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He was young, small and always in trouble. But, he became perhaps the most highly decorates Marine in World War I. Courts-martial and medals came often to...
Four times in the 20th century our nation has been forced to rely heavily upon a "citizen army." This inclusion of nonprofessionals into the military forces filled the exploded ranks required by a modern war. Most of those citizens who joined the U.S. Army, Navy or Marine Corps did so through the draft or by enlistment for the "duration" directly into the service of choice. John Joseph Kelly was one of the latter who selected the Marine Corps.
He was a tough bird, hard to discipline and hard to control. His kind never make "parade ground soldiers," but, as the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Kelly was like that. He wouldn't last five minutes in today's military. He would be up on charges and out at the first sign of trouble, and that is as it should be. But in a fight you'd want Johnnie Kelly right with you. If you're smart, you'd want him at your right hand.
At 5 feet 5 inches and 112 pounds (soaking wet), John Joseph Kelly, also commonly known as "Johnnie" or "Jackie" by his mates in the 78th Company, 2d Battalion, 6th Marines, didn't look like much, even in 1918, but he was a powerful fighting package when unleashed.
His father, Edward J. Kelly, was from County Mayo, Ireland, and his mother, Beatrice Lally Kelly, was from County Galway. So here we have a Marine descended from two of the fightingest names from Connaught in the west of Ireland. Additionally, Johnnie was born and raised on the Chicago South Side, where to survive one had to have his wits about him and a pair of rapid, hardhitting dukes.
He was raised in that tough neighborhood during the early years of this century. To aid his parents, Kelly and his brothers would jump trains for coal for the home fires. He also caddied as a boy.
At age 16 Kelly left home and joined a circus, but he was home again by the time war was declared. In the meantime his father had died, leaving...