Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-21
BUT
UNDAUNTED, U.S..
SOLDIER RETURNS
Going to Find Something
Else to Do For Gov
ernment

New York, Dec. 21.-The first
MANNED American to return from
France is coming home the hap
piest boy in the world" he says, and
those who have seen him since he
lost both his legs by a bomb dropped
from a German airplane on a base
hospital in France say he is the nerv-
lest His name is Aubrey Mcleod
and his home is in Boston.
Howard Kahn, of the National
War Work Council of the Y. NJ. c.
A. met Mcleod in France as he was
on his way TO a train for the port.
He was injured in the raid in which
Lieutenant Fitzsimmons and three
privates We're killed early in July.
The first American wounded was on
train when Mr.. Kahn went 10 look
for him.
Il entered his compartment" said
Mr.. Kahn. Two soldiers were there.
Both We're hearty, ed-Cheeked fresh
looking Americans, neither of whom
appeared to have known what Il
days illness meant.
where's McLeod?" I asked. My
name is Mcleod" replied one of
them. smiling.
Then l noticed that the lower
part of his body was covered with a
rug If the American wounded and
the American people accept their
misfortunes like Aubrey Mcleod has
accepted his, the report of the long
casualty lists which are sure to come
will cause no alarm as to American
morale.
Looking for a sick man.
laughed Mcleod, reading my
thoughts.
There's nobody sick around here.
may get little seasick in a few
serious about it
Just what happened?
A fleet of Boche planes. They
dropped six bombs. One of them got
me. Now I'm minus two legs
Mcleod said all this with smile
on his face: Il had been on guard.
Somebody relieved me. and 1 lay
down for some sleep. 1 heard a
commotion and jumped to my feet.
Two bombs went off and 1 knew it
was an air raid. Then a third ex-
ploded near me. Another man in
my unit began yelling Help me!
and l saw that he was wounded.
Then l looked down and say that my
right leg was cut almost in two. I
did not feei a bit of pain, but be-
gan yelling, too, just like the other
fellow was doing. l remember the
colonel ran in and looked at me and
: neid me UP until two men came with
stretcher. Next thing l knew was
when l woke up the following day.
remembered about my right leg
dangling as if ready to drop off. l
looked down and found that it was
gone. Then l reached for my left
leg. 1t was gone, too"
please remember that Mcleod
was not telling this with tragedy in
his voice. There were, no sighs, no
self pity. There was merely an air
of satisfaction; satisfaction at having
done his duty. He did not show the
least indication that he considered
that he had done more.
~ called for my nurse he con-
tinued, "and ! remember that | had
long argument with her before |
sank off to sleep again. I told her
that she had promised they would
hot amputate my leg, and here they
had amputated both of them. | told
her that l thought it was not fair
to be lied to like that. But there
was no heart breaking realization
hat / was a cripple for life. 1 was
90 full of morphine for that. And
~ the time the morphine was worn
oft I suppose I had quit worrying
about the future
"'And now?'
well. I'm going home. I want
o hear 'em speak English hke
americans. I want the kind of food
my mother knows how to cook.
when they get me pretty well
patched up I'm going to try to find
Fomething else I can do for the
Government. 1 don't know what it
will be, but I've two good arms and
know something will turn up. I'm
ar from being ready for the junk
bile"