Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-06-26

the guns at - -
a m ems 10 MR.. PICKERING
q the din at Dunkirk, where
Shrapnel put an end 10 his ca
reer as a soldier.
And here he is, Jack WEIGH,
bcllboy in a Detroit hotel, with
his ribbons and his scars 10
show for II.
WEIGH was an Ohio boy on
the August day in 1914 when
the German army lunged west
into France.
Five days later on Aug 9,
he was in Montreal, cnlisting IN
the Canadian army. He was Is
years old.
For that. he wears the 1914
10 ribbon. followed by the Vic
tory ribbon, the vertical stripes
that indicate the Croix de
Guerre, and the American De-
tense ribbon
and he fought from then until
an upthrusting bayonet speared
, him as he leaped across a Ger
man trench in the attack at
Arras In 1917.
Everything Is blurred after
something like that" he said.
''The German was down In the
trench and I saw the bsyonet
coming up. ssw his face, all
covered with dirt, and that was
all. That's the last l knew for
while"
When asked him about the
Croix dc Guerre, he passed II
of lightly;
"Oh. quieting some plilboxes
at Arras.'
How: What did you do >"
"Oh."-in the vague way that
so many fighting men speak Of
such thingS-"you take = pill
box nv following your barrage
and tossing Some grena des
through the machine-gun Sits"
No word OF how a man gets
close enough 10 toss a bomb
through the slit. No word OF
how II feels 10 be out ahead,
clearing the way.
you just toss grenades
through the gun Sits
He was sent home with his
bsyonet wound but. as soon AS
he could make a good show Of
getting around. he enlisted in
'he l.. s Cavalry. which lasted
two months. They identified the
bayonet scars for what they
were, and discharged him.
So he went 10 Canada and en-.
listed again
He stayed In service until
Aug, 1918.
II wasn't wounded" he SAYS.
I've got two wound stripes, but
only the bayonet counts In the
last war. In 1918. they sent me
home with a broken arm and
DleE, but that wasn't wound.
A shell HE the trench. and II
was Just the conclusion that
broke my leg"
When the NAEis ma rched into
Poland. he was working In
Miami. but by Sept. II, 1899,
he WIS In Montreal again, en-
listing "a n Bren gunner.
He WAS In London when the
British army took the breath
less gamble OF Dunkirk.
II VA, on furlough," WEIGH
says, so I jumped on a trawler
bound for Dunkirk. They used
everything that would float and
took everybody who would 90.
Actually, I was AWOL because
I was at Dunkirk three DAYS
and my furlough ran out. When
got back, all was forgiven.
"PI tell you, I'd take the
whole four years OF tho other
war instead Of three DAYS at
Dunkirk. II WAS discipline that
did it-when they told those
boys what 10 do, they did IL.
That's what got them away at
Dunkrk."
Then, reminiscently:
"Men set different ways when
YOU finally get them out. Some
are just dull and stupid, some
sing. Some men start laughing,
some cry and some curse"
Dunkirk ended this war for
him. Shrapncl raked his shin.
and then bullet or part Of a
shell hit his m hine gun.
smashed IL against his side and
drove rib through his lung.
And that Is how he won his
ribbons. Why he wears them Is
different.
N Some Of the young Fellows"
IL says without rancor. made
some remarks when they went
IN the army, 30 some Of us
started wearing our ribbons
several OF us here, Dave Bevan,
Duke Terry, George Rich, Ben
Mohr, Kelly--some others"
WEIGH has been an interior