The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-11-16
OUer 10000 Medals
 Giuen GLs by K. of C.
By JAMES M. MOORE

One day during the maelstrom of the fury of World War II CT with a graphic imagination. who had sweated out Jap-haunted nights on a Pacific island. climbed out of the mud and dirt and humbly observed
 There are no atheists in fox holes"
 This was paraphrasing to 8 great degree a similar thought which had entered the minds of members oi the Sheridan Council, Knights oi Columbus in 194l, before Pearl Harbor, and which had become reality by the time the fox-hole philosopher uttered his now historic axiom.
 Need For Symbol
 When peacetime conscription was first put into effect the members of the Sheridan Council of Water bury, Connecticut realized that should war come the conditions to be would be of a nature to make of men boon companions of their Creator; such times as later led to the belief on the battlef1elds that all Hell had erupted in forms much worse than the fertile mind of Dante ever concocted. The members of the Council felt the need for giv- ing to Waterbury's draftees some symbol which would be of spiritual nature and yet would be suitable for most, If not all, these service men.
 A committee was chosen among the Council members to decide or a suitable gift. The committee con- sisted of State Senator Patrick Wallace, Joseph Scully and Henry Hayden. Jr. There were many ideas and many suggestions, but the prob- lem was that men of all faiths were setting forth to undertake a common task.
 St. Christopher
 However, it was this very fact which led to the committees choice of St. Christopher medal - "the travellers protector" For it reasoned that the fury of war reduces to a common denominator the creed: and philoSophies of men. A wile shell or mortar burst or a chatter ing machine gun and "heeby jeeby" bomb make no distinction al to whether you are a Catholic Protestant, Jewish or an atheist.
 A watch-pocket sized St. Christo- pher's medal was chosen from tht various styles and shapes and plans were made for their distribution It was the same style medal whicf by then had become almost stand ard equipment" with thousands O automobiles.
 10000 Distributed
 Today, over 10000 of these medal have been distributed since before Pearl Harbor to an equal number o. men who have left the city to serve in World War II. Today the samt gift" is being given to the youth who leave to form Americas army of security.
 Not long after the first of these were distributed to the peace-timt draftees the attack on Pearl Har- bor took place. Both MT. Scully ant MT. Hayden were called to service. Married, father of two children and foreman in highly critical wa, industry, Sen. Wallace found him self the only remaining member O the original committee. Since tha time he has personally been pres ent at $50 departures of Waterbur, draftees and has personally distri buted a medal to each man in be half of the Sheridan Council.
 Whether the group consisted o 6 or 66 we distributed medals to tn men just before their early morning leaving" Sen. Wallace stated.
 "Only one draftee among thu more than 10000 we contacted eve refused the medal" he revealed. "l few said they could not accept then because of their individual faith but they would like to take one tha they might give 1t to someone wht would want it.
 Men have sent home letters O forwarded word to us as to what tn medal meant to them on certail occasions, and that makes for thu | feeling that what was done by tn