The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1945-04-30
THE PRIVATE PAPERS OF A
CUE REPORTER


CUE REPORTER
The day following this New York
er's arrival in the Golden Gate city.
the Call-Bulletin reported it
The day after it ran, the editor
telephoned that some Of the boys,
just back from Two Jima and o.
nawa, wondered If Winchell would
drop In for a talk Il don t
have to be conned or kidded." we
said. did any of them really say
that?" Someone at the Nary
told us So" said our boss in San
Francisco. How abuot 1t, yes or
nope?"
The AWVS and Red Cross girls
sped us to the hospital. Naval Of
ficerS brought us to several wards
covering many acreS) where the
BADLY injured heroes (some only 3
days home from Okinawa) we're so
glad to be back in the U. s., they
didn't seem to be concerned about
anything else Some kinfolk
were at bedsideS Everything
possible is being done for them all,
and the nurses Gas all of us know
are wonderful in their care.
The Call-BuIIetin's report on Sat-
urday said in part: He covered
every inch of the hospital. Marines
and sailors whose faces were gnarled
with pain on foreign soil less than
two weeks ago laughed whole
heartedly as he RECALLED them with
stories, and they howled when one
lad asked: Weren't you in the Army
in the last one?' :. No. he re-
piled, in the Navy. I was an APP
prentice seaman, until this war
when I was denoted to lieu
tenant AS he brought a
touch of home to men who had by
pain and long war cruises de-
SPARED of regaining the joy OF
the native land, SO did he bring a
serious note when he said: This
conference must make peace-per-
manent peace-so that fellows like
you will never again land in places
like this'.''
I'm a large theater on the hospital
site (afer visiting several wards
many hundreds of wounded vets
came by crutch and wheelchair.
Many got around on their own, how
ever What an audience! And
some of their gags were .unniGr
than offered along Broadway
The short of it is that we Weat to
lifet heir morale and they lifted ours
Nothing at the Conference,
perhaps, will thrill us so much as
meeting them and seeing their high
spirit And some with no arms,
legs, eyes or faces.
At the theater (after the quippiEg
ended) we gabbed for few minutes
:. Some of them asked for copies
to send home. And so the talk is
published noW-for them-and
mainly for the fellows who couldn't
leave their beds in the wards to
come to the auditorium.
Gentlemen: I am glad to be in
vited here today. I wanted to talk
to you and I am flattered and CRATE
ful-some of you wanted to talk to
me. want to know all I can of
what it is like where you were. Be-
cause that's the only way that we,
back home, can measure what didn't
happen here.
Our country had to fight this
one out, and thanks to you men and
the ones who aren't here, the final
round will be fought in Tokyo in
stead of on the streets of San Fran
cisco or Seattle.
zone mans opinion is as good as
anothers. And I don't pretend TO
speak for any part of our country.
Just for the Winchell family.
found out long time ago, when l
was growing up, that a mans hope
was as important to him as his
breath. I learned, too, that mans
faith in his felloWman and in him
self is as necessary as the bread
he eats. When I got older found
that nations have personalities, just
like men. And that there is a
bully in every crowd :. SO, the ma
tons VINO were DULLES got together
to bulyl the rest of the world. They
levelled out few little guys, and
told us to take the hint.
Eat first we backed away, be-
cause like most people we weren't
looking for trouble. So we walked
on the other side of the street, and
they thought we were weak and
yellow. So they crossed the street
to pick on us. Our country has the
same personality as we, the people
in 1t, have. You know that no Amer
lean will take a slap in the face
without hitting back-even if he's
got to take a licking. Not only be-
cause of what other people think,
but because of what he would
think of himself.
And, if a bunch of Americans
saw another bunch lf Americans
getting pushed around without fight
ing back, they'd sooI lose respect
for each other and Tor themselves
:. Believe me, men, your country
tried everything it could think Of
TO duck this war. But 1t couldn't
give up its self respect, not if it