The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-30
They Do Not Know What 1t Is
To Be Afraid.
REy. J. B. DEVALLE DECORATED
He Tells of Work and of Bray-
cry of Americans.
Always He Tries To Give Gig
aretS to the Wounded.

With the American Army in France,
April 3O.-The Rev. John B. Devalle,
curate of the St. John the Baptist
church at New Bedford. Mass. as
signed by the knights of Columbus as
chaplain to the American infantry reg
iments whose colors were today dec
grated by a French general in an i'm
pressive ceremony marked by a resl-
mental review, told a correspondent
his experiences in the two-day battle
in the Apremont woods in the sector
northwest of Toul. when Americans
and F'renchmen routed 500 German
storm troops fortnight ago.
Cha plain Devalle was among those
of the regiment who were awarded the
French war cross for conspicuous
bravery under fire
You should go among the boys in
the ranks. That's where you find he
roic Americans who are credit to
our beloved flag" he said. The ma
ton will be astounded to see how they
fought. There was no thought of fear.
They just pitched in. No enemy in the
world can conquer such a spirit.
Boys Like Veterans.
"Striplings of Is showed the forth
tude of veterans. 1t was my baptism
of fire and it was hell incarnate while
it lasted. There was a time when I
was afraid to stay alone in the room
during a thunderstorm and il anybody
had told me could ever go thru such
a thing I would not have believed it
You recoil for a minute, then you
forget all about yourself. Shells were
falling everywhere. Men were drop
ping to earth. stones were flying and
shells bursting all around. Our dug
out received one direct hit but no one
was injured.
Lieut.. John Calvin of Greenfield
/ Estate not given) came TO the dressing
station after fighting all of the first
day. He told the doctor there was
something the matter with his ear
drums He said he could not hear and
| ii interfered with his work The doc
tor told him to battle his ears in hot
water. Calvin laughingly replied:
How am going to get hot water
when can't even get cold, doc?'
| Il followed him to the door of the
dugout and shook hands with him. A
/ shell just then burst near where the
doctor stood. 1 warned Calvin he had
better not stand near the door He
was just about to go when another
shell burst in front of US. 1t mangled
the poor fellow. He will be mourned
| by the whole regiment He was a
born soldier. He loved the military
game and was idolized by his men.
Gave First Aid Treatment.
| II had to do a little first aid work
| last rites to the dying. AS for the
| latter. it mattered not what faith they
| belonged to. If the man was a nom
| Catholic L would say:
"A prayer won't hurt You anyway.
even il I'm not d minister of your
! faith And in every case they begged
me to pray and bless them The
| spiritual feeling is strong in such try
ing hours when death turks every
| where There were no UNCONVENTIONAL
| lines out there.
Just after the battle word reached
nf vi
Charlie Pike Of Peabody (Mass-) lay
! wounded somewhere out in No Mans
Land. They told me he was a Protest
ant boy, but Protestant or Catholic.
around the dead but couldn't find
Pike. I came back and got new direc-
tions and then tried another place but
again failed to find him. I came
across Pike at a dressing station later.
however. The little patriot smiled
when 1 reached him. He had been
wounded by shrapnel and was unable
| to move So 1 carried him back fur
Their behind the lines, lodging the
shells. Pike was getting along finely.
| Gave Wounded Cigarets.
The first thing I do is to give the
wounded a drink of hot tea. l carry
a thernos bottle under my belt. Then
l stick a lighted cigarct between their
lips and that always brings a smile no
matter how badly wounded they are
II gives them new pep. Then, when
they are ready for the litter bearers
and about to be carried away, 1 whis-
per in their ears: Courage, lad. God
bless you. Think of God and your
mother.
Il sent sixteen of them down their
painful path that way, and every one
of them was smiling despite the pain
When 1 visit them at the hospitals the
first thing they ask is how soon they
viii get back to the trenches to helu
| their comrades. They are always any