Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-08


ing games and
Henry McLemors. learning to be
soldiers. The second time I saw him
was here in London in the Amer
lean Of1lcers' Club. He was stand
ing at the bar. proposing . toast.r
Gentlemen" he said, Cheers.
Bottoms but to q new tin foot"
Cheers" echoed his fellow officers.
Bottoms up to a new tin foot"
drained my glass along with the
officers. 1t sounds like a gruesor1e
toast but 1t wasn't. 1t was a happy
toast, in fact. AS the drinks were
downed, Col. Loren Hillsinger took
the center of the floor, his hand
some face wreathed in smiles. He
took few dance steps. He capered
lightly. just to show his artificial
foot was under control.
A further toast was proposed but
Col. Hillsinger refused. Boys" he
said, Il have to fly this afternoon. I
have just passed my physical and
don't want to ground loop my
plane" ,-
Called Dieppe Shots. IN
Loren Hillsinger, West Point 1882,
Dieppe 1912. He went as an air
observer on a British destroyer. It
was his task to identify enemy
planes and direct the IRE OF the
anti-aircraft gunners. For four
hours he stood on the bridge CALI
ing the shots to the pompommers.
Just after 2 in the afternoon,
near the coast OF France, a Junkers
SO peeled off directly over the ship
and dropped a bomb. It struck the
bridge, smack in the middle. The
explosion killed every one except Col.
Hillsinger but 1t sent steel chest
skidding across the bridge which
sheared of his right leg just below
the knee.
What were your reactions when
the bomb landed?" I asked. Col.
Hillsinger laughed. "You won't be-
lieve it, Henry. but it's true, and
every time I think about it get
madder than the devil. Just the day
before I had paid 40 bucks for tho
pair OF shoes which I had on. When
I saw what happened I reached
down, took the shoe of the foot that
was left and then I took the other
shoe, which was about 5 or 6 feet
away. and threw them both over
board. I wish I had them now,
Forty bucks paid for them"
The ship started sinking and Col.
Hinsinger. after using necktie to
make tourniquet, scrambled over
the railing and Jumped Is feet into
the arms Of q sailor on a steam,
launch which had pulled alongside.
L put my best flying block on
that sailor" he said. II even threw
the sailor. He didn't like 1t much.
but he caught me-"
Awarded d. s. C. 40
This was all Col. Hillsinger had
to say about the exploit which
earned him the Distinguished Serv-
Ice Cross, but British airman who
was on the same boat told me what
Loren did. Never losing conscious
ness, he, lay on the deck Of tho
launch and called the anti-aircraft
shots. He was there until dark with
no medical attention, spottinz
planes and directing the fire.
He saw the launch gunners were
not leading the German planes
enough with the fire, so he kept CALI
Ing out, Lead them, you so ana
SOS! Lead them!" Under his direc-
ton the gunners got four confirmed
Jerry fighters. Not until II hours
after he had lost his foot on thu
bridge OF the ship did Col. Hillsineer
reach England and q hospital. He
was still wearing the necktie tourni.
quet when the doctors got him.
That was on August 8. Now he
was hard as nails again and 4 fully
qualif1ed pilot. On the same day
he got his new foot he went oOt
and flew. His prize possession is a
letter from his close pal, Pierpont
Hamilton Morgan, who earned the
Congressional Medal OF Honor dur
ing the landing in Africa. After
congratulating Col. Hillsinger ON
getting the D. S. c. Morgan wrote.
I am taking acetylene welding In
night school here In Africa 80 As
to be able to be your personal
chiropodist when I get back" ~
The British airman who was with
Col. Hillsinger told me the first
thing Loren did on reaching tho
hospital was to tell the doctors he
hoped the United States Army v ould
not be angry at him for losing hi.
foot. "They don't like us. to mis-.
place Government issue stun" he
said. e
When Col. Hillsinger walked out
OF the Oflcers' Club it made ma
wonder why I ever worried about
having my gasoline ration cut down
to three gallons or whether I cou,a
get plenty of bacon and chops 1t
the market.
distributed BY MeNaught Syndicate, rne,