DIY History | Transcribe | World War I Diaries and Letters | Conger Reynolds newspaper clippings, 1916-1919 | The American Magazine: "The Hottest Four Hours I Ever Went Through" by Floyd Gibbons

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Conger Reynolds newspaper clippings, 1916-1919

The American Magazine: "The Hottest Four Hours I Ever Went Through" by Floyd Gibbons - Page 8

146               The American Magazine

right eye and-all was dark. My first thought following this experiment was that my left eye was closed. So I again counseled with myself and tried to open my left eye, but could not feel or verify in any way whether the eyelid responded or not. I only knew that it remained dark on that side. This brought me to another conclusion and not a pessimistic one at that. I simply believed, in spite of the pain, that something had struck me in the eye and had closed it. 
   I did not know then, as I know now, that a bullet striking the ground immediately under my left cheek bone had ricocheted upward, going completely through the left eye and then crashing out through my forehead, leaving the eyeball and upper eyelid completely halved, the lower eyelid torn away, and a compound fracture of the skull. 
   Further progress toward the major was impossible. I must confess that I became so intensely interested in the weird sensations and subjective research that I neglected to call out that I could not continue to his assistance. But after a while, lying there with my left cheek flat on the ground, I saw him rise to his feet, and in a perfect hail of lead rush forward and out of my line of vision. 
   It was several days later in the hospital that I learned he reached the shelter of the woods beyond without being hit again, and in that place, although suffering intense pain, was able to shout back orders which resulted in the subsequent wiping out of the machine gun nest that had been our undoing. For this supreme effort, General Pershing decorated him with the Distinguished Service Cross.

I BEGAN to make plans to get out of the exposed position in which I was lying. Whereas the field when I started across it had seemed perfectly flat, now it impressed me as being convex, and I was further impressed with the belief that I was lying on the very uppermost and most exposed curvature of it. There is no doubt that the continued stream of machine-gun lead that swept the field super-induced this belief. I got as close to the ground as a piece of paper on top of a table, I remember regretting sincerely that the war had reached the stage of open movement, one consequence of which was that there wasn't a shell hole anywhere to crawl into. 
   This did not, however, eliminate the dangerous possibility of shelling. With the fatalism that one acquires along the fronts, I was ready to take my chances with the casual German shell that one might have expected, but I devoted much thought to a consideration of the French and American artillery some miles behind me. I considered the possibility of word having been sent back that our advancing waves at this point had been cut down by enemy machine gunners who were still in position, preventing all progress at this place. I knew that such information if sent back would immediately be forwarded to our guns and then a devastating concentration of shells would be directed toward the location of the machinegun nests. 
   I knew that I was lying one hundred yards from one of those nests, and I knew that I was well within the fatal bursting radius of any shells our gunners might

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146 The American Magazine right eye and-all was dark. My first thought following this experiment was that my left eye was closed. So I again counseled with myself and tried to open my left eye, but could not feel or verify in any way whether the eyelid responded or not. I only knew that it remained dark on that side. This brought me to another conclusion and not a pessimistic one at that. I simply believed, in spite of the pain, that something had struck me in the eye and had closed it. I did not know then, as I know now, that a bullet striking the ground immediately under my left cheek bone had ricocheted upward, going completely through the left eye and then crashing out through my forehead, leaving the eyeball and upper eyelid completely halved, the lower eyelid torn away, and a compound fracture of the skull. Further progress toward the major was impossible. I must confess that I became so intensely interested in the weird sensations and subjective research that I neglected to call out that I could not continue to his assistance. But after a while, lying there with my left cheek flat on the ground, I saw him rise to his feet, and in a perfect hail of lead rush forward and out of my line of vision. It was several days later in the hospital that I learned he reached the shelter of the woods beyond without being hit again, and in that place, although suffering intense pain, was able to shout back orders which resulted in the subsequent wiping out of the machine gun nest that had been our undoing. For this supreme effort, General Pershing decorated him with the Distinguished Service Cross. I BEGAN to make plans to get out of the exposed position in which I was lying. Whereas the field when I started across it had seemed perfectly flat, now it impressed me as being convex, and I was further impressed with the belief that I was lying on the very uppermost and most exposed curvature of it. There is no doubt that the continued stream of machine-gun lead that swept the field super-induced this belief. I got as close to the ground as a piece of paper on top of a table, I remember regretting sincerely that the war had reached the stage of open movement, one consequence of which was that there wasn't a shell hole anywhere to crawl into. This did not, however, eliminate the dangerous possibility of shelling. With the fatalism that one acquires along the fronts, I was ready to take my chances with the casual German shell that one might have expected, but I devoted much thought to a consideration of the French and American artillery some miles behind me. I considered the possibility of word having been sent back that our advancing waves at this point had been cut down by enemy machine gunners who were still in position, preventing all progress at this place. I knew that such information if sent back would immediately be forwarded to our guns and then a devastating concentration of shells would be directed toward the location of the machinegun nests. I knew that I was lying one hundred yards from one of those nests, and I knew that I was well within the fatal bursting radius of any shells our gunners might ADVERTISEMENT The only Adding Machine with 10 keys arranged in "one-two-three" order for natural figure writing. Operate with one hand! WITH the Sundstrand you never risk errors by laying down papers or removing eyes or left hand from column figures. Your right hand does EVERYTHING. The Sundstrand is a real "one hand" adding machine. Only 10 keys to memorize--all at finger tips --and all in "one-two-three" order for "touch" operation. When at work, your keyboard hand remains almost motionless. The handle pull is short and snappy. You add, multiply, subtract and divide faster, easier and more accurately. Write us for full information. Sunstrand ADDING MACHINE Sundstrand Adding Machine Co. Factory and General Offices 2502 Eleventh St., Rockford, Ill., U.S.A. Sales offices and SERVICE STATIONS in principal cities There are many reasons why the Sunstrand marks a long step forward in adding machine efficiency! Ask for practical demonstration in your own office on your own work. ADVERTISEMENT ONE MINUTE NOW will put you in the way to earn from $5.00 to $20.00 a month, in your spare time, acting as our representative for The American Magazine, Woman's Home Companion and Farm and Fireside. Fill out and mail coupon below. Chief of Subscription Staff, Desk 72A The Crowell Publishing Co. 381 Fourth Avenue, New York City I am taking "One Minute Now" to ask you for particulars how I can earn $5.00 to $20.00 a month as your representative. Name....................................................... Address...................................................