Pre-war

Timothy Francis Ahearn was born on December 15, 1898, to Bridget and Patrick Ahearn in Fair Haven. Timothy’s father Patrick emigrated from Ireland in 1886. His mother emigrated from Ireland in 1887. Both came from townlands near the village of Athea, Co. Limerick.  Patrick emigrated in 1886 and Bridget emigrated in 1887 from Ireland, from separate townlands near the village of Athea, Co. Limerick.  Patrick and Bridget married in 1892 and had 6 children.

Timothy attended St. Francis Catholic school. After graduation from St. Francis, Timothy was a charter member of the Maples Athletic and Canoe Club. He and many members enlisted and served as part of the 102nd Regiment.

Military service

Corporal Timothy Francis Ahearn was a first-generation Irish American who fought for his country. Corporal Ahearn’s service began in 1916. Timothy signed up to fight against Francisco "Pancho" Villa. His relative Mary Clare Ahearn explained that Timothy joined New Haven’s 2nd Regiment in 1916 and took part in the Mexican Expedition. In November of 1916, the Connecticut National Guard 2nd regiment mustered out. They were then remobilized in February of 1917. The 2nd regiment was re-designated after the United States declared war on Germany. The 2nd Regiment became the 102nd Infantry Division.

Before being shipped out to Europe Corporal Ahearn trained at Yale Field from July to September 1917. After training Ahearn embarked from Montreal, Canada to Europe.  He arrived at Southampton, England and moved on to Brest and Landaville in France where he continued his training.

Corporal Ahearn fought in dozens of WWI battles both major and minor. Ahearn was also the only New Haven soldier who participated in every battle.  For his service and bravery, Ahearn was honored with the American Distinguished Service Cross, the French Croix de Guerre, and the Italian War Cross.

On October 27, 1918, after all the officers and sergeants of his company had become casualties, Ahearn took command of the company and led them through the rest of the day’s action. When a wounded soldier was in need of rescue, Ahearn went out and succeeded in bringing him to safety under heavy machine gun fire. Ahearn’s courage earned him the French Croix de Guerre.

Corporal Ahearn was gassed with chemical weapons October 30, 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Ahearn details this and many other key facts on his Military questionnaire he filled out for the CT War Department’s Council of Defense.

Post-war

After the War, Corporal Ahearn was living at his family home on Poplar St. He resided with his mother, father, younger sister Loretta, and younger brother William. He worked as a stenographer in an office. The Census was taken on January 8, 1920. By the end of January 1920, his father Patrick died unexpectedly at the age of 49.

Due to Patrick’s death hitting the family hard, Timothy’s mother, Loretta, and William moved to New York to live next door to Timothy’s older sister and her husband. Timothy did not join his family in NY. According to Timothy’s relative, Mary Clare, Timothy, and other New Haven veterans left New Haven looking for work and maybe a little adventure. They worked on oil fields, farms, and in shipyards.

Timothy died in San Francisco far away from his family in 1925 at the age of 25. His cause of death was respiratory problems resulting from his exposure to mustard gas. The family has his body shipped back from San Francisco by train.

Timothy was then interred at St. Lawrence Cemetery in the family plot, along with 5 other family members.

Memorial Statue

A statue was erected in West River Memorial Park as a memorial to Corporal Timothy Ahearn for his bravery at Verdun during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The statue, built by Karl Lang, is 8.5’ height of bronze with a 6’ base. It was built in 1937. The statue depicts the WWI doughboy Ahearn standing with his right foot forward and his right hand resting on his right leg. The Hartford Courant explains that Ahearn was writing a letter to commanders on the back of a letter to his mother.  The letter sent to his regiment commander tells how Ahearn made two platoons from four decimated squadrons.  He also said that he was ready for any duty he is needed to perform.

The current location of the statue is between the intersection of Route 10 and Route 34 in New Haven. The statue is a touching and important tribute to Ahearn’s acts on October 27, 1918.

The Ahearn Memorial statue holds significance to the Irish and the Veteran communities in New Haven.  At the original dedication, Corporal Ahearn’s mother, Bridget, was in attendance, as well as his niece Anne Ahearn who unveiled the memorial. The story of the dedication was reported locally as well as other New England cities and towns because of the significance of the event for the broader community of veterans of the Yankee Division.

In 1951, there was a rededication ceremony. Corporal Ahearn’s grandniece unveiled the statue. The rededication was described as being very elaborate with a parade of service units and veteran organizations. Additionally, Brig. Gen. James M. Quinn was there to represent the governor. Quinn had also served as Corporal Ahearn’s sergeant in service.

Years after the statue was erected, local veterans would travel to the statue to remember the 1918 Battle of Seicheprey on April 20.  The base of the statue also includes a tribute to Ahearn by Maj. Gen. Clarence R. Edwards, who commanded the division. It reads: “He best exemplified the spirit of the enlisted men of the 26th Division.” Reporter Jane Dee explains that according to a local New Haven newspaper at the time Corporal Ahearn was viewed by his fellow soldiers as a “Daredevil” and he was always “in the first when the boys went ‘over the top’.”