The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1917-12-15
AT 64 AMERICAN
WINS WAR MEDALS
Story Furnishes Material Worthy
of Modern Odyssey.
Fights AGAIN FOR FRANCE

Veteran of the Franco-Prussian War
Returns to Native Country to Join
French Hosts in Battle Against Ger
many-Takes Pride in Fact That He
Is Also Fighting Americas Battle.
AT sixty-fOur years of age he was a
second-cIass private in the French
army. Today at sixty-seven he is a
lieutenant and wears on his breast the
French military medal, the Croix de
. Guerre with palm, and over his shout
der hangs his regimental FOuuage
That but darkIy siIhouettes the re-
markable story of George lie Mesna-
ger, an American, of Los Angeles, Cal,
who has become attached to the head
quarters of the Alpine ChQusseurs, the
/ instructors of the American army, to
act as an English interpreter. For three
years he has fought in the French
army and always as an American citi-
/ zen.
/ His own story, as he narrated it with
a simplicity unadorned and a delight
/ full current of humor carrying it along,
was material worthy of a modern
/ Odyssey and tale that made you
proud that your country had given
! France such man.
cat seventeen, I landed In San Fran
CISCO" he told me- "Then," he cOntin-
ued, "all the world was young and all
the trees were green. America became
my young wife; France was my moth
er. And when in 1870 I heard my moth
er was attacked 1 hastened to her de-
fense.
I "With a limp in my right knee from
wound and tiny medal of honor
/ that my country gave me, [ came back
to the good y. S. 4. and located in Los
Angeles when it was an adobe town of
cans.
california has been good to me.
have prospered. I have raised a good
American family and they are today
all residents of California. At sixty
three. 1 was nursing the delusiOn that
the best part of life trailed behind me.
But the rumors Of war, and then war
itself, swept me away from my life's
quiet moorings.
Joins French Army.
'T saw the final act of the play, the
first act of which had seen staged in
1870, was to be enacted. l knew that
in this, struggle I would not only be
fighting for France but for America as
we'll. made UP my mind to get in it.
Employing a stratagem, left home
without worrying my family.
'I landed safely in Havre, but had
not been on the street an hour before
a gendarme halted me and asked me
my business. 4 have come to enlist
and fight for France told him. He
scowled at me and said: old man,
don't get funny with me-these are
dangerous times, and 1 want to know
your errand here Take me to the
nearest enlistment Office, my good
man. I said, and l will show you Not
knowing what else to do with me he
did as l suggested.
eve entered the office, and fortu-
nately a colonel was in charge. ]
walked up to him and said: Colonel
I have come five thousand miles to
fight for France, and if your regiment
will take me, I'd like to get at it right
away The colonel laughingly said
why didn't you come earlierP
"And I retorted: why didn't you
start the war earlier?' Well he said
maybe we can use you as cambion
driver.' No, you WON'T said, boldly
L didn't come all the way from Los
Angeles, California, to drive pair Of
mules. I've come to fight
"'Bravo,' he says, that's the spirit
we want When joined my new regi
ment they were fighting at Verdun
men were needed; no one asked me
any questions; within a week after
had arrived I was in the hospita
nursing a wound"
How He Won Medals.
He was very reticent in explaining
how he had obtained his medals, bu
by dint Of persistent prodding fOunC
that he had won the Croix de Guerrt
when in a front line position his com
mander discovered they were shOr
Of ammunition and asked for a vOlun
teer to creep rearward over a shell
swept field to notify headquarters. HI
successfully made the perilOus trip
receiving only a slight wound. Hi
palm came to him when he left posi-
ton of comparative safety to rescu
his wounded colonel and install him il
his retreat while he guarded him dur
ing the night until relieved in the morn
ing.
: "This medal militaire l never ex
pected to wear" he said. '"The actor
/ in which 1 won this I never believet
| l would live through. Three hundrer
l of US took German advance trench
t and before we had consolidated ii
l thousand or more Boches, springin
: from the ground like the famed har
l / vest of CIrl pOnS' teeth had surround