New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
Miss Liberty Like
A Sweetheart to
Brooklyn Air Hero

A stocky young American in the pict-
uresque uniform of the Lafayette
Squadfon-red "kep," blue coat, red
baggy trousers and brown leather put
tees-home on furlough with honor
able wounds received while whipping
the Boche in the clouds, called on
Mayor Hylan yesterday at the City
Hall. He was Lieutenant Joseph c..
Stehlin, of Sheepshead Bay, not yet
twenty-onc and wearing the Croix dc
Guerre with two palms, awarded by
the French government for conspicuous
bravery.
A delegation of Shcepshead Bay
friends met the young f1ier at the boat
and drove him to the City Hall in a
taxicab to receive the congratulations
Of the Mayor. Lieutenant Stehlin de-
INJURED on the "shake hands idea" and
the "hero stuff" and wanted to head
straight for home. Arthur w. Dcnnen,
chairman of the reception committee,
introduced the Brooklyn boy to the
Mayor.
Welcomed by Mayor
"Mr. Mayor, this is Lieutenant o,eh-
lin," he said, "who left Brooklyn year
ago and has acquitted himself we'll in
the Lafayette Escadrille."
You left Brooklyn year ago; when
did you arrive?" asked Mayor Hylan,
shaking the lieutenant's hand.
Just arrived this morning." replied
Lieutenant Stehlin.
"Glad to meet you and l congratulate
ho f1o1 L.,
by your call"
The Mayor and the aviator then
posed for their pictures, but the Mayor
refused to go outside the hall to pose
for pictures for the movies.
Young Stehlin was reticent in talk
ing about his exploits as an aviator
over there" He modestly declined to
talk about himself, and would not say
how seriously he had been wounded
and under what circumstances.
"Just hurt little" he replied to per-
sistent Inquiries. Enough to get home
for while, and then back to have an
other crack at them"
Bothered by Trip Home
The trip home seemed to have both
cred the young lieutenant more than
the matter Of little mixup with a Ger
man plane mile up in the air. 1t
was CWO WSehS dlLcT ne lelC a FTeHCn
port before he saw the Statue of Lib
erty. He told his friends he was mighty
glad to get his feet on shore again, es-
pecally the shore of his own native
land.
ooh, say. take it from me-" he said,
that Liberty Gal down the bay looked
like sweetheart to me. Two weeks
on ship, with everybody on the lookout
for subs, and then that old lady with
her torch! She's the niftiest thing I've
seen in long time"
The young aviator went to France af-
ter he had been rejected for the Avia-
ton Corps in this country a year ago.
Twenty days after he was full-fedged
aviator in. the French service he
brought down his first German plane.
Has Record of Forty-one Battles
Lieutenant Stehlin's record to date is
forty-one battles fought in the air and
seven German planes accounted for.
His closest call came the day his engine
went dead and he was forced to coast
all the way to the earth. Fortunately
he landed within the French lines.
The young American served for a
brief period as an ambulance driver. He
found it altogether too tame, however,
and was permitted to join the Aviation
Corps. After flying with the Lafayette
Squadron for time. he was transferred
to the American division, and it was
while flying under the American flag
that he received the wounds which
brought him home.
Lieutenant Stehlin lives at 3O33
Ocean Avenue, Sheepshead Bay