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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA 3
AMERICAN CATHOLICS IN THE GREAT WAR
BY JOHN G. COYLE, M. D.
State Deputy For New York, Knights of Columbus.
Because of the vast forces engaged, numbering
something over 4,000,000 men, and the brief time
which ha* elapsed since hostilities ceased, as well
as the fact that complete casualty lists are not yet
available, it is, of course, impossible to present a
complete statement of the work of the American
Catholics in the Great War. Eventually, from the stud-
es of the questionnaires filled out by registrants, from
the reports of the various bureaus of the army and
the navy, and from other governmental department
records, accurate statistics will be obtainable and
the history of the American Catholic participation
may be adequately presented. It will be the joyous
duty of the National Catholic Welfare Council to
prepare and to publish that history.
But certain features of the war, already known
to us, present the services of Catholics in such strik
ing and memorable ways as to require a brief out
line at this time. Priority of service and distinc
tion of service and sacrifice conspicuously mark the
history of the American Irish in this stupendous
war.
By vote of the Congress of the United States,
supporting the opinion of President Woodrow Wilson,
a state of war against us by Germany was declared
to exist on April 6, 1917. That day was Good Fri
day, the day which is the anniversary of the death
upon the Cross of the Founder of Christian relig
ion, Who prayed to His Father for forgiveness of
His enemies. It is a day upon which no Christian
desires to hold a thought of enmity or hostility to
ward any being made in the image and likeness of
Almighty God. But it was on that day that the
blood-lust and world-aggression of Germany com
pelled the United States of America to enter the war.
The very next day, April 7th, 1917, the first
American soldier lost his life in the service of his
country. John McNamara, a private in the First
Pennsylvania Regiment, was shot from ambush
while guarding a bridge at Reading, Pa. Thus, the
very first life given in the Great War by America
was that of a Catholic boy of Irish blood. The
first American officer killed in the war was like
wise a Catholic young man of Irish blood, Dr. Wil
liam T. Fitzsimmons, of Kansas City, Mo. He was
killed by a German aviator who bombed the hospital
where Dr. Fitzsimmons, lieutenant in the Medical
Corps, was in service, although plainly marked on
the roof were great red crosses which proclaimed
the nature of the building. The bomb killed Dr.
Fitzsimmons and six nurses, besides injuring many
patients. A memorial in honor of Dr. Fitzsimmons
has been erected in Kansas City.
Catholic Fired First Shot.
The first shot fired against the German forces
was discharged by John Howard Pitman, a red
headed gunner from South Bend, Ind., son of an
Alsatian father and an Irish mother, Catholic in
religion. The shell-casing was sent to President
Wilson as a souvenir.
The first hand-to-hand conflict on foreign soil
took place in Lorraine on the night of November 2
and the morning of November 3, 1917. It is singu
lar that at that time of the war all the soldiers of
the Allied forces were on French or Belgian soil
on the Western front. There were Belgians, French,
Irish, Scotch, Moros, Welsh, Canadians, Portuguese’,
Russians, Siamese, East Indians, British and others
engaged in that line. But the only non-French sol
diers then serving on German territory were the
soldiers from the United States.
The Germans came over in a raid with the intent
of inspiring terror among the Americans and to
capture prisoners for the purpose of showing the
German people that the Americans were not invin
cible. A terrific barrage cut off one American trench
section from all support or reinforcements, and when
the Germans were sure that the trench was isolated
they attacked, believing that the Americans, outnum
bered forty to one, would surrender. But the Ameri
can soldiers had not gone three thousand miles to sur
render. They had gone to fight—to win or die.
And they fought, and died. Three paid the
last penalty that night. Their names are Gresham,
Hay and Enright. The last of these three was a
native of Jamestown, N. Y., and a resident of Pitts
burg. Penn., Thomas F. Enright, Catholic, and of
Irish blood. He is buried with the other two in
Lorraine. Near where they fell the people of Lor
raine have erected a monument commemorating the
deaths of the first American soldiers to die in bat
tle on foreign soil in the defense of the liberty of the
world. In honor of Enright the city of Pittsburg
has changed the name of the street on which he
lived to Enright stree. Jamestown has likewise com
memorated him.
Among the first French War Crosses awarded to
American soldiers two were given to Corporal
Frank Hurley and Sergeant George F. Dever, both
Catholics.
A Catholic Hero.
The first Congressional Medal of Honor given in
the Navy was awarded to Patrick McGonigal, a
Catholic, son of William and Mary Gonigal of
Youngstown, Ohio. McGonigal was one of the
ship’s crew sent in a boat to rescue a naval aero
naut, whose balloon had fallen into the sea. The
balloonist was caught in the network under the bal
loon and was drowning in the high waves. The
heavy seas prevented the boat from reaching the
drowning man. McGonigal plunged overboard, swam
to the balloon, cut the imprisoned airman loose, and
swam back to the boat with the rescued balloonist.
For this heroic act he received the Medal of Honor
and other rewards.
The first volunteer regiment to land in France
was the famous Irish Ninth of Massachusetts, now
known as the 101st United States Infantry, the men
overwhelmingly Catholic with the Catholic Chaplain,
Rev. M. J. O’Connor.
The first engineer regiment to reach France was
the Eighteenth, composed to the extent of 40 per
cent of men of Irish blood and 38 per cent Catholic
in faith.
Two regiments known for more than fifty years
as Irish Catholic regiments are the Ninth Massa
chusetts and the Sixty-ninth New York. Again and
again during this war these regiments have been
comended. They have been sent to Champagne, to
Toul. to Verdun, to the Marne, the Ourcq, the