Father Duffy's story : $b a tale of humor and heroism, of life and death with the Fighting Sixty-ninthDuffy, Francis Patrick
History
Father Duffy's story : $b a tale of humor and heroism, of life and death with the Fighting Sixty-ninth
Duffy, Francis Patrick
United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 165th; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, American
The Knights of Columbus have secured a splendid place in Baccarat.
The Curé had a large hall with extra rooms and a nice yard outside,
for the young men of the Parish; and this he was glad to hand over
to the K. of C. for the use of American soldiers. Early in the game
Mr. Walter Kernan had tried to get in touch with me but had failed as
we were moving around too much. However, he had sent me a check for
5,000 francs with instructions to use it for the men. I had no need
of money, as our Board of Trustees were willing to supply whatever I
should ask, and there were very few things that could be purchased on
the scale demanded by a regiment of 3,600 men. We have now received
the services of Messrs. Bundschuh, May and Mr. Kernan’s brother,
Joseph, with a French-American priest whom I assigned to look after
the Catholics in two of the artillery regiments.
We opened the building with solemn pomp and ceremony in the presence
of representatives of Division Headquarters, M. Michaud, the Mayor of
the City, Colonel McCoy and many of the Chaplains and a large throng
of officers and men. With this commodious building in addition to the
quarters of the “Y” the matter of recreation for men in town will be
well looked after.
CHASSEURS
_June_ 10th, 1918
Our Division has taken over a new sector from the French just to the
right of our line bordering on the sector occupied by the Iowas and
it is at present occupied by Major Donovan with Companies A and B
of his battalion. It has a picturesque name, “The Hunter’s Meeting
Place—Rendezvouz des Chasseurs,” and is even more picturesque than
its name. There is a high hog-back of land jutting out towards the
German line between deep thickly-wooded valleys. When this was a
quiet sector the French soldiers in their idle time put a great
deal of labor on it to make it comfortable and attractive, and when
I came out here a few days ago I could easily have believed it if
told there was no such a thing as war, and that this whole place had
been designed as a rustic semi-military playground for the younger
elements on some gentleman’s country estate. The officers’ dugouts
are against the side of the steeply sloping hill so that only the
inner portion is really under ground, windows and doors on one side
opening on terraces which have flower beds, strawberry plots, and
devices made of whitewashed stones.
We dine _al fresco_ under the trees. An electric light plant is
installed and I spent last night on the Major’s bunk indulging an
old habit of reading late. Donovan, like McCoy, always has some
books with him no matter where he goes; and I got hold of a French
translation of “Cæsar’s Commentaries,” with notes by Napoleon
Bonaparte.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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