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Weathervane Newsletter Fall 2002
Chronicles of the Great War in One Family's Sacrifices
On November 11, Veterans' Day, Stanley Finn, Jr. followed through on a decision he made two years ago, and donated a collection of family letters to Historic Northampton. These letters chronicle the experiences of Finn's uncles on the front lines in France during World War I. Two of the family's five sons, Pvt. Irving Finn and Sgt. George Finn, were among the 12 Northampton residents killed in the war. Another son, Sgt. Harold Finn, spent much of his life after the war in the hospital, suffering from the effects of a German poison gas attack. Pvt. Leslie Finn survived the war without major injuries.
Nearly all of the letters are from Irving and George, the brothers who died, though there are some brief notes and postcards from survivors Harold and Leslie. As with any letters from soldiers who died during a war, Irving and George's final letters resonate with the irony of their fate. "Have been over about five months now and it sure seems like five years. I am anxious to hit old New York," Irving wrote on Feb. 7, 1918. Two days later, he died of a blood clot in his stomach. George sent his last letter on Sept. 23, 1918, about three weeks before being shot to death in combat on Oct. 13. "I have had about enough of war to last me for the rest of my life but am willing to see it through now," he wrote. "I hope I will be able to go home all safe with God's help." Less than a month after his death, the Armistice was signed, ending the war.
After the family's memorable contribution to World War I, only one Finn was eligible to serve in World War II. Irving Finn, the son of WWI veteran Leslie Finn, was killed in Italy. Finn Street in Northampton is named after him.
The letters will become part of the permanent collection at Historic Northampton.
Contents Historic Northampton.