The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-15
SSDECORATED for bravery" &C,

director of the Red Cross Nursing Ser
vice, is the report which comes oftenest to
America about our army nurses In
France
Already the Queens of England and
Rumania have bestowed on them war
medals 'sfor devoted service" King
George of England and the President of
France have given nurses Orders "for
bravery under fire. and in Frances book
of heroes, lie Lirre dor, now stand the
names Of many of these American women.
They are mentioned also day by day not
only in the reports of Gen. Pershing but
also in those Of English and French
commanders.
But honor and glory are coming to the
army nurse from still another source and
it is safe to say she would rather give up
her medals and citations than the word
that is being brought back Of her services
by wounded soldiers.
To speak of the American nurse in a
ward i'll Walter Reed Hospital at Wash
ington or in any other where there are
man up on his elbow to tell his paftic-
ular tale of the nurses who looked after
him.
ats the American nurse pulls you
through" one of the Walter Reed men
said. and then he tried TO explain it.
"She Is the bright light you see when you
get out of the battle. She brings back
to your mind what you went into it for
American Nurse the Leader.
According to these wounded men who
have seen the nurses close behind the front
lines in the emergency clearing stations
and in the great base hospitals of Paris
and London II is the American nurse who
takes hold when the rush is heaviest and
, seems to lead the others. She is on duty
day and night; she works covered with
mud like the men themselves and she
sleeps in her boots like the men.
The nurses in this war are sent nearer
the front, put in positions of greater dan
ger. than in any previous war, says Dr.
John NJ. finney, just arrived as repre-
sentative here of the Red Cross hospital
work in France He adds that when VOL
untoers are called for posts of special
danger ''it is only a matter Of choice
every nurse wants IL go"
Last week when hospital was bombed
by German aviators the removal of the
patients to the nearby caves was carried
out 50 quickly and So bravely by the
nurses in charge that not Il man was in
cured. The hospital doctors told with
pride Of the courage of the nurses in
going back and forth from hospital Ia
caves during the raid.
Two American army nurses were re
Gently wounded 10y the explosion of
bomb from AN enemy airplane. Badly
shocked and suffcrin. intensely, they stuck
TO their posts. One WAS struck III the face
by pieces of shrapnel, injuring an eyelid;
the ryosight of the other nurse was de-
stroyed. All night long the nurse less
wounded stood by, assisting the doctors in
the operating room. her sweater cut in
MANY places. even her wrist watch spliIl-
tered.
Tell, of Rush of Wounded.
Something of The difficulties of rush
time is told ia letter from an army nurse
who has been serving behind the western
front.
about the beginning Of this big rusl
we received the wounded from the battle
field about twelve hours after they were
woundcd--as many as 500 in one night,
and all in need Of an operation. This kept
up for days.
81 hope we may never have such Il rush
again II made my heart ache to see them
coming ia in such terrible condition
they lay On the floor on stretchers waiting
their turn to be operated on.
I'm the iir<l week We worked for eigh-
teen and twenty hours Il day. / would
be In bed for three or four hours when |