Evening star., 1951-11-14

d IN McI0rthyS S
Shoe" the Senator cracked back.
|"I wear it because I carry 10
pounds Of shrapnel in my leg"
No Record of Wounds.
Senator McCarthy's official file
shows no record of his having
been either wounded, or injured,
while on duty. He did not receive
the Purple Heart, which is given to
all American fighting men
wounded in combat.
The file does contain a letter,
written in July. 1943, by one
Walter Melchoir Of P. o. Box 1872.
Appleton, Wis, who inclosed a
newspaper clipping reporting that
Judge Mccarthy had been wound
ed and asked the Marine Corps
If it was true. M. c. Craig, a
Marine Corps second lieutenant,
answered Mr.. Melchoir on July %.
"A check Of the records of this
Office d.e. the Marine Corps head
quarters), as well as the records
of the Bureau of Medicine and
Surgery, Navy Department" he
wrote, fails to show that a re-
port has been received that Capt.
Mccarthy was injured"
Senator McCarthy's own narra-
ton of his military exploits has
undergone changes in the past six
years, the Congressional Directory
showed.
Biographical Sketches.
When he became Senator. he
submitted to the official directory
a 226-word biographical sketch.
which included the statements
that he enlisted as a marine pri-
vate, was later commissioned. was
assigned to marine aviation as "a
ground officer" was later quail
fed" as a tail gunner and had II
official missions" in the South
Pacific, including strikes over Ra-
baul, Kahili. Buka. Munda Bala-
lac and other Jap airf1elds."
BY February. 1949. the McCar-
thy biography in the directory was
down to 106 words, and, Of his
war record. said only: In June Of
1912 enlisted in the Marine Corps
and was assigned to marine avia-
tion-served 80 months active
duty" This session Senator Nc
Carthy cut the biography to 81
words. and made no mention Of
war service.
Senator Mccarthy gave him
self the nickname Tail Gunner
Joe" in his campaign literature
in the summer of 1914. when he
got leave from the Marines to
make an unsuccessful run against
Senator Wiley. Republican. Wis
consin.
His Pentagon record Of Marine
Corps service carries no notation
of his having qualified for an
aerial gunner's wings or being
credited with combat missions.
1t shows that, starting in 1943.
he saw overseas duty as a
squadron intelligence officer"
with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
in the New Hebrides. Guadalcanal,
New Georgia. the British
Solomon Islands. Efate and Bou-
gainville.
File Contains Citation.
The file does contain. however.
the record Of a citation. issued by
Admiral Nilnitz' headquarters.
after Senator Mccarthy had re-
turned from the Pacific, in which
he was praised "for meritorious
and efficient performance of duty"
on flights as a marine observer
and rear gunner.
The matter Of how Senator
got home in July, 1945,
and out Of active service the fol-
lowing February. was last ex-
planned by q friendly colleague,
Senator Cain, Republican. WASH
ington. On July 13. Senator Cain
told the Senate that Senator Nc
Carthy got out after he told the
Marine Corps that "it would
either be necessary to place him
in a naval hospital or permit him
to return home so that his leg
(Which had been injured) could
benefit from medical attention"
The Pentagon file shows that,
on october 10. 1914. Senator Nc
Carthy. who had been back in
the United States for several
and in Wisconsin to cam
jaign for office. applied in writing
for further leave to return home
again to straighten out his per-
sonal affairs. This was turned
down. and he was told that he
either could stay on active duty
or resign. The record shows that
he was finally relieved Of active
duty" on February 20. l945, and
resigned under honorable con-
ditions" on March 20. 194A
Presumably submitted in con-
nection with one of Senator Nc