The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-02-15
Bridgeport MGn SerUed
 Under GernsOn A1d z. s.
 Flags During zhe War

 onial avenue, belongs the unique ex- perience of having served in both the German and the American armies in the great war and yet not having been at the front in either of them.
 Chris Nicolaisen, as he is known, is now associated with his brother Jens in Nicolaisen's Automobile hos pital at 419 North avenue. When the war broke out in 1914 Chris was living with his parents in the little village Of Skodborg on the old Danish bor- der in the province of Schleswig- -Hol- stein. His brother Jens was already in this country and another brother was then about to complete his en- forced service in the German army.
 The Nicolaisens had been brought up to feel the fierce hatred which all natives of Schleswig-Holstein hold against the Germans. They had lis tened to tales of their grandfather on their mothers side. who as a mem Der of the famous Danish Dragons. had often fought the Germans in the old days when their province was still Danish and had had three horses killed under him in such fights. Like all the other members of this great regiment, he was a man of more than six feet in height. One of the feats regiment had to be capable was to lift their own powerful horses. Need less to say, the name Danish Dragons was much dreaded and feared by the
 
 great havoc wherever they appeared.
 When only seven years of age, the Nicolaisen's father had at last seen his homeland pass under German rule and in the years following had wit messed the attempted Germanizins of the country. He had seen the riff raff from the German cities sent into the country, given money by the German government to buy up land there and so obtain a vote. He wit messed the coming of nobles who purchased big estates where even the Kaiser was entertained. He and his neighborS had done everything in their small way to retard the op- pressor. If a German wanted a horse he paid several times the value for it. if Germans crops needed har- vesting, there was no one to help him or if his house was burning down none of the Danish would offer to help fight the flames
 It was in such an atmosphere that the young Nicolaisens grew up. In school they were forced to learn and speak German and to study history learned, but at home they were taught otherwise, consequently their child ish minds were greatly embittered against the Germans Nor were their feelings relieved when the older brother, when he became of the right age was forced to serve in the Ger man army.
 Chris knew that he would be talk
 
 mained in his country after the war broke out, but he feared that if he were to escape from the country with his older brother still in the army, it would go hard with the latter. So he decided to remain and be taken and then. when his brother would be home on furlough. to desert with him, and both come to America.
 In November, 1914, when he be- came 1s. he was immediately taken: He had learned the upholstertng and harness making trade before the war and consequently he was sent to Ham burg to make shoes for the army, as in that country the army produced it's own equipment instead of giving 1t out to civilians in contracts.
 But Chris had only been in Ham burg a few weeks when the older brother, fighting, like so many oth- CTS of his kind, with the people he hated against the Allies, who he hop ed would win, was killed on the Rus sian front.
 Then Chris decided to desert inn To a chap who wore the German uniform and spoke the lan- guage perfectly and moreover who ster, deserting was simple thing to do. Chris says that he met with no opposition, he just walked over. that was all.
 Danish and as the subject of a neutral | nation had no difficulty in reaching | America. Once here. he came to | and worked with his | brother in his automobile repair shop. l Then in 1917 the United States en- tered the war and the young man was | drafted. When it was found that he | was technically a subject of Ger | many and that he had served in the | German army, he was not taken, but | he decided to enlist. According to the rules of the army | since he had served in the enemy's army he could not be sent abroad, but in transferring him from one camp to another, his records were delayed and he went on to France with his company, much to his delight, as he had been eager to get back where he could really fight his old enemies, the Germans.
 But in France, his usefulness as a was recognized, and as in Germany he had been kept behind the lines making shoes, so in France he was kept behind the lines repair ing automobiles. It was not until he had been there three months that his records followed him. At first they were going to send him back to this country because of his previous ser vice among the Germans, but finally decided to let him remain and so he was kept there until after the armis- dce.