Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1919 — LOCAL FIGHTER IS HONORED [ARTICLE]

LOCAL FIGHTER IS HONORED

GEORGE DONNELLEY, ARGONNE FIGHTER, HONORED BY HOLY NAME SOCIETY. - Sunday the Holy Name Society of St. Augustine’s church did honor to their members returned from the military service of Uncle Sam. The day started off with a High Mass at 7:30 o’clock, where a hundred/ members, dncludiing the returned soldiers, received communion in a body. After the Mass impressive. ceremonies were held, when twelve candidates were taken into the society. In the evening an entertainment and open meeting was held at the parochial school hall. The boys were called upon and each gave experiences of barracks life. Private George Donnelly, who was in the memorable battle of Argonne Forest, and who was wounded on the eighth day after having entered the fight, gave a very interesting talk. He told how the Yanks entered the forest and sometimes slowly but al-, ways surely advanced day by day, in the face of nests of .machine guns and other hindrances placed there by the enemy. At the time Donnelly was wounded in the arm from a piece of flying shrapnel out of his company of over 200 men there were but 35 left, the rest having either been killed or wounded in the eight days of fighting. He was in the hospital in France for two months. He has not received his discharge up to date and will return to Camp Taylor Wednesday, where he is now stationed. Young Donnelly went forth to fight for democracy although the son of a monarch—no other than our congenial Alfred Donnelly, well known as “the Onion King.” Mr. Donnelly is mighty proud of his fighting boys, having two sons in the service, George and Paul. Paul is still in France and was wounded on the same day as George while on a different sector of the front. Sunday, February 10, will go down in the annals of the local Holy Name Society as “Victory Day,” and will long be remembered by everyone present at the -day’s ceremonies.