[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 109 (Wednesday, July 20, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1366]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COMMENDING J.J. O'CONNOR AND THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE 1918 TRENCH 
                              FEVER STUDY

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 20, 2011

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the 
American soldiers who participated in the 1918 Trench Fever study, 
conducted by the American Red Cross. Their service was brought to my 
attention by one of my constituents, Eugene O'Connor, whose father, 
Joseph John O'Connor, served as a private in the U.S. Army during World 
War I and participated in the study.
  After volunteering along with 19 other American soldiers, Pvt. 
O'Connor, at the time only 19 years old, was selected to participate in 
the study to determine the causes and progression of trench fever, an 
illness that was one of the most prevalent diseases amongst soldiers 
during World War I. From 1915 to 1918, nearly 1 million soldiers became 
ill from trench fever, many of whom remained ill for months.
  On February 23, 1918, Pvt. O'Connor was directly injected with 15 
c.c. of plasma from soldiers suffering from trench fever, eventually 
becoming severely ill while researchers documented the progression, 
effects, and transmission of the disease. After two continuous months 
of the illness, and having suffered from its debilitating effects, Pvt. 
O'Connor recovered and returned to the front lines as an ambulance 
driver and stretch-bearer until the end of the war.
  Mr. Speaker, Pvt. O'Connor and the other soldiers who participated in 
the Trench Fever study were never recognized, compensated, or 
acknowledged for their sacrifice. They deserve to be properly 
recognized for the courage and sacrifice they made to help doctors 
understand and treat a disease afflicting their fellow soldiers. 
Because of their participation, this illness has been all but 
eradicated in modern times. We owe Joseph John O'Connor and these other 
brave men a debt of gratitude.

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