The sun., 1919-02-02
FLATBUSH JOYOUS
OYER ACE MEISSNER
5000 Join In Lionizing the
Youthful Major for His
War Exploits.
PRIEST LEADS SPEAKING
Section Aflame With Lights,
While Bands Play and
People Cheer.
PRIEST LEADS SPEAKING

There wasn't a doubt in the world
! about what was going to happen over In
France when Major James A. Meissner
Brooklyn's youthful ace, climbed into hi,
plane and lit out after the qerman air.
men. The German was going TO lose
because there wasn't single thing up
In the clouds that Major Jimmy Meissner
could not do. do we'll. do better, in fact
than most any sort OF fIer the German
school OF war could turn in his direction.
But there is one thing that even the
heroic ace cannot DO. It was demon
strated clearly last night to Ace Jimmy's
neishbors. but apparently they didn't
mind at all. Major James A. Meissner
cannot make speech. Especially he
cannot make speech when there are
5000 shouting. cheering. clamoring Flat.
oushites all trying to crowd onto the
Meissner front porch at 40 Lenox road
10 shake the fier's hand at the same
time. All that Major Meissner can do in
such circumstance Is to bow. smile pro-
luseiy and then announce that he
guessed" he "believed' he Thought" he
didn't do much anyhow"
FOR Major Metssner got down to Flat
bush about noon yesterday In the big
Limousine sent over for him to the pier
where he landed the night before
from the steamship Adriatic, alons
with a batch Of other American hght-
ers Just in from Franco Somehow.
the block didn't look the same as Il
did when Major Meissner-who had no
rank at all then--left IT a long time
ago to get into the serious business of
war.
Housewives Join In Welcome.
Flatbush housewives who before d,dn'.
pay much more attention to the Meis =
Ter youth than they did to any of the
other boys on the block were out Drawing
tht risors OF Flatbush weather, while
they hung hass from their windows and
porches and hedges. and strung stream
ers OF bunting wherever a bunting
srreamer would hang. The whole block
was dotted with colored electric bulbs,
and for every revolution Of the llmou-
sine wheels Major Meissher heard him
self acclaimed a hero at least a hun
dred times. All of which gave the very
first hint that Major Meissner. ace or
TO scc. was a mighty bashfui younsster
Of 20 years and eight Boche hiers to his
credit.
Carl A. Meissner, father Of the Flat
bush ace. who is a metallurg,cal engi-
neer for the United States Steel Cor
poration. ran out In his shirt sleeves to
give his favored son Just the sort of
greeting that the young fier was wait
ing TO bestow upon his proud father.
Mrs Meisners greeting was equally
enthusiastic, and then Jimmy went In
side to tell Just how shooting down a
tc MI aha
II was not. however. until last night
that Major Meissner realised the mean
ing Of the decorated block. Until then
ne didn't know II WAS all for him. But
It was. and along about 8 o'clock two
bands Of music marched into Lenox
road. Behind them came the full men,
bership OF all the civic associations of
which F1atbush can boast, and that 10
approximately one for each square
block.
At least 5000 more persons traiied
civic association folk and when they
were all nicely settled in straight rows
that stretched far down the block IN both
directions the cheer leader gave a signal
and up went a big shout It brought
Major Meissner and his family out to
the porch and then the formal job OF
wecom!ny home tho ace which Brooklyn
calls its own got under way.
Priest and Judge Speak.
There were speeches by Mgr. John c.
Weeds. pastor Of the Catholic Church OF
the Holy Cross, which Is just a few
blocks from the Meissner home; by
County Judge Howard G. Nash and by
Henry Hesterberg. a Flatbush resident
who is the Borough's Superintendent OF
Highways.
Major Meissner stood blushinR and
nervous IN the background while all this
was going on and he toyed clumsily at
the end OF his uniform coat when he
heard the priest and tho Judge and the
other speakers tell the 5000 neighbors
just how much OF a hero F1atbush had
produced. Then some one called for
sps ech from the ace.
It couldn't be helped, and Major Melss-
ner was called upon 20 step forth and
tell the Flatbush folk just how he did Il.
The two medals that Major Meissner
won by his bravery were conspicuous by
their inability to be seen. In fact, the
most noticeable thing about Major Meiss-
ner was the blush that sufrused his coun-
tenance as he tried to comply with the
demand for a speech.
He made several starts ard then
wound up by asserting that words failed
him. whereas his engine hadn't, and that
he juet went over to do the best he could
and he guessed ne believed he thought he
didn't do much anyhow" After which
Tlatbush cheered and the big party
broke up and. still blushing. Major
Meissner retired inside the big house
thousandth time Just what did happen
tko 81