The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-01-22
TWO CHUMS MET ON
FIELD OF BATTLE
After Years Parting They Met on
No Mans Land

Like chapter from fiction reads
the story of how two boyhood chums,
later reporters on the same news
paper, met "Overthere" in "No Mans
Land" during the now memorable
battle on the Champagne front. At
tached to different units of the Amer
lean Expeditionary Forces they found
each other in most thrilling circum-
stances There were 100000 Amer
lean fighting men overseas at the time
and it seemed almost miracle that
two chums fighting with different de.
tachments should meet on the field
of action.
The two fighting men, Lieutenant
Edmund E. Behr,' intelligence officer
with the 141st regiment, and Private
James F. Redding attached to Am
bulance Company No. l., were school
chums in Ell Paso, Texas. After
graduating from high school, and lat
er college, they entered the news
paper field. Behr became city
editor Of the Ell Paso Times and Red
ding was member of his staff of re-
porters.
When Francisco Villa and his ban
dit horde attacked Columbus, N. M.
Behr accepted a position as cores
pondent, and was with the Pershing
Expeditionary Forces in Mexico.
Redding became a member of the
United States staff at the same time.
After the biggest man hunt in the
worlds history and the withdrawal
of the American forces from Mexico
the two chums worked on Western
newspapers. Then when the United
States declared war on Germany
they both enlisted. Behr with the
Texas National Guard and Redding
with the regular army.
A few weeks later Redding en-
listed his company was ordered over
seas The two chums bade each
other goodby and laughingly remark
ed, II will see you in France" Lit
tie did they realize these remarks
would prove true under most extraor-
binary circumstances.
1t was almost year after they
parted that Behr's unit was ordered
overseas. The young lieutenant had
been in France but a short time when
his company was sent over the top
When the order was given to go over
Behr leaped at the head of his mer
and started dashing across No Mans
Land. In the college days he was g
track man and football>star. He soor
was speeding ahead of his men. The
Huns were sending a rain of bullets
at the Yanks- and two struck Behl
in the leg. He was running near {
shell crater at the time and fell intt
the hole. How long he lay there he
does not remember. Regaining con
sciousness he climbed to the top. /
was just getting dusk and the fight
ing was over. The Huns had beer
routed
Weak from the loss of blood, hi
throat parched and unable to walk
the yong officer looked for help. Sill
! houetted against the setting sun III
saw a khaki clad figure moving
Somehow that figure looked strange
ly familiar The man was looking
among the shell holes for members o
/ the American fighting machine wh'
had been wounded and were calling
for assistance.
Summoning all his strength, Beh
called, "Oh, Jimmie!" And th'
stretcher-bearer, recognizing the voic'
of his boyhood pal, ran as fast as. h
could to the shell crater, and the tw'
school chums and fellow scribes me
on No Mans Land. It was a meet
ing that never will be forgotten b.
either. Redding carried his wounde'
chum on his back to a first aid stat
ion, where ne assisted in dressing hi
wounds. Then he saw him carrlet
back to a field hospital. Young Beh
has entirely recovered from hi
wounds and the two expect soon t.
be back in the States, and will discar'
their uniforms for civilian .sduds' ant
again work together as reporters.
i The thrilling account of how tn
two boys met was told by Redding il
/ letter to a New York newspape
man who met him on the Mexical
border dring the days when Francisc
4 Villa was the idol of Mexico.