Evening star., 1935-03-25
DERN TOPRESENT
MEDAL TO GREELY
Explorer Becomes Third
Man to Receive Special
Award by Congress.

In recognition Of "his life Of splen-
did nublic service" Secretary OF War
Dern will present to Maj. Gen. Adolf
phus w. Greely, U. s. A., retired.
on his 9lst birthday anniversary next
Wednesday a special Congressional
Medal of Honor-most coveted Of nil
itary awards.
According 10 War Department rec
ords, Gen. Greely, Civil War fighter
and Arctic adventurer, will be the
third man TO receive the medal of
honor by special act of Congress,
ignoring traditional Army restrictions
on award Of this decoration. The first
TO receive this extraordinary recogni-
ton was Col. John o. Skinner, In
dian fghter, and the second was Col.
Charles A. Lindbergh, who also re-
ceived gold nedal designed by the
Treasury under authority Of a spe-
cial act of Congress.
Army regulations require that the
Medal of Honor be awarded within
three years Of an act OF conspicuous
gallantry in actual conflict with the
enemy" at the risk Of life above and
beyond the call Of duty" Gen. Greely
performed gallant service during the
Civil War in actual conflict with the
enemy, being wounded three times,
but the time limit for an award on
this score expired some 10 years ago.
Army Record Cited.
The official citation to accompany
the award follows the language used
in the Joint resolution Of Congress
passed last week, reading as follows:
"Adolphus w. Greely. ma jor general.
United States Army. retired-For his
life Of splendid public service, begun
on March 27, 1874. having enlisted as
a private in the United States Army
on July 20, 1861, and by successive
promotions was commissioned as
major general February 10. 1906. and
retired by operation of law on his
sixty-fourth birthday"
The medal will be presented at
pm. before a small company of off,
cials and friends gathered in the lv-
ing room of Gen. Greelys quaint home
at 3l31 o street, Georgetown, where
he lives with his two daughters. Miss
Rose Greely and Miss Antoinette
Greely. A son, Col. John N. Greely.
U. S. A., will be unable to attend, as
he is stationed in Hawaii Another
son. Adolphus w. Greely, Jr., Of this
city. will be present, as will a third
daughter. Mrs. Harold Shedd of North
Conway. N H.
AS the Sd Cavalry Band outside
strikes up the national anthem and
a troop of the Sd Cavalry salutes, Sec
retary Dern will decorate the veteran
officer. who will stand in front of
color guard bearing the national and
regimental colorS The order confer
ring the decoration will be read by
one of the aides to the Secretary.
They will be Col. David Y. Beckham.
executive officer of the adjutant gen.
eral. and Lieut.. Col. John r Kennedy.
a Medal of Honor man.
Gen. Brainard 10 Attend.
Among the guests invited by the
War Department to witness the brief
ceremony will be Brig Gen. David L.
Brainard, U. S. A, retired, only other
surviving member of Gen. Greely'S
tragic expedition to the Arctic In 1881.
Only 7 of an original band Of Is
men returned to civilization after
three narrowing years on the ice.
Other invited guests will include
Senator Morris Sheppard. chairman of
the Senate Military Affairs Committee;
Senator Joseph T. Robinson. who spon-
sored the medal resolution in the
Senate; Representative John J. Nc
Swain, chairman Of the House Military
Affairs Committee. who sponsored the
bill in the House; Rear Admiral Rich
mond p Hobson. U. S. N. retired.
who was active in furthering the
award; Brig. Gen. william Mitchell,
also active in promoting the award;
Maj. Samuel Mop. Browne, Gen.
Greely's physician; Brig. Gen. George
p. Scriven and Maj. Gen. Charles
NICK. Saltzman, former chief signal
officers of the Army. a post once held
by Gen. Greely; Col. Charles De F.
Chandler. retired Signal Corps officer:
r. NJ Kaufman, Frank Simonds and
wives of the guests. Col. Chandler.
however, is bachelor.