The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-01-21

S34A1 LII N424O1-, y all. Go.-oll'-
outstanding young North Carolini-
an now in France with the Aneri-
can Red Cros s-Miss Natalie
Gould of Manteo, who was recent
ly awarded the Bronze Star by the
War department-really sums up
the American fighting spirit.
Severely injured in the Tunsan
campaign, later suffering broken
leg, and attacks of bronchitis and
rheumatism, as a result probably
of exposure in Italy, Miss Gould
writes her former employer. Rus
sell M. Grammar, head Of the
Chapel Hill chapter of the Red
Cross and director of the Univer-
sity Extension division:
"Our first days in France were
really horrible-so little space and
SO many wounded to an extent that
l had not seen before, mud and
artillery and strafing, sleeping on
the ground and eating cold food
all the time, working day and
night.
Then I became quite i'll, was
in a general hospital for while,
advised not to return to the field.
So that, followed by weeks flare
of rheumatism since I've been
here, have led me to believe that
the old body just isn't what 1t
used to be. However, I really do
feel fine noW-but 1 must admit
that the old energy and spirit are
dWlndling bit, and for the first
time l feel as though the years
and what they've brought are be-
ginning to take their toll 1t has
been long time, you know miss
Gould joined the Red Cross in 1912
and went overseas that same
year, and in way guess Pm
getting a bit hcmesick, too.
But still, it's sort of thing
we all want to see through to the
finish, and l know full well I'll
be right here or somewhere over
here when that Great Day comes.
Then it's North Carolina for me. -
Those quotations are from a let
ter written by Miss Gould last
month.
Her feeling seems to be one OF
logged determination and not a
great deal of optimism about an
early victory. In comparison she
wrote back in June after the in.
vasion:
so very, very much has hap.
pened these past months-and Ger.
tainly during the last week. You
know as much, if not more, than
I about what goes on-so l won't
even go into that except to say
that we do feel very encouraged
and thrilled and greatly relieved
over our apparent success to date.
The tenor of the whole country
England, surely of the U. S.
Army here, e m S to have
changed overnight. We've waited
for long time for it now"
Miss Gould was a field worker
first in North Africa, then was as
signed to the 77th evacuation hos
pital, serving in Sicily and Italy.
and later was transferred to Eng
land and subsequently participated
in the invasion of France. Right
now she's member of Red Cross
headquarters staff in Paris.
About her last assignment she
says: THE work has been inter-
esting enough and I'm enjoying if
far, far more than 1 ever thought
l would, yet there's something
about the field life and the dai1v
contact with the soldiers that lust
can't be replaced by anythins
else.'
When her staff moved into head
quarters set up in Paris. Misc
Gould says the offices were do11ht
less used by the Germans ~ .
propaganda headquarters ..fo.
upon arrival we were faced with
tons and tons of leaflets and books
en- the Master Race the atroc;
ties of the Americans and Rr;+;st,
plus thousands of huge pictures ~
Herr Hitler and all his staff" -
According to the annolncenoo.
OF her award from WASHINGTON ~
was stated that the Bronze sta ~
medal was given for meritorio, us
service IN North Africa. She de-
piaSeo courage, tact, and tireless