Charles Sweeney
by SteveM (2022-01-24 16:32:44)

One of the advantages of reading books in electronic form is that you can quickly find more out individuals mentioned in passing. By following a trail of references I came across ND alum Charles Sweeney.

Apparently he graduated from Notre Dame in 1889 (according to the linked Scholastic article from 1934 (see page 5) although 1899 makes more sense) attended West Point and managed to be expelled twice. He then apparently joined the French Foreign Legion as a Private and was eventually commissioned and promoted to Captain for Valor. He then was allowed to transfer to the U.S. Army after the U.S. entered World War II, at which point he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He then recruited American volunteers to fight for Poland against the Soviet Union and was commissioned a Brigadier General in the Polish Army. He apparently then worked as a journalist although was suspected of working for French intelligence and then later joined the French Air Force. He then recruited aviators to joint the Royal Air Force before the U.S. entered World War II and was later made an Honorary Group Captain.

Out of curiosity, was anyone previously familiar with him? That story is difficult to believe if it wasn't documented in contemporaneous accounts.