The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-11-21
100 SHRAPNEL PIECES
FROM MONTANA SOLDIER
Story Reads Like Fairy Tale-Can't
Punch Cattle, But Will Raise
Chickens.

Butte, Nov.-"A hand grenade hi
me and broke. | had IS pieces of lea,
or copper taken out and there ar
nearly so pieces left. 1t took eigh
operations to do the work which Frit
zie started. That is about all there il
to it.. Now | am going out on my
homestead and raise chickens. They
say | am not much good for worl
any more"
This was the modest statement made
yesterday by Joe Podgorski, after ar
operation at Murray's hospital ir
which some more %shrapnel was remov-
ed from his head. He was wounded
by a hand grenade during the engage
ment at Verdun, September, 1918. Not
an inch is left whole on his body. The
doctors said they had picked nearly
100 pieces of shrapnel out of his body
and he is still able to move around
carrying nearly half as many more.
By these injuries the wounded man
has been completely disabled for any
work and at present is in no condition
to take vocational training. Although
the government is giving him only $50
as compensation, his case has been
taken up both by the Red Cross and
by the officials at Murray's hospital,
which has been authorized to make an
official report to governmental auth
critics on all such cases.
Mr.. Podgorski left last night for
Divide, where he lives and where he
intends to make his home. He said
yesterday that since he had been in
capacitated for such work as "punch-
ing" cattle he would have to resort to
raising chickens or some similar light
occupation.
The story of the wounded man reads
like fiction. Because of his deeds in
battle he has been recommended for
citations. During the engagement at
the Argonne he had been sniping for
his company. A machine gun nest in a
tree, which had been causing consid-
cradle difficulty to the advancing
troops, was assigned for him "to get"
From a concealed location he was able
pick out the machine gunner who
was tied in a tree, with an assistant
carrying ammunition to him. This
was pulled up by a rope
and the gunner had nothing to do but
spray these missiles of death through
advancing troops.
After getting the gunner Podgorski
the ammunition carrier. He
vas then ordered to take up an advan-
led position. He had found a suitable
ocation and was lying flat on his stom-
'ch for an opportunity when sudden
a German grenader appeared before
lin and threw a hand grenade.
"The grenade hit me on my dinner
said the soldier, "and rolled
IF. Then it went off. l had turned
ny head with the helmet down but
hat did not stop the shrapnel from
to me. My whole left side
vas perforated. But l was still able
o use my right arm and took a couple
f shots at Fritzie. l think l got
i'm. Anyway he didn't bother me any {
|
This incident occurred late in the ,
fternoon and the soldier was COM
elled to lie in the mud and rain all {
light before he was picked up by the I
squad and removed to a hos {
ital. In addition to the shrapnel he {
eceived a machine gun bullet in his
nee. - \
Podgorski spent nine months in the
Iospital, during which time he was OPP
rated on eight times. He still has
1 pieces of copper left in his head,
in his leg, 3 in his left arm, one in
is left side and one. in his lungs.
He served with the 362nd infantry =.
f the ninety-first division and was ,
ent to Camp Lewis in the first draft, ,
1917. One year later he
vas wounded. In addition to the Ver-
.un engagement he saw action at Cha
eau Thierry and Metz.