Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-17
HOME FROM WAR
FOR CHRISTMAS
Two Philadelphia Overseas
Heroes in Military
Hospital
ARRIVED ON LEVIATHAN
lieutenant George Kelly and
Private James ]. Lynsky
Won Honors in Battle

1. .
Back from overseas for Christmas.
= with a channce of spending the day at
their own fresldes, two more Philadel-
phia heroes are happy today. With
French war crosses dangling on their
breasts. the wounds from which they
have not recovered mean nothing more
than little Inconvenience. =,
Lieutenant George Kelly. so1 South \
Fifty-fourth street, and Private James
J. Lynsky, 4107 North Ninth street. are
the returned heroes. They are resting
today In a military hospital in New
York, having arrived there yesterday
aboard the Leviathan.
Too modest both of them. to tell Of
their own exploits, they were among the
shyest of the groups of heroes interview
| cd aboard the huge transport.
Lieutenant Kelly. who was wounded in
the fighting around Cantigny, was
awarded the French war cross for saving
1.-the lives Of ar entire crew of a tank on
May %. On that day his company was
advancing behind tank when high
explosive shell set the tank on fire..
We could hear the cries Of those
inside even above the roar of the battle"
ne said. so just did my bit and am
thankful was successful"
But a comrade said that Lieutenant
Kelly ran to the blazing tank and al
though severely burned, managed to get
Ithe door open and got every member of
the. crew out alive.
At another part of the great ship
boy with very little face left, was
telling about Captain Ty Cobb's speech
on the boat few nights before,
Wounded soldiers crowded around him
listening attentively
"James Lynsky, Hero"
One of these was a tan, blond -halred
youth. His right arm was crippled (but
soon will be straight because of expert
army, surgical treatment). He wore a
thick gray woolen glove on his right
N hand to keep the chill Off and his right
~ root was encased only in a heavy woolen
sock. On the breast Of his unbuttoned
olive drab woolen shirt .dangled tine
glorious Croix de Guerre of France, with
bronze palm across the ribbon to show
his heroism had been extraordinary. r.
flames Lynsky Philadelphia" /" he an
swered In startled way when suddenly
ne realized that all the visitors had for
rotten even Ty Cobb and were asking
him his name while riveting their COM
bined gaze upon the war cross of France
n
| Ner. he confessed in shamefaced manner,
when pressed further. On July 16 he
had been shot through both legs and
through the right arm while fighting In
the Champagne.
Wounded Praise Chaplain
A gentleman came along the sick bay
then who Is known {, to- the Catholic
hierarchy>of America as the Rev Father
eugene Mcdonald, the chaplain who
daily had said the "sunset prayer at
sea." After seventeen years continuous
service as chaplain In the navy he
y officially rated In the Navy Depart-
ment records as Captain Eugene Edward
!. Mcdonald, U. s. N.
As he came along through the narrow
aisle between the crowded columns the
pitifuly wounded sitting son the edge Of
their cots stood up--not because. SO the
stranger,felt, of the four gold stripes on
iSv-coat cuffs, or even because of the
gold cross on his collar and the gold
lace" on his cap visor Doubtless the
wounded arose because, he was, as a
wounded soldier put 1t after Chaplain
Mcdonald had gone. ''the same to the
navy like the chaplain of the Old Sixty
ninth is to the army-he's the Father
Duffy of the navy. Get me?'
d Chaplain Mcdonald put his hands
gently on the two olive drab shoulders
Nearest him>and pressed the owners of
the shoulders downward to a sitting po-
eition again. The rest of the wounded
men saw that the priest wished them all
to be at ease and also sat on the edges
| . Of their cots.
Jimmie, "esaid the priest to the deco
| rated Lynsky-the chaplain. SO far as
|could be seen knew everybody aboard
4 BY his first name-''you're talking about
~ yourself, Ell? I'm ashamec Of you-you,
who. had to be drafted into the service
after you tried to claim exemption on
the ground that"
ssThat amt SO. chaplain On the first
day of war enlisted and"
"A roar osnghter from the sadly
wounded Jimmie Lynsly's
NJ heated fthe chaplain's laugh
ringing " And Jimmie, blushng
furious, ~ roots of his blonde hair
- he q that his particular goat
had Ssoed. Joined in shame-faced
way laughter.
/ M ~ add word about Jimmie"
SAL priest. looking thoughtful and
| ! rU a his hands together and turning
tol Evistors he spoke. Jimmie not
OF won the Croix de Guerre Of France
n nd palm-but 1t also was announced,
II before he left, that he is to re-
bkive the Medaille Militaire."
what did you do. Lynsky, to win all
these decorations?" some one asked
81 don't--I didn't don't remember,
except as stretcher bearer / helped
some boys in The Red Cross has the
details. When ! get home--I live at,
| IT4l07 North Ninth street. Philadelphia
guess the Red Cross papers will be
there and then can tell you more
about It."
"But just tell in a general way what
| you did?"
well, said Jimmie. as he arose and
began to hobble back toward his cot,t
I btill blushing as he >sealized that the
kindly eyes of Chaplain Mcdonald, the
combined gaze of his wounded buddiea
and the eKpectant look OF all the visitosV|
were upoh him. IT don't remember much
except that while 1 was a stretcher-
bearer INVENT out and helped some Of
the boys IN"
TN where?" ..
s'In back where they ought to be-in
with u.s. / went out a lot of times and
helped the boys In. The Red Cross has
the papers about 1t. I don't remember
much of the details. T. glad to meet
| you. Thanks"
~ And Jimmie retired to the gloom Of a
dim corner of the sick bay.
! DOCTORS WAR ACHIEVEMENTS
~ \ ~ 49, ------., srr-