The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-05-11
Memoirs Ofthe Tulsa aAmbulancerS
Narrative the Daring Deeds and Noble
Tulsa Unit the Rainbow Division 67 Days Enemy
BY SERCT. JAMES A. BRILL

the good things which we had been
craving. These succeeded nobiy In
driving away tho depression which
had settled over the snow covered
Fcsmp at the completion OF our long
hike.
With Christmas over, the winter
I closed about us in earnest, and the
temperature dropped daily, And as
regularly as II got colder, we had
early revehle and breakfast and
shouldered full packs for the days
maneuyers which were scheduled to
keep us In condition" for the sec-
| ond lap or the long march overland
10 winter quarters.
At about this time our ambulance
and motorcycle drivers began to come
In at night with badly frosted feet,
and before we left St BIN a big per
centsge OF the company had devel-
oped the irritating malady
Finally. In complete payment for
the good time we'd had Christmas.
came news that hive OF French
honey had been stolen by soidats
American. The American soldier
had already come to be more notori-
Gus than famous TO the French
provincial villagers, due without
doubt to the free-and-easy way
which many soldiers used In ac-
qulring what they desired. SO that
the actual news OF the honey theft
was not so much OF surprise as was
thu owners claim for damages to
| the amount OF 500 francs. The
breath taking shock came when our
train was settled on as tho culpritS,
and we were forced to pay for the
stolen sweets. Thereafter We were
all full-fledged bolshevists for
months
Days drag into other days. even
In citizen -soldiery wintering for
tho first time In war-oppressed d
land. Consequently there came a
day when dawn found us with the
reat OF our train, lined up in heavy
marching order and standing In a
foot OF snow waiting the word to set
out again. on the march. Our am
balances as usual were to follow the
division to. pick up stragglers.
At . o'clock we swung dnto the
| line OF march to the east The snow
blanket, deep and soft in the fields,
had been packed In tho smooth high
ways to a glistening. icy hardness,
over which our hob nailed feet cut
incongruous diagonale. This march
was to be the supremest agony we
were to suffer during the war. and
an inkling OF this seemed 10 hang In
| the air on this morning OF the 27th
OF December.
| During the three days OF that hike,
the only part OF the scheme that
worked out was the sinuous line Of
hikers. They stayed with 1t. The
movement OF the division worked
out on paper without hitch. doubt
less. But the tacticians apparently
overlooked the conditions attached to
q heavy snow and tho lack of proper
food and shelter, and the run down
condition OF the mon.
The first OF the plan to miscarry
were the combat wagonA heavily
laden and drawn by mules. (motor
transports came later) The faith
full mules did their dance to the
limit OF their ability, but before noon
OF the first day they were almost
worn out, or their wagons had skid
ded into bitches. MONDAY meals
on the first and all succeeding days
OF tho march we're at best nothing
more than irregular formaliues, at
which the troops stood for an hour
at a time more than ankiedeep In
snow while belated ration wagons
numbered up and helpless cooks tried
TO heat water for coffee by the road
side.
Another feature that worked out
beautifully on headquarters paper.
but caused dire hardship on troops.
was the "keep-to- the-right" order.
This was in order that motor and
other traffic might not be delayed
by congested roads. Subsequently ex-
perience taught commanders that
traffic can be assin lated and passed
through marching troops without de-
lay even though the troops appear
to be Occupying the whole road. But
we were IN the experimental stage
and the most fatal to the materiai
experimental on. on the right OF
the road we had 10 dodge trees al
Intervals OF ten metres; and between
them, as regularly, we had 10 scram-
J BILE over snow-covered piles of road
repair rock. Neither OF these was
an easy feat, to be kept up IL hours
day without serious exhaustion.
But we had II 10 do. and we did II.
i Before mid-afternoon Of the first