Evening star., 1944-10-02
Soldiers Dance on Plastic Leqs,
Give Wounded Faith in Future
Walter Reed Amputotion Patients
View Demonstration by ConvoIescents

Wounded soldiers, men who had
lost a leg or both legs in the war,
sat up in their beds at Walter Reed
Hospital the other afternoon and
watched five pretty girls dance with
five soldiers
But the patients hardly looked at
the pretty girls. They kept their
eyes glued on the shutting GI feet
For the dancing soldiers themselves
a few weeks ago were patients in
the same beds. and each was dancing
on at least one plastic leg.
The dancers. three with a single
amputation below the knee, one with
4 single amputation above the knee,
and one with double amputation
below the knees. came back to
Walter Reed from their convalescent
ward at Forest Glen to show new
amputatlon patients what they, too,
could expect to do soon-regardless
Of plastic legs or arms.
They didn't wear zoot- suits but
they cut mean rug. They switched
properly when the 304th ASF Band,
attached to the medical center.
played rhumba They waltzed,
fOXtrotted, and jitterbugged-even
the step where the boy throws the
girl over his shoulder. Onlookers
tried to pick out the plastic legs
from the real ones but in most
cases it was a toss-up.
Dancers Pleased With Selves.
The dancers were pleased with
themselves, and with the world.
The first few~weeks I was at Walter
Reed. I hated the world. and I
didn't give damn what happened
next, one Of them said. But one
look at Dali and anybody would be
willing to try to dance-although
at first, trying was as far as we
thought we'd get
'Dal" is Mrs. Dorothy Dalrvmple.
a professional dancing teacher and
wife OF 1t. Col John c. Dalrymple,
now on duty with the American
Army in Europe She is small,
pretty, and has a mass of red curls
down her back. Two afternoons a
week she conducts classes for the
boys at Forest Glen, and whether
they are enthusiastic about learning
to dance doesn't matter. She
wont take no." her five pupils said.
When fellow puts his mind to
1t. though, he can do most ANY,
thing said Pvt. Frank Mercurio
2l. Brooklyn, whose plastic legs
'both of them didn't stop him
from doing the rhumba.
Corpl. Pat Carney. %, New York.
had the hardest time learning. His
amputation is above the knee and
plastic Army temporary" leg
doesn't bend as easily as a real leg.
The only thing to remember is
where you put that foot he told
one of the patients in the ward
who also had an above-t the knee
amputation. Once 1 was sure I'd
put the thing behind me. and it
turned up in front, and l got all
tangled up. But after while it
comes easy"
Never Had Danced Before.
Sergt. Garland Ladd, 81, Hopkins
vile, Ky. has learned to dance for
the first time. His right leg was
amputated below the knee. Il used
to shuttle around. but l never did
this he said, and swung his part
ner around in a fast jitterbug.
Pvt. Bill Zeigler, IS. Norwalk
Conn, plans to use his dancing
ability as something more than rec
reation. When 1 got my operation
over in Italy, they told me I'd walk
again, but I just laughed at them.
Those fellows over there really feel
loW-doWn. They're from Missouri
when they're over there. and YOU
got to show them
Corpl. Bob Smith, "a. Potsdam,
N. Y. sat on the bed between
dances, swinging his legs. Watch
how those toes hex,' he instructed
the boys who hadn't vet got their
new legs. 1T bends at the ankle.
bends at the toes-and another
good thing: When your partner