The Washington herald., 1918-02-03
Victor G. M. Gybels, Now
at Camp Meigs, Medal
Warrior.
WEARS HONOR CROSS
FOR MARKED BRAVERY
Blew Up Bridge Against
Enemy Fire; Gassed
and Wounded.
by NELL FREEMAN.

by NELL FREEMAN.
Wounded.
Gassed.
Thirteen months of the thick OF the
hardships.
And finally weeks in q hospital,
weak from wounds and gas. and un-
able TO speak a word or utter a sound.
You'd think that after such q pro-
gram as that you'd just add your
voice to the millions who have main
tanned that Sherman was right" and
that YOU would-if possible-retire to
the quietest. most peaceful portion of
the globe you could find and read
pacifist literature the rest of your
days. Wouldn't you?
Fever Makes You.
But it's just like this little Belgian
boy I'm going to tell you about says:
once you get the fever-you just
can't stay out and see the other fel-
lows going in for 1t, dreadful as 1t is.
Victor G. NJ. Gybels, who Is now in
the Quartermaster's department at
Camp Meigs is just one Of the thou
sands Of brave young fellows who on
the very first day that German troops
violated Belgian territory. dropped
their studies without a moments no.
tice and were whisked away right into
the thick of battle.
Yes, this Belgian youth Is Just one
Of thousands. But there Is still a
something about him that makes him
a little different.
Victor Gybels is now but 20 years
old-and he Is a dreamer, not a fight
er. And he doesn't tell about his har-
rowing experiences as IL they were
wild adventures in which he gloried
He relates them with a full apprecia-
ton of their horror.
Get Used to II.
TT is dreadful-but you get used to
it. And we must fight" and when
ever he spoke of Belgium or his par
ents, there was a boylsh choke in his
voice which he just couldn't keep
down,
Victor Gybels was a student at
st. Ignatius' Institute in Antwerp
when the word reached the city
that the Germans were coming.
This was on the 4th of August,
1914, and on that day, the first of
the war, Victor dropped his books
and enlisted in the Sixth Regiment
Of the Belgian army.
"Of course" said the Belgian,
my mother was dreadfully shock
ed, and wanted me to stay with her
as long as could. But my father
is a retired captain in the Belgian
army-and he understood.
so 1 enlisted on that very first
day of the war. 1t was nothing
there were thousands of boys just
like me who did the same thing.
There was nothing else to do.
We were sent away that same
night. without any equipment or
anything. / remember how funny
my civilian hat looked when l fin
ally did get my uniform, but no
soldiers hat. We were first sent
to Liege. where we received what
equipment we could get. The con-
fusion and chaos are indescribable
We had no blankets. but slept with
our overcoats for cover. and ate
what he could find.
Sees LOuvain In Flames.
When we got to Louvain you
cannot imagine what we felt when
We saw our beautiful city in flames.
The wonderful library and the uni
versity were gone, and the whole
town was burning when we arrived.
Il remember when we were
marching down one of the princi-
pal streets between rows of burn
ing buildings a huge beam fell
across the street and struck a
n Huhn
baby. Sights like that were COM
mon enough. though.
I'VE remained at Louvain until
the British marine re-enforcements
came. 1 had never had any mill
tary training whatever. but one
soon learns how to handle a gun
when the Germans are but a few
yards away. We had skirmishes $
all along. but my first real taste of
battle was at the battle of Mons,
of the Marne.
Our boys were mostly young feI-
lows who had Travelled little. And I
remember how We laughed when we
first saw the "Kilties," with their
bare knees-and their fighting spirit
which has caused the Huns to give
thSih lile name VI DeNlI laOleS.
Accustomed to Noise.
And. do you know. that is to me
one of the strangest things about
war. AT first it is like a shock of
ice-cold water. but once you are in,
1t all comes as a matter of fact, and
you can laugh at little things while
people are dropping dead about you.
1t finally gets so the big things don't
bother you at all. For instance, 1
got so used to the big gun fire that
the booming did not disturb me a
particle, and yet any sudden move
ment of a man who was sleeping
next to me would make me start
every time"
The Sixth Regiment again left the
scene as soon as the British REIN
forcements arrived. They were then
sent to Charleroi.
That was a time when things were
quieter. and we were certainly blue
We could get no news or letters from
home, our socks were as stiff as
boards, we had no change of clothes
OF course, we all thought that the
whole of Belgium was taken, and, IL
possible, we pictured our families suf-
fering more terribly than they really
did.
Little to Eat.
I'VE could get very little to eat
Nobody would sell US anything at all