The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-08-08
Albert NDepeW42ya

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gunnery. But foreign officers are very
proud OF their knowledge Of English
and most OF them can speak it-and
think this one wanted to show OF, as
you might say. Anyway. passed my
examination without any trouble
was accepted for service In the For
eign Legion and received my commits
sion as gunner. dated Friday. January
I. 1915.
There is no use In my describing the
Foreign Legion. II Is one OF the most
famous fighting organizations In the
world. and has made wonderful rec
ord during the war. When Joined La
Legion, II numbered about 10000 men.
Today II has less than 5000. They
say that since August. 1914. the legion
has been wiped out three times. and
that there are only a few men still IN
service who belonged TO the original
legion. I believe II TO be true. In
January Of this year the French gov
eminent decided TO let the legion die.
! was sorry 10 hear II. The legion
nalres were a fine body OF men, and
wonderful fighters. But the whole
civilized world Is now fighting the
Huns, and Americans do not have to
enlist with the French or the Iimeys
any longer.
But one thing about the legion. that
/ find many people DO not know. is that
the legionnaires are used for either
land or sea service. They are sent wher-
ever they can be used. do not know
whether this was the case before the
present war-I think not--but in my
time, many Of the men we're put on
ships Most people. however, have the
idea that they are only used in the In
fantry.
With my commission as gunner,
received orders 10 40 TO Brest and Join
the dreadnaught Cassard. This as
signment uckled me- for my pal Muir
ray was aboard. and I had expected
trouble in transferring TO his ship In
case ! was assigned elsewhere. We
had framed II up to stick together as
long as we could. We d,d, too.
Murray was as glad as 1 was when
! came aboard. and he told me he had
heard Brown. our other pal. had been
made a sergeant In another regiment
OF the legion.
We were both surprised at some OF
the differences between the French
navy and ours. but after we got used
10 II. we thought many OF their Gus
toms improvements over ours. But we
could not get used TO II. at first. For
instance, on an American ship, when
you are pounding your ear in nice
warm hammock and II Is time to re-
lieve the watch on deck. like as not
you will be awakened gently by a burly
garby armed with a fairy wand about
the size OF a bed Stat, whereas In
French ships. when they call the
watch. you would think you were In a
swell hotel and had left word at the
desk. II was hard TO turn out at first,
without the aid OF u club. and harder
still TO break ourselves OF the habit
Of calling our relief In the gay and
festive American manner. but. as !
say. We got to like II after a while.
Then, too. they do not do any hazing
In the French navy. and this surprised
us. We had expected 10 go through
the mill Just as We did when we Joined
the American service, but nobody Sung
a hand at us. On the contrary. c. ~
garby aboard was kind and decent and
extremely courteous. and the fact that
We were from the States counted a lot
with them. They used TO brag about
1t 10 the crews Of other ships that were
not so honored.
But this Kindness we might have ex-
pected. II is Just like Frenchmen In
any walk Of life. With hardly an ex-
ception. i have never met one OF this
nationality who was not anxious to
help you In every way he could: ex-
tremely generous, though not reckless
with small change. and almost always
CHEEKY and there with a smile In any
weather. A fellow asked me once why
II was that almost the whole world
loves the French. and told him II was
because the French love almost the
whole world. and show II. And think
that is the reason. too.
About the only way you can describe
the Poilus, on land or sea, il that they
are gentle. That Is. you always think
that word when you see one and talk
to him-unless you happen 10 see him
within bayonet distance Of Fritz.
The French sailors sleep between
decks In hunks. instead Of hammocks.
and as had not slept In bunk since
my southerndown days. 1t was pretty
hard on me. SO got hold Of some
heaving line. which is one-quarter-inch
rope. and rugged up a hammock. In
my spare time ! taught the others how
TO make them. and pretty soon every
body was doing II.
When l taught the sailors TO make
hammocks, figured. OF course. that
they would use them as we did-that
is. sleep In them. They were greatly