Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-01-01
HOW GRAVE EMERGENCY
DEVELOPED TRUE HERO
Epicurc. With Good Job in Safe
Quarters, Was Long Unpop-
ular With Flyers.
BUT DAY OF TEST CHANGED ALL
Risked Life for Hours During Ter
rible Bombardment to Warn Avia-
tors Out on Raid to Make No At
tempt to Land at Aerodromc.
ny An ENSIGN, L. $. NAVAL FORCES

IS NORTHERN FRANCE. December 81.
of all men in the mess who excited
adverse criticism. Goldsmith stood pre-
eminent. The reason for this was two
Z told: first. the same old complaint that
and he an anptan' or
Ike additional objection that he was
ar incorrigiblc cpicurc.
~ AS to the first charge. it is made
/, MhereveT YOU find q group of men in
! continual contact with one who doesn't
d take the same chances they do"
} who remains safely and snusly" a;
& the base with the possibility OF reap
ing an unearned reputation for ef-
I ticiency and enterprise). All flying men
entailing no dangers and no sacrifices
5 But tina; il takes wonderful man
TO make complete and unbesrudsed
Now. Goldsmith held this an
athemized position; but instead OF
making himself as inoffensivc as pos
/ siblc. as one more discreet would have
done. he persisted in brazenly Haunt
. ing his personality WHICH wasn't pleas
ant and which manifested itself chiefly
in his extreme fas,idiousncss =. meals.
F. The common fare. interminelcd with
occasional specials" and cold birds.
had to be just So" the wine Of an In
flexible temperature and stated vint-
age the morning bacon of an uncr-
/ ring crispness and line. and the cook
continuously and monotonously en-
cerated Now this sort OF thing jars
=
! hard lighting, hish-strunG pilots who
= take what they can get and arc glad
!. OF II. WY man who danscrcd
larry pampered and petted no one could
& Understands if he had been V. Z. con
vaieseins we'll and sood-but no
medals adorned Boldsmi,h's spacious
bosom; People seemed to forget his
!, forty -four odd years. but the day was
+ TO come when they were all to change
.itheif minds.
EMERGENCY BRINGS
OUT BURIED GOOD TRAITS
= 1t was during a protractcd bomba I'd
ment OF our aerodrome by the Huns
that Goldsmith came out in his true
colors. They evidently had orders to
bomb us out" by which they recoS
n'zed us as Il menace to their intended
operations in that sector Afterwa rds
we took this compliment-but not
that night.
Conditions were idea! for raiding: a
Jul JUL clear moon riding nigh in the
ne a.;ea Just the faintest whisper of
which are the refuge of n night nyer.
through which no searchlight. however
strong. can pierce. We. too, had start
ed out for Hunland. CARRYING destruc-
= tion in our planes and conviction OF a
safe return in our hearts.
'snnd completed the wearisome trip
deep slumbor dancing before our eyes. YES.
TO lind red Very lights. the signals OF
danger. greeting our white landing
ne ,nsre Ssnosn.a for Ssf such ming !.
1nf ifss1 aMd prom land2 sn
mo, impossible" So We ali in TURN turn
had to push on up, to the next air
Us. and where we were informed that
ous own drome had been under an in
'eH Msx, and n1o. GGntinu ,,h bombardment,
our held. now pitted and married be-
yond recognition or repair. we heard
Go,has had come in a steady and UNI
lnIerrupted stream. Something over
odOs in had he been aeSppsd and had
. wrecking hangers and costing many
J lives. =, Men had scuttled to the dug
outs like rabbits.
GOLDSMITH ONLY ONE:
TO WARN OF DANGER
OF our return and the imperative ne
any PRICE. save one - m aH Is Bor thia
There had been no question about who
S maS to 81 do 2od j. Armed With small
pistol. he had marched straight into
,hs center of the drome. seated him
and waited for our first white light TO
i ,y vas an q \, fA,endl and done in
bombs on; b j aT 2; old Boldsmi,h. ThsSS
snFleHeo IN lnelr descent like "a pack
OF demons in fiendish crescendo. and
great craters were being blown our
OF inc earth within few yards all
around him. He presented the most
excellent Of all targets to the enemy
ton, in the very eye of the storm, his
red, Nerys continued to reply until ali
had finally subsidized and quiet again
rei2ncd.
This act of Gallaptry was never dec
Grated. II was only mentioned; but
II received its full reward in other
ways. For thereafter whenever Bold
smith returned his stoak as UNDERGONE
or his toast as A bit too dry TO the Gull
mary department. we sat tolerantly by
somewhat amused. perhaps, but with
warm and generous feeling in our
. hearts; II had been conciusively
proved that his irritation was but a
veneer yelling fa,homless depths OF
Salor And SO Goldsmith would have
mad It, am sure, though he never de-
Waited one inch nor Acknowledged by