Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-05
AIR HERO THANKS
HUNCH FOR LIFE
Lieut.. Campion Refused to
Take Out Soldiers
Insurance
CITY SOLDIERS RETURN
Lieut.. Rush Home Again Owes
Existence to Skill of Ger.
man Physician
CRY SOLDIERS RETURN

Thrilling stories OF air battles. the
ucklish job Of carrying INT through
shell fire. and the dangers of spying
out machine-gun nests, are told by
Philadelphans returning from the front.
John l.. Champion, Of s27 North sixty
third street. second lieutenant in the
flying corps. brought down 4 German
plane, and returned home without
scratch. During the last six weeks OF
service, he was in tho air almost every
day. Lieutenant Champion believed that
ST he staked his all without any iusur-
ance Of any kind he would return alive.
His wife shared the same belief so he
did not apply for insurance. Today he
was relnstated TO his old position in the
Survey Bureau.
The Hell Fire Bows" of the gas and
fame regiments in France had a ticklish
dob. according TO Lieutenant Edwin
Smiley, who is awaiting his discharge AZ
1.akehurst Smiley was attached to the
Thirtieth Engineers known rs the First
Gas Regiment, which operated in many
parts OF the line from Flanders to the
Swiss border.
Regiment Had so Per Cent Loss
"The regiment was we'll represented
at Chateau-Thierry. 81. Mihiel and
Meuse-Argonne." said Lieutenant Smiley.
Next TO the tank corps. no other unit
in the First Army was so popular with
the infantry. But this good work cost
the lives OF twelve officers and our
total casualties were about so per cent
. aaf hat tue nj u
five of the men rose from the ranks
and were commissioned shows the cali
ber OF the men.
"Twenty-siX' Distinguished Crosses
and eighty CroiN de Guerre have been
awarded us. Twelve officers will re-
ceive the Distinguished Service Medal -
Lieutenant Theodore Rosen, OF 32l5
Clifford street. is at his home on five
day furlough. He is minus his right
arm, his left thumb. carries machine
gun bullet wounds in his right cheek
and left wrist and twenty-four wounds
of the head and body from an exploding
hand grenade. The lieutenant who was
taken prisoner by the Germans. is also
totally deaf in his left ear and has
only partial sight of the left eve. Sur
geons at the Walter Reed Hospital
Washington, however. say his sight will
be restored.
His life, according TO his friends. is
due TO the extraordinary surgery Of a
German physician at Longwy, who oper-
ated on him following his capture.
The wounds were suffered on a vGlun.
teer mission. He was attached to the
STAFF of the 3l5th Infantry and volun-
teered to spy out a machine-gun nest
which threatened the regmental ad-
vance. On November 4, with an orderly.
he worked his way toward the German
lines and walked within fifteen feet OF
the machine-gun nest. The Germans
discovered them, and though the orderly
escaped back TO. the American lines,
Rosen fought the Germans until his
ammunition, was gone. Several bullets
entered his body and a hand grenade
fell into the dugout. II exploded and he
lost consciousness.
Says Germans Treated Him Well
His captors gave him the best OF
treatment, he says, and he was con-
veyed back TO the American lines after
the armistice was signed.
Probably the youngest American 10
nv in the famous Lafayette Escadrile
Sergeant Pilot Elliston Converse Boggs
eighteen years old, former student and
athlete at St. Lukes School, Wayne, re-
turned to Wayne yesterday for few
hours. He had been more than eighteen
de Guerre and a Fourragere for his per
formances there.
Is The Croix de Guerre was given HIN
for bringing down a German sausage
balloon" last spring in the Chateau
Thierry fighting. The F'ourrsgere is ar
Indication of the citation of his squad
ron for distinguished service.
II want 10 go TO France to drive ar
ambulance" he told his schoolmates an'
teachers,
Jack HUM, son of Samuel p HUM
! well known in. financial circles, has re
7 turned after several months service will
the flying squadron of the famous Dew
Dogs" the United states marine corps
Huhn. who first enlisted in the navy, wa
transferred to the marine corps becaus
sconvoying was too tame" His one re
xret is that he did not encounter an!
Huns .on the bombing expeditions u
which he participated He SAYS he wa
treated spiendidly while abroad.