Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-21

ODD EXPERIENCE
WHILE FIGHTING
Is Carried High up in Air BY
Shell, He Says in
Letter.

Harold Van Dusen. formerly a
member of The Herald editorial stan,
has been over the top and in No
Mans Land, according to a graphic
letter written by him to j. b. Wine
man, chairman of the Soldiers and
Sailors Civilian Relief committee. Mr..
Van, Dusen apparently has had an ex-
the celebrated Baron Won Munchaus-
en-, who, 1t will be recalled, once
made a very adventurous and a very
exciting trip sitting astride a cannon
ball-for it develops that while fight
ing in No Mans Land OF July 20,
Mr.. Van Dusen was picked up by a
shell and carried high into h air.
finally falling into a deep shell hole.
The facts of the particular fighting
in which the Grand Forks man took
part a month ago., are set forth in his
letter, part Of which reads as follows:
Hell Broke Loose:"
II have been I'VE the top. n be-
lieve me, the only description which
can fit the scene is, Hell broke loose
During the attack I vent through 3
(three) barrage fires and still came
back with only two slight flesh
wounds where shrapnel tapped me up
a little. but I didn't have to go to
the hospital.
1--WE went yer the top at daybreak
on July 20 after our artillery had
thrown out a heavy barrage. 1t was
certainly some sensation to stand in
over 1t was the only time l was at
all nervous, and even then it didn't
bother me.
"When l went over, all of No Mans
Land was one din of flying rocks. dirt,
mud, shells. shrapnel, bursting. fire.
shell holes, trees and the Whit of the
machine gun bullets. The smoke was
so thick that l could hardly see is
feet ahead. 1 got through our barbed
wire all o. K. but just as 1 was
about to climb through the boche
wire. a big shell exploded just behind
me and threw me into it. When l
got out, 1 didn't have many clothes
left and was scratched up a little by
the wire. 1 started running again
and another shell picked me up and
carried me-, threw me in the air and
then dropped me into a 15-foot shell
hole. That surely was some sensa-
ton. l got out Of that and ran on till
we got to u objective.
Germans Paid Heavily.
THE German machine guns, rifle
grenadiers and artillery were throw
ing an awful barrage of fire into us
dIlu VIC IOSI q Low. i ooSIC pau
heavily, though, for everyone of our
men.
After we had cleaned out their
dugouts we started to retreat, but
their artillery nearly cut US off. We
came near getting tangled up in their
wire, but one Of our men. a wire cut
ter, had a place cleared for US and
yelled for us to come. There we were
able tao dash through their barrage
IA funny thing was seeing one OF
our men step out in that awful he'll
and roll himself a cigarette. light II
and start smoking before he sven
knew he had done it.
sit was the first time over FOL
most of the men and they sure acted
like veterans. One lieutenant was
shot through the arm, but all he die
was to yell and shake his fist at the
boche: You damn fools! You got m.
once, but you can't do it again!' The,
sur had lots Of spirit"
MI. Van Dusen formerly was {
member Of Company NJ and Jaw serv'
ice on the Mexican border in 1916
Early in the spring of this year hi
left Grand Forks with a quota of Sc.
lective service men for Camp Dodge
and a few weeks later was reported
to have arrived overseas.