A story of personal sacrifice, unique in annals of the World
war, is that of Harry W. Haley, who served in Leavenworth prison to repay a
war-time buddy for his life. Haley has written the American Legion the first
account of his action.
Wounded and left in no man’s land, Haley, a Canadian
solider, was slowly dying from loss of blood when he was picked up by Private
Thomas G. Jones, an American. After taking his buddy to safety, Jones
Disappeared. Back in the line again, Haley was captured by the Germans and lost
all trace of his rescuer.
On May 20, 1921, Haley arrived at the home of his sweetheart
in Canada. The wedding was to occur at 8 o’clock and the guests were assembled.
Then Private Jones reappeared. He had deserted the army at
Fort Slocum, N.Y., because, he said, they were going to send him back to
Germany. He was suffering from mustard gas burns and had a wife and two
children dependent upon him.
Haley acted quickly. Telling Jones to return to his wife and
keep quiet, he informed his fiancée of his intention. She declined to wait
while he served the term Jones would have to spend in prison. At the hour of
the wedding Haley took a train for St. Paul, Minn. He gave himself to the first
police officer he encountered, declaring he was Private Thomas G. Jones, wanted
for desertion.
Tried by court-martial at Fort Crook, Neb., Haley was
sentenced to dishonorable discharge and six months in prison. He had served all
but 18 days of his sentence when authorities, by checking fingerprints and
identification learned of the substitution. The Legion is petitioning President
Harding to purge the dishonorable discharge from Haley’s record.
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