The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-08-16
Overcoming Shell-Shock

Once upon time we knew man
Who had been given the Victoria
Cross. The decoration had been
awarded him for galantry in actior
in the Boer war, the first war, IL
1880. That was fierce fighting, be-
tween the Briton and the stubborn
Boer.
In answer to question, this mod
est wearer of the coveted and priced
"N. c." told how he received the
award. "Our troop, cavalry, was
drawn up on Majuba Hill in quad
ron formation, ready to charge. Il
was terribly dark night. Our
horses were muff,ed, head and hoof,
prevent their communicating vu
presence. There we sat, all throug.
the night, | was more badly frighten-
ed than at any other time in my life
Our oIders We're for absolute silen".
Occasionally "a Boer bullet would =
whining past. They suspected bu'
could not locate US. AS day began to
break | saw something out in from
jects more distinct, | saw it was mY
lieutenant, lying all crumpled up. |
forgot discretion, | forgot every
thing. In kind of trance l disobcy
ed our orders and dashed out to
bring him in. That's why they gave
me the "V. C."--and it was the
scaredcst | ever was"
We heard conversation between
two officers of the old First South
| Carolina, the 11Sth infantry. The
30th division had been ordered to a
point close to the front, and daily
waited in expectation of moving or
ders. The Thirtieth was exposed to
occasional barrages and on each side
of the division were casualties among
British and Australians. But the
30th remained unharmed. Naturally,
this brought on condition of wretch
edness, as inactivity under severe
stress is prone to do. This regi-
ment as a unit is suffering severe
attack of shell shock, and if we don't
move in twenty-four hours | do not
know what will happen" one of the
officers of the medical corps remarked
with anxiety.
But, the orders came. The division
was put in motion, and the men at
tackled the Hindenburg line with a
demcni1c ferOcity. Like high
spirited terrier released from leash in
presence of hated enemy, the divi-
sion sprang upon the impregnable
dcfcnscs-and the pride of the Ger
man engineers crumplcd before the
onslaught. There were casualties,
many of them. But victory was
achieved that was as detached as
Kings Mountain yet as glorious to
Southern valor and as necessary to
the determination of the war. "South
Carolina has made history and Mas
sachusctts has written it" some one
has remarked, and with much JUST
fication. The world at the time rec
ognized the achievement of Southern
men at Bellacourt, but it remains to
be seen what credit historians will
give to the breaking of the Hinden'
burg line by the 3Oth division. There
has passed into oblivion the record
of Southern impetuosity at Chapul,
tapcc when the Palmetto regiment
succeeding where others faltered
captured the halls of the Montezeu,
mas and made all the stars in the
American flag shine with a create,
lustre.
| However, we set out to discuss the
characteristics of the individual rath-
CT than the conduct of men in mass
zen who have fought in battle where
death was near neighbor for hours
unending have said that courage does
rot consist so much in facing, with
! apparent unconcern, the bullets of the
enemy. as it does in overcoming
something inside which bids them to
be afraid. The world may be reluc-
tant so to view it, but narratives OF
I soldiers of unquestioned bravery
make it appear fairly certain that
fear is natural. and that courage l.!
unnatural. If this be true, then the
showing of courage is the more
highly to be respected.
If self-prescrvation is the first law
Of nature, then fear would seem to be
an instinct. The victory over self,
in the physical as we'll as in the
spiritual realm, is the greatest of all
victories. If there are men to whom
fear is unknown" they are lacking
in human emotions and are not SO
much to be respected as is the weak
ling who under the driving power of
a high degree of moral courage faces
the physical test in kind of exalta
tion.
Lee and Jackson and others Of our
nations gre ..cst heroes are such not
because they exposed themselves with
,n,l, Ine-. ,Lo,Io,, l,,t I,.,rcn fhau