Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-01
Veteran
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pital Sergt. Timko-who was wear
ing a brace on his right leg when
the crowd trampled him in the
statlon-was not angry yesterday
at the treatment he received from
the travellers.
81 just wondered whether they
meant it or not" he said. I'D like
to meet the civilian and the two
sailors who finally stepped between
me and the crowd and kept me
from being trampled to death"
The veteran, whose arm was
shattered in Germany by a Nazi
artillery shell, thought every DO
tential train traveller should be
forced to abide by a first-come-first
served system.
The veteran of Mai. Gen. Terry
Aliens 104th "Timberwolf" Infantry
Division recently underwent an op-
Grafton on his right leg. Surgeons
TOOK a segment of bone from his
leg to graft into the shattered arm
bone and strengthen 1t.
Mr.. Tolson at first reported sta
ton investigators had learned
Sergt. Timko was permitted to pass
the gates to the platform a few
minutes ahead Of the hundreds of
waiting travellers, but this, later
was corrected. Sergt. Timko, from
MS hospital bed, said yesterday he
mad been refused permission to
pass the gates by a man in the
information booth in the concourse.
Standing Orders to Aid.
Army authorities pointed out that
military police at the station have
been under long-standing orders to
ala all servicemen-wounded or not
Ito reach their seats on outgoing
trains from Washington.
Rail and military authorities be-
leVe the move to admit men in uni
form to the train platforms ahead
OF civilians will prevent any recur-
renee Of the accident.
Sergt. Timko said that when the
train gate was opened he had taken
about two steps before he went
down before the pressure of the
crowd. He said he lay on the sta
ton floor about three minutes.
Two sailors and civilian finally
came to his help and Tended the
crowd off, he said, the civilian par
ticularly being helpful, standing
over him and shouldering of the
people pressing through the gate.
Sergt. T1mko's father, John Tim
ko, Is a farmer of Red Lion, Pa,
and the sergeant is one of seven
children, including four sons, all of
whom served in the armed forces
and three daughters.
At Antwerp Capture.
The sergeant was a farmer, and
then worked in an artillery shell
factory at McKeesport, Pa, until
ne was indicted in the service, No
vef1ber 81, 1912.
lie was a rifle squad leader of
company B Of the 413th Infantry.
he first saw combat in Northern
France and Belgium, and particle
pateo In the capture of Antwerp.
Later his division became part of
the American LIST Army near
Aachen, Germany. Sergt. Timko
was wounded by shell fragment
December !, 1914, in the Hurteen
Forest. He was struck in the chest
and the left arm. Evacuated tn
Liege, Belgium, he was then taken
to France and later flown to a hos
pltal near Bristol, England. Last
February he returned to the United
states aboard a hospital ship and
was sent to MCGUIRE General Hos
pital.
He had been home on furloueh
before his planned trip of last
week, but ne was looking forward
this time to seeing two brothers
who have been discharged from the
service. They are Sergt. Michael
Timko, 49,. formerly with the 5th
Infantry Division, and Boatswain's
Mate 2/c Pete Timko, who has
served two years in the Pacific
Another brother, TVS John Tinko.
28, Of the Medical Corps, is now In
Germany.
The operation on his leg with the
removal of part of the bone for
use in his left arm was performed
early In December. Last Friday he
was given a 30-day furlough. He
arrived from Richmond at 2:30 pm.
and had a three hour wait for his
train to Pennsylvania.
Sergt. Timko wears the Purple
Heart, the European Theater rib
bon with two battle stars, the rib
bon of the Good Conduct Medal,
and the American Theater and
Victory ribbons.