NOVEMBER 1936 25 CENTS -W" Jlmericani^TlffL LegionMONTHLY . LEE GEHLBACH STRAIGHT DOWN from 4 miles up — Gehlbach tears earthward at 400 to 600 m. p. h. At the bottom of the dive — a sharp pull-out wrenches plane and pilot to the limit. Such tests make planes safer. Just a tiny flaw — and the plane can fly to pieces. But Lee Gehlbach eats heartily and enjoys his food. Note the Camel in his hand — one of the many Camels that Lee enjoys during and after meals. Copyright. X936. R. J. Reynolds Tob. Co.. Winston-Salam. N. C. "SMOKING CAMELS HELPS TO KEEP MY DIGESTION TUNED UP AND RUNNING SMOOTH" SAYS LEE "/^AMELS set me right!" Gehlbach says. "I smoke V^/ Camels with my meals and afterward — for diges- tion's sake. And when I say that Camels don't get on my nerves, it means a lot." Good digestion and healthy nerves are important assets for everyone. So make Camel your cigarette. Enjoying Camels at mealtime and after speeds up the Camels are made from finer, flow of digestive fluids — increases alkalinity — helps MORE EXPENSIVE TOBACCOS bring a sense of well-being. For digestion's — for . sake . Turkish and Domestic . invigorating "lift" and mildness — smoke Camels! than any other popular brand. The group started across at top speed. Not a man paused for an instant. No weaving, bobbing or dodging Who Was He? UT, on the other hand, By John H.Parmelee the outset prisoners were being we'll soon have with us a brought in by hundreds, and mam- half million young Ameri- wounded Americans were being B cans, laughing at death ..." carried along on stretchers by the While we were killing a little prisoners. Almost without excep- time in England awaiting the ship that was to take us across the tion they were cheerful. One fellow with part of his leg missing channel, I read the above statement in an English newspaper. sat upright on a stretcher holding a German helmet as a steering The article, while admitting recent reverses of the Allies and wheel. He was biting a cigarette to hold back the pain and tears, discouraging reports from the fronts, dropped this bit of optimism but grinning nevertheless. "My private car, boys!" he shouted as a tonic to the tired and disheartened. to us. r "Laughing at death' — yes, that somehow expressed it. The Two weeks later we were ready for the Argonne. Another dark, English and French both seemed quite puzzled at the attitude rainy night— war is one game that is never called off on account of the American soldier. Perhaps it was their swaggering levity of the weather. that caused certain French generals to doubt their ability to I take a message to one of the batteries and pass along where fight. the second line of infantry is awaiting the zero hour. They are To a majority of the American soldiers the war was a gigantic on their toes, ready to go— restless— shadow boxing and sparring game. They were not particularly interested in making the with their bayonets. world safe for democracy, but they did feel that their country A few hours later I saw a short, tough little fellow going along had been challenged and they were out to meet that challenge. by himself when he was suddenly charged by a large German "Laughing at death"— I was to see a young, healthy boy, who appeared from behind a gun position. The little fellow was holding a stub on which a hand had been less than an hour before, evidently so startled he forgot what his bayonet was for. At any kidding about it as though it were no more than a scratch. I rate he raised his gun with both hands and flung it broadside was to hold the head of a dying man while he cursed, prayed, into the German's face with such force that it knocked him and laughed himself into the next world. Others I was to see down. Then, pouncing on the big fellow, he began punching who would continue to live but never be able to laugh again. him with both fists. My introduction to war was in the first great all-American of- I stumbled forward over the shell holes trying to get to him fensive—St. Mihiel. The stupendous artillery bombardment to lend a hand, but when I looked up again the kid had his gun preceding it gave me the greatest thrill of my life. Almost from and was inviting his prisoner to get up (Continued on page 47) NOVEMBER, 1936 I ; 1 (fforQoa and country , we associate ourselves togetherjor thefollowing purposes: (Jo uphold and defend the Constitution «_/ oftheldnited States of&lmerica; to maintain law and order; tofoster andperpetuate a onehundredpercent !7lmerica.nisrn to preserve the memories and incidents ofour association in theQreatlVar; to inculcate asense ofindividual obligation to the com- munity, state andnation; to combat the autocracy ofboth the classes andthe masses; to make right the master ofmight; topromote peace andgoodwillon earth ;to safeguardand transmit to posterity the principles ofjusticejreedom and democracy; to conse- crate and'sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.— Preamble to the Constitution ofThe American Legion. rTh e Jlmerican November, 1936 Vol. 2i, No. 5 LegionMONTHLY Published Monthly by The American Legion, 4$$ West izd Street, Chicago, Illinois EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING OFFICES Indianapolis, Indiana 527 Fifth Avenue, New York CLEVELAND put on a grand the parade, but it was a light fringe party, and did itself proud as CONTENTS of populace rather than a thick rib- the first city to re-entertain a bon. In most places they didn't have WINTER MANEUVERS Cover convention of The American Legion. By William Heaslip to stand on tiptoe to watch the pro- A delegate who attended both the cession go by. 1920 and the 1936 gatherings was WHO WAS HE? 1 By John H. Parmelee moved to make comparisons, prac- it's to be New York. This Illustration by J. W . Schlaikjer NOW tically all of which were in favor of means, among other things, THE BEST IS YET TO BE 5 the latter year. that there will be a larger I've-been- By Harry W. Colmery National Commander, The American there-before attendance than at any IN 1920, he said, with an attend- Legion previous Legion National Conven- ance that was probably not more tion. For a vast majority of the two JULIE, SHE NO CRY 6 than a quarter of 1936, housing was By Robert Ginsburgh million men and women who con- much worse and overcrowding the Illustrations by Forrest C. Crooks stituted the A.E.F. sailed from the rule. Such an inconvenience was in Port of New York (and the Port of HESTER BURNS THE HORSES 10 no way Cleveland's fault. Legion By MacKinlay Kantor New York includes the Hoboken National Conventions are more than Illustrations by Donald McKay piers). Moreover, the concentration local concerns and are more than of troops (including you, sailor) in THREE ARMISTICE DAYS 14 metropolitan area locally managed. In 1920 the Legion By John R. Tunis and around the hadn't learned the trick—in 1936 it was larger than in any comparable BIG PARTY 16 had. Kansas City learned from Cleve- section of the country. The New By Frederick C. Painton land, York district bristled with camps and New Orleans from Kansas Illustrations by Kenneth F. Camp City, and so on. The result has been cantonments and training areas—in- "YOU ARE THE HOPE OF AMER- the pooling of a vast wealth of in- finitely more so than the district ICA" 20 formation on how-to-do-it. If you By Alexander Gardiner around Paris. The New York con- want to know how to run a conven- vention will be more than a conven- YOURS FAITHFULLY 30 tion, inquire of The American tion— it will be a sentimental home- By John Noll Legion. J. coming. IT'S TRUE ABOUT DIXIE 34 By H. L. Chaillaux ALSO, if you want to know how ACCORDING to the 1920 man, l\. to run a parade, consult The DOES FRANCE FORGET? 36 the 1936 gathering didn't seem American Legion. Here again the By Bernhard Ragner to him to be a bonus-inspired affair. Legion has been able to profit by the CAN YOU SAY WHOA IN GER- In his opinion, it was true that bonus experience of seventeen years. Ad- MAN? 40 checks paid the freight for some of mittedly, Legion parades have always the visitors, and it was this factor, FRONT AND CENTER 44 had a swell break from the weather. he thought, that accounted for the At San Francisco in 1923 there were BURSTS AND DUDS 46 unusually large attendance of wives Conducted by Dan Sowers driblets of rain just before the and children. Moreover, he figured whistle blew, but the parade itself that New York would see the great- was conducted under skies that lived est turnout of wives and children in Please report change of address to Indian- up to California's noblest traditions Legion history—to say nothing of apolis office, including old and new ad- —and that, as everybody knows, is dresses. Allow five weeks for change to the greatest turnout of mere men. some noble. become operative. An issue already mailed to old address will not be forwarded by post as he turned away he said, office unless subscriber sends extra postage AND man started 1920 remi- . "Okay, buddy. I'll be seeing THE to post office.