Loyola University Maryland - Evergreen / Green and Gray Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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lo have been killed in action, helping the advance of victorious Ameri- can trooi)S, is surely to have died nobly. Because we know how he lived and how he died, he has not only earned our grateful praise, but in this regiment his name will always be held in honor and in loving remembrance. From the Catholic Chaptain, Francis A. Doherty. Doubtless you have already received the otficial notifieation of the sad yet glorious death of amr son, Joseph T. Hanlon, who fell at the front and was buried by me lierc, the funeral services being with full military honors. I knew Joseph from visiting his camp before they moved to where the fatalit} happened. In the course of my ministrations, I came by invitation one day to a camp where my services were desired, and I was assisted in the prepa- ration of the altar and appurtenances by Joseph, who served my Mass and received Holy Communion. He was a rare soul, a combination of a soldier and a saint, and in this I am borne out by his Company Commander, Cai)tain Carlock, who said that besides being a brilliant and able young otlicer, that he was one of the cleanest-souled young men he had ever met. Ca])tain Carlock was visibly ah ' ected by the sad affair and the loss of one whom he seemed to regard as a real brother in arms, for both had received at a former time the Croix de Guerre. Colonel Atkisson also told me that Joseph was much to him and to the regiment. The first one to fall was the first in their hearts. It may comfort you much to know that Joseph suffered no pain — complaining only that his arm felt asleep. He was calm and conscious, hut probably didn’t realize the gravity of his condition. The end came swiftly and silently and he went forward as a real Christian Catholic soldier. His comrades brought the body here and had all care taken so that the body was emh aimed, placed in a zinc-lined casket, and everything made sure by us of registration in event of future recognition or return of remains after the war. These efforts show how Joseph was loved by all — both officers and men. For you, Mrs. Hanlon, and for all the family and friends, I would offer such consolation and symjiathy as one may find in the knowledge and realization that God’s will was early fulfilled in tliis bright, brave young soul, whose life has left a fragrance and a benediction to all who have been privileged to meet him. May God comfort you in this knowl- edge and in His ])romises, and may he rest in glory! Amen. 21

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On the night of July 30-31 he was in charge of an o])eralion on th.e Soissons-Rheiins front. I nder lieavv shell fire his men were carry- ing ainnuinition in the dark over a long and winding road. He was in the rear of the column. A shell exjiloded nearby and killed two men instantly. A piece of it crushed Joe ' s shoulder and right side — a wound that was so jiromptly fatal that he didn’t live even to be carried to the dressing station. There can he no doubt that he was buried with full military honors. His grave is in the Ollicers’ Cemetery at Chaumont. Joe was the most beloved ottieer in the regiment. He won our admiration not only by his charm and gaiety, but by a life that was transparently clean and straight. His religion meant everything to him. Night after night (when I have bunked with him in some dugout on the front) I have seen him kneel down and say his prayers, and he never missed an opportunity for Confession and Mass. What is more, he lived his religion and made it attractive. I showed your letter to the colonel and he said: “You can’t ])ut it too strongly; I have never known a finer otiicer.” I am a teacher myself in a theological school, and I should be j)roud if I might ever have as my reward a friend and pupil like Joe. We can’t help judging you and yours by bim, and him we shall always hold in loving remembrance and bigh honor. From the same. {This and the following lelters, unless olherwise specified, were addressed to the parents of Lieutenant Hanton.) I was one of Joe’s many friends, and that friendship meant so much to me and I feel so keenly the loss which his death has brought, that 1 believe I can understand a little of the sorrow that has come to you, and because 1 can do nothing more, I want to let you know of my dec])est sym])athy. I shall always regret greatly that I was not able to be of service at tbe time of bis death or burial, for I was witli another Com- l)any at another i)art of the front. Rut you will have heard already that Joe was buried with full military honors by one of the chaplains from (ieneral Head([uarters — one of our finest Catholic jiricsts — who has given me a letter which I am addressing to you. 1 have often wished during the last ten days that you could have heard (as 1 have) from the lijis ol otliccrs and men, or have read in the letters they have written home, all the words of praise and atfection which they naturally sjioke and wrote when they learned that Joe had been killed. It is tbe jilain and simjilc truth to say what vou and his family ought to hear- that he was the most beloved otiicer of the 75 now in this regiment. Always he was gallant and gay, straight and clean ol life. It has been good for all of us to know him and to be with him. M e shall miss him heavily. And yet we can’t help feeling that 20

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From the Colonel of the Regiment, E. J. Atkisson. I liave delayed writing to you i)revious to the War Department’s announeeinent of Joe’s death. I re([uested iVIajor Wood, who is in the States, to see you if he possibly eould, and tell you about his death. You will remember that Joe was one of my first oiheers, and 1 grew to know him very well indeed. No man in the Regiment was held in higher regard, and we all felt a direet jiersonal loss when he was killed. He was killed near Fere-cn-Tardenois, in the Chateau-Thierry drive, while taking U]) a carrying party for a Stokes Mortar operation. He and four of his men were killed by the same shell. There was never the slightest question or doubt about Joe. He performed his full duty at all times. He was loved by his men. He got into as much action, if not more, than any lieutenant in the Regiment U]) to the time he was killed. He had made himself an expert in all of our special work — Cylinders, Projectors and Stokes Mortars. He was the best (lualilied Stokes Mortar man in Company R. I am enclosing a letter which I wrote as Commandant of our Kxi)erimental Field, shortly after his death, and the copy of an order from our Chief. Hanlon Field is really the center and heart of the Chemical Warfare Service. We have a large organization there that is continually carrying on ex])eriments and tests to further devclo]) and improve our work. There is also located there the American Expeditionary Forces’ Gas Defense School, where some 20U, possibly 300 officers belonging to all units of our army, will be trained in the proi)er defensive measures to be taken against gas. It is also the head([uarters of our Officers’ Training School, where otliecrs arc trained for the Chemical Warfare Service. It is also the headquarters for the training of all our gas troops, and from our little beginning at American Fniversity, with Comj)anies A and B, we expect eventually to have three regiments, comi)osed of some 600 otliecrs and about 15,000 men. Joe’s name and work and noble death will leave an inqjression on all of tins. We were fortunate in obtaining Joe’s body, and it was brought to La Ville-aux-Rois, near Hanlon Field, wliere several of the eonq)anies were located at the time. Ca])tain Keizer succeeded in obtaining a spiendid casket, whieli was sealed, and he was buried in grave No. 51, Otliecrs’ Plot, American Cemetery, at G. J. Q., within three kilometers of Hanlon Field, with full Military Honors. Cha])lain Doherty, a (adliolic, and a man wlio knew ,loc, and to wliom Joe liad gone pre- viously, conducted tlie services. 5ou may know that wq sliall do everytliing tliat we can to assist you in eventually bringing Joe’s liody liack to the States. 22