Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-09
81 LIVES LOST BY
Y.M.C.A. MEN ON
FRENCH FIELDS

toy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wrsu1
New York, March S.-The Young
Mems Christian association carried
the Red Triangle into the camps and
trenches abroad at a cost of fifty-sev-
en- lives, a sacrifice proportionately
one-quarter as great as that in the
American army, according to a state
ment issued today by the national war
work council of the Y, NJ. c. A. OF
these fatalities, thirty were due
to disease, and the remainder to she'll
fire, bombs, gas-fever, drowning and
wounds. Ten of these were women,
one of whom was killed by shell fire
and another in a German air raid.
There were also fifty-five non-fatal
casualties. These were due principal
~ to machine gun fire, gas she'll fire.
and motor transport accidents. Nu-
merous cases of slight wounds and
gaSSings were not included
These casualties occurred in a force
which at no time exceeded 5000 work.
ers, of whom it is reckoned that more
than one-half were never sent to the
front, being employed in the hun
dreds of huts maintained throughout
the training areas and the leave
areas"
SiXty-three "'Y" workers were dec
Grated, while in all more than 1852
received official recognition for dis
tinguished service. Thirteen of these
were decorated with the CroiX de
iuerre. while fifty received other
decorations. of these, three received
the distinguished service cross; three
the order of st. Stanislaus: five the
Italian Cavaliere del Corona: thirty
eight the italian war cross, and one
the French decoration of the Corps
dArmee. Seven were cited for the
CroiX du Guerre, and seven for other
decorations, six commended for mer-
itorious conduct, and twenty-nine re-
ceived honorable mention in dis
patches. Several units were cited in
their entirety, those serving with the
Third division being cited twice More
than score reported decorations
have not yet been confirmed.
Not one of these men under thirty
was fit for military duty but the cita-
tons show that they carried on with
the same courage and spirit that iden-
titled Americans throughout the war.
These records show that they went
over the top with the assaulting
waves, that they exposed themselves
under machine gun and shell fire to
minister to the wounded, that they
worked indefatigably as stretcher-
bearers and that they drove ambu-
lances into the midst of battle to res
cue the wounded.
Others were sacrificed in the less
heroic but no less necessary work be-
hind the lines. Among these stands
out Miss Winona Martin of Rockville
Center, l.. l., a Y. NJ. G. A. secretary,
who was the first American woman
killed in the war. She was killed by a
bomb during Il German air raid, and
her death made a deep impression on
American minds.
Miss Martin had been in Paris only
month, but had already done valua-
Bile work in stimulating an interest
among the soldiers in the Y, Nj. G. A.
in Paris.
Miss Marion G. Crandell of Alamo
da, Calf. killed by she'll fire near
Chalons, March 90, 1918, was another
of the women sacrificed in helping
the soldiers.
The citation of the units attached
to the Third division, consisting of
thirty-four men and six women, by
Major General Dickman, reads in
part
The commanding general desires to
make a record in the general orders
Of this division his appreciation of the
part taken by the members of the
Y. M. C. A. who have been attached
to this division and actively carried on
their work in all its phases during the
time that this division was in con-
tact with the enemy.
While the men of the Y. M. C. A.
were with the troops in the front
line, the young women of the Y. M. G.
A. were detailed with the hospitals,
and the medical staff of this division
bear testimony of their most efficient
help during these two weeks of great
strain
pprqnna wishing 10 repew or take