The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-02-18
BUICK CARRIES
SCARS OF
WAR
Ambulance Is Put on Per1aa-
nent Exhibit By Red
Cross

Resting peacefully among the
relics Of the war. at national head
quarters OF the American Red
Cross, an old Buick ambulance
stands on permanent exhibit, as
evidence " faithful service to the
allies.
1T has every right to be proud,
for IL served during tie entire
period Of the war from 1914 To
1918. Day after day. month after
month. 1t rushed back and forth
between the first.aid stations near
the front line trenches and The
clearing stations on the edge Of
the zone of fire.
WORKED WITH FRENCH.
The Buick stock chassis saw its
first real service with the Norton
Harges Unit, Section q. according
to the American Red Cross. This
organization was one Of The early
ambulance units to work with
the French army before the United
States entered the war. From
1914 TO December, 1917, the car
did magnificent work back OF the
French and British advanced lines.
Toward the latter part Of 1917,
when the first ambulance units Werc
replaced BY organizations recruited
In this country, the Buick car was
taken over by an American army
unit.
In the great drive toward Paris in
the spring of 1918, when the line
was pushed back In the Montdidier
sector, the ambulance was cap
tured
1t il believed that the enemy
made use of the car, for few
months later, when the Twenty
seventh and Thirty-second divisions
- the American army pushed for,
ward, Americans found the Buiclr
In q storage park, shattered and.
wrecked They hauled It back,
crippled a. It was. to a point Of.
safety.
BADLY DONE UP.
During its few months away from
the Americans, the ambulance ap.
parentIy had been in the battle
zone, subjected to the terrific fire
OF the allies guns. Evidently q
large shell exploded near the front
Of the car, for when the Americans
found It. the radiator was completes
ly demolished, and the right side Of
the hood and right fender were bad
ly wrecked.
Before leaving the ambulance for
recapture by the advancing Ameri-
cans the enemy removed the til Cs
and in other ways made the car use
less for service.
5 Eventually 1t found its way into
the garage at Pare de Princes.
Paris, the ultimate resting place OF
ell cars after hard service at the
front. And it was probably ne.e
that. happy poilu, sensing the rid.-
culous. labeled on the car "Vento
The body 81 the car is in itself
on interesting. study. On the lett
side can still be seen the Croix De
Guerre with three stars. Eacn
time the unit, to which the car was
attached, was cited for meritoriOus
service. star was added. Perhaps
citation was awarded for trying
service under fire or during gas
attack, but records have not yet
been discovered to show just how
the citations were earned.
SERVED UNDER FIRE.
There is considerable Evidence of
service under fire. the armor in
front of the driving compartment
and the body and sides bearing
the marks of shrapnel and machine
gun bullets.
The original body was similar to
those used on the early French am
balances. 1t has been remodeled
and repaired several times because
of damage. It's present peaked
roof, no doubt, is creation OF the
enemy, as the French car of this
type had a curved roof as indi-
Gated by narrow strip which still.
remains over the drivers seat.
The body alone weighed more
than the chassis was originally de-
signed to carry. And yet, II had
Accommodations for twelve sitting
cases. or five "stretcher cases"
with room for two or three add.
tional men on the drivers seat.
Ventilation was provided by win
dows In front and doors on the
sides.
There is no record OF the num-
Der of different bodies this Buick
chassis carried during the war, but
because Of the nature of it's SER
vice, there surely were many
changes. The fact remains, how
ever. that the original Buick valve.
in ahead motor and chassis served
steadily and consistently. up to the
time the car was captured