Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-04-06
By Lieutenant Pat O'Brien
Copyright, 1918, by Pat Alva o'Brien.)


up to this time I don't know, but If
it has l would be very much sur
prised.
OF the others, five were killed in
action-three Americans, one Cana
dian, and one Englishman. Three
more were in all probability killed
in action although officially they are
listed merely as missing" one OF
these was an American, one a Cana
dian, and the third a Scotchman.
Three more, two of the Americans,
were seriously wounded. Another, a
Canadian, is a prisoner in Germany.
l know nothing of the others.
What happened to me is narrated
in these pages. l wish, instead, l
could tell the story of each of my
brave comrades, for not one of them
was drowned, L am sure, without up
holding the best traditions OF the
R.,F. G. Unfortunately, however, OF
the eighteen who sailed of the Meg
anic" last May. happened to be the
first to fall into the hands OF the
Huns, and what befell my comrades
after that, with one exception know
only second hand.
The exception was the case of
poor brave Paul Raney-my closest
chum-whose last battle l witnessed
from my German prison-but that is
a story 1 shall tell in its proper
place.
In one way, however, I think the
story of my own "big adventure"
and my miraculous escape may, per-
haps, serve a purpose as usetui as
that of the heroic fate of my less
fortune comrades. Their story,
it is true, might inspire others 10
deeds of heroism, but mine, nope,
will convey the equally Valuaple
lesson of the folly of despair.
Many were the times in the course
of my struggles when it seemed ap-
solutely useless to continue. IN
hostile country. where discovery
meant death, wounded, sick, famlsh-
ed, friendless, hundreds of miles
from the nearest neutral territory
the frontier of which was so closely
guarded that even if 1 got there 1t
seemed too much to hope that l
could ever get through. what was the
use of enduring further agony?
And yet here / am, in the Land OF
Liberty-although in a somewhat
obscure corner of 1.-THE little town
of Momence, ILL.,, where 1 was born
not very much the worse for wear
after all I've been through, and, as
write these words not eight months
have passed since my seventeen COM
rades and l sailed from Canada on
the "Meganic."
Can it be possible that I was
spared to convey a message OF hope
to others who are destined for siml-
lar trials? 1 am afraid there viii
be many of them.
Years ago 1 heard of the epitaph
WI n1 &c fn
a child's grave:
"If L was so soon to be done for
What, o Lord, was 1 ever begun
for?"
The way it has come to me since 1
returned from Europe is:
''If, o Lord, was not to be done
for,
What were my sufferings e'er be-
gun for?"
Perhaps the answer lies in the
suggestion 1 have made.
At any rate, If this record of my
adventures should prove instrument
tai in sustaining others who need
encouragement, L shall not feel that
my sufferings were in vain.
1t is hardly likely that any one
will quite duplicate my experiences,
but 1 haven't the slightest doubt
that many will have to go through
trials equally nerve-racking and suf-
fer disappointments just as disheart-
ening.
1t would be very far from the
mark to imagine that the optimism
which 1 am preaching now so glibly
sustained me through all my troub-
les. On the contrary, I am free to
confess that / frequently gave way
to despair and often, for hours at {
time, felt so detected and discourag-
ed that l really didn't care what
happened to me. Indeed, / rather
hoped that something would happen
to put an end to my misery.
But despite all my dependency
and hopelessness, the worst never
happened, and 1 can't help thinking
that my salvation must have been
designed to show the way to others.
CHAPTER ii.
Became Fighting Scout
started flying in Chicago in 1912.
was then eighteen years old, bu
1 had had hankering for the air
ever since l can remember.
AS youngster / followed the ex-
ploits of the Wrights with the great
est interest, although / must confess
/ som etimes hoped that they would
had a whack at it myself. I got
more whacks than 1 was looking for
later on.
Needless to say, my parents were
very much opposed to my risking my
life at what was undoubtedly at tha
time one of the most hazardous
"pastimes'' young fellow could Sc
lect, and every time l had a smash
up or some other mishap l was Or
dered never to go near an aviation
field again.
So went out to California. There
another fellow and 1 built our own
machine, which we flew in various
parts of the state.
In the early part of 1916. when
trouble was brewing in Mexico, 1
Joined the American Flying Corps.
1 was sent to San Diego, where the
army flying school is located, and
spent about eight months there, but
as L was anxious to get into active
service and there didn't seem much
chance of America ever getting into
the war, ! resigned and, crossing
over. to Canada, Joined the Royal
Flying Corps at Victoria, B. C.
l was sent to Camp Borden, To-
ronto, first to receive instruction and
later to instruct. While a cadet /
made the first loop ever made by a
cadet in Canada, and after l had
performed the stunt half expected
to be kicked out of the service for
it. Apparently, however, they con-
sidered the source and let it go at
that. Later on had the satisfaction
of introducing the loop as part of
the regular course of instruction fol-
cadets in the r. f. c., and 1 want
to say right here that Camp Borden
has turned out some of the best
fiiers that have ever gone to France.
In May, 1917, l and seventeen