Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 February 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 Air Service and Was Going Big Until He Was Captured by the Huns.

With American Army in France.— Loss of one foot and part of the other did 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 expressed 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 that did not require foot a lieutenant, captain and flight commander. Some climb for a fellow with wooden feet, but not surprising if you knew Holleran. He had all sorts jrf thrills and adventures, and then one day—but I am getting ahead of my story. Better let Capt. E. G. Lowry tell It as he told it to ine on a rainy night while I was with the British army. He was attached to the American embassy ln_ Lomlop before entering the United States army. It was while at the London embassy that he first had the case of Owen Cobb Holleran called to his attention. Captain Lowry’s home also is in Atlanta. Stranger Than Fiction. “There is material for a book in Hollerao’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 Bell Telephone company in Atlanta. Like many (ither young Americans he wanted to see the great war., It got into his blood long before our country was involved. In 1915 he started 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 accepted at a recruiting station in Scotland Yard. The recruiting sergeant wanted to know , what branch of the service they preferred. Hollerafi 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 I 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 plaee for you.’ Holleran was assigned to the Pullin Fusileers. His friend Gray went to the sam4 regiment In a few months Holleran’s regiment was sent to Gallipoli. He served through that campaign and saw hard fighting. The regiment went with other British units to Egypt to be refitted after the Gallipoli scrap.

Feet Badly Frozen. “Next Holleran went with the Dublin Fusileers Into Serbia wlth the first * allied expedition. In the mountains many of the soldiers, suffered from frozen feet and hands Holleran’B feet were badly frozen, aud he told me with a grin that he couldn’t help seeing the funny side of it after having asked to be sent to a hot place. “Fate began to extend a helping hand to Holleran Sway out there. Attached to the British field hospital In Serbia were two American surgeons, one from Georgia and the other from South Carolina. Learning that Hob leran hailed from Atlanta, they took special Interest in him. They did everything possible to save .his feet, but, later, to avoid, more serious complications. arid possibly death, they amputated part of each foot. “Holleran returned to England,

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. He 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-looking envelope came to me. It contained the honorable discharge of Owen Cobb Holleran" from the Dublin Fusileers. It had been sent by the colonel of lhe regimetft, who wrote very flatteringly about the young American, I hadn’t seen or heard from Holleran for months. 11 finally learned the location of his | 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 his inahllhy to serve his own country when w« 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 eager to see him and to congratulate him on his success, but had to defer the visit owing to the activities of 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 lieutenant came up panting. He said: ‘Captain Holleran is gone.’ ‘Gone?’ I reiterated. ‘What do you mean? He isn’t dead, Ts he?’ “ ‘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 hud a sort of presentiment something was going tc 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’s 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.”