The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-08-04
AID SOLDIERS
WHOHAVECIVEN
SIGHT in FIGHT
MEN WHO. HAVE PAID WITH
THEIR EYES PART OF PRICE OF
VICTORY NOW sEiNe LOOKED
AFTER IN AMERICA.
fBy The Associated Pre.s).

Washington. d. c., Aug. 3-For them
!, who shall exist in darkness to the end
OF their days-soldiers who have paid
with their eyesight part of the price OF
victory, the army machinery of re-
construction is now beginning to func,.
tion AT General Hospital No.. I, just
i outside of Baltimore, and under the
special Red Cross Institute for the
blinded, the first group of nine has
been assembled, and is struggling
painfully but hopefully over the in
tricacfes OF Braife type. taking the
| first steps on the long road that will
end when senses of touch and hear
ing have sharpened to keenness that
will to some degree compensate for
the missing optic nerve. There are
10 more on the way back from France
to take UP the training. ana up to
recent date, this was the total num-
Der of the absolutely sightIess that
American armies had to report
Naturally enough. of the first nine.
accident and disaster incident to
handling Of explosives accounted for a
larger proportion than did casualty
inflicted by the enemy. Sergeant Zim-a
norman, Texas truck driver first
man to come back into the hands OF
the institute and now its prize pat
lent, was found after an automobile
accident in France pinned to the
ground under his engine. He lived.
but the optic nerve was paralized
Yet now, after comparatively but few
months, he can read and write the
Braile, which is the curious set of dots
pricked through paper which spells out
letters for sensitive finger tips, and
likewise hammer out on a typewriter
accurate letters for any persons read
ing Teaching the use OF the type
writer as a future occupation for the
blinded soldiers is one of the courses
which the instructors have developed
Having a very particular girl friend
in New York, and exchanging CORES
pondence with her. it grew Just bit
embarrassing to Sergeant Zimmerman,
to require attendants to read all her
return letters to himiA When his en-
barrassment was discovered a young
woman lending auxiliary aid to the
Red Cross boarded a train1and is now
in New York, teaching the girl to
write Braile. too.
This is fair sample of the extent to
which the extra-official care is going.
The Library of Congress has long been
famous for its reading room for the
blind, with it's extensive publications
in Braile Mrs. Gertrude Rider, who
heads it, has been an active assistant
TO the institute, WHICH Is Duilo1ng o.
its own. There is a "cheer-up" book
now being prepared which win assist
the soldier students to learn as NNl
as to entertain, the heads OF civilian
institutions for the blind have peen in
terested in the effort.
AS yet, the institute has no grad
yates fitted to enter civil life because
the soldiers will not be discharged un-
til they have become proficient in q |
new occupation, and able to maintain
The idea is not to keep
them off a pension list-the insurance
policies they hold provide S1oo q month
to keep them from want-but to keen
off the feeling of uselessness that
leads to dispair. End hold out for them
a definite place in life in spite Of the
handicap that has been forced upon
them.