St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-04-26

be able 10 walk again. lou q nav
possibility Of having snow for next
Christmas.
Johnny got his in the ETC, not
in the midst of combat the heroic
way, but as he was doing a job for
the 3455 Quartermaster Trucking
Company. The 3455 was hauling
troops from replacement depots to
the front lines. 1t wasn't exactly
a safe assignment because some
times the ferries weren't too CO.
operative about letting American
G.I.'s through.
1--WE weren't supposed to be COM
bat troops" Johnny said, and he
gave me a sort of lopsided grin
that meant he and l both knew
there was many a slip between the
cup and lip.
On April 2, 1915, one of the
3455th trucks stalled on the high
way, and Johnny Armstrong got
out to work on it. Another truck
smashed into the stalled vehicle
and ran over him. Result: one CT.
paralyzed from the hips down.
He's A Fatalist
asked Johnny how he felt about
the whole thing.
WELL" he said with practical
good sense, when it's for you,
you get it. That's the way l got
mine"
Sorry for himself? Not a bitl
And according to Johnny. IL there's
anything that makes him rarin'
mad, it's the guys who are. In the
wards at Vaughn General hospital
at Hines, ILL.,, where doctors have
been working to get Mr.. Armstrong
operating again under his own
power, some of the boys act up
every once in a while. When they
begin to think they're no more
good to themselves or anyone else,
they turn into pretty tough Gus
toners.
when a guy gets down like
that, l tell him if he doesn't snap out
Of it, I'll take one Of my crutches
and whale him to a splinter"
Johnny said. 1--WE have our little
squabbles; sometimes we fight like
a bunch of married couples, but
when it's all over, we forget it
and go see a show together"
l asked him what the wives and
mothers Of disabled servicemen
should do if they had a tough case
to cope with--a good case Of a
busted-up CT. feeling sorry for
himself.
Il get Disguised with somebody
like that myself, so l suppose
II l was a woman, I'd take a dish
and crown him with it." In case
that method is too violent, John
Ry's advice to well-meaning
friends and relatives is: "Let
him alone. Don't try to tell him
to do this or do that. Let him
make his own decisions. Let him
lead a natural life. That's all
l want to do"
Armstrong; been in four diff
ferent hospitals so far, and will re-
turn to Vaughn in two weeks. In
an interview with a reporter from
the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune
last week, Johnny said he wanted
to take up photography. When he
gets back to the hospital, he'll have
all the materials he wants to work
with at his disposal. II may use
it for just a hobby. I can study
at the hospital, you know"
He said Tuesday that the day
the Tribune photographer and
reporter came TO the house, was
one Of his bad days. Il was so
sick could hardly hold my head
up, but they were very nice"
People in general have been
nice, Johnny told me. Totally dis
abled veterans need a certain
amount Of help when they're get
ting around in public, he admitted,
but "all over that is too much"
"Do you resent it when people
are too solicitous, Johnny" l asked
him, and he said frankly: Eyes,
l resent it inwardly, but l don't
say anything"