The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-18
HO,11e!l /.
First u. S. Casualty in
France on Way Back.

He lost both his legs wnen 2 HERMAN
airplane dropped bomb on base
hospital where he was on guard.
Mcleod is former student Of Pnr-
due university and resident Of Ros-
ton. He served in an Indiana battery
on the Mexican border last year. He
speaks of himself as "the happiest boy
in the world" Those who have met him
declare that he is "the nerviest boy
in the world"
Calling him "onr first hlesse" How
ard Kahn. Of the National War Work
Council Of the Y. NJ. G. 4. writes of
meeting him in France. as follows:
/ "When the transport sails from
this harbor in few days. 1t will carry
the haprest boy in the world. That
is the way he characterizes himself. !
would call him the nerviest boy in the
world.
His name is Aubrey Mcleod. He is
a former student at Purdue university,
a resident Of Boston, and he served in
an Indiana battery on the Mexican
border last year.
"All Of which has nothing to do with
why he is the happiest and the nerviest
boy in the world.
when histories of the present war
are written, Aubrey McLeods name
will go down as the first American
casualty. The air raid on base hospital
No. which resulted in the death of
Lieutenant Fitzsimmons Of the medical
corps and three privates early in July.
, injured Mcleod so seriously that his
two legs had to he amputated six
inches above the knees. This much
, has been briefly mentioned in official
. newspaper dispatches. But nothing
has been said about Mcleod himself or
his hopes for the future.
Il met a hospital sergeant on a train
!, hound for this port the other day.
:. We're taking Aubrey Mcleod home
, he said. Would you like to see him"
II was not sure. l had seen lot of
French and German 'muties during
? four months at the French front. and
: the memory of some Of them was still
!, with me. | did not know whether
wanted TO see a pale faced, drawn and
suffering American. had known
5 some of McIeods friends on the MeXi-
g can border last summer. however, and
+, | thought some news or them might
cheer him a bit
= Il entered his compartment. TWO
: soldiers were there. Both We're hearty,
red checked. fresh looking Americans,
ineithcr Of whom appeared TO have
known what a days illness meant.
Where's Mcleod asked
my name is Mcleod replied one
of them smiling.
Then | noticed that the lower part
II Of his body was covered with n rug.
X III the American wounded and the
A -
tunes like Aubrey Mcleod has accepted
- his, the receipt Of the long casualty
: lists which are sure to come viii cause
q no alarm as TO American morale.
y ".Looking for n sick NAM laughed
- Mcleod, reading my thoughts. There's
nobody sick around here. l may &c,
/ little seasick in a few days, but
e there won't be anything serious ahon
N tit
, Just what happened:'
"A fleet of Hoche planes. The,
= dropped six bombs. One of EN- got me
n Now I'm minus two legs.
To Mcleod said all this with a smile oil
., his face.
- had been on guard. Somebod
'e relieved me. and | lay down for som
To sleep. | heard commotion an
rs jumped To my feet. Two bombs Wen
, :, off and knew it was an air raid. The
- a third exploded very near me. !Anoth
II or man in my unit began yelling, 'hcl
O. me- and | saw that he was wounded
Y. Then | looked down and saw that m
right leg was cut almost in two.
didn't feel bit Of pain, but ! besa
g yelling, too just like the other fello,
II was doing. | remember the colont
, ran in and looked at me and held m
= up until two men came with a stretch
'd er.
t. Next thing | knew was when
a woke up the following day. | remem
l. q bered about my right leg dangling 4
it ready t" drop off. | reached dow
its and found that ii vas gone. Then
Dn reached for my left leg. 1t was Son
IL too
), :, Please remember that Mcleod wa
' not telling this with tragedy in h
Ill voice. There were no signs, no sell
tx pity. There was merely an air of sal
nd iSfaction- satisfaction at having dor
his duty. He did not show the lea
- indication that he considered that
~ had done more.
tn 81 called for my nurse he contii
,r ued, and | remember that | had loi
argument with her before | sank off
~ sleep again. ] told her that she h:
We promised they wouldn't amputate II
he leg. and here they had amputated DO
nd of them. told her that | thought
~, was not fair to be lied to like that. /:
ny there was no heart breaking realiz
ton that | was cripple for life.
|Lo was too full of morphine for that. Al
by the time the morphine had worn
- ! suppose | had quit worrying aho
ne the future
trcl And now"'
r,> well I'm going home. want
hear 'cm speak English like Ame
''"' cans. ! want the kind of food
lca mother knows how to cook. VII
i'm they get me pretty well patched up
t;u going to try to find something else
can do for the government | do
know what it viii be, hut I've got I
in good arms. and know something v
ala turn up. I'm far from being rea
:, for the junk pile
'h' And Aubrey Mcleod sn'i;,d agar
pie. n smile that brought confidence to
or\ Oth,r Americans who had crow ded il
a,,, his Compart ment during his recital.