The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-08-18
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 25O young Amer
leans are engaged in driving in the
different services Of the American Am
hulance 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-one-year-old son of J. A. Bar
Der, lawyer of Toledo, aud one-time
Judge in the Ohio courts.
Young Barber is now recovering
from 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
Militaire, the highest medal for mill
tary valUr in France.
Young Barber started from this port
on May 6 and was wounded on June
20. His captain, Lowering Hill, in re-
porting his case to the Ambulance hos
pjtal, said the boy was driving his am
bulance with three wounded soldiers
at midnight along one Of the most
dangerous roads at Verdun. He was
forced to stop by shells bursting
ahead of him. During lull in the
firing he started again, when shell
burst few yards away. Many small
lung and another his side. Not
withstanding his wounds he went or
until he fell, showing, as his captain
said, the most splendid pluck, doing
dangerous work with enthusiasm and
GOODNESS. Recovering from the eff
fects Of his wounds, Mr.. Barber wrote
from his cot in the American Ambu-
lance hospital the following letter on
June 80 to his parents:
Tore Side and Legs.
Dear Folks ut Home, Abroad and
Grandma:
"Four nightSago had pretty mar
row escape. 1 can mention no names
here, but this is the gist Of the story {:
Il was driving my car, with three
wounded soldiers in it, along road
that was being shelled. Well, got In
the midst Of pretty hot shower, so
stopped my car and got under it. A
few minutes later I supposed it was
blowing over, so got out. had no
sooner got out when / heard one Of
those big obuses coming, the loudest
had ever heard. ran to the front of
my car, crouching down in front Of
the radiator. Whom it burst it struck
my car.
II was only hurt little. l was not
disfgured in any way. 1t tore my side
and legs little.
1.-THE French treated me wonder
fully. I succeeded in getting the next
American ambulance driven by Wheel
er Ca 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 very good hospital. They
say I have the best doctor in France
in Paris.
swell, I 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-
gratulations, too, for, above my
bed hangs the Medaille A1ilitaire, the
greatest honor the French can give
anyone. Really, am proud, although
I don't deserve it any more than the
rest. Please excuse my egotism.
Just az Good 40 New.
I'm three or four days 60 to the