 |
| | 1ST CL. PVT. HENRY VAN ZYLEN
Serial No. 2,046,902
444 Seventh St., Grand Haven, Mich.
Inducted April, 1918, at Camp Custer.
Tall and remarkably well built and physically strong, with abundant energy, he was cannoneer No. 4 on Sergt. Dunn’s gun. His knowledge of gunnery was of no mean extent. While fighting is in progress, cannoneers, as a rule, do not leave their guns, mess being served to them (if there is any to serve) by men with lesser responsibility and freer movement. In the Montauville position details called for more reserve of men than the battalion had. Van Zylen volunteered to run to the kitchen, on the slope of the hill a half-mile away, and bring food to the men at the guns. He got very few rations but divided them equally with the men.
His altruistic nature often came out in his willingness to serve others about Inns for their well being.
Paqe one hundred thirty-seven |