St Ignatius College - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

Page 18 text:

16 THE IGXA TIAN rative relates what may be called one of the really dra- matic incidents of the war. Mother Dear: In October, 1918, at Romagne sous Montfaucon, an isolated 77 was picking off my men. lYe maneuvered and killed the Ilosehe gunner, and I took his name-tag. Last night I was billeted in this home, and Madam cleaned my clothes. She came across the name-tag and said that it belonged to her son. She knew that he was dead, but she did not know that she was billeting under her roof the man who had killed her son. Mother, I had a strange feeling. but I had only done my duty. Affectionately, foe.

Page 17 text:

let Sul of ol Lllli 'Ull- eral sul lliul 'hal uu- lu? ltlll YOU lars- llnl1, it l NUI ltlt, c, l will larly mi ,sian len u be mr our bal- hall Co, The thc C1-IPT. JOSEPH P. SULLIII-1.Y, U..S'..l. 15 time for attack was set. But my men were dug' in. which means that they were in holes in the ground perpendicular to the axis of hostile fire. All through the night the hell continued. The Austrian 88's twhiz-bangs, we call themyl, just cleared the slope and broke on the reverse side where we were. Frequently l would receive a clod of dirt in the face, which some Roche shell had sent Hying. Then when the hour of attack C2!.1TlC, the battalion rose out of the hole and went for the Boche. Such a day and such a night! Captain Sackett, a classmate, led the left sup- port company of the regiment. As we rose, an increase in the lloche barrage was' apparent, and Sackett dropped with twenty machine-gun bullets through him. My of- ficers were wonderful. My men-too much cannot be said for them. Cf course contact and control were dif- ficult, and as we jumped from crater to crater we could preserve no formation. The ground was a succession of slopes, and over each one the Boche had complete inas- tery. The Boche had direct flre on us with artillery, and it was deadly. He enliladed us from the Hanks and from the left rear as we progressed, and when we reached our objective the battalion was reduced to ZOO men under the command of a lst Lieutenant. The Major was wounded, I was wounded, Capt. Ed. Leonard, Class of 1017, K Co., was dead, Capt. Mudge, L Co., and C.apt. lVi1helm, M Co., were wounded, while Lieutenants were strewn over the battlefield. lVell, it's all over now but the shouting, and lin sick of war, of its havoc, its ruin and destruction. l want beaucoup peace and quiet, and they are sending me into Germany to get it. Sars, it's a funny world. Be good to yourself and take good care of Mother, Ever your loving brother, I . oe. In the accompanying picture, we see Capt. loe making' friends with a young lady of the family. The simple nar-

Page 19 text:

lm- an fred lag, .ned that but roof Inge m..-3, 4 z.,i 1' V. W. Hallinan J. J. Lister J. L. Martinelli M. I. Cronin D. W. Daly G. J. Casey