Show WAR BEDECKED HERD HERO john bowe hue him enough medals to completely cover his HI bravo and manly breast john bowe first vice ace commander of the minnesota department of the american legion ie is ono of the famous soldier of fortune bo ho fought in both the spanish american and the apar b late war and Is 13 now quietly in can r hy by minn for another opportunity to win other decorations I 1 in another war A in his fifty anre john bowe has been an ad in business aw 0 well as la in war lie starred started the first cash market for farm produce in canby and organized the first cement bloth and tile factory when that industry uns as looked upon as a poor risk flak ile built the first cold storage building in bis his native city nor are those hie his only firsts he was as the first subscriber to the Far farmers merse mutual telephone company first depositor in the postal savings bank first president of the yellow medicine county fair association first president of john memorial hoe hospital and was as mayor of canby As might be expected of one who thus broadly sensed hie blis duties as ns a citizen he served with the minnesota in the spanish american war and in the philippine insurrection having been present at the capture of manila and ten other engagements when the world war broke out bowe could not wait watt for america to enter but joined the french army connected with the second foreign legion and the and regiments of the line the rials and the let 1st negi regiment ment foreign legion he ile was never corn he spent three years in france and two years lo 10 the trenches he ile was wounded in the attack on champagne october 10 19 lolo 1010 returned to the front and was finally invalided home one would never guess that thia this quiet unassuming man as he goes about his business in this peaceful minnesota town ie to bowe and never know that on the horizon blue of hie hia uniform he may wear weer a croix de guerre and enough medals to cover the breast of his coat in awarding the croix de guerre tte tm french government said he 11 colun olun leered for the most dangerous danger oui missions and the most perilous posts mid nud the serbian medal was bestowed for distinguished and brilliant con induct duct under fire bowe has written of his thrilling of two years in the thick of the tho fight tn in his book soldiers Sold lers of the legion looking bade back to my life over here there no boft said bowe lt it wai was a busy en pertaining exciting time while it last ed but the comrades are all dead or scattered tho the glory the romance Is gone it hardly seems natural or possible more like a dream or night m mure are the suffering and the exertion overshadow the few short abott boura hours of furlough in paris parts or london we afford to lose he said fhe price paid was terrific but it was worth it provided we can keep the advantages gained one thing that gets my goat Is I 1 the complacency self of those thoe people here at home they have no conception of what I 1 Is or has ban been going on in europe and dont seem to realize that we are lust just as vitally interested in world problems as an the people of europe we see too many politicians in office standing idly by while the re sources of the country are an being wasted we see two groups at washington sparring for an issue for the next election evidently trying to lose the advantages the soldiers gained but I 1 have an unlimited faith that we abdull 11 square ourselves to meet the new day and the american legion Is going to have no small part in squaring the ship of state for the new day |