The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-05-15
LIEUT.. MORROW WAS IN
THE ARGONNE FIGHTING
Prominent Montana Physician and
Surgeon Back From the Front
Relates Thrilling Experience in
Worlds Greatest Battle.

Surgeon BACK from the 'front.'
Relates Thrilling Experience in
Worlds Greatest Battle.
Lieut.. Thomas Morrow, after partic-
ipating in some of the hardest fighting
during the entire war, returned from
France recently, and spent several
days in Minot last week visiting with
his mother, Mrs. George Morrow, and
with his brother, Frank, of the Econ
omy Department Store, and with al
host of his old friends.
DR.. Morrow has gone to Wolf Point,
Mont, where he will practice medicine
and surgery.
DR.. Morrow enlisted in the service
from Medicine Lake, Mont, where he
practiced for number of years and
was in the service about two years.
He was in the Motorized Artillery of
the Third Army, which participated inI
the Argonne fighting. This was the
greatest battle the world has ever
known and for many days Lieut.. Nor
row was right up alongside the great
motorized artillery taking charge of
the wounded as they were brot from
the battlefield only mile or two
ahead. Shells were falling all around
them. Any minute motorized artil-
lery outfit, carrying its great gun,
might be blown up. These were placed
so close together that they stood hub
to hub, along the entire battle front.
There were so many of the great cam
non that there was simply not room
for more. Lieut.. Morrow says that the
battle beggars description. The
noise was something awful Il
"Hell could not possibly be worse"
he said. 81 would not take million
dollars for my experience, but wouldn't
give nickle for any more of it.
Only few feet away perhaps, a
Hun she'll would explode, sending the
motorized artillery crew into eternity.
1t was all in days work and the. men
steeled themselves to the most hor-
rible sights. Wounded Americans
would be brot back and given first aid
and emergency operations would be
performed as well.
Lieut.. Morrow was in Base Hospi
tai Sc for some time. The wounded
would be evacuated right back to the
base hospitals from, the front and
there was tremendous amount of
work to do. Doctors and nurses could
get no sleep for nights. 1t was ter
rible strain.
Lieut.. Morrow was chief of the med
icai service I'M Provisional Hospital
4.sfors several weeks, The experience
he gained from service in the war was
Of the greatest value to him. ~
'%'"Wonderful advances in surgery
have been made during the war;"
Lieut.. Morrow stated. "This is espec-
ially SO in operations on the brain.
Joints. chest and around the heart and
lungs. Operations were performed
successfully which before no one
dreamed could be possible. The con-
troll Of contagious diseases, too, was
wonderful.
II was in the Argonne when the
fighting opened on Sept. rs. was
with the motorized artillery and we
had a complete machine Sop on
wheels. We carried the French 75's
on motor trucks and when gun would
their barrage and the NJ. O. r. p.
would repair it. One may go to he'll.
but he would never see such sights as
we have seen The artillery was hub
to hub-the French ISIS with the
LOO away Vic AS"A'
II have seen guns knocked out OF
commission and gun crews wiped out.
I never expected to get back myself
tho one becomes hardened and fear
leaves him. Our balloons would be
back Of US. signalling to us where ia
fire. The main army would be from
one 70 three miles ahead OF US. The
Americans advanced 80 fast sometimes
during the Argonne fighting that i
4 was hard to keep up with them with
an eighth of mile back of the Ger
mans and often could plainly see them
"For team work, our gunners can.
not be beaten. They nut shells over
much faster than the French gunners
and despite their short training. they
were marvels in energy and efficiency
The Hun prisoners would be sent back
in droves. The infantry moved SO fast
that they'd often capture whole com.
panies Of Germans. including some OF
the higher officers"
Lieut.. Morrow's brother, Jay, who
was fighting with the Canadian army
in France for two years, is expected
home soon.
Lieut.. Morrow met Capt J. r. Pence
in Brest, France, shortly before he
returned.
Lieut.. Morrow spent his boyhoot
days in Minot. When the Ward Coun.
ty Independent started publication II
one corner of Ed Booths "bird gal
lery" seventeen years ago, Tommy
Morrow was our first "devil" He die
his work faithfully. all the way from
smearing printers ink on his face ane
hands to Sticking" type and feeding
the solitary secondhand job press
that had been bought on time. AS h.
sat relating his early experiences wiz
the Independent, he recollected tina
he was to get the large salary Of 81
a week and as soon as he had learned
to set galley of type day, he wa
to get raise of SO cents.
Mr.. Morrow graduated from thu
Minot high school and completed
- ut nv, 1,o