Grants Pass daily courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1919-1931, 1919-01-09
VETERAN MARINE
ALTHOUGH BUT IS
Youth Who Fought at Chateau
Thierry viii Enter Naval
Academy.
ENLISTED WHEN ONLY IS
Carried HIs Full Burden Of Campaign
and Actual Combat While He Was
17-More Veterans Will
Probably BE Named.

Annapolis. Md.-A youth who was
In the very thick of the fighting around
Chateau-Thlerry and Belleau Wood
and passed a full year abroad as a
United States marine has obtained an
appointment for the naval academy
and is In Annapolis preparing for his
entrance examinations next spring.
He is Arthur c. Heller, son Of @.
Arthur Heller. an attorney Of New
ark, N. j., and Is now student at
naval preparatory school here.
Enlisted When Only Sixteen.
Young Heller is most modest
youth and declines to say anything
about his exploits. He wishes only
to pass his examinations for the acad-
emy and to enter as any other youth.
working hard for advancement through
the different classes, and finally to win
a commission In the navy. He was
loath to accept the appointment,
which was obtained without solicita-
ton on his part, as he wished to stay
abroad until the end OF the war. he
was with the very first troops that
went to France with Pershing.
He was cited In the debates In con.
gress upon the question of lowering
the draft age as an example of what
a very young man could accomplish,
for Heller enlisted In the marine corps
when he was only sixteen and has just
reached eighteen. Consequently he
carried his full burden Of campaign
and actual combat while he was seven
teen. 1t was argued from his case
that the best kind Of fighting could be
done by American youths between the
ages Of eighteen and twenty-one.
Heller will try for the academy BY
virtue of a regular congressional ap.
pointment. There are quite number
of other service men in Annapolis also
preparing for the entrance examina
tions next spring, young men who have
been In army training camps and 9th
ers from various branches of the nava
service. They have been given fur
loughs In order to prepare for thu
naval academy.
More Veterans to Be Named.
So far as is known none but Hellel
has had actual battle experience, bu
doubtless there will be number O
others before the next class is formed
These will come from two sources
Members of congress will take this op
portunity Of rewarding worthy youth:
of their own district who have done
creditable work in the service, and are
still of the right age. Undoubtedl,
Secretary Daniels will be able t.
designate the full quota of hundred
youths from the enlisted personnel o.
the navy and marine corps, which the
law permits to enter each new class al
the academy.
This year, though the law has beer
In effect only little over year
more than fifty were designated by the
secretary. 1t was said that one rea
son why the quota was not full wa:
that many of the young men in the
service refused to leave active duty
while there was a chance of meeting
Germany either on land or sea. Many
Of these spirited fellows will be desig
mated for the next class.
Many well-educated youths entered
the navy and marine corps for the pur
pose of getting into the thick Of 1t, ant
are still of the proper age, that is, be
low twenty. Any of these can aspire
to an appointment to the naval acad
emy through designation by the sec
| retary of the navy.