Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-16


First American Casually.
when histories of the present
war are written, Aubrey McLeod's s
name will go down as the first Am
ertcan casualty. The air raid on
suited IN the death of Lieutenant Fitz-
simmons of the medical corps and
three privates early in July, injured
Mcleod so seriously that his two legs
had to be amputated six inches above
the knees. This much has been brief
ly mentioned in official newspaper
dispatches. But nothing has been
said about Mcleod himself or his
hopes for the future.
81 met a hospital sergeant on a
train bound for this port, the other
day. Were taking Aubrey Mcleod
home he said Would you like to
see him.?
81 was not sure. | had seen a lot
of French and German 'mutiles' dur
ing four months at the French front,
and the memory of some of them was
still with me. l did not know whether
| wanted to see a pale-faced, drawn
and suffering American. l had known
some of McLeods friends on the Mex
lean border last summer, however,
and l thot some news Of them might
cheer him bit
No Pale Checks.
"I entered his compartment. Two
soldiers were there. Both were hear
cans, neither of whom appeared to
have known what days illness
meant. Where's McLeod?' | asked
"'My name is Mcleod" replied one
Of them smiling.
Then ! noticed that the lower part
Of his body was covered with rug.
"If the American wounded and the
American people aGcept their mis-
fortunes like Aubrey Mcleod has ac-
cepted his the receipt Of the long
casualty lists which are sure to come
will cause no alarm as to American
morale.
Looking for a sick MANI" laugh
cd Mcleod. reading my thots. There's
nobody sick around here. l may
get a little seasick in a few days,
but there won't be anything serious
about it.
Minus Both Legs.
"Just what happened?'
"A fleet of Boche planes. They
dropped six bombs. One of 'em got
me. Now I'm minus two legs
Mcleod said all this with smile
on his face.
"T had been on guard. Somebody
relieved me, and ! lay down for some
tsleep. I heard a commotion and
| jumped to my feet. Two bombs went
off and l knew II was an air raid.
Then a third exploded very near me.
Another man in my unit began yell
ing, help me- and l saw that he was
wounded. Then 1 looked down and
saw that my right leg was cut almost
in two. | didn't feel bit of pain,
| httt inc 10 ha
other fellow was doing. | remember
the colonel ran in and looked at me
and held me up until two men came
with stretcher.
Next thing l knew was when ]
woke up the following day. / re-
membered about my right leg dang
| ling as If ready to drop off. l reached
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, so
self-pity. There was merely an air of
| satisfaction at having
done his duty He did not show the
| least indication that he considered
that he had done more.
"T called for my nurse he con-
| tinued, and l remember that / had
a long argument with her before
sank off to sleep again. told her
that she had promised they wouldn't
amputate my leg and here they had
amputated both of them. l told her
that / thot II was not fair to be lied
I 10 like that But there was no heart
breaking realization that ] was Grip
pie for life. | was too full of NOR
phine for that. And by the time the
morphine had worn off / suppose
had quit worrying about the future
"And now?'
| Eager TO Get Home.
"'Well, I'm going home / want
to hear 'em speak English like Am
orleans. l want the kind of food my
mother knows how to cook. When
they get me pretty we'll patched up
I'm going to try to find something
else | can do for the government
got two good arms, and l know some
thing will turn up. I'm far from be-
ing ready for the junk pile
And Aubrey Mcleod smiled again
"a smile that brought confidence to
the other Americans who had crowded
into his compartment during his re-
cital. For they regarded Mcleod as
a typical American soldier, and If a
typical American soldier has this
philosophy of life, what is there TO
fear?
p. Mcleod will start for. home amply
supplied with everything TO make him
comfortable for the long trip. The
government Is taking the best care of
him, and the American Y. NJ. G.. A.
has seen to IL that he has books,
candy and everything else a traveller
could want. The boy attributes his
happy state Of mind to the fact that
Americans, particularly Y. NJ. C. A.
secretaries, have watched out for him
so carefully.
I'm not nearly so unlucky as /
would have been had I been born a
Frenchman, an Englishman--or q
German he concluded"
Lose Trail and Die I'm Blizzard.
| SHERIDAN. WNo The blizzard