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A DISPLAY OF NERVE
OVERSEAS PATIENT SHOWS
SPIRIT THAT CONQUERS.
Nothing could he more typical of
American grit and perseverance than
the struggle for life made by Private
Fritz Neilsen, now a patient in Ward
:C'-8, in the fighting about Chateau-
Thierry.
Neilsen, who hails from Winboro,
La., originally entered the service
with the 167th infantry at Camp
Beauregard, La., and was later trans
ported to Camp Pike, Ark. From there
he was sent to a port of embarkation
and sailed to France. Shortly after
his arrival there he was transferred
again, this time to the 30th infantry
of the third division. He estimates
that six or seven American divisions
were in reserve near Chateau-Thierry
early in July when he came to the
front.
After spending a week of compara
tive idleness in the front lines, where
there wer^ no trenches but the men
dug-in individually, they were station
ed near the bank of the Somme river.
The division was preparing to advance
and the allied barrage began to whis
tle over head, when the most dreaded
calamity of the modern fighter occur
red the barrage was falling SHORT.
To escape death from the shells of
their own artillery his company. Com
pany C of the 30th, was obliged to fall
back to the shelter of a railroad em
bankment to await the adjustment of
the artillery fire. They had abandon
ed provisions and supplies on the river
bank until their shortly expected re
turn when suddenly the Germans
rushed over the river catching our
men a^, iii a trap in the railroad cut.
The fighting began fast and furious
for the Yanks were fighting for their
lives. The closeness of the encoun
ter saved them from machine gun fire
but they were outnumbered three to
one. They fought on and on until
only eight remained alive and not a
man unwounded.
Neilsen received an explosive rifle
ball in the left leg above the knee,
fracturing the bone. There he lay
ainongst the dead and dying barely
alive in a- veritable charnel house.
This was early on Monday morning,
July 15. He had no rations and no
water but the call of life was strong.
In a sfeml-conscious state he crawled
about over the dead bodies gainini!,
sustenance from the emergency ra
tions of the slaughtered Germans.
Canned meat, stale bread and a sort
of hard tack was his food when he
could find any and an occasionally sip
of water from the rain-filled shell-
holes and the hot leaky canteens of
the insect-infested dead his only drink.
For six never-ending days he.survived
amidst conditions that a dog could
not endure, with the pain and fever
of his broken leg and the heat of the
boiling sun adding to his misery.
Toward the close of the sixth day
having dragged himself a distance of
more tban a mile with the aid of his
hands alone, torn, bleeding and almost
out of his head he reached others of
his organization who saw that he
THE CADUCEUS
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
HIS Nation has no more solemn obligation than healing the
hurts of our wounded and restoring our disabled men to civil
life and opportunity. The Government recognizes this, and the
fulfillment of the obligation is going forward fully and generously
The medical divisions of the War and Navy Departments are
rendering all aid that skill and science make possible: the
l^eaeral Board for Vocational Education is commanded by law to develop
and adapt the remaining capabilities of each man so that he may again take
his place in the ranks of our great civilian army. The co-operation and
interest of our citizens is essential to this programme of duty, justice, and
hu^manity. It is not a charity. It is merely the payment of a draft of honor
which the United States of America accepted when it selected these men
and took them-in their health and strength to fight the battles of the Nation!
They have fought the good fight; they have kept the faith, and they have
won. Now we keep faith with them, and every citizen is endorser on the
general obligation.”
WOODROW WILSON.
AN ODD EVENT
SOLDIER ENLISTS IN SECOND
ARMY.
Dissatisfied with his peaceful lot in
the recent war with Germany, Private
First Class Ivan Black has enlisted
again but this time it was in the army
of Benedicts and strictly a military
affair.
Friend Black has never been found
wa_nting when the call for volunteers
came, so with the arrival of pretty
Miss Fleta Lynch at the base hos
pital to take up the work of nursing,
chivalrous Ivan stepped forward to
make himself generally useful. Which
in itself is a common enough occur
rence, but in this instance merely
proved to be the barrage which pre
ceded the attack in full. Summoning
all his good and noble qualities to
his assistance, Ivan dashed bravely
over the top and succeeded in cap
turing his fair objective.
They were married at 3 o’clock on
the afternoon of January 3 at the res
idence of a mutual friend in Charlotte.
Black secured a leave of absence the
next day and the happy couple passed
it together at the home of the bride
in Burlington, N. C.
SENT TO WAYNESVILLE.
Sergeant Mills and Marsh were dele
gated to accompany a number of pa
tients to General Hospital No. 12 at
Waynesville, N. C., and made the trip
successfully the earlier part of the
past week.
received the proper attention. Neilsen
was carried to the first aid station
and from there to the field hospital,
where he learned of the seven others
who survived. Later he was taken to
Base Hospital 31, where gas masks
were issued to the patients to protect
them from gas bombs dropped by the
Hun airplanes. Even the nurses made
rounds with faces concealed by the
ugly appearing gas protectors. After
being bombed twice there the hospital
was abandoned and Neilsen moved to
Base No. 24, where he remained four
months. Later he was transferred to
Bordeaux and on Christmas day sailed
on an American hospital for the dear
old U. S. A.
FLAMES OF THE PAST
(By JOE LAWLOR.)
Once upon a Time in the Year of
1950, Colonel Nat. Briggs U. S. A. a
Kentucky Veteran of the World War
and Hot Toddies was Piloting hi.s
Nephew George, through the Suburbs
for a Ramble . George was Ten Years
old and famous for asking Pointed
Questions. The Colonel was trying to
wise up the Kid to a House where a
Poet was born, but when he found out
that George was more interested in
Diamond Dick than in Longfellow and
in where the Deep Cave was that the
Pirate Capt. Kidd held forth he just
Grinned and agreed that he was a
Regular Youngster.
They hadn’t gone far when the Re
mains of a Stuffed Owl perched high
over a Golden Sign, which bore the
Slogan, “The Beer that made Milwau
kee Famous,” and the Mortal Remains
of what was once bright Brass Rail
ings, but now Corroded with Rust
caught the Youngster’s Eye. “Well for
Goodness Sake what kind of a Place is
this” sayeth George. The Colonel
taken back for the Moment as the
Flames of the Past arose in his Brain
said, “This place is now known as a
Relic of Cannibalism but in my Day
it was a Palace of Joy. In this Ranch
they Peddled forth a Tabasco Fluid
that gave General Electric Results, in
other Words, Georgia you have made
a Wonderful Discovery, you have
found a “SALOON.’’ See those Faded
Letters which was once Famous, what
do they Read.’’ Georgie thought for a
Moment and then said “Mike Henne-
sey’s White Owl. Oh yes my Sunday
School Teached told us that all these
Homes for Wayward Men were closed
up back in 1918.”
The Colonel then peered through
the Window and saw all the Scenes of
the Mountain Dew days of his Youth.
The currents of Time had raised havoc
with the Old Gin Mill and the Pangs
of Grief were Visible in the Colonel's
Eyes. Sh he grabbed the Rusty Lock-
and Lo and Behold just like Rip Van
Winkle’s Rifle after his Twenty Year
Sleep, the Yale Outfit crumpled in his
Hand and soon George and the Colon
el, were in the Playground of Red Ink,
whose Fumes made the Dense speak of
(Continned on Page 12)