The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-03-26

LHere Until June StH wien tHey WcIe
|ordered to Paris and there mobile
hospital No. was organized.
4 Experiences at the Battle 'front.'.
A The mobile hospital unit was made
UP of the personnel Of Unit K with
1.-THE addition of 80 enlisted men and
Item officers. The equipment was OF
the best and included operating equip.
ment, laundry, kitchen, etc. The
equipment was transported over the
railways as far as possible, then gov
eminent trucks were furnished to
haul it to the location back Of the fir.
ling line. ss.s. 81
The hospital was first pitched at
lCoulommiers, about Is miles south
of Chateau Thierry. where they re-
manned until July Both. Here the unit
cared for the first men wounded IN
battle. Marines who had fought at
Belleau woods were brought to this
hospital and administered to-. Miss
Gary is loud in her praises of the sol
diers of the marine corps and states
that the spirit they showed was most
remarkable Men-real men-who
had fought and bled for their country
brought in to the hospital with an arm
/ or leg shot off would rise up on their
cots when fresh wounded men ar
rived and ask how the battle was 60
ing. Not one of them complained OF
their lot nor was there fault finding
because the surgeons and nurses had
more cases than they could attend to-.
Each waited his turn patiently. While
at this place Miss Gary learned that
a Denison boy was wounded at q hos
pital nearby and she went to visit
him, finding it to be Ed Flahiye.
Hospital Unit Bombed h1 Raiders
So close to the front was this mo-
bile hospital unit that they were the
prey of the German airmen who de-
lighted in dropping bombs on hospi-
tails. ION one occasion Miss Gary had
lust given an anaesthetic to a patient
when German airman dropped
bomb within 100 feet of the hospital.
The conclusion was terrific, shaking
the tent and blowing her skirts, OF
course the lights had to be extin-.
guished and the surgeons at the time
we're performing a most delicate ab.
domen operation. Col Mlacrae Sc
cured pocket flashlight and with this
the operation was completed. The
next night another but much larger
bomb was dropped near the hospital
but fortunately not much damage was
done. Members of the unit, Miss Gary
said. were provided with gas masks
and helmets which often were the
means Of saving their lives.
A. Chateau Thierry
On July Both the unit was ordered
to Chateau Thierry and arrived at
that place but seven days after the
Germans had evacuated it. Here Miss
Gary saw French refugees returning
to their homes carrying all of their
earthly possessions on their backs
or pulling small carts. 1t was a most
pitiful sight ITO see them trying to
patch up the she'll torn huts to make
them. habitable. They were most ap-
preciatiye for what as sistance was
given them hy the Americans.
The unit stayed here until August
10Th and there was plenty Of work at
all times. One day $50 cases were adj
United to the hospital and two large
tents; each equipped with eight oper-
ating tables, were kept constantly 60
ing day and night. The hospital was
equipped with $50 beds and patients
remained from six}to forty eight hours
when they were sent to hospitals fur
Their in the rear Many of these pa
tients had had neither food nor wa
ter for two or three days and were In
|a most pitiable condition. Here there
was not enough water available to
run the laundry and sheets we're used
time and time again without washing.
Yellow jackets and flies were in album
dance. b 9s & y
On the 10Th of August the unit was
moved to Neufchtan, where prepara-
lions were being made for big
drive. Miss Gary states that few
knew what was going on but everyone
could tell there was something big in
the wind Finally the unit was sent
to Ancemont near st. Mihil, which
was but five miles back OF the fight
ing front Might after night troops
passed by the hospital on their way
to the front, says Miss Gary, and the
heavy artillery was in the rear Of the
hospital. From some of the officers
she learned that the artillery in this
sector was set hub to hub. The drive
started without much artillery prep
aration and the Germans were taken
by surprise and forced back without
many casualties on the American
side.
At this place a Prussian officer and
some Of his men were taken prisoner
and they worked around the hospital
The German soldiers were apparently
glad to be captured and stated that
the German people were not in favor
Of this war but that the kaiser had
brought it on. The officer was surly
and would not have much to, say.