Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-10-26
PROUDEST MAN IN UNIFORM
Wins Promotion From Corporal to
Platoon Leader for Daring Piece
Of Work on Night Pa
troll Duty.

Paris.-It was on the boulevard.
The Opera. The Opera was but a
scant half block away. And 1t was
dark, both the Opera and the boule-
ward. The only light came from the
kiosks advertising Paris newspapers,
patent bouillon and talcum powder.
There 1 heard the typical story Of the
American second lieutenant, the pla-
toon leader who's doing a wonderful
bit In winning the war.
Call him Prettyman, which isn't his
name. He was a deputy superintend-
ent Of banks before the war. As he
said himself, he'd never been out in
his life after one In the morning ex-
cept in a taxicab. He used to earn
$1,000 a year. have his bath every
morning and a cocktail before dinner.
He is a typical successful young New
Yorker.
"Gosh," he said. SIN the proudest
man In this army. I've got two kinds
Of itches at the same time.
"We came over on the Justicia, the
one that was ~torpedoed the other day"
he said.
"And they spewed US out at an
English port at eleven o'clock one
night, and at eleven the next night
we were back Of the lines In Flan-
ders. I was only a corporal then.
Then we were moved to Alsace and
there we got our first taste of war.
Incidentally, there I got to be a pla-
toon leader.
On Night Patrol.
Here's what 1t was. Up In the
first line the Heinies were just about
fifty yards away. One night the. or
der came for a patrol. Now, it's hard
to tell you about a patrol standing
here In the boulevard. Out there it's
as black as the inside Of your shoe.
It's into that that a patrol is sup
posed to go. And we went. Sure
was scared. Scared green. I didn't
know where I was, and I had the lives
of 80 men in the hollow of my hand.
But we went. We laid for IA hours
right up against the German wire and
we located every machine gun they
had, and every man jack Of us got
back to our own lines safely.
my Godi 1t was different from
New York. 1t was a lot different from
Paris. 1t was hell. But when the
Heinies came over the next day We
knew where they were coming from.
And we sloshed them.
"That country is full Of spies and
q wires from the front line bach
were cut. So I went back MYSELF
They'd laid down the best box bar.
rage I have ever seen. Oh. / got
through 1t. because I was lucky. I sup.
pose. I got through 1t three timel
that night. In fact. And me. never out
after n o'clock in my life before ep
cept in a taxicab. Say, II was fierce
Right out In the open country. All
had to tell me where I was were the
telephone wires. And they were cut
] was almost sick to my stomach when
] hit the break In that friendly little
black wire I'd kept running through
my hand. But we did get word
through. And all the Germans got By
way of prisoners were II cripples that
had been sent up to the front line b.
mistake.
sand. say. I feel they're going to get
me. I've got my second lieutenancy
and I'm going back up to the front in
a few days, as soon as this celebration
Is over. And ! have a bunch that
won't come back.
I've got a little sister and a dean
father that I'd like to go back to, bui
there's something bigger than that
I'm wearing the uniform. I am. Il
don't make a bit OF difference II I dia
because there r four. five, az many
millions as you want, more. OnlS
when I do die I'm going to take al
least i've Heinies with me. And I'm
going to handle the sixty or seventy
or the hundred and twenty men nd
aes me so they'll do the same.