WAR

At the hospital that night, Chambe sat in bed swathed in bandages. Navarre
sat out in the corridor, feeling guilty about Chambe and the aeroplane. The
chief of aviation for the Fifth Army, Commandant de Rose, came striding out,
thunder seated upon his brow, his magnificent walrus moustache quivering with
indignation. "Are you satisfied" he asked. Navarre wilted so perceptibly under
his glare that de Rose was inclined, for the moment, to let it go at that.
Tricornot de Rose held the first military aviator's commission issued in the
French army. A former lieutenant of the Luneville Dragoons, he had transferred
to aviation in 1910, qualifying as a pilot in March 1911. In August 1914 he had
given a demonstration of sangfroid that combined oldstyle cavalry dash with
flying skill. Out of gas after a long reconnaissance, he was forced to land on the
highway outside a frontier village. He obtained gasoline in the village, and as
he was filling his tank, a spearhead of German cavalry came trotting down the
road at the other end of the village. Impassive, de Rose continued his work,
started up the motor with assistance from his observer, and took off over the
heads of the surprised enemy troopers who had supposed him to be one of their
own. He was an experienced, resourceful officer and a skilled aviator.
Commandant de Rose later said to Capitaine de Bernis that the antics of
Navarre were insupportable and that he, de Rose, was going to ground him.
"I have an alternative to suggest," said Capitaine de Bernis, "give him the
Legion of Honor."
Commandant de Rose regarded de Bernis as one regards a lunatic. While
he was still too stunned to speak, de Bernis took a breath and plunged into his
arguments: Navarre was the most accomplished pilot at the Front, he could do
anything with an aeroplane, his skill and daring were beyond belief, his nerve
incredible; he had just finished three special missions, each of which should have
won a citation; not only that ."
. .
"You believe I can propose this nut for the Legion d'Honneur after the
stunts he has pulled No! Impossible!"
The following morning de Rose called de Bernis. "The proposition for
Navarre was accepted by GQG to whom I telephoned yesterday evening. Are
you happy now" He hung up. A few minutes later de Bernis called Navarre
into his office.
"Navarre, the Commandant was furious at you yesterday evening. For a
moment I really thought you were going to end up in the infantry."
"So much the better!"
"But the Commandant agreed to pass along to GQG a request from me
which has been accepted."
"What request"
"For the Legion of Honor."
He said nothing, but tears welled up in the eyes of Navarre the Incorrigible.
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