SNIPPET: Fr. Francis Patrick DUFFY (1871-1932) was born to parents who fled the Great Famine in Ireland. The third of eleven children, he studied for the priesthood at St. Joseph's Provincial Seminary at Troy, NY, and was ordained in 1896. During World War I, DUFFY served as a military chaplain to the "Fighting Sixty-Ninth" Regiment of the New York National Guard. He was decorated in France and America, and became a national hero. After his death in 1932, DUFFY was honored by a statue in New York's Times Square. The 69th New York National Guard Regiment, made famous as part of the Irish Brigade during the Civil War, once again emerged as a showcase unit of the U. S. Army. One of its members, the poet Joyce KILMER, who was later killed in action, wrote of the inspiration behind the regiment's recruiting strategy: "It was desired to enlist strong, intelligent, decent living men, men whose sturdy Americanism was strengthened and vivified by their Celtic blood, men who would be worthy successors to show forgotten patriots who at Bloody Lane and Marye's Heights earned the title "The Fighting Irish." Despite KILMER's reference to Celtic blood, the Brigade this time around was merely heavily Irish in composition, as soldiers of many ethnic backgrounds joined its ranks. Still, its two key leaders - Col. William J. "Wild Bill" DONOVAN and Chaplain Fr. Francis Patrick DUFFY, kept alive the association with the Irish. The 69th saw action early in France, playing an important role in battles at Lorraine, Champagne, Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, and St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne. No regiment saw more action than the 69th and as a result, it suffered high casualty rates - 644 killed and the majority of the men wounded. The men of the 69th earned numerous honors and awards, including DONOVAN's Medal of Honor. -- Excerpts, "1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American History," Edward T. O'Donnell (2002)