Evening star., 1947-10-03
40 Groups, Red Cross
Plan Christmas Aid
For War Wounded

To plan more cheerful Christ
mas for service personnel hospi-
talized here or scheduled to be on
duty Christmas Day, representatives
of approximately 40 Washington
organizations met today with the
District Red Cross Community
Service to Camps and Hospitals at
2020 Massachusetts avenue NV.
Pledges were to be made during
the meeting for contributions of
338 Christmas trees, decorative
greens, tree decorations, Christmas
music, candy, nuts and cookies, in
dividual gifts, wrappings, filled
stockings, baby grand piano, port
able typewriter and record player.
The items are on request list
to be filled by the District chapter
as its share of the contributions for
the Washington area.
Most Wounded Here.
"There are 81 days until Christmas
and they will 60 very FAST" Nat c.
Wilson, chapter manager reminded
the group.
He said the largest number Of
military i'll and wounded of any Sec
ton of the country is in the Wash
ington area. Because of transfers
from temporary hospitals which
have been closed since last year, the
need this year for a helping hand
at Christmas is as great as in former
years, If not greater.
THE war may be over, but our
hospital is just as pack full as it was
during the war" Miss Carolyn
Schlater, field director at Walter
Reed Hospital declared.
"All the men who can, 60 home for
Christmas. Those left are the ones
who can't get about. We are realiz-
ing more and more our responsible
tiles to keep up the spirit OF Christ
mas among those men,
Christmas Eve Is Low Ebb."
Christmas eve,' she said, is the "low
ebb" time for these patients, when a
family party" at the hospital is
most needed. Christmas afternoon
brings a "fattened-out" feeling to
the men which staff workers hope
to alleviate by providing entertain
ers. For patients of this type, there
cannot be too much activity at one
time, so the job of creating atmos-
phere has to start early and each
activity must be made the most of,
she said.
Christmas means great deal to
- INcrHifn1
Miss Margaret L. Gardner, field di-
rector there, told the meeting. She
Explained how the patients wait
eagerly for the arrival of the Christ
mas trees and vie for the biggest
tree for their ward.
The patients there can do most
of the work themselves, she said.
IF you just bring them the things,
they'll do the rest. They look for
ward to decorating the trees, and 1t
means great deal to them then
just to sit and look at the trees"
Man Asks for Hard Candy.
Emphasizing the meaning which
Christmas has for st. Elizabeths
patients, Miss Gardner cited several
incidents which revealed the eager
ness with which they look forward
to the familiar trappings. She cited
the case of one elderly man who has
given up his usual request for bon
bons and switched to hard candy
because, "hard candy is the candy
for Christmas"
Charles H. Rockwell, jr, field
director at Fort Myer, said able
bodied men in service there also
need Christmas festivities. |
'The Army doesn't provide any
frills," he declared, "and Christmas
time brings a deep feeling about
home to boys who are on duty and
have to stay on the station" He
said individual gifts are needed for
these men