26 MARCH 1, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD: THE WAY IT WAS
Woodhaven priest helped comfort
dying World War II soldiers
PRESENTED BY THE WOODHAVEN
CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL
SOCIETY
PROJECTWOODHAVEN@GMAIL.COM
He was a tough Irish kid from
Elderts Lane, one of 12 children
born to a tough New York City
fi reman and his wife who immigrated
from County Cavan in Ireland. He was
an altar boy at the Catholic Church of
Saint Sylvester in Brooklyn, around
the corner from his house.
His name was Father Lawrence
Edward Lynch and he was a hero.
When he was assigned to the 69th
Infantry Regiment, he stepped into
some mighty big shoes worn by the
famous Father Duff y, who was immortalized
on fi lm by Pat O’Brien in “The
Fighting 69th” starring James Cagney.
According to those who knew him well
and had the chance to work alongside
him, he fi lled those shoes admirably.
Brigadier General Julius Klein was
his commanding offi cer in the Pacifi c
during World War II and recalled
Father Lynch’s zest for justice when
he stormed into his offi ce fi ghting for
a Jewish soldier who he felt had been
unfairly passed over for promotion.
“It never mattered to him whether a
soul was white or black, Jew or Christian,
or unbeliever,” General Klein said
of his friend. “To him, each human
being was simply a child of God.”
They were at each other’s side on a
rescue ship when rushing to the SS
Elihu Thompson, a Liberty ship that
had struck a mine on Sept. 25, 1944.
Eleven young men were killed and 22
were missing. They were never found.
While Klein was directing the
rescue, Father Lynch tended to the
mortally wounded, off ering comfort
and holding their hands so the young
men did not have to die alone.
“Ego te absolve,” the “absolution of
sin,” he whispered quietly in the ears
of young men who would never see
their friends or families again.
One of the young dying sailors was
Jewish and asked for a rabbi. None
were available, so Father Lynch held
his hand and whispered, “Sh’mai, Israel,
Adonai, Eloheno Adonai echad.”
The young soldier died just as Father
Lynch fi nished the prayer. Klein was
overcome with emotion and never
forgot the incident, oft en referring to
the priest as his favorite Irish rabbi.
Regardless of who you were or what
you believed, Father Lynch would be
at your side when you needed him
most. He was a priest fi rst but a soldier
second, and like so many young
men of that era he was unafraid of the
hazards of war, receiving fi ve citations
for bravery.
And it was this bravery that led father
Lynch and so many other young
soldiers to the island of Okinawa, a
strategic piece in the impending land
invasion of Japan.
The battle on Okinawa raged for
weeks, and Father Lynch repeatedly
sought out the battalions and regiments
that were expected to see the
heaviest action.
It was grueling and dangerous, but
Father Lynch kept pace with the action,
comforting the wounded and giving
last rites to hundreds and hundreds
of the 20,000 American soldiers that
would eventually lose their lives in
that battle by the time it ended.
On April 25, 1945, the Japanese
were shelling the battalion that Father
Lynch was traveling with and a soldier
nearby screamed as he was hit. The
tough Irish priest from Elderts Lane
ran to the young soldier’s side and
began off ering the last rites when a
second shell struck, killing both of
them instantly.
Father Lawrence Edward Lynch was
38 years old.
At the end of June, aft er victory had
been secured, over 4,000 servicemen
attended a mass at his graveside in
Okinawa. Back home, a steady stream
of servicemen visited his parents to
pay their respects long aft er the war
had ended.
A local youth football league was
started and named in his honor, taking
part of his name along with honoring
the other veterans of war: Lynvets.
And a piece of land near the border
of Woodhaven, Ozone Park and
Brooklyn was set aside as a memorial.
A triangle at Atlantic Avenue and
Rockaway Boulevard was dedicated
in his honor following a large parade
on Oct. 8, 1949.
Sadly, today there is no sign to commemorate
the memory or the brave and
compassionate man who grew up just a
few blocks away and gave his life for his
country on the other side of the world.
But that is about to change.
The Woodhaven Cultural & Historical
Society and American Legion Post
118 in Woodhaven have partnered up
with Councilman Eric Ulrich, who
has submitted a request with the City
Council to rectify this. Hopefully, by
the time St. Patrick's Day rolls around
in 2019, Father Lynch Memorial Triangle
will be properly recognized with
a sign.
Courtesy of the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
U.S. Marines landing on the island of Okinawa after a fi erce 1945 battle that killed thousands of soldiers,
including chaplain Father Lawrence Edward Lynch of Woodhaven
