South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-06-05

DISTINGUISHED itself fOr such bravery
ln an attack by the Germans that
10 has been awarded the er0iX de
euerre with palms oy the French
government Several members OF
the COMPANY have also been award
Ell individual decorations three OF
them being in Lieut. McInerny's
pIstoon
The south Bend boy tells all
shout % IN the following interest
Ing letter just received Dy his
mother
May IL. lsfS.
Dear Mother. Sisters and Brother
This being Mothers DAY and the
arst anniversary Of my advent 10
The army. ! could not pass the day
without writing even though II
wanted 70. which ] don't
Possibly Uncle VIII viii take care
OF the carnations FOR the lieuten-
ant, whether ne does OF not ] viii
surely be on the card The chill
dren. No word OF pen or mouth is
needed 20 say that I would like 70
have been among those present 20
celebrate the big holiday of the wear
But even though that privilege was
denied. I can't say that 4 am UNI
happy. We are bHleted in q small
French village again substantial
distance from the front and are get
ring a little rest. We really need
ed it. You know. folks. Arnie rare
" goes into the dumps" so 10
speak. Mother. / am going TO put
some news in this letter / am not
going 10 mention names or places
and surely the ceusors won't mind.
Company Wins Decoration.
In the drst place 1 want 10 state
that 1 am lin a regiment a battalion
and "a company of which I am proud
and all OF us may Well be Just
before the big birthday party of
which i have written 20 YOU before,
J was transferred again: this time
10 company ] at the request or the
commander thereof and found
myself with new platoon 10, the
front line trenches. a couple OF DAYS
later the Frizes came over TO get
as which they did not. For our
brilliant success In repelling this at
tack. the French decorated our
company and battalion. also l. COM
pany with the croix de euerre and
palm leaf. which is a Very high dis
tinction In the way Of citations. Sew
eral individuals were also cited Give
ia the company. three OF whom are
in my platoon). and this. together
with the personally expressed con-
gratulatiOns OF every superior com
mander clean up" TO Gen Perish
ing. is one OF the reasons for our
pride The other is that we have
the snappiest. most sOldieriy outfit
in the A f. r. or course we have
not seen them all but we believe
that last just the same. n other
words. we hate ourselves
IN Experience With Gas.
/ an now going To tell "a story
which I like 10 tell. IL is the story
Of my first experience with gas. Be
fore coming TO company l. I was
with battalion headquarters and
hence not in the front line trenches.
Reasonably close. however. and had
special detail OF IS men 90 look
after he nrst night i'm Z had gone
10 sleep about l. o'clock and was
sleeping peacefully when one of my
observers came 10 my "serie' and
yelled Pas had about eight men
I'm the same dugout with me the
rest in others nearby After 4 had
set a new worlds record for put
ting on q gas mask got out TO see
that the men we're an right salts
red as To this . stood On the out
side listening 10 some distant shell
ing which tsomeW nat lneXperi-
encedp took 70 be gas shells eN-
plodine on our lines 20 continued
and continued and j. began 90 think
lot or th,n-S wondered it Fritz
would ever get tired IL the gas
masks were absolutely safe ir they
would hold out. may things passed
through my mind and as stood
there thinkiug, heard man COM
ing up the line whistHnz late pop
ular air Now YOU can't whistle
with a gas mask on ano AS the man
approached and as was sure that
a. was q human beine whistins
(Rdded precautions pulled on my
mask recognized the man as "a
sergeant IN a company with which
had served sergeant" SAYS D.
where the heck is your s8s mask
'Sir." said the serscaut. there is no
gas Lieut. P- gave the order 10
take them of 1t was false
alarm
Too Uneasy lie Rest
Well went into the duGouts.
where the men were and relieved
them from their mo-, TOO comfort
b bic face covering Made some re-
mars about the damn fool who got
excited anG spread a false alarm.
advised the men 90 FORGET % and 80
10 sleep and went back to 1ed my
self But aS las there was
little uneasy AM decided To- ser sp.
take another snid OF the atmosphere
and PLAY absolutely safe Go- Gp.
stepped into the haU and took
deep breath. Got weak in the knees.
yelled gas 81 the top of my voice
oToke tho worlds record tor adj
iustnent OF the gas mass held oy
myself Walked on outside iustinc-
tively jerked OF the mask and
0resthed some absolutely pure fresh
spring air OF the April variety The
lieutenant had pulled false alarm