TIMELY RECOGNITION
The third chaplain appointed in August, 1917, Mr. Arthur C. Whitney, received orders to sail for France almost immediately and upon his arrival was assigned as chaplain at the Army Schools near Langres. After a short stay at that point he was transferred on October 5, to the 91st Division, in active service in Belgium. In this Belgian campaign our army operated in conjunction with the British, French and Belgian under the command of the King of Belgium, being used four times in support of the French in the battle of the Lys-Scheldte. The division went into action itself on October 31, remaining until November 10, at which date they had reached the town of Hoorbeke-St-Corneille. It is of interest to note that the division was cited for its successful work.
Of our chaplain's part in this advance his captain wrote as follows:
“Chaplain Whitney marched with me at the head of my company through heavy shell fire when we marched into position for the attack. His calm and encouraging remarks helped materially to steady the men and, I am frank to say, caused me to feel a security and confidence that I have never felt before under shell fire. Later I was ordered to take my company across the Scheldte and relieve a certain French organization to our front. Chaplain Whitney insisted on being with the company even though I told him how dangerous our task was. We passed through the French first line and, with the company deployed as skirmishers over a seven-hundred-yard front, advanced to a village (Hoorbeke-St-Corneille) eight hundred yards beyond. We took this village under heavy machine gun and shell fire and drove out fifty German machine gunners. Chaplain Whitney stayed with me throughout the engagement in the front line and I am glad to say my company did not suffer one single casualty. Divine Providence guided us safely to our position and we received word
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