Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP17012
Date
1918 December 22
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
Sunday.
The President and Mrs. Wilson today came into personal contact with a large number of American wounded soldiers for the first time in the war. They went to the American Hospital at Neuilly, where there were more than 1200 wounded Americans, a majority of whom had participated in the great battle at Chateau Thierry, which turned the tide of the entire war. The President and Mrs. Wilson were met at the entrance by the Commanding Officer of the Hospital, Colonel James F. Hutchinson, of Philadelphia. They spent more than four hours passing through the various wards shaking hands with the wounded men and commenting with them on the great task they had assisted in accomplishing. “The country is proud of you and of your work”, he told these men. And as he would go out of the door from each ward, he would stop and wave his hand and say: “Good-bye, I wish you as pleasant a Christmas as you can have in the circumstances.” In shaking hands with one patient, he asked his name, and the soldier smiled and said: “My name is Wilson.” The President replied: “That’s not a common name but a usual one; I am proud of what you have done for the name.” He saw another big husky fellow at the foot of his bed and said: “Haven’t I seen you before”; and the soldier replied: “Yes, sir; I am the traffic cop at the Grand Central Station, New York City.” The President asked one soldier: “I am struck with so many men being wounded in their thighs and legs”; and the fellow sobbingly replied: “Most of those who are wounded above are not here.”
In one ward in which the French wounded were being cared for the President found a husky negro American dough-boy ensconced in his bed. The humor of being the sole American among the French apparently had struck this negro because he had printed a sign which proudly hung above the bed, reading: “Only English spoken in this bed.” Naturally this amused the President.
The President’s visit to Neuilly Hospital was a source of great gratification to the wounded soldiers of all through France. Reports made later to GHQ indicated that the various hospitals had benefitted in that the morale of the wounded men had been materially benefitted just through hearing of the friendly manner in which the President had greeted their wounded comrades in the institution that he was able to get to.
After lunch the President and Mrs. Wilson visited the large French Hospital—DE GRACE. Word had been telephoned that he was coming to the hospital and a large crowd had gathered at the entrance to greet him. He went through all the wards. When he entered one ward a Frenchman who had been blinded insisted upon being allowed to stand and sing “The Marseilles”, which he did in a most touching manner.
After a very tiresome but very human day the President returned home.
The President and Mrs. Wilson today came into personal contact with a large number of American wounded soldiers for the first time in the war. They went to the American Hospital at Neuilly, where there were more than 1200 wounded Americans, a majority of whom had participated in the great battle at Chateau Thierry, which turned the tide of the entire war. The President and Mrs. Wilson were met at the entrance by the Commanding Officer of the Hospital, Colonel James F. Hutchinson, of Philadelphia. They spent more than four hours passing through the various wards shaking hands with the wounded men and commenting with them on the great task they had assisted in accomplishing. “The country is proud of you and of your work”, he told these men. And as he would go out of the door from each ward, he would stop and wave his hand and say: “Good-bye, I wish you as pleasant a Christmas as you can have in the circumstances.” In shaking hands with one patient, he asked his name, and the soldier smiled and said: “My name is Wilson.” The President replied: “That’s not a common name but a usual one; I am proud of what you have done for the name.” He saw another big husky fellow at the foot of his bed and said: “Haven’t I seen you before”; and the soldier replied: “Yes, sir; I am the traffic cop at the Grand Central Station, New York City.” The President asked one soldier: “I am struck with so many men being wounded in their thighs and legs”; and the fellow sobbingly replied: “Most of those who are wounded above are not here.”
In one ward in which the French wounded were being cared for the President found a husky negro American dough-boy ensconced in his bed. The humor of being the sole American among the French apparently had struck this negro because he had printed a sign which proudly hung above the bed, reading: “Only English spoken in this bed.” Naturally this amused the President.
The President’s visit to Neuilly Hospital was a source of great gratification to the wounded soldiers of all through France. Reports made later to GHQ indicated that the various hospitals had benefitted in that the morale of the wounded men had been materially benefitted just through hearing of the friendly manner in which the President had greeted their wounded comrades in the institution that he was able to get to.
After lunch the President and Mrs. Wilson visited the large French Hospital—DE GRACE. Word had been telephoned that he was coming to the hospital and a large crowd had gathered at the entrance to greet him. He went through all the wards. When he entered one ward a Frenchman who had been blinded insisted upon being allowed to stand and sing “The Marseilles”, which he did in a most touching manner.
After a very tiresome but very human day the President returned home.
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1918 December 22, WWP17012, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.