The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-20
HEROIC VANGUARD
OF 9TH ARRIVES
Chaplain Kelley, Honored for
Bravery, Tells Of Smashing
Hindenburg Line.
Blue AND GRAY PRAISED
Priest Dcfied Snipers and Shot
to Tend Sick and Dying
in Field.
Blue AND GRAY PRAISED


F. Organs illustrious Twenty seventh
Division arrived last evening from
France by the French liner La Touraine
10 prepare the way for the home coming
Of the men particularly admired by New
Workers, the gallant doughboys who won
glory in smashing the Hindenburg line.
Nineteen officers are in the advance
guard, under leadership of Lieut. Col
+ Leslie Kincaid, called the lighting
Judge Advocate"
With the preparatory contingent Is
chaplain Francis Q. Kelley, who re-
lived the Distinguished Service Cross
rom Gen. Pershing before the whole
division on parade at Montfort or jan
uary 81. Father Kelley. whose hair,
according TO "a wa. correspondent. had
'urned white in a single night. laughed
& the story as he showed his abundant
.ocks still chiefly brown.
The story OF the chaplain, in large
measure. is the story of the plucly
Twenty-seventh Division. He prizes
that Distinguished Service Cross, and
also has antictpstory pleasure in think
ing Of the British Ambassador pinning
IN his khaki coat when the Twenty
seventh Division parades In this city the
Military Corss awarded to him by King
George on November Z. The chaplain
when home in Albany, where every
body knows him, is the pastor of the
Church of st. Vincent de Paul. He has
become a sort OF universal pastor since
he went into the war game, originally
with the Tenth New York Infantry and
later as chaplain of the 10th Machine
Gun Battalion. with which he sailed
for France in May. 1918.
Priest Saw Much Action.
When Marshal Foch decided it was
about time to take the offensive and
utilize the enthusiasm OF the dough-
boys Father Kelley was transferred to
the staff of Major-Gen. Organ, and he
has been in every action, big or little.
and battle in which the Twenty seventh
Division has taken part since its arrival
IN France. The most respondent of all
20 American arms, the chaplain says.
was the breaking Of the Hindenburg
line on September 20 and 80. The chap
lain made notes OF the great attack in
the brief intervals when he was not
helping stretcher bearers, giving the last
rites and defying the machine guns,
shrspnel and snipers.
He mingled with the boys who took
the supposedly inpregnable Hindenburg
tunnel without firing a shot. being a nom
comhatant and not even having toy
pistol to shoot. but this did not prevent
him from saying few patriotic words
hat may have helped quite as much as
bullets. The Huns took q shot at him
occasionally while he was helping
stretcher bearers and giving religious
consolation to those OF his faith and
anybody else who happened to be in his
path. He says he never thought 1t pos
sible for 50 many fine Americans to
scorn death like the boys of the Twenty
seventh ard also of the Thirtieth. which
Hanked the Twenty-seventh on the right.
The chaplain said the men of the
Thirtieth, almost all Southerners. were
certainly a dashing lot. with tremendous
Pep (the chaplain being quite a modern
person does not scorn everyday speech }
which won them the unalloyed admira-
'ion OF their comrades of the Twenty.
seventh.
Il cannot say too much for the admir-
able men OF the Thirtieth," the chap
ain declared. Their dash and spirit
and discipline was simply beyond praise
Our officers and men were thrilled with
pride and JOY to be able to battle agains,
the enemy of mankind with two such
divisions as that distinctively represent
.Ng the North and az that distinctively
rcpresenting the South. 1t was truly the
Blue and the Gray against the Black"
More Decorations Soon.
Father Ryan wears only the Distin.
-uished Service Cross now but later he
'r!ll have others. The British Military
Cross. as said, is coming his way. He
has been mentioned seven times in spe.
'al orders. thrice by the British. twice
by the Australians and twice by his owr
oil hot ha q
EXCEPTIONALLY brave in caring for the
wounded in the front line trenches. In
helping In the evacuation of the trenches
all OF which was carried on under con-
tnuous heavy Smelling and machine gun.
Ere
lie went over the top three times OF
september 81 last year to get the found
cd out or shell holes. German sniper
cent bullets whizzing about him, but h,
was untouched. He led four stretcher
bearers TO a front called the Knoll. Jus
beyond which he noted several tank,
blown up in an early morning barrage
lie found a chap named McDermott
whose left leg had been almost de
hlded of flesh by shrapnel. He started
back with McDermott and the fou
f'retcher bearers. Just after they wer,
under way the Germans laid down
narrage to protect a raiding party an,
Shell hole. The Germans advanced t
re place where the wounded man anC
me bearers were and took them pris
'her' although their white brassardi
were plainly visible
I q % ohaR ain -IsstaanDp,d to eluds. y,
falders The wounded man and IN
o'hers We're not returned until NOR,
man month after the armistice.
lAeutCol Klncaid discarded his lega
VIE temporarily TO lead a battalion
against the Hindenburg line. He coult
not resist the call OF his division, an,
ms gallantry inspired his British allie
% give him the Distinguished Servic,
order Major Tristram Upper. adju
'ant Of the Twenty-seventh, gave syn
opsis OF the deeds of the division. O
we attack against the main defences o
he Hlndenburg line on September q
AAJutant Tupper's story says:
The heaviest barrage OF the war wa
,a'd down at 80 in the morning. Jus
oeiore dawn. The fighting continues
from that hour until October / withou
cessation. at the end OF which time. &C
'orulng 10 experts who had examines
al battle fields during the four years o
var there were more enemy dead In tn
w4ke Of the Twenty-seventh Division
man mad ever been seen behind an!
uNlsion Of the allied armies. Also |
as stated that every man OF the TWEEN
grSeventh Division killed In this BATH
''E with his face to the enemy"
zen. Organs men performed feats o