The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-11
MAI. M'KENNA DIES
AT HEAD OF TROOPS
Body Unmarked, So Officer Of
Former Goth Probably Was
Shell Shocked.
FIRST TO CROSS OURCQ
Rose From Ranks and Was
Idol of Men-Graduate
Of Harvard.

Living up to the traditions of. the
Fighting Sixty-n!nth. Major James A.
McKenna. Jr.. met the death OF SOL
der when he was killed at the head OF
his troops. the day the Americans
crossed the Ourcq River on the Scissors
Rheims front. Not wound or bruise
was found on the Majors body and so
It is believed he died Of shell shock. He
was buried where he fell. in a spot In the
centre OF the great battlefield.
Major McKenna's oft uttered wish.
that he might die in the service of his
country. was fully fulfilled. He was a
brave officer and a leader of men in the
true sense of the word. He was coura-
geous under all conditions and always
cons!derate of those he commanded. In
turn he was respected by the men in the
ranks, who said time and time again
they would follow their commander to
the deepest pit OF hell
Entered seventh as q Private.
When the call for men for the army
was sounded McKenna. a practising at
torney In New York city, responded and
was placed in the old Seventh Regiment
as a private. He had been in the army
only a short while when he was pro-
NOTED to the rank of Lieutenant When
transferred to the S!xty-ninth he was
made Captain in charge OF Company ID.
When the Sixty-ninth was increased to
meet the European standards and made
the cornerstone of the famous Forty
second Rainbow Division Capt. Nc
Kenna was still in charge. Company d
was a portion of the First Battalion. In
charge OF Major William J. Donovan
who was mentioned recently for his gal
liant part in the victory of the American
forces at Ourcq.
TIE men OF Company d were all proud
of their leader. Capt. Jim. and he swore
by the battalion leader, Major William
Donovan. The men were waiting al
Camp Mills for the word to sail for
France. when Capt. McKenna said:
bill has promised us that If the
chance comes. and we think II will. OF
getting into action he'll let the officers
go to the front instead Of holding us
back in the trenches as we understand
they are doing over there now. We are
going over the tpo with the boys. Bill
has given me his personal assurance oil
this and I am going TO France happy In
the knowledge that am going to get q
crack at the Germans
Il firmly believe that. I am not coming
| back. There are lot OF boys mere III
Camp Mills who will never see old New
York again We are going into the
| fercest kind of fighting the world has
ever known and the boys Of the Sixty.
ninth are bound to live up to the trad!
! lions of the regiment. which means they
will be in the thick of the scrimmage and
court death over and over again for the!i
country's flag.
IAN ask is a chance to get six Ger
mans ! am entitled TO IT. | can licl
SIX Germans in stand up fight, one af
ter the other or all in a bunch Th!,
! isn't boasting l can name dozens o.
men IL the regiment who can do tn,
same thing. We're their superors L.
every way IN hghting. The American
! soldier thinks as well as fights. He is
natural born fighter. and the average
! soldier is a General in any kind of 6
mxup'