Francis W. Kelly

The Reverend Monsignor

Francis W. Kelly
Kelly in his Marine uniform
Born(1910-10-16)October 16, 1910
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DiedJanuary 9, 1982(1982-01-09) (aged 71)
Oceanside, California
Place of burial
Arlington National Cemetery[note 1]
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Marines
Years of service
  • 1941–1946
  • 1950–1969
Unit
Battles/wars
Awards
ChurchCatholic (Latin Church)
Orders
OrdinationMay 22, 1937 (priesthood)
by Dennis Joseph Dougherty
RankPrelate of Honour of His Holiness (1969)

Francis William "Father Foxhole" Kelly (October 16, 1910 – January 9, 1982) was an American Catholic priest who served as a chaplain during World War II, embedded in the Pacific Theater with the U.S. Marines.[2] Kelly was present at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Okinawa and Iwo Jima; his insistence on being at the front lines earned him his nickname. He was featured in the wartime book Guadalcanal Diary and a fictionalized version of him appeared in the subsequent film. After a brief period in parochial assignments after World War II ended, he re-entered active duty during the Korean War and remained as an active chaplain until his retirement in 1969.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference PI was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference APobit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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