The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-10
BRET0As GRATEFUL
TO NAVY DOCTORS
by Ille,nt. Weils HAWKS. q


Brest, France. March 9.--Ore day
last April. when a storm was bowling
along the coast OF northern France.
small boat set out from the harbor OF
LAber Vrach to a United States navy
air station across this galc-swept Inlet,
not far from where the waters OF the
sea and the English channel meet In
an almost ceaseless whirlpool. In the
boat was the wife OF fisherman OF
Finister, who held close In her arms
..s s s ss,,a 20 ps7r % asa'h sse,
ton pulled at the oars. and as the
boat neared the apron-like dock
American sailors came running down
and. wading far out. caught the DOW
and brought II safe to shore.
The mother told how she had heard
the women Of the village tell around
the fires at night Of the doctors VINO
had come over from the station ana
looked after the sick among the heh-
erfolk. Mother and baby were mas
tened to the sick bay, and here, with
the skill OF navy doctors and the ten
der nursing Of hospital apprentices.
the life Of the child was saved.
| Soon the news ,pread oil over the
village, and In a little while day was
set apart in the churches, where pray
! ers were offered for the doctors OF the
station. And to more strongly bind
this tie of affection. the officers and
men OF the air station raised among
| themselves 1000 francs for the sup
port of four orphans and 100 francs
to be used among the needy OF the
village.
In the log kept at the station these
incidents are entered only In formal
and seagoing way, but they viii
never be forgotten by these people on
, the coast of France. and will be re-
mem bered long after the last Ameri-
can sailor and the last American ship
load Of soldiers has gone homeward
from the harbor of Brest.
Strategy could not be better salts
Ned than by this air station at LAber
vrach, due north of Prest. on a small
island called tho lie Vierge, where
lighthouse marks the entrance to the
English channel
The site for a navy air station was
selected by a party of aviators. IL
was nothing but a lonely. weather
beaten island OF rock, its shores lined
with bouldcrs that made a landing In
rough weather most dangerous. De
spite this near hopeless condition, a
draft of navy men went to work,
Their first buildings. French port
able barracks, borrowed from the
army, were brought to the island ny
fishermens boats. stone for walls
was collected and carried by the men
on their shoulders. A landing wac
built and as material began to flow
In, hangers were constructed In the
centre.
This was in January. 1918. and the
complement included forty men. Or
February 1s a German submarine APP
pearcd off the harbor In full view
1t evidently saw nothing worth she'll
Ing. for 1t steamed away. leaving the
Americans at their work. Before the
Americans arrived at the island 1t Wa
a common thing 10 see German sub
marines Smelling small craft and at
lacking steamships off the coast.
During the ensuing spring ard sum
. mer the men toiled day and night &c
get their station completed. In May
an officers tent village was established
and small French tub was instniied
An old coffee heater was set up witt
wine cask for a water tank. ano
within n short time the men boastee
the luxury OF a hot bath. and all Of
LAber Vrach marveled. The sailors
then put in the first telephone con
nection this isolated vicinity has evel
: had with Brest. and that but twenty
/, one miles away.
9 Soon a fine feeling between nav
/ men and the people on shore hegar
to grow up, and this was carefully
2 nurtured for the Bretons of this rock
bound coast line OF France are hard
/ beaded and stern and far behind the
, times. But when the American sail
, ors. with characteristic ingenuity
started picture show on the island
and followed 1t up with theatriva
! performances. to which all OF the flsh
erfolk were invited. then indeed die
friendship grow into q real affection.
Then came the ministering aid o
| the navy doctors and the prayers II
2 the churches OF all these simple foll
: that these Americans might be blessed
And still more they marveled amonl
Q themselves. for no more OF the ha'et
= submarines had come in with threat
q ening guns since the first day wheI
: the big seaplanes went out from th
, station and kept up their patrol.
, On June an American flag wa
. foated over the station with appro
, pirate cerem onies. Beneath ii was
. com plete station, with great hangers
the barrack buildings OF little cit,
, all laid off with streets bearing tn
names OF American states. A cenen
apron led from the seaplane sheite
down to the sea The Y. NJ. c. A. ha,
f come in and was housed with read
= ing and whiting rooms and an audi
= toriu with stage completed
. equipped.
g Then there was an officers clun
. house, where great stone fireplace
g had been made from the rocks alon
! the shore. A theatrical company wa
4 organized with accompanying JAZZ
: band, and it not only amused thos
e on tho station. but II went across tn
= inlet to stern old Finistere fishing vii
lage and gave them 4 show and q Jazz
xfng that was wonder second onf
to the war itself In fact that shoy
was so good that the performers wer
invited to repeat the entertainment 4
Brest and at the air station at II
Tudy.
In September L'Aber vrach had te
planes, and shortly afterward militar
operations were begun. The territor
which the station had to cover wit
its scouts and It's alerts included tn
zone through which passed all OF tn
ships en- route between the Bay O
Biscay and Ireland, the Bay OF Bisca
and England. the coastal routes @
French ships and the northern rout
tof the ships between the United State