Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-06-07
MOTHER Of HERO
is PROUD OF HIM
Son Of Blind Texas Woman
Carried First Flag at Vimy.
HE WILL COME HOME SOON

Bob Davis, That unknown Texan,"
Always Was Good Boy and Sent
Kiss I1ome In Every Letter From the
Front-He Went Because He Saw
His Duty.
\ few days ago word rang through
fhe land that the Stars and Stripes at
28st had appeared on the battle front
In France. An unknown Texan" the
dispatches said, had carried the flag
no Vimy Ridge when the Canadians
captured that important link in the
German line.
Maybe he was an unknown Texan
TO the rest Of the country, but he wasn't
unknown to little white haired wom-
an at Bland. Tex.
When neighbors read the dispatch to
her-for she is blind-the wrinkled,
gentle face lighted up, the bent form
Strengthened.
MY boy carried the flag!" she ex-
claimed. "It was Bobby. just know
II was.'
And the mothers intuition seems to
have been right, for it has been pretty
definitely established that Bob Davis
of Bell county, Tex, was the man who
farst took the Stars and Stripes into
action In the great war. Mrs. Davis
has been notified by the British war
Office that her son was wounded In
the attack on Vimy Ridge. The mea-
ger dispatches telling Of the unknown
Texans" exploit said he had fallen
wounded during the battle.
He Will Come Home Soon.
Bob Davis mother is probably the
yproudest woman In the United States
today. The last two years have been
fun Of sorrow and dread for her, but
those anguished hours Of foreboding
are forgotten now. Her boy has
proved himself the hero she always
knew him to be, and, best Of all, he
viii surely come home soon for one OF
his feet was shot away, and, Of course.
ne can be of no more use on the battle
front.
The battle of vimy Ridge was the
climax to Bob Davis wandering, ad-
venturous career. Finding life monoto-
nous In the tiny Texas village of Bland,
where his father, David Josiah Davis,
was the neighborhood preacher, he left
when a boy and wandered into farof
places. He was in the United States
life saving corps and the regular army
for several years and was In Canada
when the war began. The conflict
promised new excitement for the nerves
Of the tall young Texan, already jaded
by the routine Of civil Life. Ee at once
enlisted In a Canadian expeditionary
fMce and was sent to Europe early in
1916
Bob Davis was good son. He never
forgot his aged mother, and he wrote
many letters to her. Knowing she was
blind, he addressed the letters to his
aeighteen-year-old niece, Miss Mintie
Jones, and the girl read them to the
white haired woman and wrote the
mothers replies. Every one Of Bob
Davis letters ended with some such an
expression as this: "Kiss mother for
me-" or "Give mother a big hug and
kiss for me-" Each letter referred to
some little incident of Bob's childhood
That he knew would be engraved upon
his mothers memory.
Fought For World Freedom.
It was not alone spirit Of adventure
that prompted Bob Davis to offer his
lite for the allied cause. This extract
from one Of his letters proves that fact:
Quite few of the boys who soldier
ed with me have been put out Of ac-
fion. They were good boys and great
pals II l am able to do as much as
they did 1 will die as know each Of
them died-satisf1ed that have done
my bit for the freedom OF the world
land civilization. have served in the
ranks before. but that was only for
experience. This is different am
here because l think It Is my duty
to be-
The Texas legislature plans to honor
Bob Davis In some signal way, prob
ably with fund that will more than
o0set the handicap Of his lost foot.
And, too, there is being planned a big
Homecoming welcome for him when he
shall return from Europe. But more
peecious to Bob Davis than these trib-
utes undoubtedly will be the loving en-
brace Of little, white haired woman
and the words, uttered as only moth
eer can speak them, "My boy, my hero!'