The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-04-13


village. Meaux, which is quite historical.
ana there we cared for $500 wounded
You can form no conception Of what
that meAnt-15 nurses and 900 men to
be cared for! We worked with al on.
might and main for those poor boys and
the scenes were 30 borrowing and pitifui:
every word that you have read and been
told Of the herotsm and the spirit OF cof,r-
aga and bravery displayed by our boys
10 absolutely true. I recall a4iii-e4ae--.
that nearly broke my heart: beautiful
splendid young soldier was brought in
shot aluoet 70 pieces: he was GeorGta
boy. learned. and that appealed to mo
strongly. His legs were shot to pieces:
his body absolutely riddled: ten perfora-
lions: just a shell Of a man left. knew
he was going to die SO talked to the
my busy life; the others called him
teachers pet / asked him II he wanted
to send a message to his mother. and the
boy said yes. took pencil and paper
and sitting beside his bed. half holding
him in my arms to ease his pain. toto
him I was ready to write. What shalt
say?' l asked him. Tell my mother
that I'm all right: got into a scrap and
got q few scratches. but tell her I'm all
right l could scarcely keep the tears
back. my heart ached so. for the boy was
dying. and yet so brave and fine. Two
to the poppy fields and laid beside the
othcrs-'the crosses row on row which
mark blessed dead.
Before the Chateau Thierry drive
Mrs. Stark said. II was detached from
base hospital No. - and during the
drive I was within six Kilometres Of the
them.
After the armistice was signed" Mrs.
Stark said, II flew over the verdun bat
tiefield in a French plane q Samson OBJ.
serration plane. and saw our returnins
american soldiers" she said quickly
They looked like little toy soldiers from
the great height In the sky from which
we saw them. thought Of them. VIC
torious now. but Of the horrible expert
ence they had been through, when for rs
days At a time It rained and the sun never
shone and when the vehicles would have
to stop bringing In the wounded because
OF the mud on the wheels, ana / won
dered how our boys could ever have
fought and lived in such environments.
''On my way from Paris to verdun-I
and you know one has to change at
Bar-de-duc famous for its jellies and
5ams). saw 50 much during that trip.
Mrs. Stark said. .'of the wonderful
spirit of the French people. especially
the women. Indeed Americans
seemed to catch the spirit-And q
Young American officer who helped me
with my bags at Bar-de- due said to me
as he held an armful of flowers: NM
brother was killed yesterday. and am
going to his funeral today'-in the same
courageous manner that characterized
the wonderful French.
There was . touch Of humor and
fun, OF course. now and then" Mrs.
Stark said. "else we couldn't have lived
through such days. Our boys were aw-
fully amusing with their French. for In
stance. Souilly. which was headquarters
for the Arsonne drive. was = very DIFF
tieult word for them to pronounce prop
erly-by the way, I was at Souilly when
the armistice was declared. and the
Echurch bells tolled all night ana the peo-
pie did not so to bed at all. soully,
YOU know. was captured by the Germans
In 1914 and afterwards recaptured by the
french. and IT was also Pershinss head
qnarters. One day an American soldier
was calling for Souilly over the phone.
and the little French operator said, You
want souilly (and she pronounced 1t as
it should be, sou-e). ana the soldier said,
Nav want SwiIy'-which is the wav
he pronounced 1t.
THE first expression our boys learned
n French was 'toute a suite (au at
''nce). for with characteristic American
push and pun they were always In q
hurry-they wanted everything at once
firing line. Our colonel thought 1t was
too near. but I didn't think so;i It was
just what had hoped ould do ever since
landed in France; our boys were doing
and giving their all for US at the front; 1t
seemed little enough for us to give our
all back Of the lines.
When people ask me which OF the
three drives I was in proved the most
thrilling ] must confess that while the
Argonne drive, which settled tho war
had control Of the air, Of cours, they
ful, and the st. Mihiei was marvellous
the Chateau-Thierry drive was the most
thrilling of all. Our hospital there was
bombed by the Germans: you see It was
on direct line to Paris-and as they
had control Of the al ROT course they
bombarded everything in their way.
For days and nights at time ri
didn't even take off my Clothes" Mrs
stark said. the wounded were brought
IN In such great numbers and there was
50 much to be done; I remember many
days Is operating tables were being used
at the same time; each boy waiting hts
turn and watching the other one before
him: it looked like slaughter pen. One
splendid young Virginia boy. / recall VINO
was In the chaplain's arms awaiting his
turn was talking to me as his par was
placed on ono Of the operating tables
all shot to shreds Hes my PAL nurse.
the young virginian said. We were
raised together. never been separated
even over here. and he's all shot to pieces
. and he's going to die and leave me, isn't
he? Hes Just like my brother and i
hate % to SEQ him go!' The boy was
passed on from the operating table-we
were not allowed to keep them long. you
know. because we had to make room for
turn came next.
IN VHYHAINCMC