Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-09-13
Flying With ShaHer
JULY 4 IN FRANCE
LETTERS FROM DAUPHIN BOY TO HIS MOTHER

surrounded by seven women, one
toothless, one hairless, one Amert-
can and the cutest little French
nurse you ever saw. Even my Amer
lean friend admitted that. And as
for me, If wounded l was going to
be, sure hoped would hit her hos
pital.
a Real French Drive
Meanwhile / was at a loss for
words-not an unusual occurrence
where a beautiful girl is concerned
and she speaking nothing but
French made it doubly hard. So,
there we all sat and filled UP on jam
and tea and sugar while the six
Frenchies raved over my uniform,
the little peach" actually asking
for my Lafayette badge for SOU
venir OF course. l did not get all
this French, but with the American
gir' helping out in a pinch l got
through the ordeal fairly well and,
finally got outside with all of my
belongings intact. =
July Fourth in France
, You know, 1 am just beginning to
realize how neglectful l have been in
importance has happened, since l
have not flown for a week. Just now
l am waiting for "a new machine.
my other one being so old that it
was not considered safe to fly any
more. The motor was no good,
either. can vouch for that, as ev-
cry time 1 took it up 1 got an oil
bath. In fact, L ruined a perfectly
good flying suit that way.
Come to think of it, 1 have not
written since the Fourth of July"
dressing up in my black uniform
with silver trimmings and a stream
line hat, none of which was regula-
ton or military; either in combina-
ton of color or design-but my COM
mander only laughed at our varied
uniforms and let it go at that. So
the three of us went to Chalons and
attended concert given by famous.
negro band. They sure could play
and, besides several talented mem
bers sang solos and quartets as well
as danced many eccentric and orig
inal dances. That the band had a
reputation for good music was prov
en- of the audience, for the small
place was jammed, and by many
notable personages, too! In fact, L
counted seven generals, l know 1t
was seven because I had to stand up
and salute every time one came in.
Clothes Make the Man
AS for that black uniform, it's so
COIlS tlIldl lulllh ldg
it away until l reach America. Twill
be time enough then to wear mourn
ing and. besides, it's such fine and
beautiful cloth that wearing it
around the ''piste" would seem a
shame.
Although still a sergeant, I am
still surprised and amused. at the
number of salutes 1 receive from
time to time. They prove that
clothes make the man If nothing
else, for only lieutenants and higher
officers receive salutes. Yet, when
the Poilus see me coming along all
dressed up, and since a sergeant's
stripe is somewhat like a lieuten-
ants, they don't know what to think.
So, to be on the safe side, they sa-
lutte. The other day l passed an
American, an Englishman and
Franchman, and the whole bunch sa-
luted.
-. The Polite Frenchmen -,
To come back to the Fourth,
when we came to the escadrille the
officers of the different escadrilles in
pited us 1--WE three Americans) to
moving pictures held in an empty
hangar nearby. They were very
good, and those officers treated us
like equals all night, although many
were captains. In fact, the Amer
leans are always treated that way
by the polite French.
On the fourteenth we celebrate
the French declaration of independ-
ence, and from rumors afloat l think
we will hear that colored band
again, for the Frenchmen went wild
over their playing. One of the
darkies even sang a French song,
which literally brought down the
house.
Land of Beautiful Flowers
When l think of all the troubles
you go to at home to raise flowers,
feel sorry for you and wish you
We're here. Some of the most beau
tiful wild flowers grow here and in
the widest profusion. Principally
among these are the crimson poppy
and the bachelor button. To see a.
whole field of these red and blue
flowers, interspersed here and there
with the white daisy, is, indeed, a
wonderful sight and brings to my
m I'D the poetry Dad quoted in one
of his letters to the effect that Full
many a flower is born to blush un-
seen and waste it's fragrance on
the desert air''-only he referred to
girls, 1 think, and you might as
sure him of late some of the bushes
have been seen and the sweetness has
not Doen WdSJeu, DeSlueS IL > HeCSS-
sary l learn French. True, am not
quite as badly off as the American
soldier who remarked that "I take
an extra amount of exercise every
time l go in a store and try to tell
them what / want" but nearly so.
In brief, my comprehension of
French could be summed up by
saying I can get the drift if they
make motions enough.
Adventure With Henry"
I never realized how safe flying
wa until I rode in a Ford yester-
day. We hadn't gone more than half
a mile when a hind wheel came off,
quickly followed by the front ones
hitting stonepile. Not being eduip-
ped with my usual safety belt, I
promptly jumped. and with many
thanks to the American who had
lifted me so far, decided to walk
the rest of the distance.
My new Zing may arrive to-mor-
row, so I'm hoping to get UP in the
air again soon.
WALTER.