This April marks 108 years since the United States declared war on Germany and officially entered into what’s now known as World War I. Previously known as the Great War, conflict first broke out in 1914 but the U.S. remained a neutral party until April 6, 1917.
Our nation’s involvement in the war would last a year, but it left a profound impact on the Philadelphia region. While an exact number of casualties remains unknown, it’s estimated that more than 3,000 Philadelphians died in the war. And one Philadelphia school community is still assessing its own losses.
Roman Catholic High School opened in 1890 as the first free Catholic high school in the country and has seen many wars since its opening. According to researcher Chris Gibbons — who’s chair of the high school alumni association's Veterans Affairs Committee — it’s the only Philadelphia Archdiocesan school with alumni who’ve fought in the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Iraq War, and the Afghanistan War.
In total, nearly 170 of the school’s alumni have died in combat. Over 100 alumni were serving by December 1917 in World War I. Gibbons made an effort in the past decade to identify and honor the alumni who died during their service and has since identified about 30 young men, as well as numerous others who were injured. Some of these alumni include:
Edward Kelley, Class of 1908
Edward Kelley was the first Roman Catholic High School alumnus to die in the war, before the United States even became officially involved. He volunteered to help the French Ambulance Corps, which provided medical transport and aid to the French Army. This included the official French military as well as the American Ambulance Field Service (which later folded into the U.S. Army Ambulance Service) and was made up of volunteers providing additional support. Kelley died in 1916.
Reverend Joseph Wolfe, Class of 1899
Bernard Breen, Class of 1902
Breen died in 1918 during the Battle of Meuse-Argonne. An uncovered letter sent home identified fellow alumnus, Reverend Joseph Wolfe, Class of 1899, as the chaplain who performed the final burial service. In total, 16 Roman alumni served as chaplains during World War I.
Vincent M. Diodati, Class of 1906
Diodati received a medical degree from Jefferson and used his medical background in the war. He was the first American to be in charge of a British military unit, as the British army was in desperate need of surgeons. Despite being wounded multiple times, he continued to tend to the other soldiers and was one of 14 survivors. Diodati was awarded the British Military Cross for Bravery for his service.
🎧 Hear more about the alumni who fought in World War I and the war’s impact on Philly’s Roman Catholic community by listening to this episode of City Cast Philly.
