
bravery that he was decorated by the
French authorities with the Medaille
Militairc, the highest medal for mill
tary vu.Or in France.
Young Barber started from this port
on May and WAS wounded on June
2G. His captain. Lowering Hill, in re-
porting his case to the Ambulance hos
pltnl, said the boy was driving his am
bulanCe with three wounded soldiers
at midnight along one of the most
dangerous ronds ut Ncrdun. lie was
forced TO stop by shells bursting
ahead Of him. During II mll in the
firing he started again. when II shell
burst few yards away. Many small
fragments struck him, one penetrating
lung and another his side. Not
withSlanding his wounds he went on
until he fell, showing rs his captain
said. the most splendid pluck, doing
dangerous work with enthusiasm and
CoonesS. Recovering from the eff
frCts of his wounds, Mr.. Bnrbrr wrote
from his cot in the American Ambu-
lance hospita! the following letter on
June 30 to his parents:
Tore Side and Legs.
'Dcur Folks ut Home, Abroad and
Grandma:
-Four nights ago had II pretty mar
row escape. ! can mention no uum.s
here, but this Is the giSt of III" story:
Il was driving my car. with three
wounded soldiers In II. along II roud
that was beng Sh"llrd. We'll, got In
the midst of n pretty hot shower, SO
stoppcd my car ana got under ii. A
i"w minutes later | supposed 1t was
blowing over, 81 | got out. | had no
sururr got out when heard one of
lh",c big ubu,"s coming, the loudrSt !
had ever heard. ran to the front of
my eur, cruurhlug down In front Of
the rudntur. When 1t burs, It struck
NY ear.
Il was only hurt Iltlr. was not
dIsiigurcd In any way It tore my side
and legs II little.
THE French tr"u,rd me wonder
fully | succeeded In getting the next
American ambulance" driven by Wheel.
"r tu great buy). who took me to the
city of --, wiur" our post Is. Here
| Wu. given first aid. ana the mudIcul
chief personally conducted IN" In nm
American ambulance, In the middle of
the night to u very good hospital. They
sny ! hnyc the best doctor In France
In Paris
well, woke up the next day In n
bed. and hnyo been rccupurntlng ever
since. Everyone is wonderful 90 me.
General l"tuin, second to Jurr",
has stopped In To shake hands
with mo, nnl many urg my con.
sruiu.aiiuus. too, for, uhpy" my
h"d hangs the M"dullIu MIllmIrc. the
gr"uirst honor the French can civ.
anyone. Really, nm proud. nIthough
| don't deserve It nny more than the
rcst II"ns" "Xcus" my ogUtism.
Just as Good as New.
'in three VI four duys | go to tn.