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Show j LXuiuN LlK-tU -MAC S " NErtVE Veteran of tlio U. S. Navy Is Chosen as One of the Organization's National Meads. John Aloxntuler McConiuiek. vice commander of tho American Legion, lllin.l Hi.. 1. ,,,!. of the navy us far back as 1001. lie silll thinks It Is a good organisation, organi-sation, although In recent years he has transferred trans-ferred his energies ener-gies to the Navy Tuberculosis hospital hos-pital at Fort Lyon, Colo. Mr. McCormack lolnoil tho irnvv when he was seventeen years old. In 11X5 he was transferred from apprentice ap-prentice seaman to hospital apprentice, appren-tice, and the following year was one of those who administered aid to the survivors of the famous turret explosion explo-sion on board the V. S. S. Kearsarge, on Good Friday afternoon. He quit the navy In 10Ot but heard the voice of the sea again In 1915. Within a year he was helping capture Vera Cruz with the landing party that went ashore from the Atlantic Hoot. Before 1017 had ended he had established es-tablished a hospital at St. Angers, and Naval Base Hospital No. 1 at Brest. One of the things he does not mention about his career Is the outbreak of a fire at Brest, during which he carried out several helpless patients and nearly near-ly ruined a couple of serviceable hands. During the Mame offensive he was on an operating team at Jullly. The Legion thought so much of his spirit and capabilities that they elected elect-ed him one of their national heads. |