Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-04-15
VETERAN Who TOOK
PART IN EUROPE'S
WORST FIGHTS HERE
LIEUT.. JOHN CASSIDY, WHO
WENT THROUGH CHATEAU
THlERRY AND ARGoNNE BAT.
TIES, RETURNS TO HOME IN
OTTAWA.

- Lieut.. John Il. Cassidy, a veteran OF
many battles who successfully passe.
through fierce fights in Toul, Chateau
Ihierry St Mihiel. the Argonne. the
Mense and the Tryon sectors, ar
rived In Ottawa last evening, looking
none the worse for his many months
OF ferce battling. He was met at the
Rock Island station by his father
Andrew Cassidy; his sister. Margaret
ana his former school chum and later
army bunk mate, Lieut.. Harry F.
Kelly, who returned from overseas in
the early fall, leaving limb on the
Flanders battlefelds as his part to
ward the signing of the armistice lasJ
November
II was a pathetic sight to see tn,
Two chums meet after being parteC
Tor so many months. They had las
seen each other when Lieut. Kelly wa
in an army hospital in France, wait
ing for the wound where his leg hac
been amputated to heal 50 that h,
might come nome.
The boys sailed overseas Jan S
1918, They landed in Liverpool an,
Jan. % went over to France. Marci
they were separated, and Lieu
Kelly was placed in the I'd Division
while Lieut. Cassidy was placed in the
10Th Division. A few weeks later, dur
ing large Hun offensive, Lieut.
Kelly was wounded in such a man
ner that man of ordinary grit Woult
have died, but his recovery was al
tributed by his physicians to he duo
to plain determination to live. II,
was decorated by the French govern
ment for his service.
Lieut.. Cassidy showed the sam
nerve that had prevailed in his chum
on Oct 90, when ne was wounded b
shrapnel in his arm, but bound up HI
wound and went right on with tn
fight, never leaving the lines.
He passed through the battle
Chateau Thierry on July Is, the bal
tie in which thousands of American
soldiers We're killed, but came out un
injured His division lost 4,200 meT
during this offensive. The driv'
started about 800 in the morning, an
none OF the officers or soldiers knew
they were to start a counter offensive
until two hours before the drive wa
made Three American divisions, the
lst, the I'd and the 18th, were in TIT
lines with the French when the
climbed over the top and started for
ward on the fight that was t.
straighten the allied lines. Sever
Nays later, after they had pushed The
Huns back twenty kilos, they were re
lieved Lieut.. Cassidy feels justifiabl,
proud of being in this fight Previou
to this Lieut.. Cassidy had beer
through the heavy spring drive II
the Toul sector, and had been sta
toned in the Chateau Thierry secto'
since July 3
On Sept II he was sent into the -
Mihiel sector where new posltia
was taken up by the boys of the 2Stt
This was done in two days, and the,
we're then moved to the Tryon sector
new sector made by the Isl. Mimic
drive. They battled in the Argonn'
and on the Meuse, and were in the
lines fighting hard on the morning
Nov. II. Between noon of Nov. Il
and 1890 o'clock Of Nov. II the 26tl
had fortg-nine of their men killed an'
23j wounded.
Lieut.. Howard Morley was mem
Der of the 101st Infantry of the 2oth
while Lieut. Cassidy was member o
the 101st Machine Gun Corps.
While Lieut. Cassidy, with a spri
that is truly heroic, seems to take hi
part in winning the war lightly, he il
loud in his praises on the heroism
the other ottawa boys, and declare
Morleys company did some work thai
was far above the average heroic
fighting.
Lieut. Morley is still at Camp De
yens. Mass, and will not be home fo1
two weeks.
Attorney Clarence Griggs was La