The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-03-19
DESERTS Ills PA,
no NATTER WHAT PERL TO SELF
American Boy in Lafayette
sscsdr1IIe Tells Idah Nc
Clone Gibson.
1TDa4 1feaoN GIBSON

IDAa 4feGIoSE GIBSON
q Confessions Of a VIE"
40 has just returned from tr1o
TO the War Zone under the auspices
Of the Red Cross and The west
KiTgiuian-1
thought he vas a Frenchnaa
when he came on the ship until /
hesrd him speak French, and then
6udinS his execution" like my own,
was Wonderfu1, I knew he was an
.He.toM me he was member OF the
French Tying corps. He belonged 70
the lafayette Escadrille--nost Ean-
ojis fixing corps in the world. He was
s5Sout "a, but he told me be had been
French pilot about two years
His name was John Russell. Adannz.
z seon learned, and he was from Kew
York. In his red breecPes, rtd:nS
boots-and dark blue coat. ne looked
asif he had just stepped on the staSe
OF some musical comedy. but one day
4 found him looking with envy on one OF
tf1ose American boys proudly sport
7eWould you like oue?'' asked.
'.L sure would" be answered.
happened to hare an entire oucut
down n my trunk that my sister had
1fven me to wear while was gone II
1sYou can give 1t to some boys when
you leave she said
give it as when was ready to cone
back, SO hurried down to my cabin
md got the sweater.
; The boy put It on Immediately m
;EaT T3is coat and then he condded to
me that he had been cold; that ne
ksd no military dress overcoat. and
that his tying toys were IN France.
met him afterward in Paris.
Rhere he was changing from the
Ffench Tying service into that OF the
United States, and learned a good
deal about how the birdmen regard
their part in the var business.
IN the first place. they are greater
5afaIists than any other soldiers.
''They call the air service boy s
cerTice because most Of the men IN It
ere ynung." said John Adams. but
fan you 1t Is a mans business If any
mart OF war is a mans buslnens.
ssWhen you go up in the air. 1t Is
M to you. You are absolutely Sou-
own boss; you don't obey the com
naands OF any one. You must usS
your own judgment.
ID PI4[S IL 49,
1Ffer mans courage IS 50 -tr1eos
especially Il he Is alone in the plana
suppose you are up in the air and
Won see your pal getting the worst OF
&c from the Boches, and you know Z
a p chance-only chance-that you
ean get out from under and help hin
fGyou go to his assistance. II you are
yellow you can turn tai ana san
back to your hangar, and no one on
earth will be able to tell you that you
did q. rotten thing.
ren:,Ehat, as the English say, 1t is not
being done this year. No man have
ever known would leave his PAL IN
neriI. He would go and die with him
ffdS could not help him. That Is
what makes the air service the 8raaS-
est place IN the world to take man
<.I wish could tell you my feelings
as I have sailed over tbs battlehelds
but eTaTeS, and you up there IN the
eloudS all by yourself wonder It those
that ara lying so quietly below are
my mora lonely than you
I. Gafheted from John Adams that
every aTiaotr In France expected at
last to fail in flames within the en-
envy lines. and consequeut1J his am6t-
ton Is to get as many 8Oches aS HS
can before they get him.
All soldiers are more or less super
stifious, and John. Adams asked me 10
wear the chevrons of his squadron on
my arm for luck when I got back
home. ''It has sailed 90 kiIomete-s
over the German lines many times
A friend Of John Adams told me
he had a number of Boches to his
credit. but the boy himself was very
modest about showing his medals
He did tell me. however, one funny
story about himself. which showed
ahat.a boy he was and that he mad
sense Of humor that is the salvation
ofThe solder
g had not been home to New York
FOR fryo years" he said, when got
my permission for so days in the
United States The date OF It. how
ever was three weeks OF, and mus
70 up of&en in that time. It made ne
Fnighty nervous, for did want to U5e
that SCRAP OF paper.
..I tell sou never went up that
did not see my permission lying right
"a fronS Of me. aud I'd get cold with
the thought that might be killed be
fore I had ch2nce to see the StStue
a Liberty again. Consequently the
6Tst thingI knew I'd be seeing that
darned permission, and I'd say Home
lanes and gently slide down to my
hangar. WANTED to see that home
once more.
as luck would have it. didn't get