Mountain advocate., 1919-04-25

state Of bis nativity and boyhood,
had dozen or more men and sew
efal women serving the soldiers un-
der shell ERE and in areas that were
being bomed nightly. Moving here
and there, Mr.. Archer, in common
with Chef 0ossom and five or six
others who drove trucks or lighter
automobiles, had a wonderful oppor-
tunity to see the war game in pro-
gress. Shells burst in all directions
from him. The wounded were to be
seen daily. Battles in the air and
the destruction of observation bal
looms were not infrequently seen.
Archer's experiences we're not all
routine, nor were his activities fully
mapped for him. He tells OF an in
stance in which a soldier was mort
ally wounded about fifty yards a
head Of him on the road from Som
erance to Fleville, by an enemy
shell. The man was carried by Mr..
Archer to the dressing station at
Fleville and died in the evening. On
several occasions, at great risk, Ar
cher helped mess Sergeants to carry
food to the soldiers in the trenches
lie showed me, two days liter th
Armistice WAS signed, a place where
he was compelled for two hours to
take shelter along the road in an
area where shells we're falling thick
and fast, and machine gun bullets
from the enemy's line meant almost
certain death to anyone who ventul
ed above the road embtnkment. We
we're ~ the t.lae returning IRON
Racourt, which is about fifteen
miles from SEDAN, where he had gone
at the request of our Chef, to look
Ior headquarters Ior Lne conduct "a
''Y" work in the most advanced COM
bat zone.
Archer evidently became more or
less reconciled to work under fire,
as was evidenced by his conduct at
Racourt, which was shelled to an ex-
tent the last evening of the war. l
doubt If he could be so calm when
fired at from the air, as the follow
ing incident shows. Apart from such
experience, | recall his having con-
fessed some days ago that he dread
ed air plane attacks more than any
other type of war peril he .had ex-
perienced. Archer was driving his
truck along one day in convoy Oh
several trucks and a horse drawn
vehicle, when a German airplane
swooped down upon them and attach n
ed The convoy with its machine gun.
Archer stopped has truck quickly
Ind got beneath 1t. Thee mules In
- team Oh -FOUR were Killed on the
.o-a about Iwenty-Ave yards ahead
OF where Archer had stopped.
shall not endeayor TO recount
o.her experiences had by MIR. Archer
nor even mention some special serv-
ices that has resourcefulness has en-
aD.eu Inn 10 render to our "Y"
Jroup. Suffice 1t to Say, in conclu-
.. .-.. mi. Archer has been ex-
eluon.ny faithful and efficient as
Il Y. M. c. A. Secretary, and that
he has exemplified to a wonderful
degree the real nobility and indis-
pensability of the services of a truck
driver In Y. M. c. A. work. No
man of our group is held in higher
esteem than is Mr.. Archer. He is
one Of Kentucky's most courageous
and worthy sons, and his associates
heartily wish for him many a return
OF this his natal day. He is abund-
.ntly worthy of the U. S. Army's
Cross for Distinguished Service.
Very truly yours,
Benz, H. Grower.
OF Reidsville, Ca, Asst. Commits
sioner OF Agriculture of Georgia for
some time before departure for
France.