Evening star., 1943-03-13


Henry p. McLemOre. to settle ques-
ton which is bothering that young
ster from Tewksbury, Mass. as he
convalesces from wounds suffered in
Africa.
Sergt. Halland wears patch
over one eve and the Croix de
Guerre on his chest. He knows how
ne got the patch, but for the life
of him he can't recall what he did
to earn the medal.
II was propped up in bed in
Africa one day." the sergeant says,
when this, bundle of French braid
and whiskers came to halt by
my bed. didn't feel any too good
at the time and he didn't make me
feel any better when he started
kissing me, smack. smack, smack,
smack. He made Clark Gable look
like a beginner. I yelled at him
and asked him what he was doing,
but he couldn't hear me through
his whiskers. 1t was like yelling
into a hedge. Then he drew him.
self up to attention, saluted and
popped out the door. Later, in look
ing for handkerchief, I found the
CroiX de Guerre pinned on me. I
am very glad to get it and very
proud of it, but I surely would like
to see that Frenchman and find
out what I did to make him give
it to me"
Captured a General.
Perhaps Sergt. Halland Is too
modest. I thought to myself after
he had showed me the Croix de
Guerre and had told me his story.
So, 1 questioned some of the other
Americans who were bedded in this
quiet, countryside hospital-boys
who had been with him when he
landed in Africa to open a second
front. The boy with an arm gone
said, Hell, the sergeant must have
got that for capturing a German
general. Yeah, a general he said,
noticing the surprised look on my
face. When he landed he took
his tommy-g,n and made straight
for enemy headquarters and when
he busted in two guys tried to slip
out the back door, so he chased
them and brought them back. One
OF them was a general so I guess
that's why the Frenchman deco
rated him."
Further down the ward a pink
checked boy, who'll have to wear
an artificial leg, smiled from his
pillow and said. They can give
the sergeant 10 medals and that
won't be too many. Do you know
what he did-how he got that patch?
A bomb got the lieutenant in charge
of his tank and took out a piece
of his eye, but that didn't stop
him. He took charge of the tank
and for three days-night and day
he ran it against the enemy. He
had no medical attention save what
he could give himself and he was
too busy fighting to do anything
but wipe the blood off his face and
keep going"
Refuses Credit.
I went back to Sergt. Halland and
told him what I had heard, Nuts"
he said, Those guys don't know
what they are talking about. For.
get it. If that was a general I
caught, I don't deserve any credit
because 1 didn't know it. I lust
thought he was another Jerry try
ing to take 1t on the lam"
He was just as self-effacing about
the three-day tank battle despite a
badly hurt face and eye. You
would do the same thing. Any one
would. A fight was going on. so
what would you expect fellow to
do? Quit? Start crying? Every
one of the boys in here deserves a
medal"
All one has to do to know that
America need never worry about
Its future is to walk through a hos
pital, where her wounded sons are
recovering. Not one word of COM
plant will you hear. Not one bit of
self-pity or regret. Not one word of
braggadocio. Their only real re-
gret is it had to happen to them, as
1t would make it impossible for them
to see further service against the
foe. 1t would wrench your heart.
but at the same time 1t would
quicken your heart and increase
your pride in being an American to
walk through the wards and see
these boys, drawn from every one of
the 48 States, from every level in
life, bearing their wounds with hap
piness. They wear their bandages
with the same pride that they did
their battle dress.