Vandergrift High School - Spectator Yearbook (Vandergrift, PA)

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THE SPECTATOR 'lag with the inscription “Don't Treri On Me”. Still in this year Washington realized the necessity for one emblem for all the Colonies. Benjamin Franklin, Mr. Lynch and Mr. Harrison were appointed to consider the “National Colors.” They decided to retain the “Union Jack” of England as part of the design but changed the field to thirteen alternating stripes of red and white, emblematic of the thirteen ce lonies. The first striped flag was raised over Washington’s headquarters at Cambridge, Jan. 2, 1776, know to Fngland as the “Rebellions Stripes.” Congress appointed General Washington, Robert Morris and Col. Ross to designate a suitable flag for the nation As a result of conference with Betsy Ross it wus decided to retain the stripes hut instead of the “Union Jack the blue field with thirteen stars should be part in its place. This flag was then adopted by the United States June 14, 1777. In 1812, Vermont and Kentucky were added making fifteen stars and thirteen stripes. It was in 1814 that Francis Scott Key wrote the “Star-Spangle Banner”. In 1831, Captain Stephen Driver when about to sail from Salem Mass., was presented with a large American flag. As it was flying to the breeze he cried, “I christen thee ‘Old Glory’ a name that will now endure as long as the emblem itself”. There has been a star added to the flag for every state admitted and now we have thirteen stripes and forty-eight stars representing a united nation -all for one and one flag for all. -----------------oo--------- THE STORY OF A RED CROSS NURSE. Jim and I had been married but three wreeks when war was declared. We decided that we would give our all for our country so Jim enlisted as a private and I, as a red Cross Nurse. Being a trained nurse, I was sent to France almost immediately while Jim was kept in America in training. By some great chance we met again in Paris. Our happiness did not last long for Jim wfas soon called to the front. 12 At last my long hoped for orders came and I was called to a base hos pital near the front line trenches, awful scenes, the broken bones, Oh God! shal I ever forget those the tom flesh, the moans, the prayers and the curses of those wounded and dying men; the shrieks and wails of tjrtured wometa. and children! Oh the horror of it shall stay with me till I die. You, who have never seen it, will never know how horrible it all is. You do not realize why your boys are silent, why they are disgusted with the sweet young frivolous thing who simpers: pers. “Oh, please, tell us about the war. 1 am sure it must be romantic to be a soldier.” I will tell you why. They have in truth walked through the Valley of the Shadow of Death and some of its awe and sacredness has clung to them and it has made men of them. They have seen their Pals fall dead from the shell of a power crazed Hun. They have witnessed sights that would have caused a weak man to go stark mad but because they were strong they endured for the sake of Humanity and Democracy. Oh I could write pages but what is the use for ’tis only those who have seen, that will really understand so I shall go on with my stoiy. One evening a message came from headquarters for volunteers to go out on the field and help the wounded. I and several other nurses went. That night is indeed branded on my soul! It was dark and black—an ominous Hack. The guns and cannons thundered. The bombs burst with a deafening roar. The glare of the rockets revealed cold, white, ghastly faces with staring eyes, and barbed wire entanglements hung with mangled bodies. The ground was reeking with blood and covered with dead and dying men. We went about helping those we could. I knelt down beside a fair haired boy, bound the deep gash in his head and wiped the blood from bis face. As I looked on his handsome young face. I thought of the mother who hoped and prayed for the

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T H F. SPECTATOR 11 pot shots at him as they dashed through the trees. Then, just as he was beginning to feel confidence in his ability to escape, a sharp burning pain shot through his left arm, and a second later he heard the report of the gun. By some freak of fate the last shot had told. He lurched, and almost fell, but recovered quickly, and, gritting his teeth resolved to “do or die.” A moment of heart-breaking suspense. and then a bend in the road hid him from his pursuers. Then he bent all his energies in the effort to cover the five long miles which lay between him and home. His arm pained him exceedingly, but the boy was made of good stuff, .and, guiding with one hand, he set himself to his task. His speedometer registered two miles when he came to a spring of clear, cold water. The temptation to slip from his seat and bathe his throb-ing arm was great, but he conquered it, and soon the shady nook was left behind. Another mile passed off slowly. The sun beat down mercilessly upon the here head of the boy. The dust lay thick upon his clothing. Not a sound disturbed the dead silence save the steady tick-tick of his chain as it turned. Now the boy was reeling in his saddle. Dimly he saw' that but one-half mile lay between him and the village. This gave him new hope, and the tick-tick of his chain quickened. The spire of the solitary church of his home town rose in the heated atmosphere. Now he was passing down the street towards the recruiting office. People turned to stare at him, but he neither saw nor heard them. He reached the office, and dragged himself up the stairs. His knock fell weakly upon the door. He barely heard the “Come in” which the officer called. He opened the door and stumbled into the room. The officer sprang to his feet at the sight of the pale, dustv youth. Then, as he saw the blood dripping from the left arm, he sprang towards him. What is it?” he demanded. “German spies—wireless-—on pike—first turn to right—will escape—go!” The boy mumbled incoherently. Then he drew himself up, saluted, and fainted into the man’s arms. To finish the story, a posse was dispatched to the wireless station, but when they arrived the birds had flown. However, they were captured later, after Jim had rendered a good description of the one. Their wireless is now doing good wrork in the ser-vice of JIM'S country. And—since it was now near his eighteenth birthday—the officer ce-considered his decision concerning Jim’s enlistment, because he was indeed a man! JOSEPH A. BREIG. --------oo------- OUR FLAG. Like many, of the things we daily see without knowledge of their origin or source, so the true origin and evolution of our national emblem“01d Glory” Is lit lie known. It is undeniably true that from the landing of Columbus in 1492 until the adoption of the stars and stripes as our national emblem, flags of various nationalities were used as ensigns in various parts of w'hat is now the United States of America. In June 1492, John and Sebastian Cabot set sail from England,under a charter from King Henry VII, landed upon the shores of Labrador, North America and there planted the Red Cross of England, ensign of the King. In 1606 Scotland became a part of England, the White Cross of St. Andrew was combined upon the National flag with the Red Cross of England, the field changed from white to blue and was designated Union or King’s Colors This “Union” was used as the ensign of the Massachusetts Colony in 1634. In 1707, the flag of England was changed by reducing the crosses on the blue field to occupy the upper left corner and adding a large red field. This was called the “Cromwell Flag.”. The colonies used this flag but modified it by placing a Dine tree on a white field later modified to a plain white flag with a Dine tree on it. The Massachusetts Colony used this and later it i» -came a naval flag. In 1776, the Southern States or “Jamestown Colony” ado ted a wn 'a

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13 thr spectator valiant young son of hers who, in the spring time of his life had gone to fight for her and his country, I also ‘hou.,ht of his sweetheart who anxiously awaited the “sometime” when the wax would end and he would return to her and happiness. I passed on to the next one, a man, • say “man,” but he was little more ihan a boy. As I knelt over him he ■ aved in delirium. In a tremor of fear he gripped my wrist and raised his haunted eyes in pleading. “For m.v sake, Lethe, take care of the boy.” His grip on my wrist loosened; he j ut his hand to his chest and with a i roan of agony died. I pictured a frivolous young wife and a little son, the idol of this father, and prayed that ivhen the message of his death reached her that for his sake, she would take care of the boy. I bent over a mangled form—I rhrieked—and grew faint. Oh no, it could not be, yet it was—my Jim. I took his limp brown head in my arm and kissed the war begrimed face He moved. Was there yet hol e 1 He opened his eyes and gazed bewildered, then recognition gleamed in them and with one last effort he murmured. “It's alright Betty, remember it’s for our country. Then he died in my arms. It i6 those words that have sustained me and kept me from bitterness. This is what the war brought me but I do not regret it for my Jim could not have died for a nobler cause. America will soon forget now that Peace is here. “Peace” what a wonderful word, but for one whose heart is broken—there is no peace! MARTHA HILTY. -------oo-------- A SOLDIER’S DREAM. Kent Norris dropped to the ground with a deep sigh of satisfaction, if not content. There had been fighting almost the entire day. Many of his intimate chums had been wounded or killed. Throughout the entire day he had done his best; fighting, running, and screaming here and there. The fever of fighting was in his brain, and it was many hours before he dropped into a troubled sleep out on that war-torn and body strewn battlefield. Kent saw' himself and his comrades running and capturing one trench after another; overthrowing and destroying large guns; taking German prisoners without number; capturing supi lies and ammunition; killing man of the officers of highest rank; -all these things he saw and he was the leader and hero of it all. Then can e a day when many of his comrades and high-ranking officers lined up to do him honor; how the general came and pinned a medal of honor, and when last of all, he was decorated by the French with the Croix de Guerre, his joy knew no bounds. Kent was awakened by the steady firing of heavy guns; by the shouts of comrades: and by the steady tramp of the advancing enemy. He jumped to his feet, eager to join his comrades w'ho were being rapidly marshalled into something like order. Kent was still exalted in spirit by his recent dream, and resolved that he would, at least try to do something unusual; something that would bring him the love of his countrymen and the admiration and respect of his fighting friends, for Kent had been something of a joke to the other fellows on account of daintiness and dislike of anything bordering on the rough. Among the boys in Kent’s company was a college chum Between these two boys was the strongest bond of love and friendship. Neither spoke to the other in regard to these feelings but each kn ew and trusted the other. The very dissimilarity of the two probably held them together, along with the lovable finalities of each. Kent was the 1 ami ered soul of a rich New Yorker, not exactly weak, but none too strong. His chum was poor, had been working his way through college, and was as strong as a horse. Kent loved and respected his chum for his wonderful strength, mental and physical; Kent was in a measure protected by his strong comrade. During the severe fight which followed Kent found himself close to Samson, as he was jokingly called by all his company. So close were they to a truck that Kent perceived a rifle of a German pointed toward his chum.