Deeds of heroism and bravery : $b The book of heroes and personal daring
History
Deeds of heroism and bravery : $b The book of heroes and personal daring
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
“Dick Hall, we knew you, worked with you, played with you, ate with
you, slept with you, we took pleasure in your company, in your modesty,
in your gentle manner, in your devotion and in your youth—we still
pass that spot, and we salute. Our breath comes quicker, and our eyes
grow dimmer, we grip the wheel a little tighter—we pass better and
stronger.”
[Illustration:
_Drawn by Joseph Cummings Chase._
Private George W. Langham
_32nd Division, 128th Infantry, Company “H”_
Though he was severely gassed near Juvigny, north of Soissons, France,
August 20-September 2, 1918, he remained on duty with his company
while it was in the front line. Later he aided in the work of carrying
wounded men across the area covered by artillery and machine-gun fire.]
THE LIVING DEAD
The funeral services were held in the little Protestant Chapel five
miles down the valley while the guns roared in a fierce battle raging
for the possession of Hartmanns-Weilerkopf. At the conclusion of the
ceremony Hall’s citation was read and the _Croix de Guerre_ was pinned
to a fold of the tri-color that wrapped his coffin. At the head of the
grave was placed a wooden cross with the simple but all sufficient
inscription, “Richard Hall, an American who died for France, December
25, 1915.” The Alsatian women heaped flowers on the grave, and after
kept it decorated and cared for. When the United States formally
entered the war there was a further ceremony, when a French General
laid a palm on the grave in the presence of Louis Hall and the American
Corps.
But Richard Hall was one of those fortunate servants whose service and
humanity did not end with death. Very soon after he was killed, as a
tribute to his memory a new ambulance car was sent to France to be
driven by Louis Hall. It was the gift of a lady. Another followed, the
gift of a New York gentleman, and a third ambulance was sent by Dr.
and Mrs. Louis P. Hall, who also kept a memorial bed in the American
Ambulance Hospital at Neuilly until the end of the war. In addition
to that they established a Loan Fund of $2,000 in the University of
Michigan (Ann Arbor was Dick’s birthplace, his father a professor in
the University) and $500 was given to Dartmouth. In the same spirit of
carrying on Dick’s work his parents’ efforts resulted in the sending
of $18,000 to the “Fatherless Children of France” and ten thousand
garments to the children of the Frontier.
An editorial in the Philadelphia _Press_ had this to say of Richard
Hall:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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