Evening star., 1954-10-17
BY N. A.,oeio,sd Pres.

by the Associoied Press
SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. rs.
FOLLOWING Is the tert OF q
rGdio-telepision broadcast by
Representative StringteIlotD.
Republican. OF Utah, admitting
his story OF heroic maritime
mission behind German lines
iDds false.
Ladies and gentlemen:
I am Congressman Douglas r.
Stringfellow. My purpose in COM
ing before you tonight is to make
a statement-the most difficult
I have ever made in my lifetime.
Difficult as the occasion may be.
the decision I have made gives
me a great sense of personal re-
lief and unburdens my soul from
a load I have borne for almost
10 years.
This story really begins al
most a decade ago although its
completion is only now coming
to a close. Nine years ago was
a patient lying in Bushnell Cen
eral Hospital seriously wounded
as a result Of a land mine ex-
plosion which occurred while I
was serving with the q. s. Army
in France. My condition was
critical. I faced the bleak life
of a paraplegic-a cripple with
little likelihood Of ever having a
normal life.
Outlook Improved.
AS my body mended physi-
cally my mental outlook greatly
improved and gradually I picked
up the threads of desire. ambi-
ton and hopes which had lain
dormant for more than a year
after the explosion. Like a .1ew-
born baby. I had to learn to do
things for myself again-like
walking, feeding and dressing
myself. 1t was a slow, tedious
task.
During those bleak days in the
hospital, I first met my wife. and
it was she and my many other
friends who imbued me with
faith and determination to pick
up the broken ends and try to
come back up the long ladder
from despair and near death.
When finally left the hospi-
tai at Brigham City. I was still
a long way from being whole
physically, but my mental out
look and faith in life was better
than 1t had been even before
the mine explosion. now had
q new purpose in life. Within
my bosom burned a determine
ton to express my faith and
gratitude to God for having
spared my life-and a desire to
carry my philosophy of the good
ness of life to all those who
might listen.
Made Many Speeches.
Upon my return to civilian
life, I had an opportunity to
speak to civic, church and social
gatherings on many occasions.
Even though my legs were
crippled and paralyzed, my voice
and my ability to speak and con-
vey my thoughts had not been
harmed, but actually grew and
improved after my injury oc-
Cured. AS a disabled veteran,
I was treated with some solici-
tation and concern and I was
constantly requested and pressed
to talk more and more about my
war activities. Repeatedly was
asked for more details about my
service experiences.
Somewhere along the line, the
idea or thought was integrated
in introductions that Doug
Stringfellow was war hero.
My very brief activities in the
Army were glorified and ex-
plotted out of relationship to
their true perspective. For this
glorification and exaggeration, I
can't blame others, because as
the stories grew I did not correct
these erroneous impressions.
Actually, like many other persons
suddenly thrust into the lime
light, I rather thrived on the
adulation and new-found popu-
larity, and consciously or uncon-
sciously began to embellish my
speeches with more picturesque
and fanciful incidents not squar-
ing actually with the events
which had occurred.
Then I awakened one morning
to find that recounting of my war
experiences had taken a far diff
ferent complexion than I had
anticipated. Originally when I
started as q public speaker. I
had used my service experiences
simply as a vehicle around which
could build and express my
philosophy Of life. That has al
ways been my purpose. But
somehow, found that I was be-
ing referred to in speeches, and
introductions as an OSS agent, a
cloak and dagger operator. hero
of a behind-the-line capture of
a German physicist.
I Fell Into the Trap.
I fell into the trap, which in
part had been laid by my own
glib tongue. I became prisoner
of my own making. Surely, I
knew that there were some in
conSistencieS in my story as it
had grown and developed over a
decade when I made over 200
speeches in a single year. But it
was not an easy task to correct
these erroneous impressions. and
consequently they have remained
unanswered.
During the intervening years
since my injury. I was able to
build for myself and family a
new life-a life for which I am
most grateful. My wife and I
after our marriage were able
to complete a mission for the
Latter-day Saints (Mormon)