The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-06-25
THE HERO UNINTENTIONAL

Without much practical experience
hut with unlimited nerve, a Yankee
second lieutensnt in the second year
of the American participation in the
war broke into the aviation service ov-
err in France.
On being sent up as a pilot he
promptly knocked the top off tall
tree and descended through the
branches with the wreckage of his ma
chine. This feat, one might think,
should have qualified him for trans
fer to the forestry branch of the SER
vice. But we did not do things that
way very often in our army, as many
can testify. Instead of transferring
him they assigned him to a bombing
plane. His initial foray in this capac.
ity was a complete success in every
detail excepting one. He dropped his
bombs squarely upon fortified town.
The only mistake he made was that
the town ON which he dropped them
happened to be a French town well
inside the Allies lines.
When the fact of his error came out
the ambitious youth found himself
facing the prospect of a court-martial.
Overcome with remorse he promptly
became overcome with something else
which he procured in large quantities
at nearby cafe and consumed on the
spot.
Following this he climbed into a
strange car which he found standing
hard by the flying field of the squad
ron to which he lately had been at
tached, and without notifying anyone
he had borrowed it he drove away in
what might be called a general direc-
ton. Well up toward the front, after
whizzing madly by military police
men, road guards and sentry outposts,
he smashed the car against the stone
foundations of a waYside shrine and.
abandoning the ruin where it was, he
proceeded upon his befogged and I'M
certain way afoot.
That destiny which looks after i'd
lots, children and green second lieu
tenants presently landed him in a
trench where a SQUAD of French in
fantrymen was awaiting the signal to
go over the top on forlorn-hope ex-
petition into hostile territory. Hav-
ing nowhere in particular to go him
self and not caring particularly where
he might go, and only dimly aware
that he was going anywhere at all,
the yonngster Joined these adventur.
eTS.
In their company he jou,rneyed
across No Mans Land to where a
blast of fire from the watchful Huns
wiped out a good half of the squad
and left most of the others lying
stunned and wounded where they had
dropped. But just before this tragedy
came to pass that same beNeficent
Providence which had our hero in its
keeping decreed that he should stun
BILE into a shell hole, where promptly
he was overcome by compelling de-
sire for slaamber and where he lay
sleeping serenely through all the hor-
rors of the massacre.
Fifteen minutes later SECOND
wave of French raiders, following ir
the tracks Of the decimated handful
that had led the way, drove in the Ger.
mans, took some prisoners and fell
back again to the protection of THEN
own breastworks. They brought in the
battered survivors of the first wave
and along with them the Yank, still
incapable of being reused but without
a scratch on him. Before long he wa.
doing his sleeping in forward dress
ing station. D."
At dawn came a French general
desolated by the loss but intensely
thrilled by the account he had hearc
| of the desperate courage of his men
| to pin decorations upon their breasts
+ The general passed down the line
kneeiing by each outstretched form
to make solicitous inquiry regarding
the injury the man had suffered, ant
in the name of a grateful country IL
bestow the ordained honor upon him
He came to where the American was
stretched out. At sight of the KHAKI
among the horizon blues the com.
I nlander was overcome by emotions Of
establishment and enthusiasm.
Behold" he cried out in French Il
] the members of his staff who accom-.
panied him. "Behold here gallan,
American officer who volunteers fol-
this undertaking. and who falls fight.
ing for France!"
| Alongside the American he stopped
l murmuring his sympathy. When his
words failed to rouse the recumbent
one the general gentlylstirred him un
til the youth half opened one drowsy
/ and heavy eyelid.
"Ah" cried the general, in English
"now you are awake. And of what DE-
your glorious injuries consist?"
i General" murmured the SECOND
lieutenant, "I'm plastered."e Ai
"Ah, my poor oners He turned Il
the members of hisl1staff.t "GsHtie
men, this gallant one has been mos
terribly plastered." And in the name
Eof France he fastened a Croix d,
Guerre upon the tunic Of the Ameri
can, who already had gone back III
sleep again.
| The chief merit Of this story ID tina,
"a q. sotI ~. ~ k~,.n N. glts -gAt tsf,t 10