Evening star., 1945-08-10
Ampuiees Complain
Over Delay in Ceiling
Artificial Limbs

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tated have had to wait for, artificial
limbs to arrive rs long a. q month
after they were, ready for them,
two amputees convalescing at Wal
ter Reed Hospital said yesterday.
TiSergt. John d, Hull Of Balti-
more, Nd. told workers making
artificial limbs at J. e. Hanger,
Inc, 22l q street NV. that he was
ready to learn to walk month
before he got his leg. SfEerst Bill
Bchuerr Middletcwn, Ohio. said he
had to wait several weeks.
Onicials OF Walter Reed Hospital
said that q bottleneck did develop
because Of IN unusual influx Of
patients and because the legs were
slow in coming from the manu-
facturers But no one Is waiting
now, they reported.
30 Cases Arrive.
Thirty cases which were delayed
are in the process OF being fitted
and so men who have not yet OBJ
tanned their legs are home on fur
lough. The hospital had 1908 am
putees as OF July 81.
Mccarthy Hanger, vice president
OF the company, said his employees
are turning out 800 limbs month
on schedule, but have been asked
to increase production. That will
require less absenteeisn1 and more
overtime, he said, and the COM
pany will need more employees.
THE War Manpower Commission
has co-operated in every way" he
added. The difficulty is that quail
fed workers are not available. We
need expert machinists and skilled
metal workers"
The Hanger Co., celebrating its
85th anniversary this week, supplies
artificial limbs for MCGUIRE Gen.
eral Hospital, Richmond, Va, but
not for Walter Reed. More than so
per cent of its workers are ampu-
tees, Mr.. Hanger said.
Means Lot to Victims.
II used to ask every day: When
Is my leg coming" said Sergt. Hull,
in a pep talk to workers. 1T means
a lot to guy like me just to walk
down the street smoking cigarette.
How can you do 1t on crutches2'
Sergt. Hull, radio operator and
aerial gunner on q B-24, was shot
down over Romania after raiding
the Ploesti oil fields. A German
Messerschmitt circled around him
as he parachuted to earth. He ex-
pected to get shot, but didn't. Doc
tors in Bucharest amputated his
leg five inches below the knee.
Russians liberated him last october.
II could have had my leg for
Christmas" he said. But didn't
get 1t until January. I never danced
before. When / go1 II.at leg, I got
enough courage to get up and dance.
"I was making out SWELL" he
added. Then a skin disease came
along and knocked me out"
Because OF the skin trouble, Sergt.
Hui lwasnt wearing his leg yes
terday, and now he Is wondering
when he will get it back.
when one fellow gets his leg,
there are SO around him wanting to
know: How does it feel?' What
does 1t weigh? said Sergt Schuerr.
Sergt. Schuerr. a paratrooper with
the l0lst Airborne Division, lost his
leg in Holland when Tiger tank
trapped him and fired a 20-nlm.
shell. A veteran Of the Pacific and
the Normandy invasion, he wears
the Bronze Star. .. .
Lying in the hospital In England,
I would have given anything Just
to see what an artificial limb was
like" he said. Back In the q. s.,
we found out darned soon. The first
thing saw in the ward was a pair
Of artificial limbs. It gave me a
funny feeling. was ready to give
up right there. Then q boy with
both legs of jumped into them and
walked away. 1t helped lot"