Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1945-07-19
This Man Proves
ThatLoss Of Arm
Is No Handicap
Living Lesson Pointed to
War Cripples That They
Too Can Succeed.

MILWAUKEE,, WIS. = Orville
Starke is one fellow who wouldn't let
the loss of his right arm keep him
from success in business, sports and
social life. Now he's teaching his
philosophy to amputees in the
army Thomas M. England hospital
at Atlantic City, N. j., and also to
discharged Milwaukee servic men
who have lost leg or an arm.
Starke is purchasing agent for the
Holeproof Hosiery company. He is 81
and looks younger. His face is tanned
and ruddy from being outdoors. His
r11ustarfie is reddish, his hair thin
ming. He wears rimless glasses. His
empty right coat sleeve is tucked
neatly into his coat. His manner is
aggressive and merry, says the MIL
waukee Journal
Starke was just the man the army
was looking for to put zest for life
back into depressed amputees: He
was civilian, he had no connection
with the government, he had made
a success in many fields.
He was just the kind of guy to
walk into the Thomas M. England
hospital and say. Look at me,
lads. I'm as good as any man with
two hands and two legs. / can lick
'em at any game-and so can you IL
you've got any spunk.
Seeming Handicap.
And that's hoy it happens that
Starke has been making week long
trips to the hospital, where there
are always about 1000 amputees He
went there armed with many copies
of letter he had written about HIM
self. The letter served as an intro
duction and also as a biography. 1t
was something to be read thought
fully by the amphtees or to be read
by Starke himself
In the letter, Starke told about
the seeming physical handicap" Of
the loss Of a leg or arm. 81 say
seeming advisedly," said Starke,
because as time goes on you, like
l. will find that the loss Of limb is
no handicap whatsoever, In feet,
many Of you men win find it thrill.
ing challenge to better your position
in life" 80
Then he told them about how he
lost his arm when he was run over
by streetcar when he was youth.
But that didn't stop him from be-
ing an all-around man. His letter
told it this way:
II played baseball. pitched and
played center field. l played two sea-
sons of semipro ball.
II ran the so, 100 and 200 yard
dash and broadjumped in high
school, Marquette university and the
Wisconsin Athletic club. My best per-
formances: so yard dash. So sec
onds, tied the worlds indoor record
at Northwestern university gym,
100 yards, 10 fat; 220 yards, 22S
seconds; broadjump, ~ feet, 8
inches. Nothing to write home about,
you say? Well. maybe not. but won
more first places than did second
and third. as you win see from my
scrap book. %ei,
NE Accident Driver.
81 can dive--use the crawl or
breast stroke, also back stroke, not
too fast, but I think can hold my
own with the average swimmer.
81 have played golf for Is years.
First with right hand clubs. About
three years ago l switched to left
clubs with very satisfactory results.
My club board average for 1914 was
9l1s. The last game l played was 49,
las for my personal problems, /
dress myself. tie my tie. my shoe
strings, well, do everything that is
necessary to fill a normal mans
daily duties. l drive a car and carry
safe drivers card, because have
never had an accident. WV
I'm married and have one son,
swell boy. champion golfer, now
a lieutenant in the air corps Glenn
"a BIT navigator).
To-day. after many years of do
ing things that to most two armed
people seem miraculous, still lead
a normal. interesting and full life. ]
meet people daily, both fellow en-
ployees and incoming statesmen. With
them and others. l always act
natural. never am embarrassed or
give way to an inferiority complex.
Result: they too feel natural and at
ease in my presence.
SO get yourselves ready for life
time of thrills, make up your mind
right now, like did. that the loss of
your arm is going to prove an ad-
vantage, that you're going to show
your family. your friends. the public
that you've Just started to fight"