Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 252, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 October 1920 — VICTORY MEDALS. [ARTICLE]

VICTORY MEDALS.

Victory Medals are being apjflied for so slowly by ex-service men that Major P. C. Harris, the Adjutant General of the Army,, has notified the officers in charge of the distribution to make the utmost effort to reach all who deserve it. It is estimated that 3,757,624 men who served in the Army are entitled to the Medal, but to date only 379,214, or about ten Tier cent of the number, have applied. Applications are coming in at the rate of only 6,800 a day, wluch is far below the capacity for issue of the working crew in the Philadelphia General Supply Depot. The Quartermaster has put on a large force, and these men are being held at much expense to the Government. “It is no more difficult to make out a form for the Victory Medal,’’ announces General Harris, “than it is to fill out a money order blank. This farm verifies the recipient’s service and his present whereabouts. It will prevent the. Anedals • frwn falling into the Wrongshands. The Government’s gift is a work of art, not a bauble, and has intrinsic as well as sentimental value. It cannot be sent out to unverified addresses, any more than liberty bonds or War Insurance checks, many of which have been lost before reaching the addresses, in spite of ail possible care. “The ex-service man has only to apply at the nearest Army Post or recruiting officer in his home town, or through any patriotic society, such as the American Legion or the Veterans of'Foreign Wars. Here he wiH be shown how to fill out his blank, and if his discharge papers are correct, the applicatiion as forwarded direct to Philadelphia, and the medal mailed within a week. Hundreds of applicants have given wrong addresses, and many medals are returned daily by the Post Office because the men cannot be located.”

For service in the United States 117,194 Medels have been issued to date, and 79,092 for service in foreign countries. There hive been 56,005 medals with three battle clasps issued, and 53,510 with two battle clasps. These are the largest numbers « #H with battle clasps, which range from one to eleven. There have been 52 medals issued with nine clasps, nine medals with ten clasps, and two with eleven clasps. ! The American Legion makes no distinction between members ana non-members in the Victory Medal distribution. There are also special blanks for the next of kin, in order that the relatives may obtain the decorations for those who were kiHed in action or who daed in line of duty. Ex-oerrtee men please ree N. A. Shafer, P. C. or Cope J. Hanley, P. A., Dewey Bw P«* No. 29, Rensselaer, Ind., for assistance in procuring these medals.