The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-04-09
Here Is Where One War
Correspondent Makes a
Public Apology to
Youth Once Let Out
for Unreliability.
YOUTHFUL SOLDIER
BRINGS A SOUVENIR
By G. G. Lyon
Reporter for The Times, With
Gen. PerShing's Army.

uOu.
In AMERICAN TRENCHES IN
FRANCE, April 8. - (Controle
Americain)-In one of the squads
that carried out the biggest mill
tary operation yet attempted by
the Americans marched Henry.
Henry was once my office boy.
And we'll I recalled the day, some
four years ago, when I sent for
Henry and gently but firmly sep
arated him from his 81 a week
job on my payroll.
Henry" l had said to him on
that occasion, you're positively
worthless and unless you mend
your ways you'll never amount
to a tinker's darn. in life. You're
unreliable. When / send you on
an errand I never know when
you're coming back. Half the
time you stop to play with other
kids in the street."
But, as Henry marched past
regimental headquarters, he was
a different Henry. He looked as
IL he had but one idea in his head
and that was to go straight thru
the German lines and on to Ber-
lin for a personal interview with
Kaiser Bill.
On his back Henry carried an
automatic rifle, while in one hand
he nonchalantly swung a pair of
mammoth wire cutters. Tied to
his belt was o couple of boxes of
ginger-snaps.
He Was at the Trigger.
Curiosity later caused me 20 =
hunt out Henry, my former Of
flee boy. found him the center
Of small group that was operat-
ing one of the automatic rifles.
Henry was handling the trigger.
He and his comrades had shea
their coats in the heat and ex-
lcitement Of the hour and a few
minutes before got to where
they were a German shell had
hit only few yards from them
covering all of them with mud
and dirty water.
But Henry was as cool as the
proverb!al cucumber as he pump
ed round after round into Ger
man machine gun nest which was
his particular target.
Got Two Already.
thought that Henry's Ian
guage was little too forceful
at times, especially when he and
his fellows were forced to duck
their heads, but I made no COM
ment on this feature of the fight
ing.
Henry greeted me cordially but
briefly.
"We've already put two Of the
suckers on the blink. Mr.. Lyon"
he said. stick around and watch
me get this third one" =
Then he resumed his business
In hand.
Anticipates Fun.
A little later, when his pals were
doing something to the gun, Henry
had some more time for conversa-
ton.
Coin over the top with us
after the shellin' stops?" he ask
ed.
"They won't let me, Henry"
replied. IT used up all the pull
I had getting up this far. The
big boss says he'll take a shot at
me himself II he sees me out In
No Mans Land"
"say, that's tough, amt 1t!
Half the fun'll be in routing those
Huns out of their dugouts and
then in bringan' 'em back here in
front of our bayonets."
Before I left Henry to 60 to
another part Of the trench, said
to him:
"Say, Henry. I want to take
back what I said about you that
day fired you. II come thru
this scrap without being knocked
off I'm going to write a public
apology to you in my story. I'm
proud Of you. II every American
boy had your spnnk and punch
we'd win this war in about three
months"
Henry started to reply but just
then We heard a big shell coming
and we all ducked. All I heard
ous VI AlOuIy was StT6ak OF cuHS
words and the remark:
Say, those Huns will keep ON
until they hurt some of us yet"
Brings Souvenir.
A couple Of hours later I saw
Henry again. He wouldn't have
traded places with Gen. Pershing
himself.
'fHow'dja like our show" he
asked. Say, I brought you back
little souvenir" and he handed
me q button off a Germans uni
form.
Il nipped 1t off a coat I found
In their trenches" he said. ",rhe
guy that owned the coat left It
behind so he could run faster"