Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-29
BY LEONARD ORMEROD.

n EVER in the history of wars
nj since David went "over the
Y top without any artillery
support to attack the Philis-
tine champion. has there been a con-
flict so filled with heroism and SO
devoid of heroics as the one con-
cluded last November
Inspirations were few and far be-
tween for the man at the front
Great bodies of troops marching and
countermarching he did not see
Such scene as made Stonewall
Jackson immortal at Bull Run. or a
charge such as that of "Jeb" Stu
arts laundering cavalry, is almost
out of the question in ultra-modern
warfare. Death came upon the war
rior in the form of poison gas OF
winged its way on shells or steel
jacketed bullets fired by an all but
invisible foe. Hand grenades and
bayonets were employed when the
opposing infantry came to grips. but
machine guns were the chief depend
ehce of each side.
So when the soldier comes back to
be received with loud acclaim by the
public in general, and his friends
and family in particular. he is just
raised.
The first "all-American victory" at
St. Mihiel? Sure, he was in it. He
rem emil ers how it rained all night
September II and how wet and tired
and miserable he was while waiting
for the zero hour. just before day
light. He recalls that the ration cart
got lost, or a caisson got stuck in a
shell hole and had to be hauled out
by hand. and how there was no rest
the next day or the next night be-
cause the enemy must be kept on the
run as long as possible.
In the fighting in the Argonne the
soldier could not see all the mem
bers of his own company, much less
his regiment or division in action as
a unit. Everything not actually un-
der ground was kept as close to it
as possible.
Warfare Undramatic.
Even the unparalleled exploit of
Corp. York Che was not made SER
geant until after his great fight had
little of the spectacular about 1t. 1t
was just grim and terrible business
carried on by a little group Of men
in muddy. ill-fitting uniforms. Re-
produce it on the stage of the Hip
podrome without letting the audience
know it's principal actor and they
would get few thrills out of it.
Do not expect the returned soldier
to go about with his head in the
clouds dreaming dreams of bayonets
flashing in the sun and men chanting
Homeric strains as they rushed to
battle. He has seen great days and
greater nights, but he has not neces-
sarily undergone a spiritual regen-
Grafton. He Is just as normal as any
man who takes satisfaction in know
ing a trying task has been success
fully accomplished.
A few days ago a nice woman.
very lovable woman, whose heart and
prayers were with the American SOL
diers every day of the war. said to
me:
II should think you boys who had
been through so much would feel that,
having taken part in so wonderful
a thing, you could never do anything
small. or mean, or unmanly. or con-
temptible again. Don't you feel that
way?"
some embarrassment, the most Of us
never felt like doing anything of that
sort, even before we went over"
Fear of Death Often Unheeded.
Even the imminent presence Of
death does not always scare all of
the "Old Nick out of a man. and
when it does the reform Is usually
short lived, as Mark Twain SO aptly
illustrated in the story of the three
men lost in a snow blizzard. Men who
\ vryt11 q r
first paralyzing fear is conquered.
play cards and swear with shells
dropping all around them. Sometimes
even these things help relieve the
tension on overweight nerves. just
as men imprisoned in mines have
played marbles until they dropped
dead.
There is a yarn" about four SOL
diers playing pitch in trench that
the Germans were Smelling assidu-
ously. The cards were dealt, one man
bid two, another three. and the last
man four. Just then shell fragment
struck the bidder and stretched him
out cold.
Gee, that bird was lucky" remark
ed an onlooker inspecting the dead
soldiers hand. He would have been
set as sure as the world"
Granting that this fantastic story
illustrates a state of mind. it is a
fine thing for men to have such con-
troll Of mind and body that they can
be Indifferent to peril, but it does not
always mean that the soldier ls Sir
Galahad or a st. George. And to treat
him as one or the other may spoil
him if he is young, or result in
rude awakening on the part of the
civilian. He has seen that almost in
evitably the bravest men are the
most reserved and he is frankly en-
barrassed by hero worship. When he
boasts. it is of the exploits of his
regiment or division, and not of his
individual prowess. He takes much
more pride in what I'VE" did than
what he did, which is the proper at
Let me whisper confidentially to
the returned soldiers why SO many
of them are heroes" I have a sus-
picion that We who have been across
are frequently designated by that
noble term because the word has but
four letters and fits nicely in head
line If it took a dozen letters to
spell "hero" the word would not be
nearly SO popular with the copy read
ers.
Has Learned Value of Discipline.
Discipline was frequently very irk-
some to the soldier, who did not al
ways see the necessity for the rigid
rules under which he was compelled
to live. Looking forward to the time
when he will be his own boss" again,
he vows to throw the old uniform
so high it never will come down."
But when he gets back in multi it
soon becomes apparent that the hab-
it's of orderliness, good behavior and
respect for properly constituted au-
have not been learned by him
in vain. The soldier is going to show
a willingness to police up" the back
yard. the city slums or the state