Menu
Search by Name
Search by Name
John Duggan Obituary
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for John Duggan
1 Entry
Jim Kielty
July 7, 2005
I knew Col. Duggan from when we both were in the 322d Logistical Command (C) that was activated for the Berlin Crisis of 196l. Our group was sent to Fort Lee,Virginia and I was a young enlisted man assigned to the Exchange Section.Col. Duggan was in charge of the Finance Section and we shared office space on the same floor. I thought he was a native of the North Shore of Massachusetts from his bearing and way of speaking. I had attended my last two years of high school at a private boys college prep school in the town of Hamilton, Mass. and the colonel resembled one of those people who lived in nearby Beverly, Mass., home of Henry Cabot Lodge, II and his fellow Brahmins and habituees of the nearby Myopia Hunt Club.
Col. Duggan had a unique way of speaking and at least five or six times a day he would call in his chief aide, Warrant Officer LeeArthur Dunlap for one assignment or another. Whether the call was for an hour-long conference or a brief, 10-second chat, the request would be the same. Col.Duggan would say: "Lee, can you come in here for a minute?"
And Warrant Officer Dunlap would stop whatever he was doing and hurry into the colonel's office.
Fellow enlisted men Dan Sullivan and Richie Ryan, both Notre Dame grads and both unwilling soldiers not dissimilar from myself, would fight the boredom by doing our own
impersonations of the colonel's unique tone. I have to modestly admit that I was the best "Duggan" and one day we decided to try it out on the hapless Warrant Officer Dunlap. The colonel was out of the office that day. If memory serves, he had traveled to another Army site for one TDY assignment of another. So I snuck into his office and intoned the familiar "Lee, can you come here for a minute, please?" WO Dunlap dutifully got up and entered the office. I had left by the back door and when he arrived it finally dawned on WO Dunlap that the "old man" was out of town. He never mentioned it to us and we never had the nerve to remind him that we got him.
Years later, I ran into Col.Duggan at Holy Name Cathedral after mass and told him the story, complete with my own impersonation of the man himself. He enjoyed it greatly and in the subsequent years I would run into him at various places in the city. He was a kind man who understood that none of us really enjoyed being stuck at Fort Lee for what we considered a saber-rattling exercise. I remember the colonel fondly.
Jim Kielty
(773) 866-9598
4301 N. Francisco
Chicago, IL 60618
Showing 1 - 1 of 1 results
Make a Donation
in John Duggan's name
Memorial Events
for John Duggan
How to support John's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?
What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?
We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreResources to help you cope with loss
How to Cope With Grief
Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you.
Read more
Estate Settlement Guide
If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast
Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read moreWays to honor John Duggan's life and legacy
Obituary Examples
You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples
These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?
Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read more
