Evening star., 1921-12-21
ITALIAN WAR CROSS
BESTOWED ON FIVE
Holders of Congressional
Medal Are Honored at
Embassy.


United States were strengthened by
the presentation yesterday afternoon
at the Italian embassy of the war
cross Of Italy to group of American
soldiers. holders of the Congressional
medal Of honor. The presentation
ceremony was performed by Lieut..
Gen. Giuseppe Vaccari. chief Of staf
of the Italian army and chief mill
tary adviser to the Italian delegation
to the Washington conference, acting
for Gen. DiaZ, his commander-in-
chief. who had bestowed the awards
and had signed the accompanying GER
tificates before he left this country.
The men on whom Gen. Naccart
pinned the medals, consisting of a
Roman cross bearing the likeness or
King Victor Emanuel, suspended from
q ribbon of blush green and white,
were:
Five Are H0n0red.
Sydney G. Gumpertz, Chicago. first
sergeant. Company =, 132nd infantry,
City, Va, sergeant, Headquarters
Company, 116th Infantry. 2sth Divi-
sion; L. Wardlaw Miles, Princeton,
N. j.. captain, 30Sth Infantry, l7th
Division; George McMurtry, New
York: captain, sesth 1nfantrE; n,is Esgsrs as.n
Summit. N. j.. sergeant, Machine Gun
Company. 107th Infantry, 9th Di-
vision.
Italy, it is announced. will bestow
the same decoration on all the SOL
diers and marines who won the medal
Of honor during the world war. of
whom there are fifty-three living,
and to the families of those who lost
their lives
The Italian ambassador and Assist
ant Secretary of War Wainwright
were in attendance on the impressive
guished group of Italian and Ameri-
can officers. The latter included Gen.
Tasker H. Bliss. Gen. r. H: Noble,
Gen. George o. Squier, Gen. John NJ
Carson, Gen. George W. Burr, Gen.
James G. Harboard. Gen: Frank "
Gen. Andre W. Brewster. Col. John
NcA. Palmer, Maj R. H. Fletcher.
Capt. F. C. Starr and Lieut.. c. {.
Jadwin
Italian officers included Lieut.. Coils.
Barbasetti and Pentimalli, aides; 70
nezzo, military attache of the Italian
embassy; Col Ricardo Moizo, dele
cation adviser in military aviation,
and Capt. Carlo Huntington. assistant
military attache. Most of the civilian
staff of the embassy also were IN az
tendance.
Bows to Heroes valor.
'It is a great satisfaction to me that
brave American soldiers can receive
this decoration, one of the best Italy
can give, on American soil and In
the presence of the Italian ambassa-
dor. who gave in the war his dearest
possession, the blood Of his son." said
Gen. Vaccari. II have the same feel
ings when in company with you gal
liant men that I had when with the
units had the honor to command.
There can be no distinction as to ma
in the appreciation of the
yalor Of a brave soldier. In bestoW-
ing these decorations I feel the spirit
Of Italy and the spirit Of the United
States together bowing to your Va!of.
I myself bow to the heroic ones tnat
YOU. received the highest decoration
your country can give. but cannot De
here today. The spirits of those who
lost their lives are here and, with me,
you. Your country con-
Rratulates you through the presence
Of an official Of your War Department
and all Italy congratulates you:
Gen. Vaccari explained that he
would next have the great honor to
decorate the five men and that the
cross would go later to those unable
to be present and to the families OF
the men no won the medal OF honor,
but lost their lives.
Pins Cross on Five. =
The Italian commanding officer then
pinned the cross on the breast of each
Of the five, handed each his certihcate
and shook him warmly by the hand.
Following the presentation cere-
monies Assistant Secretary Vain
carl. Ambassador Ricci and to the
italian people. Ambassador Ricci re-
sponded "to both armies, to President
Harding and to the American gov
ernment with which the Italian gov
ernment stands ready to Cooperate
to keep the worlds peace"
The Italian war cross ts awarded
by the secretary of war of italy, but
Gen. Diaz, as generalissimo, has au-
thority to make awards in the name
of the secretary. Gen. Diaz with his
own hands pinned the cross on Sergt.
Woodfill, one of the wars greatest
heroes, when he met the latter in
Louisville. KY, during his recent
Cen, Diaz had no authority to
award the cross to the men who re-
ceiyed the naval congressional medal
Of honor during the world war. but
the matter of their decoration has
been taken up with the italian navy
and it is believed that, in the near
future, American sailors VIII also re-
ceive the Italian decoration.
Null n KlIlEn RY,AllT0