The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1921-10-22
LOUISIANA LEADS IN
CARE OF HER SOLDIERS
Four Thousand Veterans are Aided
Each Month BY Red
Cross Chapters.
Especial to the JournaD

Atlanta, Ga-LQuisiana is among
the leading states Of the nation in
the care it is giving to its disabled
soldiers and the members of their
families according to reports received
at headquarters of the Southern Di'
vision Of the American Red Cross.
No less than 1000 veterans are aided
each month by Louisiana Red Cross
Chapters in their struggle to over
come the handicaps of wounds, gas,
and disease in their battle back to
peacetime usefulness.
The money paid these men by the
Red Cross, or expended In their be,
half, is entirely outside of any money
or compensation they receive from
government bureaus. The Red Cross
work for these veterans is entirely
separate and distinct from that per
formed by the government, though the
|
work is, to an extent, corOllary.
Here is an instance of the type OF
work the Red Cross is doing. A young
man, who wore thes liver star of {
wounded veteran, but whose shoes
were worn and whose clothes were
little more thanrags, walked into the
office of a Red Cross Secretary in 6
Louisiana town. He was hungry ant
/ discouraged. All he wanted was {
handout of something to eat, such as
he had received at farm houses as ht
made his way through the country
He got his handout and the Red Cross
worker also got this story from him
81 had work in the lumber plant q
Bogalusa," he said. "The job was to-
heavy for me, though. You see go
rather bad dose of gas in the Al
come, and I've never quite recover
ed from its effects. I've never ha
the opportunity Of learning any spec
ial kind of work, so ] have to max
my living at heavy jobs, and haven
the strength left to hold them"
1t developed that the boy was sti
suffering from a disability acquired !
s the service. He was totally ignorar
d of the fact that Uncle Sam was lool
ing for men in his fix with the one ide
! of giving them aid
S The Red Cross cared for him unt
his papers could be put through.
kept track of him during the s
s months he was in a government no
pital. When he came out the Re
It Cross had a job waiting for him.
d Instead of riding the rods BAG
s home, as he had planned to do,
u saved his pay and went back hon
q to an aging and anxious mother Wi
r his head in the air, clothes on b
back and money in his pockets, al
best of all, an ew determination
meet the world and its problems.
Again there are men sent to Il
a various hospitals, who leave benin
4 families totally or partially depende
y on the meagre little amount the &c
D eminent allows them. The Red Gro
, amplifies this or finds employment
q members of the family, or in ma
& CAGES, pays the expenses Of wives Al
q children where they have to be ne
y the husband and father during
" Eperiod Of convalescence.
n In hundred other ways the R
q Cross is helping the veteran, aspect
q lily in rural communities. The wo
q referred to above, by no mean srep
y SCENTS the total done in behalf of |
~ ex-service men by the Red Cross
81 Louisiana. Many chapters have fai
a to report on work done, especia
q during the dullness Of summer, WI
- organization is lax. However,
y work has to be done, and is being dc
u as demands for soldier relief
81 steadily increasing with the rem
"a ed efforts of the veterans bureau
y reach every worthy veteran v
~ needs aid.
s.
a Served to your taste! Cake, COT