Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1919-01-31
ENTITLED TO WEAR
ITALIAN RIBBON
Lieut.. Laurence Sherman, AVIATOR,
Receives Certificate
Lieut.. Oscar Marshall Also Decorated
Latter Visitor Here Friday and Sat
urday.

urday.
Lieut.. Laurence G. Sherman received
Saturday from the Italian war office
official notice that he had been authorized
bv the government of that country to
wear the Italian service ribbon. Stimuli
taneously despatch from Washington
stated that az officers of the American
air service and one officer of the medical
reserve who served in Italy had been au
thorized by the Italian minister of war
to wear the ribbon. Lieut.. Sherman al
ready had the ribbon in his possession.
He is the only Vermonter in the list. All
the officers mentioned have returned to
the United States.
Lieut.. Sherman is son of Manager and
Mrs George +. Sherman of the Brooks
House. While in his senior year at Dart
mouth college he went in May, 1917, to
the first officers training camp at Platts-
burg N Y, and on Aug. of that year
he was transferred to the Massachusetts,
Institute of Technology in Boston, where
he had eight weeks of instruction in the
ground work of the aviation service.
| On Oct lS he and about $50 other avia e
ton cadets sailed in convoy from Fort
| Wood, Bedloe's Island, New York harbor,
month. From that point he went to the
, big flying field at Issoudun, France, where
I The rest of the year was spent building
roads, hangers, etc.
In January, 1918, Lieut.. Sherman as
one of party of about $50 aviators
went to Foggia, on the southwest coast
of Italy, where the largest flying school
in that country is located, and where on
1 % Ice, oil Ia
Rant From Foggia he went in June to
Tours, France. and took chasse training
for pursuit and scout work. The armen
there used various types of fast planes,
Lieut.. Sherman using a Caudron. a two
seated machine with 50-foot wing spread.
Returning to Foggia last August, Lieut..
Sherman remained there until the armi-
stice was signed. During his second stay
at Eoggia he drove Caproni machines of
/ 600, $50 and 600 horse power, principally
the 600 horse power type. This is tr-
motorcd biplane with 2l-foot wing
spread. and with it Lieut.. Sherman
reached an altitude of $4,000 feet. The
atmosphere at that altitude is very cold.
but the birdmen wear Teddy Bear suits,
some of them fur lined, and the suits are
wired so that a current of electricity
generated by the airplancs keeps the
aviators fairly warm.
Lieut.. Sherman saw a little of the
! fighting near the close. On one occasion
Lieut.. Sherman and Lieut.. Ross Dunn of
/ Noblesvilc Ind. We're commended for
their work in saving Caproni machine
which took fire at an altitude of 1000
meters. or about 6,l00 feet. Backiire in
I the carbureter started a fire in the left
u1fi
! the plane to earth Lieut. Dunn operated
i'h' Pyrene cxtinguishcr. They landed
safely and saved the machine, which cost
$4,000.
Seven days after the armisticc was
signed Lieut.: Sherman left Italy, Nov. Is
and arrived in St. Maxient, France. Nov
%. He left Dec. for Bordeaux. Up TO
the time of his arrival in Bordeaux he
had been in the llllth aero squadron
from which he was relieved there return
ing home as a casual officer. He left
Bordeaux Dec. l6 on the United States
Fruit company's steamer Carriage. There
were "a airmen aboard, who landed in
Hobokep Dec. 90 Lieut.. Sherman was
discharged three days later and arrived
at his home in Brattleboro Jan. 8. He
now has a position in +. L. Hildreth &
Co.'S printing office.
Lieut.. Sherman was born in Walpole
y. H.. Jan. l6, 1895. He came here in
1913 when his father George T.. Sherman
took the management of the Brook.
House, and his home has been there
since. He attended the Brattleboro high
school in the class of 1913 leaving in his
junior year He graduated from Dart
mouth college in 1917. While in the high
school he was the star Splinter of the
track team.
! Another young man who is we'll known
N Brattleboro. formerly having lived
here. who is entitled to wear the Italian
service ribbon is Lieut.. Oscar B. Mar,
shall. whose home is now in California
He is n son of the late Oscar A. Marshall
who was cashier of the Peoples National
hank Lieut.. Marshall came T." Brattle-
boro Friday for short visit after
spending l6 months in the United States
oir service in France and Italy. Lieut.
Marshall was in an aviation camp in
Eoggia. Italy. two miles from the camp
where Lieut.. Sherman was stationed but
they did not see each other and neither
Knew that the other WAS in italy until
after the war. Lieut.. Marshall left Sat
rrdav for New York from which city he
left for his home in California the first
of this week. He had bank position
there before entering the service.