Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1919-01-03
RED CROSS ACTIVITIES
Contributed by
MISS LOUISE AVER,
Secretary Olympia Chapter.

the letters from our boys abroad
nave increased greatly in interest.
One, after describing the trip from
New York to Italy and thence to
France. continues:
Early on the morning of the 18th
OF September very heavy barrage
commenced and at 4:3O the st.
Mihiel sector began to be wiped out
1t was walk away and we had prac-
tically nothing to do. Worked from
around Point-a- Mousson and Thia-
court, evacuating to Toul.
"On the 25th we moved to the
Argonne front. Went into Camp des
Belges. 1t was an abandoned Bel
gian camp and there was the little
chateau from where I wrote so often.
Our first field hospital was at Neu-
Willy on the Aire river and by very
bitter fighting Jerry was slowly
driven back.
THE front lines went just beyond
Grand Pre- where they stopped for a
rest. But how the engineers and
transport men, etc., worked estab-
fishing communication and bringing
up supplies! New railroads would
spring into being, German lines (nar.
row gauge) would. suddenly find lit
tie engines marked u. S. A. putting
along them.
"On the morning of November l
we saw the barrage that all were
awaiting impatiently But Jerry was
webbing badly. The morning of the
3rd We started moving up All day
we labored in an endless chain of
traffic. The country was open and as
far as the eye could see was an un-
broken line. The dead were un-
buried and far to the north Fritz
was going fast-the Yanks rode in
trucks to keep up.
cat night we reached Themorgues,
Just south of Buzancy. which in turn
is south of Sedan. Things were in
great confusion. There was nothing
to eat, dead horses and men were in
the fields and streets and all was
sea of mud. We started back with
a load of slightly wounded at 1890
a. m. and got back to Cheppy at
1890 a. m.
"In one place where the road had
been badly shelled by large gun
there were about 20 large trucks
ditched in just few hundred feet.
Some were clear upside down. But
at this time we were relieved and on
November 7th started back to Toul
to be with the second army.
1--WE evacuated into Toul from
hospitals to the north and were in
tended to help in the drive on Metz
that started just before the armistice
became effective. Now we are at d
hospital just out of Toul and as far
as / know will be here for the next
war.
$50 ends my story. 1t is a very
small part of very big thing, but
with two service bars and a service
stripe suppose I could carry bluff.
aided by the glamor of time, If so
many millions had not shamed me
by their greater deeds of which We
can never know the whole.
"The Red Cross has just served
cocoa and cookies, warming my heart
nightly. Three cheers for the Red
Cross and Salvation Army! l want
to say that the Salvation Army, as
we'll as the Red Cross, has rendered
a service to the doughboy which Will
give it place in the sun that 1t has
never occupied before.
Bob is in the hospital and this
evening most of the section called
on him with the photograph and the
section quartette. l spent most OF
my time talking to Tommies who
have been released from Germany.
zone attractive young fellow
showed a group of severe burns on
his leg that have rendered him un-
able to work for more than two
months. He got them by putting lit
tie mustard plasters on his leg, leav-
ing them there until blisters formed.
and then removing the skin and rub
bling in pepper and a dozen other
things. When ready to bandage he
poked each with a knife so that when
the bandage was removed they had
the appearance of assesses.
"Why did he do it? To keep from
going into the mines of Germany. 1t
worked O. K, but when the news OF
the armistice came he could not get
it we'll, so now is having a rest In
the hospital here. There are quite
a few prisoners here now and they
truly represent tn horrors Of war.
They are most grateful to the Red
Cross and doubt If they would be
cher today were 1t not for the food
that 1t has given"