The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-11-14
TELLS OF HELL OF WAR
Continued from Page y

to you and that in itself is a winder.
full help.
or course while we we're at this re-
lay station we had to have a place to
stay. We paired off and each pair
fixed themselves a small hole O. cave
in the side of a hill. 1t afforded a
little protection from shrapnel, al
though if a shell had ever landed neal
them. we all would have gone up in
"toute suite style. Matt and | fixed
up quite a comfortable place. BY Dig
ding up under a big rock we figured
we were more safe. With some extra
blankets which we found we lined the
inside. and before it was finished we
lac a very pretty little horne. 1t was
just large enough to crawl III n at
a time and held the two of us very
nicely.
So much for the home. Now for
the eats. There is but a very little
to say because we had only a very lit
tie to eat. One meal a day or we
would divide that meal into as many
small portions as we wished. Because
Of the Smelling we had to go very early
In the morning after this one meal.
Two of us would get the rations for
the bunch. 1t was about two miles to
where they were, so you see we had
bean soup" walking.
The greater part Of the five days
we were at the relay station we had
to stay in our holes unless we were
out with a patient. They were she'll
ing us most of the time and with the
s%hrapnel, We considered it an unnec-
essary risk to be outside any more
the relay station was only a prepare
tory measure for the big drive. When
that started we moved up into a place
they called the ravine, where there
was an advanced station. This IA
vine was nothing more or less than
a large ditch with caves and holes
dug on both sides. 1t was nothing
but a protection against shrapnel. 1t
would surprise you how the human
being can adjust himself to circum-
stances and under any condition will
at least make an attempt for good
protection. can't explain it, but even
a few branches and a little dirt give
you a feeling of security, although in
itself is absolutely no good.
This ravine and the surrounding
woods were about the most wicked
places you ever could imagine. For
nearly 300 yards just before entering
this ravine and on an open park, the
Germans were in a position to observe
and see anyone who followed that
open space, and how they did pepper
the place. About every time they saw
anyone over would come a ton of rail-
road iron, and many times they did
great damage. They seemed to make
a special target of the Red Cross men,
and for u own good we were told to
take our brassards off. 1t seemed as
though you took your life in your
hands whenever you crossed the place.
And those shell holes in themselves
would almost take the nerve from a
fellow. Great big holes, fifteen and
twenty feet deep, and the sharp pieces
of shells all scattered around, all told
of the terrible results of these shells.
You have NJ conception Of the unlim-
cause. When you see about four or
five fellows blown sky high and in so
many pieces you couldn't possibly be-
gin to pick them up, then you can
see what nerve-racking and terrible
things they are.
My, how we would tear across that
open path. 1t seemed as though we
were given wings and you know there
is nothing like a few shells dropping
in back Of you, to develop speed af-
ter coming back from one of these
rather exciting trips. We were as wet
as though we had jumped in a river.
Some could stand it pretty good, but
there were many who simply gave up
altogether, either going to a hospital
or else back to the company. / know
that I found myself possessed of a
lot of reserve nerve energy that l
never dreamed was mine. If l had
not, they would have had another pa
tient to carry because l tell you II
you didn't have that something" back
of you, you couldn't do anything. 1t
takes a vast amount of grit and cour-
age to go out and deliberately face
death and go without shaking, tremb-
ling and fear written on every feature
Of your face. You start out and you
never can tell whether you will come
back or not. There were times that
almost gloried in my utter defiance
of death. These are conditions when
you have to feel that way If you do
anything. Most of the time We are
all very careful, but | know | got very
tired at times and | felt like saying,
LET them come, l should worry"