The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-11-08
FoRECO Leave
TO JOIN FIGHT
vank Soldiers Anxious to Be In
Thick Of It.
CASUALTY LISTS DELAYED

0UF IVY ~ WtHtHU 10 0tve Up
WolExarned Rest and Go Into Ac-
Ven with Relief Units, Sometimes
Assneh or British T-roops-Wounded
Men Josh and Laugh In Spite Of the
Haln They Suffer.
problem In compiling accurate
casualty lists without delay. a problem
that probably has not occurred to the
American people, was revealed by
George w. Titus Of Mishawaka, Ind,
~ bis return from six months serv-
tcs with the Y. N. @. A. In France.
Frequently. he said. American soldiers
are killed In action or wounded sc.
verely many days after they were
supposed to have left the front for
! leave resort. Just how this might
happen. he explained as follows:
'Our boys are so willing to give up
the rest and easy time which they
ia<ye earned by hard work In the
trenches that very often they remain
at the front and 60 into action with
RELIEF units, sometimes French or Brit
lsh troops, days after they should
haye been In a leave camp recuper-
ating for another tour OF duty at the
front. At scissors I saw many wound.
ed men come back to our field hospital
After their OWE units had retired tc
~ rear.
separated From Units.
IT II dificult to understand why
this could happen unless one had seer
how lighting men may become separat.
a from their units In hard battles.
Thy 90 over the top together but
ofter that anything may happen. Thus
Il may turn out that when units are
withdrawn to make way for relief
1orces. small groups will become de-
taohed from their own companies.
While waiting around for some Of
Their fellows the lure OF the battle
viii become 90 strong that they rush
back into action with units that they
hare never seen before.
= recall particularly one case where
e was necessary to divide a company
that was scheduled for leave and de-
tan half Of the men for reserve duty.
The captain stated the case briefly and
asked Tor volunteers. 1t is all the
moro remarkable when you consider
what those men had survived to know
tHot eEnry man In the company volun
teorod Tor the service that would keel
hin near the 'front.'"
Titus said that the thing he woult
recall most often from his store o.
appearances In X" work was the i'm
prpssivo spirit Of the fighting men. A
Captimy, he explained. men were com
iuv out q action practically shot t.
pieces But a. they lay on their cot
n the field hospital they joshed ant
lapghed IN spite Of the pain they suf
os1o0.
at 60 moment" he added, .,
voonde1 man would groan as a sud
dea pain 6arted through his body, an,
~ met pinute be would be laugh
~ an saying: Cad, did you Sc
thooe H0ns runr
oourno 81 Wonder.
sIhe walking wounded were Away
4 Doureo - wonder to me. / canno
Imagine how some or those men man
aood - make their way back to tn
erooning ttations without assistance
nv a man with both arms dan
o1tn1 helpless BY his side-I know tina
oily ~ supreme nerve was he over
ooGrine the pain he suffered--and
hoox1 him tell two stretcher bearer
ook 70 mind him but to keep on ant
orloo n . man whose legs wouldn'
1E1nl him."
xllus was with q trench mortar bat
tosy at Cantigny In May when the bat
toey threw TIC big bombs into tn
vt}1nGo In nj day. He said that thes
trcDeh mortars. which never had bee
~ before BY the United State
focGnn. we're most destructive and sen
- Germans on the run In such J
hung that heavy guns which they ha'
oh4n0ened were found loaded an
ren1p to be turned upon them whe
~ Americans captured the village.
~ brought back q priced treasure
: Wateh that was purchased In TOT
W ~ men Of the battery and prs
senccd to him with = purse that cor
1nn,od >1oo.