Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-05-18
GOLD MEDALS.
EMPTY SLEEVES
Two Young Canadian Soldiers
Return From The Trenches i'm
France After Distinguishing
Themselves.

| themselves.
Richmond, Va, May 17.-Men who
are afraid, and who are not willing to
cast their all in the storming whirl-
pool that chance has formed of the
destinies of all nations of the world.
found little consolation this week i'm
the visit to this city of two young
Veterans of the battle of the Somme.
Ihey were young-So young that the
story of their wide adventures and
many flirtations with the windsome
| Fates seemed almost unbelievable.
And one of them was wearing an
| empty sleeve, the other hobblng on n
crutch with one leg. They make u
strikingly pathetic contrast to the
active groups Of Uncle Sans SOL
dicrs here, none of whom have vet
;imelled powder.
One of the boys was named Gcrow
and the other had Bowyer on the lit
Tie brass name-plate about his neck
on a linen string. They both were
members of the first Canadian divis-
ion that sailed from these shores to
the battlctields of France. They were
not in the same battalion, but both
had lived in this city before the war.
1t was another of those strange CO.
incidcnccs that they should both be
wounded in the same battle, carried
to the same hospital, and board the
same ship for home when their
wounds had healed
Gerow wore two decorations-sim-
pie little things, not half so splendid
looking as medal IL High School
graduate will wear for efficiency in
1ratory or debate. One was from the
Belgian Lerion of Honor, and the
other the French Mcdale Mihtaire.
insignificant things on the face of
them, but each bearing n story that
would fill volumes of adventure and
romance. Many men are there who
have stood at the head of charging
columns of men and have placed
victorious flag on the enemy's bat
valor due ones country in times of
need. Others there are who have un-
seliishly thrown themselves into the
mouth of death and slaughter for the
sake of Z just cause, and have, un
Inurmurinr paid the price in pain
and misery and death. That's pat
riotic TO the uttermost extreme, ant
fulfilling Il debt to native land. Blu,
when a man is safely through g
Storming battle, where millions OF
shells and bullets are whistling thcii
Geath-dcaling message everywhere
and cross the dcsolation of No Man
Land he sees n wounded comrade bat
tling for life against great odds, t.
climb from his place of safety int.
almost imminent death and drag hi.
'iecding fellow back into the securit,
f the trench--this is heroism, beau
full and complete.
And this is what Gerow did. Whc,
sled why he received the Frencl
military medal, he simply replied 70,
bringing in two wounded from NJ
Mans Land" and added that it wasn'
much to do, but that he was jus
'ucky, that's all. No Mans Land i
he waste spaces between trenches
where a thousand shells burst ever,
ninute. To step out into this jus
Tor the sake of saving a brother:
ifc, is an inspiration to those VIII
ag behind and grumble that the!
have no cause to fight, and that thi
war is not their war. Gerow will e,
carry with him in its place the knowl
edge that he has paid debt thar
which there is no greater, and tha
he has fulfilled the great teaching
that "Greater Love Hath No Man."
These two men, walking about tho
city and apparently embarrassed b!
the attention drawn to them, are
solemn recruiting picture, and an
encouragement to those who would
hold back through selfishness or fear
Fhey spoke of German atrocities re
iuctantly, as if the subject was mos
distasteful one. One of them said his
brother had died in a German prison
camp from starvation and abuse. Thi
other that he had seen little GBel
gian girl with both arms cut off
the shoulders by the invading Hun:
They smiled at their own pains ant
orivations and wounds, but showed
heir indignation towards any man
who did not want to fight. They gave
The best of their lives, and portion
of their limbs to aid in bringing lib
trty to the world, and when the fina
roll is called they will sit in Il highe,
place than those who failed to do oil
offer to do as much as they have
DONE