Pvt. James H. Kieran served in Battery E of the 71st Artillery C.A.C. Growing up, Kieran lived at 21 Briggs St, Salem and attended St. Mary's parochial school, Salem High School, and Suffolk Law School, class of 1927. He worked as a machinist at United Shoe Machinery Corporation in Beverly, MA. After passing the bar, James worked as a lawyer for the remainder of his career.
Alice Kieran collected clippings from the Salem Evening News from 1917-1919. These clippings mention her son, James Kieran, and his friends from Salem.
The Kieran Family lived at 21 Briggs St. in Salem.This building was originally part of the Elias Hasket Derby estate, located on Derby St. in Salem, built by Samuel McIntire from 1795-1799. The original mansion was divided, and this part of the building was relocated to Briggs St. On July 1, 1909, the building was sold to Peter Kieran, who passed the house on to Peter J. and Alice Kieran, James' parents. The property stayed in the family until August 15, 1936. All information was derived from Historic Salem Inc.'s House History for the property.
A photo of the U.S.S. Manchuria, the vessel that returned James H. Kieran home from the War. SS Manchuria was a passenger and cargo liner launched 1903 for the San Francisco-trans Pacific service of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. During World War I the ship was commissioned 25 April 1918—11 September 1919 for United States Navy service as USS Manchuria (ID-1633).
"A Prayer for Soldiers. O God, I beseech Thee, watch over the souls of those who are exposed to the horrors of war, and to the spiritual dangers peculiar to a Soldier's life. Give them such strong faith that no human respect may ever lead them to deny it, or fear to practice it, and do Thou by Thy grace fortify them against the contagion of bad example, that being preserved from vice and serving Thee faithfully, they may be ready to meet death whenever it may arrive. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Amen. "Mother of God, be with them on the battlefield during life and at the hour of death, and obtain for them that they may die in the grace of Thy Son. Amen. "May their Guardian Angel bless and protect them. Amen."
An envelope and matching stationary with a poem written on it.
Poem reads: "Here's to the boy who passed the bar/I hope his glory spreads wide and far/And as a lawyer he will be good/And prosecute the law as he should."
Photo shows James H. Kieran in uniform, in a special frame designed to replicate the Service Flag. Alice Kieran (mother of James H. Kieran) hung her blue star Service Flag from the front of her home in Salem, MA. From Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc.: "The Service flag is an official banner authorized by the Department of Defense for display by families who have members serving in the Armed Forces during any period of war or hostilities the United States may be engaged in for the duration of such hostilities. "The Service flag, also called the Blue Star Flag, was designed and patented by WWI Army Captain Robert L. Queisser of the 5th Ohio Infantry who had two sons serving on the front line. The flag quickly became the unofficial symbol of a child in service. President Wilson became part of this history when in 1918 he approved a suggestion made by the Women's Committee of the Council of National Defenses that mothers who had lost a child serving in the war wear a gold gilt star on the traditional black mourning arm band. This led to the tradition of covering the blue star with a gold star on the Service flag to indicate that the service member has died."
The "Score Club" was the informal name for James H. Kieran's group of friends. The group was made up of young men who met at the Salem YMCA.
The text on the back reads:
"Front Row, left to right - Fred Full, Charlie Mahoney, Pruggy Cahill
2nd Row, L to R - Carit Makeaert, stone, Fred St. Armand, Bill Marchaud, Harvard Lee
Top row L to R - Jim Paige, Jim Kieran, Bill Michaels, Mo Alpers, Don McClaskey, Gene Stover
can't figure others
Arthur Martinson next to H Lee I think"
La Maison d'Adam (XVIth s.) est une dex plus curieuses constructions en bois qui restent en France. Situie place Ste-Croix, d l'angle da la Rue Montault.
Message on back: This is some rainy place. I can't say I am very fond [of] it. Every thing is going good and hope to get out of here before long. Will write you later.
Back of postcard reads: "La tour de ce tres bel edifice des XI[nd] et XIII[rd] siecles presente cette singularite architecturale de reposer sur un arc-doubleau. A l'interieur, on remarque de tres beaux vitraux des XII[th] et XIII[rd] siecles, la Maitre Autel l'Orgue et de splendides tapisseries du XIV[th] secle, entir autres l'Apocalypse, d'une valeur inestimable, le tombeau de l'eveque Freppel, par Falguiere, etc.
Back of postcard reads: "Ce pont, aujourd'hui en pierre, est tristement celebre par la catastrophe du 16 avril 1850, ou 222 hommes du 2[nd] leger ont peri.
Le 16 avril, au matin, le 3[rd] bataillon qui venait de faire halte dans le bois d'Arville, ou les hommes avaient pris leur repas, se randait a Angers. Il devait arriver a midi Place de l'Academie pour passer la revue et etait commande par le lieutenant-colonel Simonet. Vers 11 heures de matin, il faisait une tempete epouvantable, le 3[rd] bataillon se presenta pour passer le pont. Les soldats marchaient tete baissee sous la rajale, el deja une partie de bataillon avait atteint la rive gauche ,lorsqu'un craquement formidable se fit entendre. Le pont etait rompu, les hommes, baionnette au canon, tomberent les uns sur les autres, embroches comme une grappe. La Maine devint rouge et vit se debatire dans les affres de la mort 485 soldats. Quand le sauvetage prit fin, il y avait 222 soldats et 2 employes d'octroi qui accompagnaient le bataillon."
For a page-by-page view of the diary, please go to the Internet Archive. This diary traveled with James Kieran from the United States to France, when he was deployed in WWI. Pages that do not feature any text have been excluded from the digital copy.Transcription:
January 5, 1918: "Rejected for enlistment in Naval Aviation at Navy Yard."
May 22, 1918 : "Rejected for service in Marines, and Tank boys"
May 25, 1918 : "Enlisted in C.A.C. at Boston"
May 28, 1918 : "Left home for Ft. Revere"
May 30, 1918 : "Sworn into service at Ft. Revere"
June 9, 1918 : "Home on 24 hr. pass"
June 13, 1918 : "Transferred to Ft. Andrews. Battery E. 71st Regiment."
July 7, 1918 : "Home on 24 hr. pass"
July 30, 1918 : "Left Ft. Andrews. Arrived on transport at night. S.S. ANSLEM."July 31, 1918 : "Pulled out of Boston harbor about 6 A.M. for Halifax."
August 2, 1918 : "Arrived in Halifax Harbor Nova Scotia about 7 A.M."
August 4, 1918 : "Left Halifax for overseas about 1 oclock P.M."
August 11, 1918 : "In hospital on transport with a smash or head."
August 15, 1918 : "Arrived in Liverpool, England, stayed overnight at Knotty Ash camp."
August 16, 1918 : "Left camps at 1 P.M. and arrived at Ramsey at 10 P.M."
August 20, 1918 : "Left Camp [Wooley?] Arrived about 5 P.M. After 3 hr. hike."
August 29, 1918 : "Left [Hursley?] about 8 A.M. Arrived on transport for France about 7 P.M."
August 30, 1918 : "Arrived in Havre France about 6 A.M.
August 31, 1918 : "Left Havre about 9 A.M. On box-car all day."
September 1, 1918 : "Arrived at training camp, somewhere in France about 4 P.M."
September 4, 1918 : "Left [?] Feb. 6, 1919 for St. Nazaire" [Actual date of entry: 2/6/1919]
September 5, 1918 : "Arrived at St. St. Nazaire Feb. 7." [Actual date of entry: 2/7/1919]September 6, 1918 : "Left for U.S. Feb. 12, 1919"[Actual date of entry: 2/12/1919]
Within the province of Anjou lies the city of Angers, which was the center of the heavy artillery training district known as Operations and Training Center No.4. At Angers the 71st Artillery found the Headquarters of the 34th Artillery Brigade (C. A. C.). The other two regiments in the brigade were the 64th and 70th (C. A. C.), which were already in the vicinity of Angers and had started their training some little time before [the 71st].Information adapted from 71st Artillery, C.A.C.
