Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-21
KEEP ON CRIES
DYING OFFICER
"They've Got Me-" Said
Lieutenant Van Dusen,
of Germantown
OTHER BRAVE DEEDS
Stories of Courage and Devo.
ton OH Field Told by Con-
valescents at Camp Meade


Keen o z"
Then Lieutenant Edwin Thorp Van
Dusen. 5131 Morris street, German
town. MORALLY wounded by a bursting
shell, plunged face forward on the bat
tlefleld. The ":boys" went on to victory.
This is one of many stories of re-
markable bravery told by wounded
Philadelphians and Pennsylvanians who
have. arrived from overseas at the Camp
Meade convalescent hospital. They are
heroes of the Iron Division (Twenty-
eighth) n the Liberty Division (Seven-
ty-ninth), and marty. other organiza-
tions with which Philadelphians fought.
Another story of bravery is told by
John Connors, of Pottsville, Pa. 1t
concerns a Catholic chaplain, Lieutepant
John F. Mhlligan, of the Sixty-first In
fantry. who went through shrapnel and
machine-gun bullets to rescue a wounded
soldier. AS he stopped to raise the
officer, a shell exploded near, killing the
chaplain and the soldier.
Hero's Mother Located
t"o AboliGT OIL INOutIJ Dllllllb lldlII oilt
Of the wounded Philadelphians, was To-
Dated today by the EVENING PUBLIC
LEDGER.
The youthful soldier used to live at
1907 Addison street, but his family
moved and letters sent by him to the
Addison street address were returned.
Dillingham; was in a blue funk when
he reached this country. with Christmas
near, and found he could not locate his
mother and sister.
To be gassed, wounded and she'll
shocked and invaded home and then
not find any family waiting for him with
open arms was pretty tough luck" he
said.
Mrs. Dillingham; was located at 221
South Sixtieth street. When the mother
was told her boy was back in this coun-
try she dropped. into a chair and wept
with joy.
Then she t]elephoned to her daughter,
Margaret, who Is night supervisor at the
Children's Homeopathic Hospital, Frank
lin and Thompson streets. The daugh-
ter left almost Immediately for Camp
Meade, so that her hero-brother may
be home for his Christmas dinner.
Roberts older brother, Arthur, died
during the influenza epidemic. The SOL
der does not know of his brothers
death.
Dillingham; is a member of the 10th
Infantry. He was put out of the fight
ing at Chaeau-Thierry by gas, shrap-
mel and a high explosive shell.
Lieutenant a Dusen was the son
of Mr.. n Mrs. Samuel B. Van Dusen.
He met death on September 80 in the
heavy fighting along the Meuse river.
He was an officer of the 314th Infantry
which received its training at Camp
Meade.
William l.. Housed, a member of the
regiment. vas within a few feet of Lieu
tenant Van Dusen when the officer was
killed.
Knew He Was Done For
Lieutenant Van Dusen was leading
his company through a shower of shell
and m~achine-gun bullets" said Housed,
"when a shell burst near him. In an
instant the lieutenant knew the shell
had scored against him. The men knew
it, too. He turned and said, Well, boys,
Mt last they've got me. Keep on and
then plunged face forward"
Lieutenant a Dusen was twenty
four years old. He graduated from the
Germantown Academy in 1910, from the
Lawrenceville School in 1911 and Prince
ton University in 1915. He was q MEM
Der of the Belfry Club, Germantown
Academy's dramatic organization, n Of
the Triangle Club, the Princeton dra-
matte club. He played on the football
and baseball teams at Germantown
Academy nine at Princeton.
After graduation he went into the
Is automobile tire business and later was
attached to the treasurer's Office of the
Electric. Storage Battery Company.
When this country entered the war
he took special training In military drill
and went into the first officers training
camp at Fort Niagara, earning a COM
mission as lieutenant. He was sent to
Camp Meade n attached to the 314th
Infantry. Later he was promoted to the
m~achine-gun company of the regiment
n after the unit reached France acted
as official interpreter for a while, as he
spoke French fiuently. ,
The young officer was a direct descend
ant of Peterson Var Dusen, Governor
of New Amsterdam New York city, in
1882. He was a member of the Prince
ton Club of Philadelphia, the German
town Cricket Club and the Campus
Club Of Princeton.
Prest Never Hesitated
Connors, who told the story about
Father MulllBan, was wounded, but he
has nothing to say about his own part
IN the war. ~
zone of the bravest deeds I over
saw he said, was performed nv
Father Mulllgan. Father Mulligan saw
a soldier lying wounded at a point where
shrapnel was dropping all around and
machine-gun bullets were whlzzlng. II
was a veritable death spot and the mer
had to lie low. Father Mulligan, who
had been administering absolution to tho
dying and going about hearing confes.
sions, did not hesitate a minute. He
went forward to bring back the wounded
officer. AS he stopped to lift the man
n shell burst in front OF him, kIllina
both him and the officer he tried &c
save"
1t was because he was born In Italy
on December 25, twenty-five years ago,
that Private Cataldi, one of the wounded
soldiers at the base hospital, was
: christened Christmas Cataldi. Cataldl
comes from Connellsvllle. Ia, and Is a
member of the 160th Infantry. He was
y hit by a bit of shrapnel In the right leg
on October Is. He is one of those who
was brought across the ocean on the
hospital ship Comfort. Cataldi's. Christ
mas will not be AS cheerful as other
Chrlstmases. because he had all the old
folks around him them, He Is too weak
as yet TO go home TO Connellsyille, and
IL Is e. little too far for his people 10
make the trip to camp. But he ia
mighty glad that he got a chance TO heir
his adonted country, and Rrataful that