The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-10-24
YANKS PROVING BEST
FIGHTERS, SAYS SHEA

"The Americans are showing the
world how to fight; they can show up
the others at any stage Of the game
they pick out-no armies barred and no
training needed" writes Lieut.. NJ. Coyle
Stea. 10th field artillery, American ex-
peditionary force, France, in a recent
letter received by W. L. Mcleod, of the
Associated Press.
Lieut., Shea also gives account of his
being gassed while taking part with the
American troops during the drive Of
July Is, and adds IN interesting story
of his life as a physical instructor in
the convalescent camp "
France.
Il am now known as the physical in
%structor Of the biggest convalescent
camp the Americans have established
In France. We comprise the vanguard
of the parade along these lines, and 9TH
ers will be following in our wake. When
they fed me with gas at the Marine,
went INTO southern France and started
to recuperate. Every day l got worse
until they finally issued me my walk
ing papers, along with a bunch of 9th
efs. They started US for the GONZALES
cent amp at -. The name sound
ed very well, but as far as the officers
OF base 30 knew 1t was mostly a myth.
When we arrived 1t was largely a myth.
for the camp was just in process Of for
nation n those III charge didn't know
that we were even on the way. When
we came back from the front and passed
through a field hospital they took away
our belongings and slipped us a suit OF
pajamaS for a change. Fair exchange?
No!
I'VE had one enlisted mans uniform,
two suits of underwear, the same num-
Der of socks, one pair of shoes and sew
eral handkerchiefs among us. Never
theless, we were as happy as a gang
of kids on a holiday and didn't care a
rap whether 1t rained or shined; wheth-
err We were in Paris or Berlin, or wheth-
err anyone admired the makeup. When
the commanding officer came into the
camp ! went up to him and asked him
for a pass and he looked me over. He
/ have ever seen.
Say, what do you know about ath-
%letics?' he chirped.
"'Oh, anything you want TO know,
l shot back with a grin, | don't know
whether lie liked the grin, or the an
She adtutant to give me a pass and e
hurry back.
when you get back report to me:
I've got a Job for you he laughed. At
ter assuring myself that Paris was the
same old place, | returned and reported
| 90 Itl btutl " III nat I llnh ~
appointed physical director Of the .camr
and was to start in at once. ] Was In
great shape to start then. The ga
had mo down so that n 200-yard walk
not run-made me look at "a bench
with longing eyes. Nevertheless, | Wen
at II with lots of pep and used my
mouth more than my muscles, with tn,
result that | gradually came AROUND
and am now In the best Of condition
with the exception Of my heart. Tha'
very important part Of my anatomy
continues to flutter about In much thu
same manner as a debutantc on com
irg-out night. Meanwhile the camp ha,
come along fine. The hospital center
here Is u q. 900 bed affair. and as SCOT
as the bird gets well enough to leav,
the bed he nm to us-war-weary
dropping in spirit and ragged physic.
I ally, We do the rest and send him gu
again as spry as a young colt, | hav,
l free rein with all the men in our cam
IL. 000 to be exact, | have a staff o
( assistants and an active schedule flor
, mulated. also Il fair amount of equip,
: ment. The rest IL easy. Every day W,
: take them out on the field for the worl
, and everybody has a fine time. The,
are always under military supervision
and are never allowed to lose sight o
that very important fact, When tn
men are ready to return to the front
we SEND them through a Replacement
camn a"d thence to their orgarig1tions
0 american soldiers are wonderful. NJ,
hat is off to the American buck at nj
l times. lie il a species beyond tn
3 field, aud they all want to get hac'
home. | wouldn't swap "A part of tina