Evening star., 1935-03-27
Medal of Honor NatiOn's Gift
ToCen. Greedy on Anniversary
Dern Will Make Presentation of Con.
gressiOnaI A,card at Exercises in g.
Yedr.OId Veterans Home Today.

Maj. Gen Adolphus W. Greely. who,
81 years ago today, was celebrating
in a tragic Arctic camp what he be-
lieved would be his last birthday an
niversary, today will receive as 9lst
birthday present the highest military
award his Nation can bestow-the
Congressional Medal of Honor.
Three months after that grim
birthday party" with a handful OF
hunger-racked companions in the Far
North, Greely and six OF his men we're
rescued near Cape Sabine. He re-
turned to find himself denoted several
files by the Army.
Until recently his Government had
neglected to give him any recognition
for his courageous-almost fatal
service in penetrating to So "a
North latitude, the then "farthest
North outpost, for the sake Of science
the study of Arctic weather. On
better late -than-never" theory Con-
gress, by special act. blasted time
limitations and other restrictions on
Medal of Honor awards to grant the
belated honor.
Dern to Make Award.
Accordingly. in the presence OF
small company of officials and friend!
at pm. in the Greely home at 3l3l
o street. Secretary of War Dern viii
present the veteran Army hero the
most coveted of all American military
decorations-"in recognition OF his
life of splendid public service"
One of the witnesses will be Brig
Gen. David L. Brainard, U. S. A.. re-
tired. who, as a 'non-com Jolnec
with expedition survivors in munching
seal thongs, plants and insects to de-
feat starvation. one of the scourges
that had picked off Greely's men one
by one. Brainard and Greely are the
only living members of the little banc
found by q rescue ship commanded by
Capt. w. S. Schley on June %, 1884
after two other vessels had failed te
reach them
The expedition had set out in fes-
tive mood from st. Johns, Newfound-
land. on July 4, 1881, to represent the
United States in joint international
"circumpolar" meteorological survey
The party, upon completion of the
studies, missed its rendezvous with q
ship sent to take them of the ice. as
the vessel was crushed in an iceberg
jam. Forced to spend three long
years in the bleak Arctic, the men rar
out OF provisions and 1S Of the group
died horrible deaths from cold anc
hunger.
''I tried to keep their spirits up by
reciting American history concerning
each of the States and by holding
birthday anniversary celebrations fol
the men," Gen. Greely said in an in
terview. when one of the men had q
birthday anniversary I gave him a lit
tie something extra to eat-a few more
plants or the like. I don't remember
what I had for my birthday anniver-
sary-I had no time to think much
about myself"
Fought and Won Promotion.
When Lieut. Greely-he was a first
lieutenant then-returned to the
United States he found he had been
dropped several files in the promotion
list and his post in the regiment had
been given to some one else. Even
tually, by eficient service. he won
promotion in due course to major
general and chief signal oficer of the
Army. During this later service he
Superintended the construction OF
many miles of military telegraph line
and of the Alaskan cable. He was in
charge of relief work following the
earthquake and fire in San Francisco
in 1906.
Although his own Government was
derelict in rewarding him, Great
Britain gave Greely silver corona
ton medal In 1911, when he repre-
sented the War Department at the
coronation of King George v. Not
long ago the War Department award
ed him a Purple Heart, with oak leaf
cluster, for wounds he received in ac-
ton at the Battle Of Glendale, Va,
and at Antietam, Nd. In 1852. He
was then q corporal of Company b
18th Massachusetts, Volunteer In
fantry. He was breveted a major OF
volunteers In 1865 "for faithful and
meritorious services"
The program for this afternoon
calls for the drawing up in front ol
the Greely home Of a Sd Cavalry
troop, with color guard, and the Sc
Cavalry Band. The entire block viii
be roped on.
When Secretary Dern arrives III
will Be greeted by four rlfdes Of th