The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-01-02

paragraph saying my services were
very satisfactory kept me at 1sson-
dun. l was sick at heart when that
letter came back disapproved.
was then permitted to put in my ap-
plication for commission as observ-
err. But it didn't go thru right away
and when it did, in spite Of good
recommendations, it was pigeon
holed.
| In May l left the class room and
took charge of q machine gun firing
range. l opened it up with eight
men and four Vickers machine guns.
1t was a fifty yard range and the
practice was firing at DETECTION mo-
dels. DETECTION is used to compen-
safe for a moving target such as
airp1anes offer. One must hre IS
feet ahead Of plane which travels
at 100 miles per hour at 200 yards
range. Later my application went
thru and with the supposition that l
would soon be called for training l
was put in charge Of the armory.
There I had chance to use my head
a bit and-well the application did
not come thru and l remained in the
armory all summer. took my leave
in September as I told you. My SER
vices were not needed there and in
spare time designed a machine gun
, to give a variety Of practice on a
moving target to give ample practice
in detection. I thot l ha6ra good
idea and wanted to put it in action.
1ud1ao nv y.$,,ri{1y oor ,on
on Oct. 18th ! grabbed at it. It was
my chance at last. was chance
to be trained as an aerial gunner for
| biplane chase work. took no time
! to make up my mind and a few min
utes later, was down to the hospital
ready to take my examination. Passed
the exam O.. K. and waited about a
week for orders. Then proceeded
to st. Jean de Monts for training.
! There were fourteen men from Isson-
dun. Flint and l had lots Of work
with the Lewis gun which we were
to use so we were in more advanced
class and started flying only couple
| of days after we arrived. OF course
all of us had had some time in the air.
Many had never been UP in a De
Haviland battle plane, the kind we
were to train in--1 had my first ride
in one of those on my birthday so l
knew what speed they had. To stand
| up in one-and one has to stand up
to fre-one must stand the buffets
of streans of air movingn back over
she tail at the rate of 1875 miles per
hour So it's some breeze. did
Mt fire any on the first trip-which
was made on Thursday-but simply
practiced moving the tourelle = the
mounting for the gun around in
(, various positions, getting used to the
work in the wind. l perspired heav-
lily on that trip because it was work
was not used to.
Friday when l came back from a
firing fight my pilot misjudged the
wind bit and we were drifting as we
landed. We broke a tire which threw
the machine up ON her nose. No one
was hurt in The least except the ma
chine. The fellows joked me about
being UP in q crows nest but | told
them a Marine was supposed to be
at home most anywhere. That was
the nearest came to smash while
4 7 was there Some of the other boys
had other experiences such as forced
landings, and one fellow turned over
on his back on account Of Door land
ing. There were twenty of us n. G..
4 O. training as gunners and the worst
injury was scraped nose On forced
landing. A few lost their breakfasts
! and several babe 20 d-bye to hand
4 kerchiefs which were snatched out OF
their pockets by the wind. We had
i fine weather while there and some
days could see vast conveys heading
up the coast of st. Nazaire. Occa-
4 sionally flying boat manned hy'havy
] man vert by. patroing the coast.
Once in while "Blimp" offered a
tempting target to US apprentice gun
ners and twas said fisher men snun-
il ned that bullet ridden shore. And
Z from reports they had reasons to do
target. And dive over the side to
\ November. Don't know as you've
ever been above the clouds! I've
! been among, above and in them. A
]; fellow feels pretty lonely when up
there shut of from sight Of ground.
4. And when 4 fellow runsainto cloud
one can feel the moisture particle.
driven against his face. Five thous-
and feet high in an early morning
usually cools a fellows feet bit and
an hour up there makes the land fee
50 much better. - q = z
In . way / was glad to get thru
my training there There's only the
attitude between fellow and the
world beyond when ones in the air
i And gravity is always looking for