Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-29
|KROONLAND ARRIVES
WITH 2lOO OF 18TH
Major General Kuhn, Wearing
Two French Decorations,
Heads Penna. Men
| MAYOR SMITH eREETs SHIP
Rp a star corrcspondsnt

New York, May 29.--Major General
Joseph Il. Kuhn and more than 2loo
officers and men of the Seventy ninth
Tsherty-Diyision came home today on
the transport Kroonland, bearing all
the bonors that the French Govern :
ment could bestow.
While the sirens OF harbor craft
/ saluted and Mayor Smith, OF Phiadei-
ubia. and his welcoming party stood
bareheaded OH the landing pier, the
Kroonland was warped into her dock Mt
Hoboken at $50 o clock this morn
Ting.
On the trip up the harbor the kroon-
iland gave notice to New York shipping
THAT men from the Seventy ninth Di-
vision were aboard by means OF huge
shield displayed on the forward upper
deck bearing great white Lorraine
cross on its field of blue. The veterans
of the last great battles of the war re-
ceived as warm a welcome as their ship
steamed into Hoboken as they could
have hoped for had it come up the
Delaware river at Philadelphia.
General Kuhn is Decorated
General Kuhn, commander of the men
who wore the Lorraine Cross into bat
tie, returned to his native land as pos
SCISSOR of the French Croix de Guerrc
and Legion of Honor, the two greatest
distinctions France can bestow.
The decorations were conferred at
Nantes May Is, two days before the
Kroonland sailed. General Kuhn was
made a commander of the Legion of
Honor, which is the third highest rank
in that famous organization.
In honoriug the commanding officer
of the Liberty Division. the French high
command honored also the men who
represented Pennsylvania and nearby
states inthe National Army. The fol-
lowing citation was read by General
1 Dodellier of the French army to General
Kuhn, as commander of the Seventy
ninth. when the decorations were be
slowed:
"When in the month of July. 1918,
the Seventy ninth Division debarked in
France. the last battles of the war were
going on. 1t was the hour when no
effort could be spared.
Showed NaIor and Sacrifice
after some week of instruction your
division, in the early part of September,
entered the line near the citadel of
yerdun. 1t was in this sector of Lor-
raine that they were called upon to
lprove themselves.
SIN the fighting of November. 1918,
the Seventy ninth Division showed valor
sand the spirit Of sacrifice. The names
,of Magenta Farm and Pantheon Farm
Twill remain, am certain, in the mem :
2Cries of your soldiers as reminders OF
hard and glorious days.
81 take pleasure in recalling these
splendid feats of arms at the moment
when the Seventy ninth Division is de-
lparting to return to the mother country.
I am happy to say to your soldiers that
they are worthy of their great country
and that France will not forget the help
they brought in the common struggle
d for justice and liberty.
The Kroonland brought home 3S11
troops in all. OF these more than 21OO
were members of the Seventy ninth
Division. General Kuhn was accom-
panied by his divisional staff, among
whom were many Philadelphians. Or
Plantations of the Liberty Division
aboard included Companies X. l. and
M of the 316th Infantry and the 304th
divisional Engineers.
Probe Bullet, Get Captains Disc
ig Captain f. A. Van Dyke, of Phila
idelphia, commanded the three com :
ipanies of the 3l6th. Fellow officers re
lated an amusing anecdote concerning
captain Van Dyke. He was badly
wounded in the chest during the
sArgonne fighting, and removed to d
hospital at the rear. The wound was
gnade by a machine gun bullet. and die
mot yield readily to treatment. After
it had remained open for three week,
the surgeons decided to probe deeply
for the bullet.
Captain Van Dyke submitted to tn,
trying ordeal. After probing for som,
time the surgeons extracted from tb,
wound Captain Van Dykes identifca
tion disc, worn about his neck, which
had been driven into the wound by m,
bullet.
Captain Van Dyke grinned feebI
when the surgeons showed him wha
they had found.
Better keep right on probing, Doc.
! the captain gasped, II lost my Sar
Browne belt about the same time"
Prominent Families Represented
Two distinguished Philadelphia fam
lilies were represented on the Kroon
land. Captain Jay Cooke, Sd, g
Chestnut Hill, was greeted at Hoboke
by his parents, as was Captain Edwar
4 w. Madeira, of Schoolhouse lane, Ger
mantown. Mr.. and Mrs. Percy Ma
deira and Mr.. and Mrs. Jay Cook
ilWUSTTUTIrJJTV1r 1rTy JrTC IITIJrN ryJV U1VU mn