Putnam patriot., 1919-01-31
"JOE" O'NEn
DIED GAME
Last Words to Charles Ryan:
Good Bye, Old Boy, I'll Be
Back Soon; Give Them He'll
While I'm Gone"
RYAN Tell. How He Himself Nearly
Cot Blishty

The following Letter written TO the
editor of The Patriot on Christmas
day by Charles Ryan tells now he
was wounded and how Joe O'Neil
showed Yankee fortitude when he was
MORALLY wounded The letter is as
follows:
"Esnoms, France, Dec. 25. 1913
Gust few words from France on
the lonesomest Christmas I ever spent
in all my life. My company is sta
toned in one Of the most dreary plac-
es in this country. It has rained here
most every day since we arrived and
the mud is a foot deep. At that it Is
much better than being at the front.
We have that much to be thankful
for this Christmas, as the war is over
and the time is coming when we will
be back to our happy homes once
more. That will be a wonderful day
for US all when we can walk the
streets Of Putnam and greet our old
friends again.
II have just returned from a two
months stay at the hospital. | was
wounded in the last drive in front Of
Verdun. | was hit in the back OF the
head with shrapnel. The only thing
that saved my life was telephone. !
was lying in a shell hole with tele-
phone back of my head when shell
landed about five feet away. II Int
one fellow almost direct and blew HIM
to bits. One of the large pieces OF
shrapnel hit the telephone and broke
into small pieces, six of them going
into my head | was awful weak
from loss Of blood but managed to
get to the dressing station before be
ing counted out. The funny part Of
it was that | lost my gas mask when
/ was hit so that | just had to move
whether | wanted to or not as the
Boches were throwing over soma gas
shells and it was a case of either lie
there and take the gas or make my
way through the shell fire chose
the latter and. although | had some
narrow escapes, | managed to get to
the dressing station safely.
1.-The next day | was operated on
and for the next week | thought my
DAYS were numbered as ! was uncon-
scious most of the time for SIX days
1t was quite a relief to get into the
hospital and get good feed and
warm bed after being in the Ar
comes for eighteen days living on
eorned Willie and sleeping in shell
holes.
aside from few scars on the
back of my head am O. X. once
more and hope to stay that way for
awhile at least.
II see by the papers where Joe
O'Neil of Danielson died of wounds,
the poor fellow | was with him the
day he got it. He was game to the
last, for after being shot IN the leg
he kept going and few minutes lat
er he was shot in the stomach. He
was feeling fine when they carried
him away. | shook hands with him
and he said, Good bye. old boy, I'll
be back soon. Give them hell while
Pm gone But he never came back
as he died soon after in the hospital.
Poor Joe did his bit He went over
the top at Fheury and came back
safe, but this time he was out of luck.
II am pretty well decorated now
with two wound stripes and service
stripe to my credit. | can't say how
long they will keep US over here, but
| hope it won't be long as | am long
ing to get back to dear old Putnam,
where l can enjoy life and forget
these days over here.
Tony Foreier came through with
flying colors; also Ernest Thompson
was O. X. the last | heard of him.
Give my regards to all the boys
and tell them | will be home soon"