The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-11-21
FROM RED CROSS CAPTAIN
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charming, witty Scot. He has beer
all over the world. participating IN
the Dardanelles campaign, and has
had many a brush with the subs.
A couple Of days before we locked
| Witnessed the destruction of a sub
marine by a couple Of British destroy.
ers, off the coast Of Ireland, it hap
pening early in the morning as the
sub lay in wait for Us. The shell fire
cracked like an electric spark and the
depth bombs threw great geysers of
water in the air. | happened to be
up, as | was told we would see the
Irish coast early in the morning and
arose early for the first sight of land.
We were piped off the boat by a
band of Scotch lads, had lunch and
entrained for London. We arrived in
a darkened city among a cheerful peo-
pie, the streets full of soldiers of all
Allied flags and the atmosphere pure
ly military. We visited the headquar-
ters of the Red Cross in London, met
Major Endicott, the commissioner for
England, bought some things for the
Army and Navy store, attended a thea
ter, saw Buckingham Palace and West
minister Abbey, and finally entraincd
for Southampton. Havre and Paris.
The beautiful English countryside
was a vision and likewise its. dupli-
cate through French Normandy. On
the evening of July IS, we reached
Paris, another gloomy, dark city by
night, but filled with CHEEKY civilians
and soldiers by day.
The 14th and 18th were French ma
tional holidays, celebrating the fall of
the Bastile. There were parades of
troops up and down the streets, and
much popping of wine bottles at the
sidewalk cafes.
The Germans also celebrated the oc-
casion by opening their drive between
scissors and Rheims and the smash
at Chateau Thierry. What happened
to the Boche is now a matter of his
tory. The victorious allied counter
stroke was celebrated in Paris. even
though the big guns b~ombarded the
city for days, and the German planes
tried in vain to get past the aerial
d~efenses Of the city.
Between July II and 9th, l worked
in the Bureau of Purchases, as assist
ant to the chief, and learned a great
deal about the business system of the
Red Cross organization. l also made
a trip to Vichy to base hospital No.
/, to visit Governor Hanna.
On July 30th, l left with Captain
Roscoe Mitchell for La Ferte and
Chateau Thierry to become a. r. c.
representative in the field at Army
Evacuation Hospital No. 6, and Mo
bile Hospital No. 1. They were en-
camped between Chateau Thierry and
the front lat a distance of about ten
or twelve miles from the front lines.
The day l arrived in camp the neigh
borhood got a few German shells and
UIldl ONCHluS q 3Ci loki III
our hospital and scared us out of a
weeks growth. The next day / dug
in under my bed. l shall not soon for
get the memory of that night. the
screams of the horses in the neighbor-
ing artillery camp. the ~unmistakable
hum of the German planes, the crash
of the anti-aircraft guns and the smash
ing boom of the bombs-eight of
them.
My Job here as Red Cross represen-
tative covered many duties. The prin-
cipal ones including the supervision
and ordering and checking of medical
and hospital supplies for the hospitals,
through LaFerte and Paris, the distri-
button Of cigarettes and chocolates to
the wounded who We're constantly
coming and going. assisting and en-
couraging the nurses, cashing checks
for the officers and men and the es-
tablishing of a cooperative canteen for
the enlisted men.
My greatest inspiration and pleas
ure was to visit the wounded as they
came III from the front. to talk with
them and hear their stories while the
dust of conflict was still on their
faces: to back them up, josh them.
give them a package Of cigarettes or
a butt of chocolate and to observe
how grateful they for such small
acts and how little attention oftimes
made them forget their pain and suf-
fering. The cruelty OF war and It's
horrible ghastliness are more appar.
ent here in these field hospitals than