The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-03-21
Pensacola Delegate Tells More About
What Happened at Palm
Beach Meeting.
(Ry VIM. A. ELLIs)

legion Is First Vice Comma nder Geo.
l. Berry who is very proud Of the the
fact that he is Tennesseean. When
congratulated after his first speech he
sa1d that he had not intended to speak
at that time but no Tennesseean had
ever yet been introduced to an aud
ience without trying to make speech.
Tennessee was called the Volunteer
State not SO much because of the vol
unteers for the army as for the vol
untesr army OF extempore speakers.
Mr.. Berry gave the legion some excel
lent advice which IL followed viii I'M
doubtedly promote harmony in all its
work. He deplored the fact that so
many posts throughout the country
were continually attempting some new
form OF legislation in the post Itself
and not being satisfied without pro-
posing new bills to the legislature.
Tn the making of laws" he said.
'thare Is truly no end"
He urged most forcib1y the practice
Of unity In the local post as well rs in
tho department. His speech must have
had sorns good effect on the conven
ton as n whole, for never was a de-
Lucrative body more harmonious.
Story of Lieutenant.
Commander MacNider used some
excellent little stories to bring home
to the legion the points ne was most
anxious to make. One OF those was
the only story told during the conyen-
ton In which a second lieutenant got
the better of any argument. 1t seems
that q very small and timid young
man had been promoted to second
"looey" and was given command of a
real bunch of rough as his first
company. He stepped out In front OF
them prepared TO give a. big command,
but somehow when he looked them
over his knees trembled and he STAN
mered something which the company
did not understand. He tried again,
and again failed. A big fellow in the
rear rank beloved out. And little
child shall lead them" The lieutenant
very angriIy ordered the man who said
that to stop two PAGES to the front.
The whole company moved forward.
He next ordered the man who said 1t
10 fall out, and again the whole COM
pany responded Finally in apparent
disgust he ordered the company 10 fall
out and return to barracks.
On a Big Horse.
AS usual the company wfseacres |
went to the bulletin board immediate |
" after mess, and as they had expect
ed there was an order posted for their
company. 1t read as follows: Com |
pany M" will fall In at three thirty |
in full marching equipment for 90
mile hike. Signed: And a little child
shall lead them Below this was added
in larger type ION A DAMN BIG
HORSE"
His point was that the legion must
be 90 big and clean and worth while
that when 1t asks for anything the
community will say that II the legion
Is for 1t, 1t must be right, and they
must be for II. too.
Tale of France.
Sergeant Sam Woodfill spoke inter
estingly of his experiences In France
after considerable urging. After he
had finished he said that he would
much rather forget all the things con-
nected with the winning of his onors
and citations and that much that was
called heroism by tho masses Of the
people was only the result of long and
thorough training for just such emery
encies as that which arose when he
did the deed that gave him most OF
his citations.
He was commanding a company OF
new men who had not faced the enemy
before under heavy direct fire. Be-
ing human. whom the shell and ma
chine gun bullets began pouring In
on them they sought cover. The cap
tain che was then a captain) saw that !,
such action meant not only that they
would fail In their objective. but that
1t meant also that II something was
not done soon the whole company
would be annihilated. He motioned
for some OF the men to so forward and |
without waiting to see IL they had II
obeysd he rushed aoross the open
spaoe In front to the next cover, and j.
crawling along flat on the ground dis
covered the nearest machine gun nest .
and Immediately got their range. He
opened fire at once and In few min
utes bad despatched most OF the crew. 6
and rushing again from cover he came
directly upon them. With two we'll
directed shots the last two were
dropped and ne had time 10 rest be- I !
fore charging the second. II
Keeps Moving.
As he said, "A good soldier never ]
stays too long tn. one place" and
second nest was destroyed in a SINH !
lar manner On the way to the third ,
he ran almost on top OF big German
captain who was prone upon the +,
ground watching for him to come from
another direction. Il applied my forty
five" said the sergeant, "and the Hun
doubled up and gave no further trou-
BILE" The third was the most diff 4
cult OF the three and was at the bot n
tom OF trench. He came upon this I
but was prepared and
as big sergeant attempted TO level S
his rifle, the American forty-five r
again did duty and another German {
doubled up. Az he turned around
quickly another was trying to get his 5
rifle in position TO shoot and the firty- Il
i've TANNED. But for the luck that an