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Show "Tub" Flannery Tells of Hun Treachery and U. S. Valor on the Marne By T. Eduard Muttaush because I had the statement of FrencST officers '."ho had been at Verdun aai Liege and all those places. "Our batteries never stopped flrljjj from the moment the Huns bega In the middle of it the boches starts to cross the Marne on their way ta Paris. As soon as we perceived their object every one of us rushed dow; to the river front and held them with rifle Are. grenades and everything we could lay our hands on. That is where ve had the hand-to-hand stuff. We sure did pile them up In great shape. This is where the Seventh Infantry gained the name of the "Rock of the Marne' from the French. "There were boches in front of nj, booties to the right of us and boches fa the rear of us, and we did not give eround a half inch. The Huns co siderably outnumbered us Americans. The river was about 100 feet wide They came across on boats, rafts, bridges and ropes, for the river waj ( A'D if I do come back, 'Figs,' I i will bring a war cross for tha kiddle." "Tub" Flannery thus bade goori-by to his bride of a year last April, joined his command and the following day sailed for France. Less than two months later he was on the firing line, and from the moment he went into action he made history for the hero chroniclers. Twenty-four hours after his regiment regi-ment reached Sauvigny on the Marne he had swum that narrow but dangerous danger-ous stream under the cover of the shades of night, a machine-gun battery, bat-tery, four automatic rifles and the pick of the best sharpshooters of the Seventh Infantry, United States regulars, regu-lars, to rescue a wounded poilu who had escaped from the Huns and who was facing death either from starvation starva-tion or a bullet from friend or foe. joined an officers' training camp at Fort Oglethorpe. Ga , and on Augustus. August-us. 1917. entered the service s a second sec-ond lieutenant, and was assigned to the Seventh Regiment of Infantry, U. S. A. Then his brother Howard entered the same branch of the mill-, tary forces, and his other brother. J. Rogers Flannery". became assistant director di-rector of housing for the Emergenc: Fleet Corporation with an office in the Medical Arts Building. Philadelphia, later becoming director of purchases for the railroads under Secretary Mc-Adoo. Mc-Adoo. The months flew swiftly by and then came an eventful day in "Tub's" life. Harriet Rogers Flannery came to bless his union with the House of Fagan. He hurried home from camp and for foui days he lived In a different world, and then like the proverbial bolt from the Captain "Tub" Flannery, TJ.-' S. A., of Pittsburgh, Pitts-burgh, and his baby girl, tc whom he has given bis war cross; won in France by swimming the Marne River under tire to rescue a wounded poilu deep in the center. The ropes they haS I fastened in some mysterious maanex I to our side of the river, and they pulled A themselves across on them. V "The fight lasted all of the 15th, ui I then the Allies started to apply ti. pincer process at Soissons and Rhetoi The boches were quick to perceive tint and at once started to .save their sup. plies and artillery. They tried to withdraw out of the loop formed bj the pincer movement, but they kit thousands of prisoners and hundred-of hundred-of guns. It was a beautiful sight to se them trying to burn up their ac-munition ac-munition dumps rather than have aE this material faU into the hands of the Allies. Those Pennsylvania Boys! We followed across the Marne m the ISth and chased them fitteeunCes .before we were relieved. That Us, brought - the line to Fismes. Tie Shot and shell fell around "Tub" as he started, but as all America knows, he found his man and swam back with him safely to the friendly side of the Marne. And it was all for a baby! "Tub" came back a few weeks ago and instead of one cross he brought two, the Croix de Guerre and the American Distinguished Service Cross, and where the shoulders of his uniform uni-form were bare when he left here in April there now gleam two silver bars denoting his promotion to a captaincy. He had won all these honors in less than four months' time. Don't know "Tub" Flannery? Then you don't know Pittsburgh; for the Flannerys are one of the F. F.s in that city of steel magnates, smoke and jeunesso doree. "Tub" was christened Walter Rogers Flannery in that city shortly after he first saw the sun on March 22, 1891. He received his soubriquet sou-briquet at Mount St. Mary's College. Emmittsburg, Md.. where he rose to be captain of the football team in his senior year. No more popular athlete ever attended the old Mount than did "Tub," whose departure from that institution in-stitution is one of the richest stories among the alumni at their annual gatherings. And this is the reason that "Tub" did not graduate. First Battle on Gridiron The Mountaineers were playing the Baltimore City College team. The odds were going against the boys from Emmittsburg, and "Tub" began to use herculean methods to stem the tide of defeat. In his eagerness for victory he did not resort to the language of the Sunday school and on mure than one occasion he used words not found in even an unabridged dictionary. The result was that the vice president of the college gently reproved "Tub" for his epithets, and "Tub" acknowledged the corn. Football games are not won by the words "Please" and "I beg your pardon." par-don." "Tub" knew that and It some-I some-I ' what disheartened him to find that he Has curbed in his conduct of his eJeveD. He returned to the gridiron, however, and went at what seemed a forlorn hope with renewed vigor. Slowly but surely his team began to gain upon his opponents. It was fatal to "Tub." for he forgot all abqut the admonition of his superior, forgot his very presence and soon was again urging his men on with the lash of that vernacular which is effective, if not printable. There was a pause In the confict while they permitted one of the players to be carried from the field. Then straight to Captain Flannery walked the dignified clergyman. This time he made it plain to "Tub" that his method of speeding up his associates was not in keeping with the training he was receiving at the Mount, and then came "Tub's" famous reply: "You may know how to run a college. Doctor, but I am running a football team," and with these wor.ls he 6trode off the field. The next day ho left EmmUtsbur?, and that Is -why Walter nosers piannery was not among the graduates of his cU-ss on "Bxl" day. The following year he went l Georgetown University, but his stay clear sky came his orders to join his regiment at once to depart for "over there." Harriet was sht days old when he promised to bring her back a war cross. She was six months old when he doubly kept his word. Captain Flannery was seated in the main dining room of the Bellevue-Stratford Bellevue-Stratford one evening last week when I approached him for his own version of how he came to receive the coveted decorations that adorned his chest Around the table were seated Mr. and Mrs. William J. Ryan, his host and hostess during his stay in Philadelphia, and Mrs. Flannery. If "Tub" was - typical foot- ' baliist he is -today a typical officer. Standing six feet two and three-quarter inches in height and weighing i"35 pounds, his Jet black hair worn pompadour, to conform con-form to trench life, his clean-shaven face unmasking the determined jaw of the natural born fighter, his keen eyes now flashing roguishly, now denoting displeasure because the conversation was veering perilously close to his personal per-sonal participation in the battle of nations, na-tions, he evokes the nth expression of the popular belief of a true hero. And now let Captain Flannery tell us in his own words of his experiences with the Hun. or, rather, the experiences expe-riences of his regiment. He ro'uses absolutely to speak of "the little incidents" inci-dents" of the Marne, as he calls :t. "I went over last April with Company Com-pany M, of the Seventh United States regular infantry." he began, seating himself in a comfortable chair and crossing his legs. "Previous to that tinee I had been attached to Companies C and F. "For four months we were with the French army corps. .When we arrived ar-rived in France we were supposed tu receive additional training before going go-ing into action, but while we were in the midst of this training the Huns btarted their drive to Paris. Mrs. Flannery ''Speaks Up" 'We were immediately sent to take up a sector on the Marne to reliev some French troops;. We were with i (he -- Division, consisting of about :;;',000 men. now Increased to 43,000. Pennsylvania troops in the Dirt sion on our right made some historj there. The Yankee division from th New England States also did pee: work The boche gained , a wfcote some respect for the Yankee divsta Th Pennsylvania troops were good, thev were raving to go and they WSt We went five and six days withoct leep" You would want to sleep, ta lome one would holler 'gas' and w had to wake up. You cannot go a sleep with a gas mask on. and if . cannot put one on - five seconds yo, . ,u: o" ' -- 1oe: S'! horses there and our water carts so put out of action by the big bombart-mnt bombart-mnt When- we crossed the river found that the water there htri aoctcred b ' the boches. and J nearly everybody there was sen. -I don't think the Germans want Hzht -tnv more. They were told the: we. American, did not take prheaera and when we would make a captOT the first thing they would say w be 'Kill me.' They were a surpnrf bunch of birds when we did not 7 their requests. It is a rotten thing for the An-can An-can peon to say that the Gern ai-mv is on. the point of revels We are going to lick them. Let 0 revolt after we lick them. but!, sav there is defection In their tub row. And speaking of prisoners, i saw one of our men surrounded V five or six Huns. One of then o inanded that he say 'KameraiT the reply they SxM was stssreriM & more ways than one. 'Hell. no: the answer from our man. at the sas lime plunging into the group: and s agely did he fight that he had them licked before hie came to his aid. 1 t - no Aniericta : .... s r .:. There are no MJ ir,s ;; . ' '.' i-.e-e- bs tc a piisor.t '.-; I would rather be ao-any ao-any day. 1 guess thai is all except that ; me hack here to be an instrn'-in instrn'-in one of the camps, and that " JJJ ,i, i arrived here 1 telephoned to TO .md told h-r l was on my Vm 1 kept my promise tc l baby." t".ii '..inner. i now "treattl the boys In" at Camp DSX. wore a French uniform, but 'Tub' could not make out what he wanted, so ho went back and got some of the French officers, and they returned to the hank with him. By means of semaphore signaling and wigwagging the soldier said that he was a Frenchman, French-man, that he was wounded and had escaped five or six days ago from the Huns and was unable to get across the Marne on account of his injuries. He gave the name of his regiment. "There wa a hurried consultation between Tub' and the French officers, and then 'Tub' told them that he would go over that night at 10 o'clock and get him. Then they began to think it was a German trick to entice our men to the river and mow them down with machine guns and gas, but 'Tub' said his company could fight tire with Are. so he arranged for his company to bring up a battery of machine guns, automatic rifles and the pick of the sharpshooters In the regiment under cover of darkness and If the HunK started any treachery they would be welcomed with a party. In the meantime 'Tub' had ordered 'cease firing.' That night he took a tope with him and had some of his men stationed behind a demolished railroad bridge to pull him and the Frenchman hack when they got the signal. 'Tub' told me that It was pretty rough swimming, as the current In the center of the river was running very strong and the river Itself wa3 swollen with freshets. When he reached the other side he found his man, was convinced he was genuine, and then, swimming on his back. 'Tub' brought him to our lines. He told me that the Frenchman fell on his neck and kissed him more times at olice than ever I did. I cannot think of his name, though I knew It, but he Is still alive, and I guess he is one of 'Tub's' best friends In France today." to-day." How the Marine? Fought Captain Flannery had listened quietly to ills wife's description, and then he tald. "and now we will continue con-tinue along the line." "Several days later," he began, "vve were taken out of that sector and. sent to the Bois de Belleau. the wood of beautiful water. It stands up high and 1 composed of a mues of trees and undergrowth. These mask giant boulders boul-ders and little ravines. The marines were there and our regiment relieved them. "The- Devil Dogs had made a great tight They were badly gassed and shelled, and I want to tell yutt to tell the people over here something. These marines fought some scrap there and I'll take my et off to them any day In the week. We got there the early part of June and went into action at once and we got hell. We went in 3000 strong, but I cannot tell you our casualties that is against regulations but I can say that I lost some of my best pals there. Men were killed all around me. but somehow or other they dl.ln't get me. "The Bois de Belleau was a mighty thick woods, and it had been subjected to bombardment by the Germans and Allied forces as well. Trees twelve to fifteen inches in diameter were cut down liko saplings and they made an almost impassable barrier where they had fallen. 1 never saw such shell work; a saw could not lme done better bet-ter work. When our bunch went over the top there were only tiny lanes between be-tween where these trees lay, through which our men cuuld advance. The Germans had been there first, and they took advantage or the fact. They had mai lilne-gun nests trained down these lones, and It was a darn tough Job. We finally gained our objective. "Now to show you the treachery of the Hun. There were any number of boches diessed m American army uniforms, uni-forms, and 1 remember distinctly one of them jumping up ' on a rock and shouting in perfect English. 'Cease tiring; you are killing your own men." There was some temporary confusion, and in the pause they got busy with hand grenades. Those birds paid for that trick, you bet your life. It was bad stuff for a while, but we kept it up until the marines got their replace Bents and relieved us. It was their job and they wanted to finish it. and they did. We had fought for eight or ten days before w-e were relieved. The Bis Hun Retreat "We were then put back on the Marne between Chateau-Thierry and Jaulgouue. around Fossey. Meiy. Cre-lancy Cre-lancy and other places; darned If I can think of them. "Now- for bis league stutT. "It was lather quiet, that Is com paratively speaking, until the 14th day of July, the anniversary of Uie fall of the Bastille. The Hun started at midnight by dropping a barrage fire on us, which was the forerunner of the big bombardment It lasted for nine hours and was considered the worst In the History of the war. I say tills there was briefer than that at Mount St. Mary's, ani he returned to Pittsburgh, Pitts-burgh, beilt upon a business career. Ke entered the employ of his father. James J. Flannery, then tho president of the American Vanadium Company end now chairman of its hoard of d!rec-!or. His rise here was rapid and he made a study of metallurgy, with the ,'esult that he was transferred to the Ford automobile plant in Detroit, De-troit, in 1915. as metallurgical engineer In the experimental department. The Ford corporation uses vaet quantities of vanadium steel In tho construction of Its machines. I be Giri He Left Behind Him Although "Tub" had a multimillionaire multimillion-aire father and an equally rich undo In the person or J. M. Flannery, the vadium Mag, he always remained "Tub" to his friends. A year before fho war broke out between this country coun-try and Europe, "Tub," who was then twenty-live, married Hilda l'agan. the KWeethesi ' of !!' boyhood days. They hud been boy and lrl friends In Pitt burstl and, though he was several years older, tlni comradeship formed lien grow into love as the years advanced. ad-vanced. Then the war was brought to the doors of lhl: country and "Tub" gutly but rlrml.v brought the news to his prtiy IKtls bride that he was going to try foi a lleutenamry In 'lie army. This created a surprise In sonio cirri,, cir-ri,, because it was thought lie would liter lbs navy, his grandfather on his mother's t.f'e being It' ar Admiral Kogsrs, U. H. N. ( Aiyaui'l', tli"r " ' " ' '"' "r our command going Into a front Hire position at Sauvigny. Courthlezy and other unpronounceable places damned If 1 can spell them. This was on June 3. That day we went under Are for the first time. My company was ut Sauvigny and they dropped som" artillery on us and stuff like that. "We were on the river bank." There was a little town there and the Huns kept knocking the place to pieces all the time we were engaged at this point. Wo had French artillery be hind us and they were ten times as good as the Other birds were. The Germans kept dropping gas Hliells all the time they used thorn overtime. If they took that gas and the machine guns out of the war there would be B little sportsmanship In It." The Captain started to tell of their removal to another Sector when I interrupted in-terrupted to ask him If It was not at this point that He made his famous swim across the Maine and back. He answered in the Affirmative, but refused re-fused td talk about It I Bnally peliled to his wife. S we will leave the Captain lor a few mtrmsQts to see how he looks hi her ryes. " 'Tub' told me." she said, "that It was on the .id nf .lime at Sauvigny that his cotrii'iniy opetvd fire on He tier' man across th- Marie and In-d lust. They V'-r- :-itllie dlKtaien from HlH bank or the rlviT. sp 'Tub' IhiniKht he would see what they were firing .it. lie wanted to nave ammunition U there WH.H no neei-ie ity Tor kw.phiK ut" lhr fir''. It rrawl'-d down to the cdo or til river and looked in rou roi noni" Mm", Inii eould discover imlhlntt. stint denly ke saw a man on tho other side of the itroam hIkohI'iik to hint He |
