The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-11
THE ARMY'S THOUGHTS
Of THE RED CROSS
Extracts from Letters from France
Show Appreciation OF Soldiers for
Care and Comforts OF Red
Cross

Especial to The Richmond virginian.)
Washington. Oct. 10.--There was a
pile of letters on the com issioner's
desk at Red Cross headouarters--
letters from generals, colonies, lieu
tenants and privates, all thanking the
| organization or some of its officers
for services rendered in hundred
different ways
File these" Colonel Gibson in
structed his secretary. Tell the men
waiting to see us about the gas hos
pital at --- to come in"
Some one suggested that possibly
the folks at home would like to see
the letters. "All right" said Colonel
Gibson. but don't let the folks at
home think we are blowing our horn.
It's their horn. you know"
| Here are a few of the letters
paper is too scarce in France to quote
all of them. One on top Of the pile
was from Base Hospital No. 8. 1t
| said
| The writer wishes to thank the
Red Cross most sincerely for all the
things that it has sent to the hospital
Your representative is working very
hard to benefit our sick and wounded
in every possible, practical way and
has had scarcely any time for letters
Z
godsends and are fully appreciated
by the men From an L. 0. c. rest
station came this communication,
written with pencil ON what looked
Ike an inferior grade OF newspaper:
The shipment of jams. magazines
and Fictrolas were welcomed with
open arms; the men crowded round
the box like children and cries of de-
light were heard when everything
was taken out of the box.
1T has been a tremendous addition
to our canteen rest room. and we all
thank you for adding so much pleasure
to our days in this canteen. Enclosed
find signed slip for consignment"
A first lieutenant of the signal
corps. writing from Flight C. Aero
Repair Squadron, A p. O., 704." took
his pen in hand to indite this:
From n Lively Aviation Hut.
/ want to take this opportunity to
personally thank you for the good
treatment you have given US. want
also to assure you of the warm appre-
citation all the members of this organ
ization have for the American Red
Cross We have real lively little
hut here at the aviation field and
every night there is something doing.
Again thanking you for many favors
extended"
ANol 81 lar ITO1 taFtS Is one OF
those isolated detachments OF Ameri-
can soldiers who are scattered all
over France. 1t was from this train
ing center that the following came;
Gratitude Hardly Covers the Case.
Your shipment of 1000 cigarettes
has been received by me in good con-
dition. / distributed them among
the members of my brigade and
among the Americans in other
brigades here. To say that we are
grateful hardly covers the case. Not
being with the American army we
have practically no means of securing
cigarettes. hence your gift was per-
feet godsend. Thank you for myself
and for the others who benefited by
the generosity of the Red Cross"
The commanding officer at Base
Hospital "a is a very weIl-known
physician at home. Over here he is
lieutenant colonel, and this Is what
he wrote on July II to Major Perkins;
a r c. commissioner for Europe:
Il have just heard that your repre-
sentative at . Captain Russell
Tyson, is to be transferred to another
position. and / must let you know
what help and constant comfort he
has been to every patient. as well as
TO every enlisted men and officer of
this organization. He has entered
into all our activities and has volun-
| teered at all times to carry forward
any improvements that we thought
might add TO the comfort and happi-
ness OF the wounded soldier.
, Il realized long ago that he was
too valuable man to be assigned TO
such a small detail. but hoped that
you might spare him to us for some
time yet. for, or course, you are
cognizant of what we are to do here.
Please give my kind regards to
Major Lambert"
From Field Hospital.
Major Lambert is the chief medical
officer of the Red Cross in France,
who at home recently had the honor
OF being elected president of the
American Medical association His
mail and that of Lieutenant c. c.
Burlingame, of the medical and sur
gical section, Is full of letters like
this. one from captain of the
NJ r. c.. in charge OF Field Hospital
No %:
The commanding officer desires TO
express his gratitude to the Ameri-
can Red Cross for the promptness
and generosity with which tentage
and supplies have been furnished this
organization. The articles furnished
have greatly increased our usefulness
at this station, as well as adding
mar htufN 10 inc comfort or the pa
tients who have passed through our
hands"
There were dozen letters of
thanks for comfort bags, which re-
placed as far as possible the entire
possessions of men who came through
receiving stations with nothing OK
cept their Identification tags and
bandages. And next was this from a
balloon squadron. addressed to the
a, r. c. representative in a nearby
town:
Writing for the officers of Com
pany A, balloon squadron, it is my
pleasure to express more or less in
formally our thanks to you for the
generous way the Red Cross through
YOU supplied us with so many com
forts. Your kindly interest is indeed
appreciated and to an extent that
am afraid you must read between the
lines to fully gauge
Wounded and Sick Send Thanks.
Fourth of July particularly siren
uous EFFORT was made to see that every
man In a hospital had evidence that
the folks at home hadn't forgotten
him. Cigarettes, flags. chocolate,
comfort bags and other presents were
RI fCfv t~A