The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-08
GERMANS SHELLED
SALYATIONWORKERS
Miss Cora Van NOrden Tells
How Organization Helps
to Inspire Men.
WAS CITED FOR BRAVERY
Food and Cheer Given to Tired
Fighters at Huts Back Of
Battle Line.

Miss Cora Van Norden, daughter Oh
the late banker, Warner NJ. Van Norden'
returned yesterday from the front, where
she had been serving in Salvation Army
canteens under fire almost constantly
for ten months. She departed for Chi
cago last night. Miss Van Norden be-
fore the death Of her father had been
interested in Salvation Army work In
Boston. She brought home citation by
the general commanding the First Dr.
vision of the United states Army for
her work She will return soon to re-
sumo her work.
Although she had hardly been out or
sound of the big guns for year and
had narrowly escaped death several
times. Miss Van Norden was reticent re-
garding her experiences The canteen
Of which she was in charge had been at
tached to the Eighteenth Infantry for
months and her work had taken her
as close to the front line trenches as
two and a half miles in the Toul. Mont
didier and Chateau Thierry sectors. The
counter drive of the American troops
was under way before she started home.
but at that time she was stationed near
Montdidier. which was away from the
scene of the big action.
Salvation Hut shelled.
One Of the Salvation Army huts was
shelled by shrapnel, but Miss Van Nor
den was not hurt A shrapnel shell ex-
ploded within fifty feet of her while she
was driving a supply car to the hut one
night. She escaped injury. She stood
on her feet for twenty-four hours at a
time providing food for soldiers at the
front line hut. gave aid to the wounded
and to victims of shell shock brought
into the canteen on their way to. hos
pitfalls, and tended the little white ceme-
teries Of American dead.
There are no finer soldiers In the
world" Miss Van Norden said. They
fight SO well and are so cheerful under
their hardships. The older men are
greatly worried over their families. OF
course we must expect that. 1t is too
bad that in so many cases the families
are in financial straits.
The men come to us as often as they
can get away from the front to get
chocolate and doug nuts and pies. They
write letters home there and when they
go back on duty and know they are 60
ing into action they bring parcels to be
sent back home in case they do not re-
turn. There are some of the oldest
things in those parcels-little trinkets
that a boy might carry We guard them
very carefully, and IL the men do hot
come back We send them on home.
Germans Waste Ammunition.
There are many sad things which
happen, many that are funny I remem-
Der how the Germans shelled supply
wagon coming UP from the rear for
| twenty-four hours and only managed to
put one bullet through the canvas. The
driver abandoned II when the Smelling
began, but that night a rescuing party
| went out and got 1t with the contents
intact. We counted 100 shells. and some
officers estimated that the Germans had
wasted from $4,000 to $4,000 worth OF
| ammunition trying to blow up that
/ truck.
1.-The motorcycle riders have the hard
est time of any OF tt en- l think. The
men travel very fast, sometimes ffty
miles an hour. and you can imagine what
happens when they go into a shell crater
at that speed. There was one little rider
who used to come very often to our hut. a
! fine, cheerful fellow. He came In one
night pretty we'll tired out and talked for
quite a while. When he left again for
duty he. seemed to have a premonition
OF death. He left some of lis keepsakes
| for us to send home II anything hap
pened Two hours later he was killed as
he was mounting his motorcycle.
"Mn" Burdick's Kindness.
Everybody In the First Division
knows Ma Burdick. and she knows
nearly every one of the men by name.
| she has done wonderful work. The men
! come to her when they are troubled. or
| if they are plain hungry She will go out
and get a tomato. or a cup OF chocolate.
| or a piece of pie for them. I have known
her to drive Ave miles to get tomato
for a soldier when our supplies were out.
zone OF our most successful huts was
/ In barroom, which had been shelled
| and abandoned. We served hot choco-
! late and pies over the bar. and we had a
sign in French. reading Keep your feet
| off the rail- The men seemed to think
| 1t was a great joke
The Salvation Army lends considerable
money to the soldiers when they get
short leave from the front and Invariably
the debts are paid on pay day. Miss
! Van Norden said that once Major Theo-
dore Roosevelt's battalion did not get It's
| pay on time and the Salvation Army
furnished 1t supplies.
! "One Of the things I remember most
| clearly Is the religious devotion OF the
! men Mt our meetings held in Tic little
camouhaged huts near the battle line"
| Miss Van Norden concluded They see
death so many times day, they face II
so constantly that they cannot help but
believe and trust in God for their safe
keeping and for the safekeeping OF their
| dear ones at home"