East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-04-09
SOLDIERS TELL
.EXPER|ENCESAT
BATTLE FRONT
Oregon Men Wounded Over
seas Talk at Happy Can
yon in Behalf of Victory
Loan Campaign.
BEN DORRIS TELLS
OF GALLANT FIGHT
Various Speakers Drive
y Home Arguments for
Coming Loan.


They declared repeatedly that they
were not orators---the three oregon
veterans at the Victory Loan meeting
last night In Happy Canyon--yet a
thousand people. tense with interest
listened 10 the words which brought
first-hand Information from the battle
lines of No Mans Land
StilI showing the effects OF the Ar
sonnc fight. Lieutenant Ben Dorris
gave every detail OF how his jaw was
blown off and OF how his sergeant ex-
pected to see him fall after the
wound.
But Fritz couldn't knock mo
down" said Lieutenant Dorris remin-
iscently. "The Huns got 30 teeth and
liked my tongue so that l. couldn't
give orders. but when n luil In the
fighting came was able to walk back
10 first aid station"
The lieutenant. who wears the Bel
CLAN Croix de Guerrc for his bravery
IN action. paid tribute to American
surgery when he told Of how his en-
tire chin had been reconstructed. and
of the wonderful work which Is being
done for what he calls "Jaw cases..
Lieutenant Clark Burgard. who re-
ceived chest and back wounds In the
same battle with Lieutenant Dorris.
told of the deadly effect Of German
machine guns. He added that the Huns
knew every inch of the ground. while
the Americans staggered on, not
knowing where the fight would lead
them.
The battle was In an Immense beet |
patch" said Lieutenant Burgard. .and |
the last l remember before was
wounded was the beets which flew in /
all directions"
While lieutenant Burgard was In {
Albany recently. an old man of 20 I
years came up 10 the trophy train and
said he wished to shake hands with
the wounded hero. After Brrgard had
shaken hands with the man. the latter
placed his head on the railing of the
car and wept. He had lost two sons
In the Argonne fight.
There is one story OF the battle-
field which Private Bert Bates. men,
Der of the s5th c. A. c., says he can
not erase from his mind 1t is the
tale Of how. as Bates walked on a
Fresh battlefield, he found a man who
seemed to have drowned In his own
blood.
''As I examined him more closely"
said Bates. 81 found that he had, in a
vain effort to keep from bleeding to
death, stuffed roll OF gauze from his
kit Into his wound. Hut in spite OF
The agony which he must have suf-
fered. I'm his last moments. he had
managed TO pun a letter from his ,
pocket and he held Il In his hand. / Il
read It---it was from his wife. In To- +
Iedo. Ohio.
''she was writing td tell him OF their
little son whom he had never seen.
and whom, because the father had .sur-
Tered and died for his country, he +,
never would seee /,
II want to tefi YOU" said Bates.
that IL the, thousands OF men in the /,
American army who have seen just
such sights as have told you !. OF. q
we're hack here and had the means,
yo wouldn't have TO make an appeal
'or the Victory Loan. They would !
buy bonds 10 the last red cent" Ii
Besides his talk, Bates gave a vau- Z
ieviiles number which he used while :
n France when called upon to enter
ain convaiescent soldiers.
Arthur c. Spencer. of the general
counsel of The o.-W. II. q N. told the
sudience that Il is not ''over. over
here" e
Victory Is ours" he declared, "but
he need for money has not lesscned
What are dollars when compared with
uen7 Remember that o Victory bond
i certificate of good citizenship.
II. r.. Irvine of Portland, who pre-
lided. praised the reception which +,
rsndleton had given the trophy train
md The speakers and said: Ever
Iince we started on this trip. we have 4
been saving. Just walt until we get /,
% pendleton.'" &s8E IL
Mrs. r. e. Brodie of oregon City. ]
sang two solos. "The Battle Hymn of
.he Republic" and 'sThe star Span ,
s1ed'f Banner" M Ia