Evening star., 1921-02-19
DEAD" HERO MAY
Be AMONG Giving
Special Dispatch to The Star.

SPV''ai b'SpnitH W ne
MAPLEVILLE. Nd, February IA
Tragedy. sacrifice, glory, hope and
Thanksgiving are all the natural con-
sequences of war. and many homes
have been touched by them, but to
Mrs. Lettie Y. Michael these have all
come in strange admixture.
When Company B. 1st Maryland
National Guard. entrained for Camp
Mcclellan. in the summer of 1917,
Austin G. Michael. big. curly headed
and blue-eyed. marched in the first
squad. Just past eighteen and more
than six feet tall. he had left his home
near Boonsboro. Md. to join the
great army enlisted in the struggle
for humanity. He quickly earned,
among his buddies, the sobriquet of
"Big/Mike." And. as one of his Off
months after, it was not solely his
huge stature and great strength
which won his title. but that his
heart was bigger than all. One day
over there in France, nearing the end
of terrible hike" he was seen to
fall and it was found, when he was
disentangled from the mass of equip
ment. that he was trying to carry
the packs and rifles of nearly a
squad.
one day the fatefu1 message. "KiIled
in action. October II. 191S"; then,
after weeks of waiting. reports from
his officers and comrades, some of
them conflicting. but not enough to
cause doubt. The regimental chap
lain had buried him and had offered
his sympathy. Finally. there came
a photograph of his grave. but the
name was not the same. 1t was Alvin
A: Michel. and the soldiers number
did not correspond. SO hope was
| kindled in the mothers breast.
I'm. <lo laff
rade. who said that Austin had been
seen in a hospital subsequent to the
date of his reported death. Other
buddies told of his being hit and
covered with a blanket. supposedly
dead but that. after nearly two days
on the field. some life remained and
| he had been sent to hospital.
| When the gold star mothers met
in Baltimore last November Mrs.
Michael was taken by friend to
! some news of the boy. she showed
his photograph to the staff there
! and.o one recognized the big fellow.
Yes. I know him; it is Big Tom
, Hinnegan." he said. Others also said
! it was Tom Hinnegan. and when the
| mother told them his name they
! could only insist that the likeness
was identical. But Tom Hinnegan
had gone to Walter Reed Hospital
! in May. so the searcher went there
In telling of that trip she said "it
was just like gripping story" with
! the action leading up to a sure
climax. and. upon going to Walter
Reed Hospital. she found that he had
been transferred to the vicinity of
| Hampton roads. and here all trace
! of him was lost.
The description in each case had
! Tailed with that of Big Mike-his
| height his build. his hair and eyes.
Tom had been wounded over his right
It, ,l~@
rade in st. Elizabeth's had been with
| him in a hospital at Brest, France.
| but had not seen him since. He rec
osnized the likeness. but did not
know his name. Mrs. Michael was
| told. also, that Tom wrote frequently
! to his mother. but no one knew how
to address the letter, not even Tom
| himself
! Insists Photo Is Correct.
| At the graves registration service the
| clerk insisted that the photo of the
grave was correct and that no mistake
| had been made, but the kindly chief
| searched for several hours and ADMITTED
that this must be an exception The
| records here became further compli-
Gated. for it was discovered that two
/ regimental chaplains had buried her son,
one in grave 1873 at Consenvoye ceme-
| terry and the other in grave 16S at Meuse
| cemetery.
| Mrs. Michael in telling of her fruit
less though slightly hopeful search. said:
| Il would be content for my son to have
I given his life for his country; l know
what the sacrifice means and l would
willingly make it, but the doubt is very
| trying" and at this time she showed
the only trace of emotion evident in her
| long story.
I Is it possible that big Tom Hinne-
gan" and big Mike are the same? ?
Mrs. Michael hangs to this hope The
wound on the head may have produced
| the form Of amnesia which would ex-
! plain the loss Of identity Tom is some
where in his homeland. may be still
writing letters to his mother, complete te
| except the address. He is said to be
| normal in every other way. Perhaps
| some one who reads this may be able to
! furnish the address Of Tom or Mike,