Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1919 — AMERICAN HERO, DESPITE LOSS OF FEET, QUALIFIES AS AN AIRMAN [ARTICLE]

AMERICAN HERO, DESPITE LOSS OF FEET, QUALIFIES AS AN AIRMAN

Atlanta Man Fought With Dublin Fusileers Until Injured—Later He Was Made a Flight Commander in the British Atc-_ —Service and Was Going Big Until He Was_i Captured by the Huns.

With American Army Jh France. — Loss .of one foot and part of the other (lid not end the fighting career of Owen Cobb Holleran of Atlanta, Ga. A man with artificial feet is- unfit for Infantry duty, so Owen was-honorably discharged from that branch of the service. Being a soldier of fortune Holleran refused “to be dumped on the army scrap heap,” as he ex- = pressed It. In spite of his physical handicap he ■ wormed his way into the British air service, won- a pilot’s license, operating a type of plane lhat (1171 not require foot manipulation, became a lieutenant, captain and flight commander. Some climb for a follow with wooden feet, but not surprising If you knew Holleran. He had all sorts of thrills and adventures, and then one day—but I fim getting ahead of my story. Better let Capt. E. G. Lowry tell It as he told It to me on a rainy night while I was with the British army. Be was attached to the American embassy in London before entering the United States army. It was ’■while at the London embassy that he - flrsthadthe ease of Owen Cobb Holleran called to his attention. Captain Lowry’s home also js in Atlanta. Stranger - Th an Fiction.

“There is material for n book In Holleran’s experience,” said Captain Lowry. “Stranger than fiction in spots. .His papers came to me at the embassy and he has kept up a correspondence. There is a lot in the chap. He is as clever and brave as they make them. He was employed as a clerk In the office of the Southern TPHUTiTepIIbne” conipaTy “TnAtlanta. Like many other young Americans he wanted to see the great war. It got into his blood long before our country -was involved. In 1915- hestarted out from Atlanta with a friend named Gray. They had "Just SIOO between ■ them for the big adventure. They went to New York and tried to enlist In the British army, but the consul said he couldn’t enroll Americans. “From a crossing policeman—they learned that a cattle boat was to sail next day. They decided to work their passage. They applied and got the Job. Reaching London, they were ac-i Tepted at a recruiting station In Scot- . land Yard. The recruiting sergeant wanted to know what branch of the service they preferred. Jlolleran replied: ‘No choice. Just as soon serve in one branch as the other. My only request is that you send us to a warm climate. I came from the South and 1 like It hot.’ ‘“You can get it hot enough at any part of the front? replied the sergeant? ‘I see your point, lad, and we’ll see what can be done. With a name like yours I think an Irish outfit is the place for you.’ Holleran was assigned to the Dublin Fusileers. His friend Gray went to the same regiment. In a few months Holleran’s regiment was sent to Gallipoli. He served th rough that campaign and saw hard fighting. The regiment went with ojhef British units to Egypt to be refitted after the Gallipoli scrap.? Feet Badly Frozen. “Next Holleran went with the Dub-1 Un Fusileers into Serbia with the first allied expedition. In the mountains many of the soldiers suffered from • frozen feet nnd hands. HOlleran’a feet were badly- frozen, and he told me with a grin that he couldn’t help Jfceing'the funny side of it after having asked to be sent to a hot place. “Fate began to extend a helping hand to Holleran away out there. At* tached to British field hospital In Serbia were two American surgeons, one from Georgia and the other from 1 South Carolina? Learning that, HolKieran hailed from Atlanta, they took special interest In him. They did 1 everything possible to save his feet, but. later, to avoid more serious comamputated part of each foot. “Holler an returned to Upland,

blighty. He was at Cliveden hospital, maintained by MrS. Astor. He was fitted out with artificial feet there. When it came time to think about sending Holleran back to the states the case was referred to me. But Owen Cobb Holleran did not intend to go home. He said anybody who thought his fighting days were over just because he had game feet had another guess. “He said he had read about a new type of airplane while at the hospital. It was operated entirely by hand levers, which fact gave him an inspiration. said he. had given the matter much thought on his cot and while sunning himself in a wheel chair. He had finally resolved to become an aviator and he felt confident he could make good. “The next thing I heard about Holleran he was a full-fledged flyer in the British air force. He made-good from the start. One day a very large and official-lookingenvelope came to. me. It contained the honorable discharge of Owen Cobb Holleran from the Dublin Fusileers. It had been sent by the coloneLof the regiment, who wrote very flatteringly about the young American. I hadn’t seen or heard from Holleran for months. -ft finally learned the location of his j squadron and forwarded the army certificate. Physical Defect Barred Him. “A few days later I received a cheerful letter thanking me and inviting me to dine with him at my earliest convenience at the squadron mess. You could have knocked me over with a feather when, at the end of the letter I read that Owen Cobb Holleran was now a captain and flight com-

mander. He mentioned more thar once that he regretted bis inability to serve his own country when we entered the war, but his physical defect barred him. And he wanted to keep right on fighting the Boche, so he remained in the British service. .... “I was very eages. to see him and to congratulate him on his success, but had to defer the visit owing to the activities of the British army. It so happened that I selected the' day following the most dramatic day in Holleran’s career, but I was too late. “Motoring to the squadron I found English and Canadian and American aviators in a spirited game of baseball. I asked for Captain Holleran. A fellow shouted to a lieutenant who was playing second base. The nontenant came up panting. He said: ‘Captain Holleran is*gone.’ ‘Gone?’ I reiterated. 'What do you mean? He isn’t dead, is be?’ “ ‘No. Taken prisoner by the Boche yesterday. I roomed and chummed -with —him. Gang miss him.. Terribly. Happened like this: We went on a daylight bombing raid. Holleran led the flight. Before we started he remarked that he had a sort of presentiment something was going to happen to him. Our bombing trip was a success. We had orders to fly low on the return and machine-gun certain positions. Ran into heavy enemy fire. Holleran’s machine was hit. He went down inside the enemy lines. . “ ‘We could see him waving to us. Then we saw Bodies surround him with leveled guns and saw Hol’e arms go up.’ “Can you beat It for a melodramatic last scene?” asked Captain Lowry. “Holleran was-captured on Sunday, September 15. A game kid. Pity they got him.”