The sun., 1919-03-18
HARRIGAN LAUDS {
IRISH AMERICANS
Captain Tells of Brave Deeds
of Men in the 3O7th
Infantry.
EACH EAGER TO Plight
Meets One Hero Here Who
Lost an Arm and a Leg
in Argonnc Forest.

The American lads of Irish blood
were the Jewels OF our army" said Capt.
William Harrigan OF the 307th Infan-
try. who was twice wounded In France
and who took part in the relief of the
Lost Battalion In the Argonne forest,
in a st. Patrick's day tribute to soldiers
of irish ancestry yesterday. with the
bayonet they were wonders. Close in
fighting was just their style and I've
heard of cases where they threw away
their bayonets and waded in with their
fists. We had lot of these Celtic
youngsters and I'm proud to say that
Co l.. which commanded. boosted Of
many and that they all distinguished
themselves.
"on the day the 307th first went into
the trenches the 1e5th--the old Sixty
ninth-was coming out. was trying
to get track OF an officer named Thomp-
son and ] had a couple of orderlies in
quiring for him. 1t was pitch dark and
the troops coming out of the front line
couldn't see those going in.
Ran Into the Old Goth.
The orderlies would approach each
unit and ask the name of the commander
and the answer would come back
Captain Kelley or Lieutenant McGrath'
or Major Dooley.' and before I knew
who they were. said to myself. III
bet it's the old Sixty-ninth and II was
Il had a lad who was absent with
out leave for thirty-eight days at Camp
Upton. but when We got across he had
just one idea in his mind--to Tight
sent him out on patrol and he mixed II
up with the Germans. and when he came
back I asked him how he liked patrol
ling. It's a hell OF fine life. STR he
raid.
Then there was, O'Connell who used
to stick by me all the time--a sort OF
shadow h" was. He always wore a
gray sweater some girl had given him
because he thought 1t brought him luck
One day in the Argonne Forest we had
to get some food UP front and O'Connell
and six men volunteered TO take IT, The
six were killed and O'Connell was al
most shot to pieces.
He reported to me at the Lambs
Club the other day without his right
leg and arm When he saw me he stood
at attention and saluted with his left
arm and the tears came into my eyes
as he smiled--just the way he always
did in battle--and said hope the Cap
tain's wounds are not bothermg him
Lord love us! Isn't that forsetfulness
OF self" And to think of my misera bic
injuries when he had 4 leg and an arm
missing!
All Prove Themselves Heroes.
Il could tell hundreds Of stories Of
hercism OF American lads Of Irish blood.
but at the same time let's not forget
the others Let's remember that Jew
fought side by side with Gentle, and
that they all fought well. I know a
Jewish prizefishter from New York
who was sent to n British school TO
learn bayonet work. He was so good
nj II that they kept him there as an
instructor 10 the Black Watch
There IS one class OF men which has
not received its fun share Of praise
the runners who carried messages to
and from the front lire and in doing 20
passed through an inferno OF shell fire.
They did heroic work. One Of them,
from the 307th. went out with a mes
sage for the front line and II was
never delivered. Two weeks later the
Lieutenant toswhom it was delivered
received letter from the runner, who
was in hospital severely wounded.
He enclosed the message and upologized
for not having delivered II, explaining
that he had been hit by she'll fra,ments
and had Just regained consciousness.
That was a case of sublime devotion
to duty"
Capt. Hlrrigan is a son Of Ned Har-
rigan Of the once famous theatrical
team Of Harrizan and Hart.
Mullen Business Left 10 Children.