Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-24
HOME CHRISTMAS
FOR WAR HEROES
Holiday Furloughs Cheer
Wounded and Gonzales
cent Soldier Boys
PRAISE AMERICAN GIRLS
Private Baker, Veteran Of
Chateau : Thierry, Lauds
French Hospital Nurses
PRAISE GIRLS

christmas is bringing great numbers
OF wounded and convalescent soldiers
10 Philadelphia, either on a Through
nome or stopping Off for a few trains
en- route to some camp.
Their wound stripes were more than
conspicuous even in the dense holiday
throngs at the railroad terminals.
one of the wounded men who arrived
Just in time to spend his Christmas with
the home folk was Private James Baker.
Of 661 North Eleventh street. He
leaves soon for Camp Meade to be mus
tered out.
II take Off my hat to the American
girls in France doing hospital and nurs-
ing work." he said. "and especially am
| grateful to the girls Of American Base
Hospital Unit No. 3S, known here as
the Jefferson Hospital unit. 1t was due
to their tender care that l am here to-
day"
Private Baker Is only t~wenty-three
years old, but he is a veteran of the
deadly battleields Of Scissors and Cha
teau Thierry. He was wounded with
shrapnel on September -, when his
battery-he is a member of Battery
B, 120th Field A~rtillery-sent back an
answering barrage to the Germans
heavy fire.
He enlisted on April 81, 1917, and
after a training of eight months sailed
for France.
Private Hofra on Way Home
John w. Hoffa. who is on furlough for
Pottsville, Pa, his home, was cited for
bravery on the Chateau Thierry front,
where, he was wounded on August s. A
high explosive shell took his arm off
clean. He is all right now except for a
piece of shrapnel which is IN the alb
domen. having worked its way down
from the arm. He felt it under the ribs
a couple of weeks ago, he says.
He left rance December -, spent Il
week in Ellis Island Hospital. and is
now in Base Hospital 8. The shock of
the injury destroyed his memory as far
as recalling details of the particular
action in which he was wounded. and
after which he lay five days n nights
with lockjaw. He expects to take up the
special college course which Uncle Sam
has offered to his disabled doughboys,
but has not decided what profession to
embrace.
Sergeant S%prague's Experience
Another visitor between trains was
Sergeant L. B.. Sprague, Lakewood, y.
j., who enlisted with the 311th Infantry
and left for France May. 1918. In the
Toul sector on July % he, with a lieu
tenant and two other sergeants, were
operating a trench mortar against the
German m~achine-gun emplacements 700
yards away and damaging them badly.
The enemy located them and sent a
shower of ~high-eXplosive shells their
way, one of which burst on top of him
n wounded him in the hand, arm,
side and leg. His arm has been para
lyZed ever since. OF the four. only one
sergeant escaped injury.
He spent nearly four months in the
hospital, having undergone several OPP
erations for the restoration of his arm.
He is now on ten days furlough from
the Railway Hospital, New Jersey. Just
back from Washington n now on to
Lakewood to visit his friends. Although
in for another operation after the holi-
days for the paralysis in his arm, he is
In splendid spirits and would gladly have
given both arms for the sake of serving
his country.
Sergeant Sprague could get back his
job of assistant manage of the Laurel
in-the-Pines Hotel, Lakewood, but, like
many other Of the boys grown accus-
toned to outdoor life, wants to continue
the same when discharged m expects
to engage in farming outside Lake
wood, \. j.
He has one little worry. Nine months
pay is owing him and he does not under
stan why it Is held back. He wishes
he could get it.