La Salle Peru Township High School - Ell Ess Pe Yearbook (La Salle, IL)

Page 33 text:

DSP ' illuziwitz n wha! WELL Ess PE VVHO Heard a noise on August 'nrst In 1914 was the year, That spelled the end of Vilieniewurst And introduced instead near-beer? TO-WVIT: The Alumni! WHO VVent to France to see the show And joined the Lafayette Escadrille? Our diplomats moved far too slow A French Blue Bird of VVar to still. TO-NVIT: An Alumnus! WI-IO VVent to sea with a mach-gun squad And spent many months in a health camp drear, VVho is getting pretty darned all-fired mod Because he hasn't been paid for a year? TO-VVIT: An Alumnus! VVHO Spent his time making poison gas And T.N.T. and Vitriol, Such wicked stuif, no man could pass A wave of it and live at all? TO-NVIT: An Alumnus! YVHO Didn't want a cushy job So in for navy training lined, lfVas called to be a lighting gob . The day the Armistice was signed? TO-VVIT: ' An Alumnus! WIIO Grew to be a politish But just as soon as the war began, ' Gave up his job, his fondest wish, And straight-way to Ft. Sheridan ran? TO-WIT: An Alumnus! WHO Got a commish as a Second Lieut. And met Dan Cupid at the training camp. W'ho taught many Yankees how to shoot, But didn't let Dan's ardor damp? TO-YVIT: An Alumnus! WHO , Has a head of crimson hue An R.O.T.C. man, I swear, Who won a golden bar or two - To match his very golden hair? '1'O-WIT: An Alumnus! WHO Drove a truck all over France, In naval costume decollette, VVho wore a hole near throueh his pants, While steering out of shel holes way? TO-VVDIT: An Alumnus! WHO lVielded surgeons' tools of cure And spent many months in the battle zone. The healing Spirits did conjure :- . y For shattered flesh and broken bone? TO-WIT: An Alumnus! WVHO Drank two quarts of milk a day In vain attempt at weight andiinnscle, VVhose pulse was bum or luck did stray So iight the Hun with bond and cussle? TO-VVTT: An Alumnus! VVHO Picks a piccolo in the band A sailor in one grand navee His brother saw many an airplane land He's an aviat. engineer, you see. TO-XVIT: Two Alumni! ' NVHO Ylpent Over the To? in thexshrapnel fire And fought the oe with a grinning eye, And followed the Hun throu h trench and wire VVith the Lusitania Battle sry? TO-VVIT:- Many an Alumnus! NVHO Stayed at home denied the show And daily did their work and more VVho fuined or wept 'cause they could not go To plunge in IIumanity's battle war? TO-NVIT: Many an Alumnus! VVHO Hewed this harpini hymn of hate, This eubist's eu e, this futnr1st's fuse, This jingled jargon dared create This blooming batch of words profuse? TO-YVIT: An Alumnus! Twenty-seven - - - 74

Page 32 text:

DS P... ELL ESS PE Twen try-six

Page 34 text:

usp ELL ESS PE Q Baths Qit Baits At one in the morning he came around. It was an ungodly hour to awake a man, especially a man who had been lying flat on his stomach in a trench from nine o'clock until midnight -- in a trench where there were rats, the squadron dog, two foxes, some fourteen pilots, fifty mechanicians, and plenty of spirit of Damn that Boche, why doesn't he go home and let us alone tonight? He has earned his Iron Cross for this night's work. He was a lucky devil-he hit six of our hangars and burned about twenty of 38's machines. And the orderly shoved his smoky lantern under twelve noses and told the owners of those noses that the Germans were going to attack at five and it meant business. VVe had had enough German attack for the night, so the order- ly received fur flying boots about his head and left cursing pilots, who were paid to eat and sleep. , Attack at five means to be up at four. The same orderly came at four with a get up and hot, black coffee. Then wended the most solemn procession of twelve dead-live men in the world, to the hangars, where the ships were being warmed up, machine guns loaded, and a last look at wiresg twelve machines lined up, thirty-six hurrying mechan- icians, working and trying to get the sticks turning over in time so that all ships could leave together. It was cold -- there was an early fall frost on the ground and a slight ground fog. As there was no sun as yet, we would have a little trouble picking our way to the lines. Then came definite orders. The Boche was going to attack on a twenty-mile front. He had a lot of aviation to help him and we could expect to be out-numbered. To counteract this, fly high-keep your formation and attack if ad- vantageous. Patrol an hour at eighteen thousand feet and then work down to three thousand for half an hour to look for any German photo machines which may be over in our yard taking snaps. Number 5 machine was to be patrol leader and others were flying in close V formation. Then each pilot went to his machine, climbed into his fur suit, goggles and helmet and was strapped in. Number 5 took off leaving a cloud of white frost trailing him, and each ship in turn took the air. It was fine-the cool morning air, the motor turning over wogderfully well, and everyone trying to climb harder than the ship ahead. Soon No. 5 ship took the lead and every ship got in to his place. We saw one ship drop out and go down. It was motor trouble or machine gun jam. We were now eleven - that was better than thirteen and we would have some fun if we could only meet a Boche patrol. It was a steady climb-the altimeter showing 5,0o0, 8,000, I0,000, then 15,000 feet-and 5 ship headed for the lines. Below there was a heavy ground fog, but forests and rivers were clear so I could tell where I was. The motor was running well, the machine guns worked, and the old ship wanted to run away- to climb - climb - and get away from the earth as far as possible. Soon we came to the lines 3 I saw the River Aisne below which marked the lines. We were at 18,000 feet -not a thing in sight-save some of our sausage balloons floating about 5,000 feet, away to the left, below. I looked above - there was nothing - not even a cloud to hide a Boche ship. The sun was just coming up away over in the Boche lines. I looked for German sausage balloons, but there was too much sun and they were naturally camouflaged. We made that twenty-mile front four times -not a ship! Surely there wasn't an attack -but we were high and the Boche was probably low. I was cold -the air was thin and breathing was difficult. Then my black coffee and that trench party the night before tasted bad inmy mouth. If we could only get a Boche for that trench party. I could see the way in which Number 5 machine climbed -dove and shifted positions - he was getting nervous. I looked down and the old River Aisne was well Twenty- eight