The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-23
AMERICAN BOY TELLS
HOW He WON CITATION
John c. Rothermel Rcscues
Comrade During Heavy
German Fire.
PENNSYLVANIA HERO
CrOix de Guerre Is Given to
Lad for Bravery
in Action.
PENNSYLVANIA HERO

Mercersbure, Pa,.-Dr William Mann
Irvine. head master of the MERGERS
burg academy. has received letter
which is fun OF human interest from
Mercersburg graduate. who recently
earned the French Cross of War; or
"Croix dc GUERRA" for conspicuous
bravery
Strange to relate when Hothermel
was enrolled at 'Mcrccrshurg in Sep
TENDER. 1914. he was considered a del
icatc boy and there was a question as
to whether or not he would be able to
finish the course. From MerccrSburg
he entered Princeton and is now se.v-
ing in n Princeton ambulance corps.
Mr.. Rothermcl was awarded the ''Croix
de Guerra" by the French government
after but two weeks service on the
front, the shortest time which anyone
in tire American field service has ever
received that honor.
In France Two Months.
Mr.. Rothcrmel writes: Il have now
been in France about two months. our
section has been ON the most active
part of the front three weeks. During
that time some unpleasant and also
some pleasant things happened. The
unpleasant things were the deaths of
two of our comrades, the wounding of
six others. and the loss of three anu
balances. In fact, every ear in our
section was hit by the pieces of shells
during those three weeks, but only
byn npttr.lx, ,tc.l.,,.- far
further service.
1.-The pleasant things We're the five
citations for members of our section.
All five were decorated with the Croix
dc Guerra. This included Jim Galley,
Princeton, II, and S. Hamilton Of Mas
sachnsetss, both of whom were killed
by a shell on July 80; Mr.. Rice Har-
ward 10, John Woodbridge prince
ton '1s), and myself.
Rescued Comrade.
Woodbridge and I are both on tie
same car and always drive together ac
cording to the French government
rules. which require two drivers on
every car. The way in which we won
our croiN de Queries was by driving
to a village near the front through ter
rifle German bombardment and rescu-
ing one Of our comrades and his blcs-
Scs, who were in an ambulance blocked
by rocks from a freshly hit house. The
air at that time was so full of dust and
smoke that we could scarcely see ter
| fcct thead OF our car. The noise from
| the shrapnel bursting overhead and
| from other shells hitting the groun6
! Throwing up earth like a big fOuntainl
and from the French batteries return.
ing the fire sounded like a freight
train of 1000 ears bounding over tn,
| ties.
| We made two trips TO this village
and 1t seems almost miraculous tina
| We returned alive. When We were re
turning on our first trip Il shell hit thu
railroad beside our road and threw
about 100 feet OF the track over oil
poplar trees across the road. We go
| together about 20 soldiers and in nv'
minutes cleared away enough track TO
our car to pass. However, we ha,
scarcely cleared this part when anoth
CT shell fell just 200 yards farther o.
and completely blocked our road agai
with track. Just as we got up to thi
place a third shell fell in the road for
ty feet beyond the second place an
dug a crater 25 feet In diameter an
, ten feet deep in the middle Of our roa,
Gas Terrible Stuff.
Q I'VE had to pass this place by dlri,
\ ing around the left edge OF the secou
hole (railroad track on our lett, up