The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-12-16
DRIVING At
NIGHT WITH
SHELL MUSIC
NO BOY PLAY
sAwRrdsd French cross and two
eitations-Preston.

eitations-Preston-"
These six cabled words laden with
an implied heroism and battle
= gained experience far beyond the
proportions OF the brief dispatch, are
today in pridefuI possession OF the
family of Preston Gibson, Washing
ton playwright and noted athlete.
who is serving at the French front
a. volunteer ambulance driver at
tGched to sanitary section z, co-opera-
ting with the French army.
The news OF Gibson's decoration
and citations "for GOODNESS and bnay-
cry displayed in removing wounded
after heavy ahen fire at st. Quentin
and on the Aisne 'front.'" reached his
relatives In this city through official
dispatches from abroad
Famous IT Yale.
me latest American to be honored
By the French military, who gave up
baseball in the spring Of 1902 after.
pitching thirteen successive wins for
Yale, to talCs up n star Ieft-end career
on the BlueS famous football eleven
OF that year. who tossed that MEM
orabIe ball to 'Gabby" Street (who
caught ~ from the top Of the Wash
tngton Monument back in 1912; who
relinquished writing, for the while,
such play successes as The Turning
P@int," The Secret Way" and 'aThe
Vacuum" TO devote his energies to
the war, enlisted in the cause Of de-
mocracy and France the Sd Of last
July.
Then Mr.. Gibson became attached to
the Norton HArJes escadrille. probably
tbs most distinguished and efficient
ambulance corps In France.
Though not with this corps now, the
piAywright-drivsr II still with his
original section, No. Z.
Letters which Grip.
The announcement of Gibson's
achievements is all but contemporary
with some Of the most gripping and
truth-telhnE narratives Of the strug-
gle sent by him TO relatives here that
have reached this country privately
atncs the war began
Concerning the idsntIty and make
M of his division, q trip to the
trenches at night what attended him
on the way, his getting and returning
the wounded to the base hospital, and
az a typlcaIly hideous gas attack and
an equally typical but beautiful love
epiaods chilled from the wounded, he
recently wrote As follows to his
brother, Richardson Gibson, OF 1888
p street northwest
we are attached tour sanitary SEQ
f1on. thirty men and twenty cars) to
a French division and are with the
aEhfinK or attEc7ztng division OF the
aFmT. 40 we are or have been under
ere 4 great deal. and driving at night
N ne dark n no joke with shells
Willing over your hsad We travel
VIA this division. 10000 men. and do
All THAR evacuating. We are paid
(this q returnsdl and fed BY the
French army.
In Fan View Of Foe
The arst night, ages ago. was
mt to one of our posts de Leeours.
n In one-eIghth mile from the third
line. which II 300 yards from the
airing line. We wear helmets and
earYy two Eas masks, This Is a very
b1d gas sector. left the post q
glorious night, and, going up the hill, /
turned and drove straight toward the |
frenches-passed the (our) last OBJ :
e.rvatIon tree and on There g turn
and drove parallel with the nnes. !
hidden from the Bochs by comic |
camoufaEs Of branches, most Of |
which were blown down. So 1 was I
IN full view of the German trenches. |
~Suddenly . great white light /
Ioorned up 70 the left about 300 yaros, /
md thought I was finished. But II |
urRS q star shell These are very |
beautiful, made OF silk with four