Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-12-16
ROUNDING UP VETERANS
Some Of the Experiences Of Gov.
ernment Clean Up Squad Men.
MORE THAN 500. CLAIMS ARE FILED
Many Vets Appear to be Ignorant of
Rights-one Fellow Wants Glass
Eye to Replace Stolen Optic.
BY Frederick ]. Haskin..

eran, OF the World war VINO is, peti-
tioning the government 10 give him a
new glass eye, because the first one
they gave him was stolen while he was
in swimming, and another man who
had the most of his face blown away
while in the service, but does not ask
compensation because he does not con-
slider himself a hero, are couple OF
the curiosities revealed by the round
up of World war veterans which has
just been conducted by the veterans
bureau here.
Like many other varieties of gov
ernment officials working in the field,
>the representatives of the bureau
found themselves frequently handi-
capped by the fact that people be-
lieved they were revenue officers look
ing for stills. The bureau sent its
representatives into all parts Of the
country, resolved to find every 'veter-
an of the war who had claim for
compensation and give'him his due.
Over $4,000 disabled eX-service men
have been interviewed since August.
Evidence in the case of 56,334 Of these
veterans indicated that claims should
be filed, and government representa-
tives assisted these claimants to COM
pile and prepare the necessary evil
dence. These thousands Of claims
have been speedily acted upon, for out
of the 56,334 claims filed only 1898 are
pending, the remainder having been
adjudicated and notices of settlement
forwarded to the claimants. AS a re-
suit of this unique program Of taking
official Washington to the veteran,
unusual cases from all parts of the
country many Of which the govern
ment' is meeting with difficulty. are
coming to light of day for the first
time.
An Unattached Fighter.
There is, for example, the case Of c.
H. Pearl. of Grand Rapids, Michigan,
veteran who lost his left hand and arm
as a result of a shrapnel wound in
Cured in the trenches. Pearl Is ap-
parently "a soldier without a country"
1t appears that this unproven vet
eran enlisted in the American ambu-
lance service OF the French army in
1917. After serving his enlistment he
applied for transfer to the American
eXpeditionary forces, but on advice OF
the attache, he re-entered the French
service for three months. Six months
later he was wounded and sent to a
hospital
Four weeks after his Organization
was transferred to the United States
army, but Pearl was not sworn into
the United States service because he
was in the hospital and was overlook
ed. Consequently, when released he
was free agent and not mcmber of
any army. The soldier obtained o po-
sition with the quartormaster's de-
partment, but his condition became
worse and he reentered the hospital.
Upon his release he worked in France
and last July came back to America.
When the Michigan cleanup squad
arrived in Grand Rapids to handle To-
cal claims for compensation, Pearl ap-
piled to it for an award due to his in
juries, but he was unable to show by
official records that he had served the
United States during the war. Neither
could he prove that he was actually in
the service of any country when he
was released from a French hospital.
Nevertheless, Pearl is getting a
square deal regardless of his inability
to prove that he was ever in service.
His case is deemed to be one of those
in which certain technicalities must be
temporarily removed in favor of SIM
pie justice.
From Michigan also comes an uni
que demand of another veteran for
new glass eye to be purchased by the
government, The former soldier lost
his eye in service and among other
compensations was awarded a glass
eye. A few months ago his glass eye
was stolen together with his clothes
while he was in swimming. He asked
the government for new one imme-
diately, but the claim was disallowed.
Had the eye been broken, the ruling
read, it would have been replaced, but
inasmuch as it was stolen the govern
ment could assume no responsibility
in the matter. The veteran asked the
cleanup squad to make an effort to
obtain a reversal of the decision,
which is now being done.
Veterans Ignorant Of Rights
There are many instances of veter-
ans having been found and compen-
stated by cleaning squads, who did not
know that they were entitled to gov
ernment aid At Stockton, Cal, a bat
tie SCARED ex-service man desiring
compensation came before the clean
up squad. He said he had heart trou-
BILE. SO slight was his heart ailment
however, that the examining physician
found that it would not entitlc him to
compensation. But TO his great sur
prise he discovered that the veteran
had n scar about 10 inches long and 2
inches wide on his hip where a muscle
had been shot off.