The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1918-06-28
STORY OF KNIGHT OF COLUMBUS
CHAPLAIN IN ACTION.


How a knights of Columbus Chap
lain acts in the stress of battle is adj
mirably illustrated in the following
interview dispatched by Bert Ford,
correspondent of the international
News Service to The Chicago Ameri-
lean, on April 3d.:
"You should go among the boys
in the ranks" said Father John B.
DeValles. That's where you find
heroic Americans who are credit to
our beloved flag.
"Striplings of Is showed the forti-
tude of veterans. 1t was my baptism
of fire. and it was hell incarnate.
Lieut.. John Calvin, of Greenfield
Estate not given), came to the dress
ing station after fighting calamity
all the first day. He told the doctor
there was something the matter with
his eardrums. He said he could not
hear, and it interfered with his work.
1.-THE doctor told him to battle his
ears in hot water. Calvin laughingly
replied, How am I going to get hot
water when 1 cont even get cold,
doc?'
81 followed him to the door of the
dugout and shook hands with him.
A shell Just then burst near where
the doctor stood. I warned Calvin he
had better not stand near the door.
He was just about to go when an
other shell burst in front of us. 1t
mangled the poor fellow. He will be
sincerely mourned by the whole regi-
ment. He was a born soldier, He
loved the military game and was
idolized by his men.
81 had to do a little first aid work
Of my own in addition to giving the
last rites to the dying. AS to the lat
ter, it mattered not what faith they
belonged to. If the man was a nom
Catholic, l would say:
GA prayer won't hurt you any
way, even if I'm not minister Of
your faith And in every case they
begged me to pray and bless them.
The spiritual feeling is strong in such
trying hours when death turks every
where. There were no denomina-
tional lines out there.
Just after the battle word reach
ed from some of our men that Pri-
vate Charles Pike, of Peabody, Mass,
lay wounded in No Mans Land.
"They told me he was Protestant
boy, but, Protestant or Catholic,
chaplains draw no boundaries.
crept around the dead, but couldn't
find Pike. l came back and got new
directions and then tried another
place, but again failed to find him.
81 came across Pike at the dressing
station later, however. The little
patriot smiled when l reached him.
He had been wounded by shrapnel
and was unable to move. So / car
ried him back further behind the
lines, lodging the shells. Pike was
getting along finely.
1.-The first thing 1 do is to give the
wounded a drink of hot tea. carry
a thermos bottle under my belt.
"Then I stick lighted cigarette
between their lips, and that always
brings a smile, no matter how badly
wounded they are-it gives them new
pep Then, when they are ready
for the litter bearers and about to be
carried away, whisper in their ears,
Courage, lad. God bless you. Think
of God and your mother
Il sent sixteen of them down their
painful path that way, and everyone
of them was smiling despite their
pain. When I visited them at the
hospital the first thing they ask is
how soon they will get back to the
trenches to help their comrades. They
are always anxious to know if they
are sure to be sent back to their old
outfit" as they call their units.
II wouldn't swap this job for the
best pastoral place in America"