The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1919-02-20
HEATON TALKED HIS
WAY INTO LINE
Lynden Boy Consigned To Hospital
For Operation Persisted In Going
To Front And He Got There

How Harry Heaton OF Lynden. a
winner of the Military Medal for bra
very. talked his way out of the hos
pital into active service in France is
the interesting story that has just
reached Lynden.
Heaton describes the occasion as
follows:
did l ever tell you why l was
sent to the hospital in Bl;ghty? Well,
one day we were examined for draft,
and was taken out for an operation
on my throat. / refused an operat-
ion and instead Of reporting to the
medical officer when I came back
from the convalescent camp. went
to the Major. I found out a draft
was leaving for France the next day.
l got an equipment and rifle and fell
in with the company. The next morn
ing. the company officer looked us
over, noticed me. and said, How do
you feel, Heaton?"
Fine" said. Il wasn't sick when
/ went to the hospital" He laughed
and came around about 9 a. m. and
said l was on draft for France at
midnight.
So you sec, would never have
reached Franco il had reported to
the medical officer. A friend said
to me that night-"If any man comes
through this. you sure will"
This is the first place where l
have seen them milk cows-three
times a day for six months. They
keep the cows in the barn all the
time and feed them sugar beet pulp.
They grow thousands OF acres Of
beets and in the fall, send them to
the sugar refinery. They take out
the sugar, dry the pulp and ship it
back to the farmer. It's as sweet as
molasses-but the milk-it tastes as
If they poured the waeer from the
spuds into it!
"They asked me this morning
where l wanted my Military Medal
sent l am having 1t sent home; keep
1t in good shape because 1t costs more
). than money can buy. wouldn't go
through what did for that again for
any amount OF money. 1t will be
sent from London-all I wear is the
ribbon which signifies the medal"
Here's what ne wants to eat for
his first meal when he gets back to
Lynden:
II tell you what want to eat for
the first meal-some spuds and gra-
Wy, real milk to drink and a bread
pudding. A meal here IL you could
buy one like that would cost over
20 francs. 1881"
"The funniest thing happened at
Arras one night or rather about three
in the morning. had been on out
post duty in No Mans Land for four
hours and Heine put Straf on. The
rest of the crew except the man with
me were heating some tea in
trench. At lest Heine made direct
hit in the trench and filled the tea
I.
to drink. wash and shave in, we had
to go without until the trunk liners
brought our rations up the next
night. The tea GENES up already
made but cold. Believe me, holding
the line for "a hours without water
or tea is quite job.
"Once l was hit with piece OF
overhead shrapnel in the leg There
was only a corporal and me-the
rest of the crew had either gone west
or down the line. BILL, / said, i
got a Blighty.' l WAS overjoyed TO
get out. l took the best cover l
could and took on my puttee ana
looked at the wound. The shrapnel
had hit the puttee. cut the top OF my
shoe, scratched my leg. and passed
out. It burnt. SO thought a mach
inc gun bullet had hit me.
cold Bill started to laugh .and SO