The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-02-12
truth TALES or THE GREAT.
WAR-Iv.
By Gerald Brandon

- OR the last ten days we had been
dispullng a. narrow salient with
the Germans, taking and losing
II suecessiyely at an enormous cost OF
lives.
| had received a slight wound In
the shoulder. not bad enough TO lay
me out but, thank God, sufficiently
serious to warrant retirement to the
rear and a subsequent rest in the hos
pital
II was while ! awaited transfer from
the field hospital TO the base hospital
that saw Chauyenard for the first
and only time
II did not take the surgeon long to
diagnose his ease
Bullet through the lower abdomen.
Perioralion Of the smaller intestine.
There is nothing we can do for him.
A question Of hours"
And he molioned toward an unoccu.
pied mattress in the corner. where the
strelcher men deposited the unconscious
Chsuvenard and hastened 10 continue
their job oi unloading the motor smbu.
ances which brough' the wounded men
from the dressing stations back OF
the front line ~-.
My shoulder smarted and kept me
awake. Unable 10 find a comfortable
position, ! begged the surgeon to give
me something TO do to occupy my
mind and make me forget my pain
lie handed me a pail OF "tissne' and
hade me distribute II 10 the patient,
when they thlrsted
Lights Out, Surgeon FINISHES Ampu-
tsting. g.
MIDNlGHT-Three short imperative
clangs Of gong warn us OF approach
ing enemy aircraft run out with the
orderlies to extinguish all lights.
Only the operating tent remains
Illuminated. A leg 10 being smpu-
Itstsd and the patient will bleed 10
death II the operation Is suddenly
halted. The surgeon finishes his
job impsrturbsd, upheeding the
danger.
Half dozen wounded men lie on
stretchrrs at one end OF the tent await.
ing their turn, and watching with hor.
ror stricken eyes the gloyed hand, Of
the surgeon which drip blood as he
binds, one by one, the severed arteries
On the ground bepeath the operat'
ipg table lies the leg which has JUS
been cut off
ONE 0'CLoCK-Our anti.airersf
batteries keep Up thsir bombing. Mos
Of the sleeping men have been awak
. ened, and at each report start TO rise
( forgetting their wounds, only to sinl
= back groaning
Chauyenard is dslirious, and live
over again the events Of the day. Hi
lips curl with contempt as he mutter
! in unbroken sentences
with the bayonet. my Lieutenant
0 Lead the sectionH You forget am n
1 longer a sergeant Let the aspirart d
c his share I am only q soldier of III
n second class, will follow, not lead
Rectangls Of Fresh Blue on Coat.
His insulting laugh rings throug
the air. Ny eyes fall on the slice,
OF his coat where could see a rectang
of fresh blue stand out in relief frol
the weather faded CLOTH One can 81
, that q ssrgeanfs stripe has been thsr
and has only just been removed.
One can easily reconstruct his stor
'e An excellent soldier gaining promoti'
,e through undeniabe merit, reduced
J. the ranks on account OF some serlo'
y breach of discipline. Then the retu
g to the trenches with his heart full
bitterness at seeing the section he us,
le to command, led, amateurishly no doul
= by a beardle. "aspirant," twent
p year old graduate OF an officers tra
ne ing camp who has nsver smelt powd'
~ Then the lieutenant asking him