Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-07
MARINE GOES THROUGH
DEADLY SHRAPNEL FIRE
Field Helmet Demonstrates Itself u
Thoroughly Reliable Article
in War Zone.
OWES HIS LIFE TO TIN HAT
Stops Missile in It's Flight to Bring
Death to American at Cantigny.
Now on Way to United States,
Where 1t VIII Be Preserved.

PARIS. Sept 4.-The case OF one
American marine who went through
hail Of sharpnel and machine gun fire
at Cantigny and Is now convalesc!ng
from wound In the great American
military hospital at Neuilly. in the
Paris suburbs. seems TO have demon
strated that the American field helmet.
commonly called by soldiers. the Tin
hat" is n thoroughly reliable article
when put to the supreme cest.
This marine owed his life to his
tin hat" and the peculiar qualities
or It's steel in giving slightly without
shatterinG. In the midst OF the action
he went down n ball striking the top
OF the helmet and pressing down to
the skull. He was brought back,
a deep indentation about the size Of
half baseball. 1t was this indenta-
ton which had pressed down to the
s sfeppn making e., Wound which required
the metal OF the tin hat after g!ving
to the missil until It's force Was
flight straight toward the brain. The
trepaning operation was only slight
and the marine was well on the way
to recovery.
The indented helmet was preserved
nd n9t -, a. "a, a souvenir. but TO be forward
fn TO- me s oTdnanG S experts at Wash-
ties OF their helmets. 1t is said TIA,
z hard and brittle Steel. which :" would oui
pact and the bali would i ia nav" enc gone q"
s'I1aish, through the brain.
Young marine who had been in the
same Cantigny fight stood at atten-
H99 M he sonaent ssn Of wound
throat, nodded approvingiy and then
remarked that this WAS one OF the most
under his observation. and proba biz
the only case OF the kind on record.
a ouliet had struck the soldier in the
,hro4sh to the gullct. where 1t stopped.
ana ana had then descended or been swat
loved into the stomach
An N-ray examination clearly show
ca the ball in the intestines. But in
Meno or removing II by an operation
inc surgeons decided to await the
would digest the rifle ball. And this
he did. One OF the surgeons remark
ca that the chances OF such a thing
million. but colleague added that
the chances were far less than that
as lie could not recall any like case
In the whole range OF military sur
gerry.
Many OF the French poilus under
American care were in the wards Of
federacy. with the beds marked with
the names OF the well-known South
crn figures. such As Stonewall Jack
son. Senator Zebulon Vance, General
Joseph Wheeler. of Alabama.
When the big dietary Kitchen was
Inspected later there was n savor:.
smell Of American dishes and daintics
being prepared for the wounded men.
and one OF the surgeons chcered the
cooks with the remark: Your dishes
do more good than all our medicines"
And this is literally true. for these
American wounded do not want foreign
foods but long for the simple old fash
toned dishes OF home. like boiled GUS
tard. fnalted milk, cggnog and bread
and milk. So that. even in the food
American cooks arc doing their share.
and down to the last detail the Amcri
canism OF the big military hospital Is
proving a blessing 10 the American
MANNED and wounded who have come
back from the front.