The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-11-28

Of fifty cent piece, and lay there 4
little while Studying whether I vas
still devil on earth or an angel
in Heaven. I decided that ! was still
the former so I groined for "first
aid" and the nearest man on both
sides Of me came over to help me out
our boys always do that, they will
give a person the last swallow Of
water or anything else they have to
help them.
I, without knowing it, did the luck
lest thing I ever did in my life, I had
rolled out Of my hole so the fellow
who got to me first could get at my
first aid packet" and work on me to
a better advantage. These two fel-
lows soon had my "first aid" on me
and then I lay down on my back be-
cause I was so weak ! could not crawl
back yet, and it would have been sui
eide for US all to have had the fel-
lows lift me to my feet SO l could
walk. One Of the fellows kept say
ing that should 60 back, and that
was my belief also but I simply
couldn't move. While I lay there I
felt the wind of a bullet as it slid by
my face and actually heard it 60 into
the leg Of the fellow next me, Sec
ond later another one came along and
caught him in the side, that disgusted
him 50 that he crawled away from
there, and I think and sincerely hope
that he is getting along fine in some
hospital now. The other little fellow
who had crawled into that hole, was
still there, so told him he had better
get out and back to his place or he
would get killed or hurt, he did not
answer so reached out and shook him
and discovered that he was dead. This
convinced me that if I wanted to live
and be an old man l would have to
move whether I could or not, so
made myself get onto my hands and
knees and crawled away-they kept
caving man me, but in about. ten
minutes had gone about 20 yards in
to some underbrush, and stopped there
all night. I was little leary that
some German patrol might find me in
the night, but figure If any of them
did they would get a couple grenades,
that l still had with me, in the bar:
gain. Nothing came but the cold and
that was fierce, thot would freeze
before morning, I guess it was lucky
it was cold, because it kept me from
worrying about my head and getting
thirsty: I had swallowed so much
blood that I was sicker than poison.
ed gopher and threw-up about 81
times during the night. In the morn
ing could crawl pretty fair but I was
all turned around and did not know
which way to crawl, luckily ! had q
compass which lieutenant had given
me the day before so I found out
which way to go-Any fool would
have done the same thing, and soon
landed at Company B and got drink
of water, and a fellow to help me
over to Company C. (my company.
I had to wait a couple hours till a
runner could come to take me to a
"frst aid' station. Finally big Rus
sian came and helped me get there.
His only fault was that he would not
let me rest along the way, was in too
big hurry I thot. If I stopped to
rest he would say "put on your last
steam let's CO." A couple Of times
when my "last steam" gave out not
to stop and puff like Frank Young
man climbing South Hill. In course
of time we got to aid Station and there
they injected something into my stom-
ach to keep away lockjaw and some
thing into my chest to stop my head
ache, the lockjaw serum worked fine
cause I haven't the lockjaw yet but
the other did not work as far as l
can yet see as still have headache,
They piled Is of us wounded into a
motor truck and took us to the Mobile
hospital, about IL miles away, some
trip; I had headache that l would
put up against any headache in the
world and I wouldn't lose either, l
still have some first class headaches
yet, but nothing to brag about. At
that hospital they ethered me almost
to death and took out the bullet and
piece of the helmet as big as fifty
cent piece that had curled up like a
frost bitten leaf and gone in with the
bullet, they both went in at the same
hole, but after they got in they evi-
IDENTIFY got into dispute, the bullet
going one way and the piece Of helmet
the other, neither one could find any
brains to get mixed up with so no
damage was done. In less than an
hour they had lost my clothes, pen,
compass and all, and during the three
days l stayed there they never did
find them again. They transferred me
to base hospital and here l am now.
My only worry is that may starve to
death soon if I don't get away from
here. They feed us good food, but
like eating at high priced hotel, l
never could get enough. A surgeon
major comes around every day and
dresses the wound and claims mine
will soon be nothing but scar.
i was hit just exactly six months
from the day left the states, SO q
service stripe and wound stripe fell
due to me the same day. don't want
any more honors in the form Of
wounded stripes and the way things
look now the war is about half over
so won't pobably get any more service
stripes.
A Red Coss nurse came and got
your address SO you could send me. a
Xmas box. If there is no limit on the