Evening star., 1937-04-25
American Fighter for Spain
Shows 'Ne,u War to Hen,iin g,uay
Pittsburgh Social Worker, Badly
Wounded, Didn't Mind the Pain If
He Could "Be of Some Use."

De away. linen i got CnlS.
He had put his hand in mine. It
was not workers hand. There were
no callouses and the nails on the long,
spatulate fingers were smooth and
rounded.
How did you get it?" I asked.
We'll, there were some troops that
were routed and we went over to sort
of reform them and we did, and then
we had quite a fight with the Fascists
and we beat them. 1t WAS quite bad
tight, you know, but we beat them
and then some one threw this grenade
at me-"
Holding his hand and hearing him
tell it, did not believe word Of it.
What was left of him did not sound
like the wreckage Of soldier some
how. I did not know how he had
been wounded, but the story did not
sound right. 1t was the sort of vay
every one would like to have been
wounded. But I wanted him to think
believed it.
Where did you come from?" I
asked.
From Pittsburgh. I went to the
University there"
What did you do before you Joined
up here?"
I was a social worker" he said.
Then I knew it couldn't. be true and
/ wondered how he had really been
so frlghtfully wounded and I didn't
care. In the war that I had known,
men often lied about the manner of
their wounding Not at first, but later.
I'd lied a little myself in my time.
Especially late in the evenings. But
I was glad he thought I believed it,
and We talked about books; he wanted
to be writer, and told him about
what had happened north of Quad
alaJara and promised to bring some
things from Madrid next time we got
out that way. hoped maybe could
get radio.
They tell me Dos Passos and Sim
clair Lewis are coming over, too," he
said.
"Yes," said. And when they come
I'll bring them up to see you"
AnAt VIII ne OFeat.
Gee, that will be great" he said.
"You don't know what that will mean
to me-"
I'll bring them" I said.
will they be here pretty soon?"
"Just as soon as they come I'll
bring them"
Good boy, Ernest" he said. "You
don't mind if I call you Ernest, do
you?"
The voice came very clear and gentle
from that face that looked like some
hill had been fought over in muddy
weather and then baked in the SUM-
Hell, no." I said. Please. Listen,
old-timer, you're going to be fine.
You'll be a lot of good, you know.
You can talk on the radio"
Maybe" he said. you'll be back?"
Sure" said. ABSOLUTELY"
"Good-by, Ernest" he said.
"Good-by." I told him.
Downstairs they told me he'd lost
both eyes as well as his face and was
badly wounded all through the legs
and in the feet.
Hes lost some toes, too," the doc
tor said, but he doesn't know that"
Il wonder If he'll ever know it,"
"Oh, sure he WILL" the doctor said
Hes going to get we'll"
And 1t still isn't you that gets hit
but 1t Is your countryman now. Your
countryman from Pennsylvania, where
once we fought at Gettysburg.
Then, walking along the road, with
his left arm in an airplane splint,
walking with the gamecock walk of
the professional British soldier that
neither 10 years OF militant party
work nor the projecting metal wings
of the splint could destroy, I met
Ravens commanding officer, Jock
Cunningham, who had three fresh
rifle wounds through his upper left
arm q looked at them-one was sep
tic) and another rifle bullet under his
shoulder blade that had entered his
left chest, passed through, and lodged
there.
Tells Of RallyinE Troops.
He told me, in military terms, the
history of the attempt to rally retir-
ing troops on his battalion's right
flank, Of his bombing raid down
trench which was held at one end
by the Fascists and at the other end
by the government troops, of the
taking of this trench and, with six
men and Lewis gun, cutting of q
group of some so Fascists from their
own lines, and of the final desperate
defense of their impossible position
his six men put up until the govern
ment troops came up and, attacking,
Strengthened out the line again.
He told it clearly, completely con-
vlncingly and with a strong Glasgow
accent. He had deep, piercing eyes
sheltered like an eagles and, hearing
him talk, you could tell the sort of
soldier he was. For what he had done
he would have had V. c. in the last
war. In this war there are no deco
rations Wounds are the only decora-
tions and they do not award wound
stripes.
Raven was in the same show" he
said. Il didn't know he'd been hit.
Ay, he's good mon. He got his after
I got mine. The Fascists we'd cut of
were very good troops. They never
fired a useless shot when we were in
that bad spot. They waited in the dark
until they had us located and then
opened with volley fire. That's how I
got four in the same place"
We talked for while and he told
me many things. They were All i'm
portant, but nothing as important as
that what Jay Raven, the social
worker from Pittsburgh with no mill
tary training, had told me was true.
This is a strange new kind Of war
where you learn just as much as you
are able to believe.
Copyright. 1887, by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc.)
SUHAY, OMAN SLAYER,