Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-04
LIEUT.. n. v. OYSTER
BACK FROM WAR
Accompanied by Three Com
panion Airmen With Whom
He Fought Huns.
ALL HAD CLOSE CALLS


Fighting with the famous 9sth, the
first American day-bombing aerial |
squadron on the front. practically un-
til the signing Of the armistice, Lieut..
Norman w. Oyster, a former Central
High School student and three COM
panion aviators have arrived in
washington, being probably the first
aviators to return from the front since
hostilities ceased. AL OF them are
officially credited with having brought
down enemy planes. They have been
assigned to duty as instructors in this
country.
Lieut.. Oyster gave his parents Mr..
and Mrs. James F. Oyster, the great
est surprise of their lives when he
arrived in time for breakfast Sunday
morning. His eompanions-First.
Lieut.. Ralph A. Shelly Of Atchison.
KAN; First Lieut.. Walter H. Mccarthy
of Springfield Mass, and First Lieut..
Harold w. Follmer of SeHnsgrove, Pa
left last night for their homes, hav-
ing spent yesterday In making their
reports to the War Department and In
seeing Washington. They were the
guests of Lieut. Oyster while In the
city.
Had Part in Severe Fighting.
The aviators reached Newport News
late Saturday. They were in the So
verest aerial fighting that Immediately
preceded Germany's surrender. and they
had some close calls at the hands Of the
boche. It is their opinion that the Amer
lean drive would have reached Hun soil
in five more days had the war continued.
The Americans at Chateau Thierry
That they came through the grill
without q scratch the fiiers attribute
purely to luck. Casualties In the 96th
Squadron in one week amounted to 81
per cent. In three-day period they
were So per cent. Lieut. Oyster had his
closest call on his last trip over the
enemy lines. He had been sent to bomb
q certain point and take photographs.
AS he dropped the third bomb he sud-
denly was attacked by three German
to the American lines. The tail Of his
machine was nearly shot of, every brace
wire and all the control wires but one
being severed. The planes were riddled
lightning flashes played around him, so
close were the Fokkers. But the young
Washingtonian sent back q hot fire from
three machine guns and made forced
landing without personally receiving q
scratch.
Six Machines Attacked by Twenty.
IN this particular fight six machines
made up the American bombing squad
ron and they were attacked by twenty
German planes. Despite being outnum-
bered. they accomplished their purpose
and returned to base: Every machine
was peppered with bullet holes, but the
a nhAApUAR0 NJ
the pilots had his goggles shot Oh. which
was the closest cali registered.
Lieut.. Oyster went to France October
last year For moro than seven months
French F. s aerial ' eunnery school. It Twas was
here that he saw much OF Quentin
Roosevelt. washington friend Of boy
hood days. Lieuts. Oyster and Shelly
have been together since before their
hazardous stage. Lieut.. H. e. Turner Of
Seattle, Wash, had been designated to
return with them for duty as an instruc-
tor. but he was killed In An aerial battle
October Ii.
The people Of France are enthusiast
Ito over the Americans and give them
full credit for turning hack the Ger
mans at Thierry and saving Paris, the
four avfators stated yesterday. How
ever .jubilent the people Of America
may have been made BY the armisties
OA4kAA3Dss02AS
axcellsd that Of the French, they said.
Wear 1ndgniA for Service.
Lieuta Oyster, Shelly and Mccarthy
are observers and Lieut.. Follmer II a
pilot. The former three officers wear
the French brsvst, which IL awarded
for threa months service AZ an In
structor or thirty hours' service over
the lines. These insignia are given
by the French to observers only, and
but sixteen have been awarded to
American diers. They are the first to
DO seen In this country. Lieut.. Oyster
was one Of eight Americans ont OF Z
struoeors In the principal Frsnch
aerial gunnsey school Il 10 his N.
tentton lator 70 resume his studies at
the uniyeSslty % Pennsytvaaia, whsfo
he was > student when war was de-
caaxsd.