Hide Article Text (OCR)
iOld Brick’ graduated Fairbanks High and went off to warIN Fair-nicknameHIS FRIENDSbanks gave him the“Old Brick.”His real name was Percy Joseph Blanchfield, a boy with blond hair and freckles.Blanchfield was one of the four students in the first graduating class from the Fairbanks High School, a group that entered the adult world at a time when Memorial Day services honored those who had served inthe Civil War.In fact, three Civil War veterans led the procession that marched to the Clay Street Cemetery in 1913, the year Bianch-field graduated.After finishing school, he went to California for a time and he enlisted in the CanadianArmy in 1916. He had hoped tojoin the flying corps, but “there were thousands of others wanting the same thing, and I was out of luck.’’Thus he became one of the millions of soldiers who served in the trenches in World War I.On Aug. 12, 1917, the 20-year-old Blanchfield wrote to his friend George Hering in Fairbanks about the “joys of soldiering in sunny France.” He said it was called sunny France because it rained six days a week and on the seventh day, he roasted.“I am writing this letter at a time when I ought to be cleaning my clothes, which are covered with this delightful French mud,” Blanchfield wrote. “The mud here is a great friend. It will never desert you. If itwasn’t for it and the insects, etc., I believe I would be lonely.”Blanchfield said his months in France weren’t the happiest of his life, but they were interesting.“Just at present we are in reserves and are having a comparatively easy time of it. You never rest over here and this is the closest approach to it I have had yet. While here we do working parties, digging trenches, carrying supplies to the front lines, etc. and if you are lucky enoughDermotColeto be out in the day time, you will be able to have a fairly good rest. If you have to work at night though, it is not very pleasant.On that day Blanchfield was digging a trench for winter use, lining the sides with thatching to prevent cave-ins and putting mats on the bottom to walk on.“It is now 7 o’clock and I am sitting outside my dugout—-it forgot to rain today—and am writing this letter,” he told Hering. “I would like to have my Kodak here and send you a picture of my shack, which is quite like a palatial hotel, with all modern conveniences, etc. Such things are not allowed out here, however.”He wrote of the observationballoons in the sky nearby and how the Germans shelled them, forcing the occupants to parachute to safety. He mentioned that he had seen an aerial fight between an English and a German plane that day.“Life here gets rather monotonous as there is so much sameness. When we are in the line, it is exciting enough and no pleasure at any time, especially during wet weather, when there is a couple of feet of mud and water in the trenches.”“When we are out on what is called rest, i.e. a change, after the day’s work is finished there is hardly anywhere to go for recreation except the YMCA, where you see pictures about 10 years old, and occasionally they provide some very good concerts,”he said.He said a fellow could have fun talking to the French girls, who were not a bit shy.He didn't have many more chances to talk or write home.Blanchfield died 13 days laternear Lens City and Hill 70, hisfather wrote to the Rev. Francis Monroe. His father said he had been told that there was “awful carnage and terrible fighting.”“I am, to say the least, heartbroken, and simply disconsolate over my loss,” his father wrote. “You will never know how awfully sad I have been since I lost my dear wife a year ago, and especially since this news of the death of Percy Joseph reached me.” . , ’’0He added that his boy had enlisted with the Canadians because he “wanted to see and take part in the greatest war onEarth.”In 1919, the students at theFairbanks High School dedicated four trees in memory of the four boys who served during the war and died from sickness or battle. The trees were in honor of Percy Blanchfield, Dorman Baker, Lawrence Morency and Lawrence Auten.The town gave an additional honor to Blanchfield. After a maior 1919 fire downtown, thecity bought a lot between Second Avenue and First Avenue to create a new street east of Cushman Street.“The purpose was to create an open fire break to prevent destruction at a future time of all property between First and Second Avenues and Cushman to Lacey streets,” historian Paul Solka wrote.The narrow thoroughfare, officially named Blanchfield Memorial Street, served as a fire break, but it was no longer needed by the 1980s, when the remaining buildings bordering it were demolished as part of downtown redevelopment plans.With the end of Blanchfield Alley, a separate easement for pedestrians and emergency vehicles was established next to the Lathrop Building.I think it would be fitting for city officials and the builders of the new hotel downtown to consider naming that strip of land the Blanchfield Memorial Walkway.Dermot Cole can be reached at co-le@newsminer.com or 459-7530
Newspaper Details
Fairbanks Daily News Miner
Fairbanks, Alaska, US
Sun, May 28, 2000
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 18 Aug 2020
Other Publications Near Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks Daily News Miner
Daily News Miner
Fairbanks Weekly News Miner
Fairbanks Evening News
Fairbanks Daily Times
