Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-26
VETERANS ARRIVE
ON SAN TIA BARBARA
10Th Division Men, Heroes Of
Five Campaigns, Landed Here
Today-Great Welcome
251ST N. P. co. ABOARD

Battle Scared veterans of FIVE cam
paigns against the Germans reached
Philadelphia today on board the trans
port Santa Barbara and were given a
wonderful reception.
In addition to several outfits that saw
service in every big campaign in which
| the American forces participated, a unit
of the Seventy ninth Division--the
251st Military Police Company-trained
at Camp Meade and made up largely
of Philadelphians, was on board.
The men landed at Snyder avenue
wharf about ten o'clock, having reached
Delaware Breakwater last night and
proceeded up TO Reedy Island. where the
anchor was cast until this morning.
Such warlike shouts as "get the
ID Germans for sinking their ships
and ION to Mexico to clean up now"
were forgotten in general rush to the
side of the ship when some one shouted
there's Hog Island" They had all
heard of the worlds greatest shipyard
and were anxious to see it.
Captain r. G. NJ Page. formerly of
Mt. Airy. now of Florida, of the
Eighty eighth Aero Squadron. was one
of the five campaign men on board. He
has the Distinguished Service Cross and
Croix de Guerre. He insisted that the
awards had been passed around in a
basket and he had been lucky enough
to grab one of each.
Daring F'eats
But comrades told Of daring feats
above the clouds at Chateau -Thiery,
! Toul. the Marne and the Argonne. in
cluding two occasions on which he was
lost over the German lines and returned
safely after battling four enemy planes
on one occasion and five on another.
In each of these events he destroyed
one German plane.
Captain Page was born on Boyer
street, Mt. Airy. and was educated at
the Germantown Friends School. His
father was Carter II. Page. a cousin of
former Ambassador Page. and an Of
fetal Of the United Gas Improvement
Company.
Another FIVE campaign man on board
the transport was Captain Clayton Bis
sell. of Kane, Pa. member of the
63Sth Aero Squadron. Like Captain
Page he was trained with the British
during the early days of the war. He
was awarded the British Flying Cross
for successfully battling seven German
planes above Cambria. Captain Bissell
is one of the first Americans to return
with the latest Of British decorations.
Major y. NJ. Shaffer. of New Castle.
Pa. enlisted as a buck private in
veterinary unit and forty days later
attained the rank of major in the same
corps. His phenomenal rise was based
on sheer merit comrades insist.
An Indian. Leo White Eagle. mem
Der of Major Shaffer's outfit. gained
| fame throughout the a. f. f. for his
riding ability Lieutenant John r.
| Wood. of Newtown Square, was an
other noted rider aboard.
Captain Crawford Home
! Captain Allan Crawford. of 1900
SAMSON street, this city. was another
one of the veterans aboard who success
fully defied death during five campaigns.
He was a member of Captain Page
outfit.
Private Edward G. Seipp, of the
251st Military Police Company, form
er patrolman attached to the Twelfth
District. said that the Philadelphia po-
{ licemen attached to that organization
had done exceptionally fine police work
abroad and had earned the commenda
ton of all with whom they came in
contact.
There was one sick man on the ship.
He was Private Edward J. Lawnton,
316 Fitzgerald street. He was taken
ill with the grip while still three days
out of port He is recovering. how
ever. and probably will be discharged
within a few days.
As usual the soldiers brought several
mascots home. One of the most con-
spicuous was Nancy. German police
dog, taken in a captured German
trench. Captain f. NJ. Williams, of
the 354th Aero Squadron, is the owner.
Two foxes and six other dogs, as we'll
as dove captured at the Argonne,
are among the other mascots.