Gunnison news-champion., 1918-05-17
-wnere d you come fromr


swercd:
From the big town behind the
Statue Of Liberty upon hearing fais
she started Jumping up and d"Sn.
clappIng her hands. and calling oui 10
three nurses across the ward:
Come here. giris-at last We hav;
got real live Yankee with u.s."
They came over and besieged me
with questions. until the doctor ar
rived Upon learning that ! was an
American he almost crushed my hand
In his grip of welcome They also
were Americans. and were glad to see
me.
The doctor very tenderly removed
my bandages and told me, after view
Ing my wounds, that he would have to
take me to the operating theater Inn
mediafely. Personally ! didn't care
what was done with me.
In q few minutes. four orderiies who
looked like undertakers dressed in
white. brought a stretcher to my bed
and placing me on II carried me out OF
the ward. across a courtyard to the
operating room or pictures" as Tom
my calls It.
don't remember having the anes-
thestic applied.
When I came TO wns agnin lying In
a bed in Munsey ward. One Of the
nurses had draped a large American
flag over the head OF the bed. and
clasped In my hand was smaller flag.
and II made me feel good all over to
again see the STARS and Stripes"
At that time l wondered when the
boys In the trenches would see the
emblem Of the "land of the free and
doing Its bit In this great war OF civil
Ilzation.
Ny wounds were very painful. and
several times at night ! would dream
that myriads of khaki-ciothed figures
would pass my bed and each would
stop. bend over me. and whisper. THE
best Of luck. mate"
Soaked with perspiration l would
awake with a cry, and the night nurse
would come over and hold my hand.
This awakening got TO be u habit with
me until that particular nurse was
transferred TO another ward.
In three weeks time. owing to the
careful treatment received. l was able
10 sit up and get my bearings. Our
ward contained seventy-five patients,
80 per cent OF which were surgical
cases. At the head of each bed hung
a temperature chart and diagnosis
sheet. Across this sheet would be
written &c. S. W." or "S. W." the for.
mer meaning gun shot wound and the
latter shell wound Tie IS. W." pre-
dominated. especially among the Royal
Field artillery and Royal engineers.
About forty different regiments were
represented. and many arguments en-
sued as to the respective fighting abil-
ity Of each regiment. The rivalry was
wonderful. A Jock arguing with an
Irishman. then a strong Cockney ac-
cent would butt in In favor of a Lon
don regiment. Before long a Welsh
man. followed by member of York
shire regiment, and. perhaps. a Cana
dian intrude themselves and the argu-
ment wakes loud and furious. The
patients In the beds start bowling for
them to settle their dispute outside
and the ward is In an uproar. Tho
head sister comes along and with q
wave Of the hand completely routs the
warriors and again silence
reigns supreme.
Wednesday and Sunday Of each week
were visiting days and were looked
forward to by the men, because they
meant parcels containing fruit, sweets
or fags. When patient had regular
visitor, he was generally kept well
supplied with these delicacies. Great
jealousy II shown among the men n
to their visitors and many word wars
ensue after the visitors leave.
When . man 10 sent to . convales-
cent home, he generally turns over his
steady visitor to the man in the next
bed.
Most visitors have autograph albums
and bore Tommy to death BY lsking
him to write the particulars Of his
wounding in same. Several Tommiec
try to duck this unpleasant job by tell
ing the visitors that they cannot write,
but this never phases the owner of the
album; he or she. generally she. offers
to write Il for them and Tommy II
stung into telling his experiences.
The questions asked Tommy BY visi-
tors would make Q clever Joke book
to q military man.
Some kindly looking old lady will
q
voice address you: you poor boy.
wounded BY those terrible Germans.
You must be suffering frightful pain.
A bullet, did you say? Well. tell me,
have always wanted to know, did 1t
hurt worse going In or coming outf'
Tommy generally replies that he did
not ttop to figure It out when he was
hit.
One very nice-looking. overenthusi-
1SffC yOrr ~ thing ef0nna1 nj INV hod