Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-25
IoUa Boy Writes
Vivid Story of Air
Battles in France

letters that have reached Cedar Rap
ids from her sons over there" none
has attracted the attention that has
been won by one received from Li-ut.
G. DeFreest L.arner.
| Lieutenant Larner is member "
the American fyirs corps and has two
hoche machines to his chedt. He is
an UNDERGRADUATES % Columbia univer-
sity, leaving the university last year to
80 to France
He made the trip at his own expense
and for a time was attached % tho
Lafayette esCadrille. When American
forces arrived he obtained a transfer.
He is not u years old.
There are two palms in his croiX de
sue~re.
| The following excerpts are from a
letter which was written by him in
France March %. just after the great
German drive had started:
To-day I brought down my second
official noche in flames. oh, it was a
wonderful sight on. il was a terrific
sight,
7 watched him fall all the way to
his last resting place in the middle OF
a railroad track amidst a cloud OF
explosion and fame just as if shell
had hit the -~ou-d instead Of an air
plane-a machine. which two minutes
before contained TWO living human be-
-nEs,
Lie Burning Pa7er.
u can think of nothing To:e Gke
the whole spectacle than tissue paper
burning as il falls from the hands, the
IL, 70
mains. trailing down slowly, l'stlessly
thru the air like the burned paper
they resemble.
The beautiful big body of the grace
full Alba-ross spinning. nose first, WIN
two left wings gone, the whole mass
/ making one final. desperate plunge 10
disappear in black smoke, for several
minutes tratled upward like the flu
neral pyre il was.
1T was a wild harnaric exultat!on
far. far removed from the christian
ideals on which our lives, my lie. are
| founded And again must come the
only comforting thought: they tried to
| destroy me. They were the eyes Of the
/ advanviIgE armies, seeking . ":GSsi re
armies Of righteousness ard God. May
! God at this critical moment in our con-
! fict give us power as ne gave power To
| the children of Israel when they en-
countered the enemies Of the true and
only God.
Enemies Bear or Always.
I'VE need this aid of Gods might
al this moment. We are sorely pressed
by the Huns They are beating down
on Us in hordes we until now never
| conceived Of.
They make the dead bodies Of their
slain and wounded the highway on
which they would march to victory.
And what victory.
ITO be laid al the feet OF the god
Baal. Death would be far better than
the yoke Of the German conqueror.
Il can not beHeev that God would
allow victory for the boches. II IS
! inconceivable and yet they advance
| steadily. The lines are bending back
ward. Parisward all the time.
| ''One does not know where the true
| line rests. We see the shells explod-
| ing one place today. Tomorrow they
| are farther IN the rear.
"a German balloon rests over a Ger
tain wood. Tomorrow il rests at the
beginning instead of the end Of that
/ -
| great masses OF German troops NOV
| ing toward a certain town.
Another brings in report that ne
saw a train Of German artillery nTe
kilometers in length advancing toward
that same spot from another d!rectlon:
Still another pilot says he fred
from a few hundred meters with ms
n achine gun on convoy OF auto
mobile cannons several kilometers IN
length
Now comes the news that day after
| tomorrow we must move with all our
belongin TO a position where we VIII
be closer 70 the center Of operations IN
| the heart OF the English positions And
SO it goes from day to day.
Wonders Always Happen.
"A million things out Of the ordin-
airy happen. The most wonderful tales
| Of deeds and happenings come in.
Here Is one worth repeating II
| happened thts morning. one OF the
best pilots in the group, young lieu
tenant, went out for some deep
reconnaissance in the boche lines.
HE was accompanied by two others
F! but they did not remain long. He was
| deeply engaged in affairs on the ground
when he was set on by five albatrosses
all r1onopianes.
| He tried his best to get away ny
| outrnaneuver!ns them. Failing in this
ne used the last resort we 'chassie
pilots have, the 'vr!lle' with full motor
| Only a spad will stand this terrific
strain.
He -vr.lled' to within twenty meters
Of the ground. Jumping the trees ana
houses and fields with two on either
side Of him and the other three over
and behind.
I'm trying to get out Of this pocket
by sudden vertical jump, mis- motor
stopped Just as he started OF course
MS plane came tumnling 70 the ground
! turning over and over and smashing
It to bits.
He get out. And then those ooches
proceeded to use him as a target 1or
their mitrailleuses, each taking turns
shooting al him. And what 90 you
suppose ne did?
.vTbe uiln- 1iavef dead lying ther6