Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-10-03
Tall Soldiers.


likely to give a good account Of him
self in battle as a man who is unusual
ly large, and is perhaps more likely to
endure long continued hardship suo-
cessfully. Wherever the "bantams"
have been given a chance they have
made good; and II is familiar knowl-
edge that some Of the most famous mill
tary leaders-notably Napoleon and, of
the late years, Lord Roberts-were little
men. Nevertheless, very tall man In
uniform is imposing to look upon; and
Germany, at least, which never neglects
military pageantry, as the milder twin
Of military frightfulness, takes definite
account OF his value when il desires TO
create an impression.
In the Kaiser's spectacular entry into
Jerusalem some years before the war,
for example, officers ofmajestic physique
were carefully selected to accompany
him to heighten the awe and admira-
ton OF the crowds. And il was, OF
course, old Frederick William OF Prus-
sia, father OF Frederick the Great, who
maintained the famous regiment ofgiant
troopers, for which, when he could not
get him otherwise, he would have any
likely young, towering Sampson kid
Mapped and enlisted willy-nilly.
Well might any Prussian drillmaster
OF Yesterday or to-day be glad to get
hold Of one soldier at least in the ser
vice OF Uncle Sam; yet Uncle Sam al
most let him 90, because Of the bother
OF getting him shod. Army sizes in
shoes do not include No. l4-E E; and
there is no military provisionf for making
boots to order for a private. At first
Sergeant William c. Vaillancourt, OF
Amesbury, Massachusetts,, patriotically
bought his own boots; but now that
prices have jumped to unforeseen alti-
tudes-and wearing No. l4-E E at that
it was really more than could be ex-
pected. He protested he could buy no
more boots; neither could he serve his
country barefoot; but neither did the
government have the boots in stock, or
apparently the right to make them.
Fortunately, some one in authority at
length cut the red tape, and retained a
good, not to say a superb and awe-ir-
spring, soldier in the service.
Six feet ten inches tall, we'll proper
toned and weighing at one time three
hundred and forty pounds, although ne
has now trained down to two hundred
and sixty-Rve, Sergeant Vaillancourt is
veritable viking Of the old Norsetlmes
Stripped, he measures iorty-six inches
across the chest and has four-ineh
chest expansion. To match his boots
he wears No. IA gloves. When he was
ten years old he was six feet tall, and
was considered 10 be freak who could
not live.
When he was seventeen years old ht
enlisted with the coast artillery banc
stationed at Boston, where ne playee
the snare drum. After three years ne
was transferred to the 18th Infantry anc
served as drum major until recently
when he was transferred to the hos
pital corps. When his command wen
to Arizona, in 1915, he weighed three
hundred and forty pounds, but Ions
"hikes" took the surplus TAT on, and M
i. now hard and solid at two hundred
and sixty-fve pounds.
81 was twelve years old when m!
father took me out OF school because
they had no table or chair to match me-
said the giant sergeant. 81 never tool
a drink OF liquor, wine or beer in m!
life. No, ! am not a meat eater. II
fact, eat very little meat, and have no
tasted an Irish potato in year. | an
fond Of bread, vegetables, fruit and pies
and ! like plenty OF coffee"
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