The Benson signal. [volume] (Benson, Cochise County, Ariz.) 1915-1921, 1918-09-07


querahle spirit of the soldiers from
the United States is one of the out
standing characteristics that excite
the admiration Of all who come in con-
tact with them. They make the Amer
lean proud of his nationality and
arouse the envy Of those who, by cir
cumstances over which they have no
control, are denied the privilege to be
one of them.
If there is yet an American who
does not hate the Hun, he or she
should have seen the first trainlOad
of American wounded that arrived
here from Chateau-Thierry. AS these
heroes modestly related their expert
ences, one had a mingled feeling OF
worship for them and intense hatred
for the blood maddened beasts who are
responsible for the awful agony which
the world is now suffering.
In compartment with a number OF
French wounded was nineteen-year-
old boy from Chicago. He was all
alone and surrounded by men who
could not speak his language. He was
in the most terrific pain, but managed
to keep down the slightest groan.
Nothing could have drawn whisper
from him before his French comrades
in arms.
A Red Cross doctor asked HIM II
there was anything he wanted.
''Just drink Of water, please" was
the low answer.
He got it. The doctor asked If there
was anything else he wanted. The
boy wanted to be turned on his side.
With a machine-gun bullet through
his leg and wound that had ScOrched
it's way across his hips, to say moth
ing of an injured arm, he was perfect
ly incapable of helping himself.
The doctor turned him on his side
and then discovered the lad had had
nothing to eat for 50 hours. Unfor-
tunately he was only one Of many in
the same fix. The Red Cross did it's
best and soon had what emergency
food it had in the hands Of those who
were still able to use them. The more
seriously injured, Of course, were the
first to be removed by the long line
Of waiting ambulances.
Indomitab;e Spirit.
Before the train pulled in the ambu-
lances were drawn up and waiting. So
was a small crowd. AS the first am
bulance quit the station the crowd
started to cheer. There was a dough-
boy on the front seat with the driver,
one arm in sling, the other stufting
n sandwich into his mouth. He waved
the sandwich in acknowledgment,
while a contented look rame over his
drawn and tired face.
The crowd increased as the ambu-
lances formed almost q continuous
train. Words of sympathy were heard
on all sides not unmingled with tears
as the flower of Young America that
had marched forth so valiantly few
short months before was painstaking-
" transferred to base hospitals.
At the end of the procession came
q cortege that the crowd grasped the
meaning Of in q moment. They were
ambulances, but their destination was
the cemeter. and not the hospital.
The women wept openly and crossed
themselves, while the hat Of every
man in the crowd came off in re-
spectful salute to the dead.
The sight was one to wiring the
heart, but the indOmitable spirit Of
America bobbed up whenever a man
able to talk above gasp was found.
Many of the wounds were from shrap-
mel. Where they were not really
serious the possessOrs told the tale
Of what they had been through.
1t was five o'clock in the morning Of
July Is before the platoon to which
Louis Cooke of Rayville, La, belonged
saw the Germans approaching.
"Our officer just yelled, Let's get
'em, boysr and we started after
them," said Cook. "The Heinies were
comiag UP ca the south bank Of the