December 1, 1918,] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



LETTERS 



FROM mi FRONT 



HELPED TO BREAK THE HINDENBURG LINE. 

 Lieutenant Michael F. Cassidy, formerly with the United 

 States Tire Co., Nezv York City, describes the death of his 

 brother. Lieutenant James H. Cassidy, both being sons of John 

 J. Cassidy, manager of the United States Rubber Co., Detroit 

 branch. 



France, November 9, 1918. 



DEAR FATHER: 

 No doubt long before you receive this, you will have 

 been notified by the War Department of Jim's death. Know 

 you are anxious for the details and will try and give them to you. 



Our company went over the top 

 Sunday morning, September 29th, 

 at 5 :S0 a. m. We were in what 

 is known as the first wave. Met 

 terrible opposition, and had to 

 fight for every inch. I was with 

 Jim all the way until he was hit. 

 We had been going about an 

 hour. He turned to me before he 

 fell, and said: "They've got me; 

 good-bye, Mike." I picked him 

 up and as we were under very 

 heavy machine-gun fire, got him 

 into a German trench, which we 

 had just cleared. He was still 

 alive. I cut his equipment off, 

 and he tried to talk, but could 

 not — died in a minute or two. 

 He suffered absolutely no pain 

 and died in mv arms. 



I saw all Jim did that terrible 

 morning — he knew no fear. He 



sure was one brave kid— never Lieut. Michael F. Cassidy. 

 hesitated, where some others did. 



He was afraid of nothing, and you have the honor of being the 

 father of a hero. We had all been to Mass and Holy Com- 

 munion the day before we went over, and of course Jim is in 

 heaven now. Thank God he did not suffer a lot, as some of 

 the other boys did. 



I was buried shortly afterwards by a shell which burst near 

 me and knocked me cold. It left small pieces of shrapnel in my 

 back and both hands. I was taken to a base hospital and have 

 been transferred here to a convalescent camp, and hope to be all 

 right in a little while. I never can forget the terrible sights I 

 saw that morning, until I was knocked cold, but of all the brave 

 things done, none could touch what Jim did, always in front — 

 he was the first man I saw who crossed the German trenches. 

 Hero is a modest name lOr him. 



Don't worry about me and write when you get a chance. 



Mike. 



William Pierce, Jr., who before entering the service was 

 employed in the factory of the National India Rubber Co., 

 Bristol, Rhode Island, is reported missing in action since Sep- 

 tember 26. He was drafted last May, going to Camp Upton, 

 and a few months later went overseas. 



Lieut. James H. Cassidy. 



MARTYRS TO THE CAUSE OF LIBERTY. 



lEUTENANT JAMES H. CASSIDY, formerly with the 

 shipping department of the United States Rubber Co., New 

 York City, and son of John J. 

 Cassidy, manager of the United 

 States Rubber Co., Detroit branch, 

 was killed in France September 

 29. His brother, Lieutenant 

 Michael F. Cassidy, was seriously 

 wounded in the same battle, 

 while breaking the Hindenburg 

 line. 



Up to November 14 their father 

 had received no word from the 

 War Department of either 

 casualty. Several newspapers 

 printed a report of the death of 

 Michael at a base hospital sub- 

 sequent to the date of his last 

 letter to his father. We all trust 

 that this report is in error and 

 that he will soon be home with 

 our other gallant veterans. 

 Three more gold stars have been added to the service flag of 

 The B. F. Goodrich Co., Akron, Ohio. N. W. Pancoast and 

 Thomas Welker, both of whom were formerly employed in 

 Department SO, were killed in action in the Argonne Forest 

 region in France during September. Welker was one of Akron's 

 football stars and Pancoast at one time won the Goodrich base- 

 ball championship through his pitching, besides being prominent 

 in basket-ball and other sports. Albert E. Witzler, formerly 

 in Department 41-B, has been reported killed in action also. 



The honor roll of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, 

 Ohio, now has forty-two gold stars, the six last added 

 representing Privates Chauncey W. Barr, Floyd D. Beveridge 

 and Bruce C. Fultz, the last of whom had been in the employ 

 of the Goodyear company for nine years prior to his enlistment, 

 and Privates Earl Custer, Robert Daley and Leslie Pitkin. Custer 

 was killed in the Argonne Forest drive and Pitkin near Sedan. 

 Frank Martin Backes, a member of the Sanitary Detachment, 

 Medical Corps of the 113th Infantry, has heen reported killed in 

 action. Backes was for a long time employed as a tiremaker by 

 the Essex Rubber Co., Trenton, New Jersey. 



P. Frankenstein & Sons, Limited, waterproof manufacturers, of 

 Newton Heath, Manchester, has lost its youngest director in the 

 war. Second Lieutenant C. J. Frankenstein, son of Harry Frank- 

 enstein, having been killed in action in France. 



Carl H. Drechsel, who was employed in the shipping de- 

 partment of the Alice Mill of the Woonsocket Rubber Co. at 

 the time of his enlistment, is reported as missing in action 

 since September 30, although a letter written by a Red Cross 

 nurse dated October 11, states that he had been slightly wounded 

 and was in a base hospital. 



