Famous American army chaplain - an Irish Diary on Fr Francis P. Duffy

Born in Canada to the children of Irish emigrants, Francis P. Duffy (1871-1932) left a lasting legacy among his parishioners and in the regiment and army in which he served. I have just written an Irish Diary about the famous US army chaplain in the Irish Times newspaper. Read it here.

 

Photograph of the Fr Duffy monument located off Times Square. Taken by my brother.

Photograph of the reverse of the Fr Duffy monument.

 

As I mentioned in my newspaper article, the monument pictured above was erected in 1937. Made of green granite from Minnesota, it is located in a prominent position in a major tourist area just off Times Square. Learn about the history of Father Duffy Square here and about the story of the statue designed by Charles Keck here.

 

1937 photograph of the monument and statue (still wrapped up) before its unveiling. Image source.

 

Fr Duffy's 1919 book.

In 1919, Fr Duffy wrote a book about his experience of the War. It was called Father Duffy's Story: A Tale of Humor and Heroism, Of Life and Death with the Fighting Sixty-Ninth. You can read it here on the Project Gutenberg website. If you would like to learn more about Fr Duffy and his life and times, you can have a look at these websites: 

1 2 3  - There are also a couple of short videos about his life here and here. 

The 69th Infantry Regiment of the New York Army National Guard (known as the Fighting 69th) has a long and storied past as it took part in many conflicts ranging from the American Civil War to the Mexican Border War, and from the First World War to the Second World War and on to Vietnam. You can find out more about the regiment here and here.

 

Photograph of Fr Duffy's gravestone in the form of a Celtic cross in Old Saint Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx. Image source.