Charles Sweeny
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Charles Michael Sweeny (January 26, 1882 – February 27, 1963) was an American soldier of fortune,
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
lieutenant colonel,
French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...
officer,
Polish army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...
brigadier general,
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF)
group captain Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British influence. Group cap ...
, and journalist who fought in numerous conflicts in the 20th century. He recruited fellow Americans to fight in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
prior to the United States entering the war.


Early life and family

He was born in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
to Charles and Emeline Sweeny. Charles Sr. was the son of poor Irish immigrants, but made his fortune in mining in the region around
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Coeur d'Alene ( ; ) is a city and the county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the most populous city in North Idaho and the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 54,628 at th ...
(see
Bunker Hill Mine and Smelting Complex The Bunker Hill Mine and Smelting Complex (colloquially the Bunker Hill smelter) was a large smelter located in Kellogg, Idaho, in the Coeur d'Alene Basin. When built, it was the largest smelting facility in the world.National Research Council, ...
). The family settled in nearby
Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...
. A 1920
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
article called Charles Jr. a "multimillionaire's son." He graduated from the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...
. One nephew,
Charles Francis Sweeny Charles Francis Sweeny (October 3, 1909 or 1910, Scranton, Pennsylvania – March 11, 1993) was an American businessman and socialite who played a major role in the formation of the Eagle Squadrons, composed mostly of volunteer American pilots eag ...
(1910–1993), was the first husband of Margaret Whigham; they married in 1933 and divorced in 1947. (Afterward, she married the Duke of Argyll and became
Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll Ethel Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll (''née'' Whigham, formerly Sweeny; 1 December 1912 – 25 July 1993) was a Scottish heiress, socialite, and aristocrat who was most famous for her 1951 marriage and much-publicised 1963 divorce fr ...
.) He would later be instrumental in forming the
Eagle Squadrons The Eagle Squadrons were three fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force (RAF) formed with volunteer pilots from the United States during the early days of World War II (1940), prior to the United States' entry into the war in December 1941. ...
. Another nephew, Robert "Bob" Sweeny, was an accomplished golfer on both sides of the
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
, playing in numerous
Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week in April, the Masters is the ...
s and winning the 1937
British Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship (sometimes referred to as the British Amateur or British Amateur Championship outside the UK) is a golf tournament which has been held annually in the United Kingdom since 1885 except during the two World Wars, and in 19 ...
.


Career

Sweeny enrolled in the
United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
at West Point in 1900, but was expelled not once but twice, in 1901 and, after being reinstated, in 1903. He fought in several conflicts in Central and South America, including for
Francisco I. Madero Francisco Ignacio Madero González (; 30 October 1873 – 22 February 1913) was a Mexican businessman, revolutionary, writer and statesman, who served as the 37th president of Mexico from 1911 until he was deposed in a coup d'état in Februa ...
in Mexico and against
José Santos Zelaya José Santos Zelaya López (1 November 1853 – 17 May 1919) was the President of Nicaragua from 25 July 1893 to 21 December 1909. He was liberal. In 1909, Zelaya was ousted from office in a rebellion led by conservative Juan José Estrada w ...
in Nicaragua and
Cipriano Castro José Cipriano Castro Ruiz (12 October 1858 – 4 December 1924) was a Venezuelan politician and Officer (armed forces), officer of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela, military who served as president of Venezuela, president from ...
in Venezuela, according to his friend
Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...
. Sweeny, by then married, fought in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, first with the
French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...
in 1914. Starting as a private, he was eventually commissioned a lieutenant for conspicuous gallantry at the
Second Battle of Champagne The Second Battle of Champagne (, utumn Battle in the First World War was a French offensive against the German army at Champagne that coincided with the Third Battle of Artois in the north and ended with a French defeat. Battle On 25 Sep ...
in September 1915, and later promoted to captain for capturing a German trench with just a dozen men, but was severely wounded. He was awarded the
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
. At his request, in 1917 he was permitted to transfer to the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
after America entered the war. He was commissioned a major and was later promoted to lieutenant colonel. Wounded in the Argonne offensive, he recuperated in Paris. He was discharged in July 1919. He then organized 200 experienced former United States Army officers to fight on the Polish side in the
Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (14 February 1919 – 18 March 1921) was fought primarily between the Second Polish Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, following World War I and the Russian Revolution. After the collapse ...
(1919–1920). He himself participated in the 1920 Battle of Warsaw. For his efforts, he was made a Polish army brigadier general in 1920. Later correspondence indicates he was good friends with fellow American and fighter pilot
Merian C. Cooper Merian Caldwell Cooper (October 24, 1893 – April 21, 1973) was an American filmmaker, actor, producer and air officer. In film, his most famous work was the 1933 movie ''King Kong (1933 film), King Kong'', and he is credited as co-inventor of ...
(better known now as a Hollywood movie producer), who also fought on the Polish side; Cooper was shot down that same year and became a prisoner of war of the Soviets. In the
Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) The Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922 was fought between Greece and the Turkish National Movement during the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I, between 15 May 1919 and 14 October 1922. This conflict was a par ...
, Sweeny was ostensibly a war correspondent, but biographer
Donald McCormick George Donald King McCormick (11 December 1911 – 2 January 1998) was a British Journalism, journalist and popular historian, who also wrote under the pseudonym Richard Deacon. After working for Naval Intelligence during the Second World War, ...
claims he was actually a spy for French Intelligence. It was here that Sweeny met another war correspondent, Ernest Hemingway; they became lifelong friends. (When Hemingway died in 1961, Sweeny served as one of his honorary
pallbearer A pallbearer is one of several participants who help carry the casket at a funeral. They may wear white gloves in order to prevent damaging the casket and to show respect to the deceased person. Some traditions distinguish between the roles o ...
s.) He also landed an interview with Turkish leader
Kemal Atatürk Kemal may refer to: ;People * Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a Turkish politician and the first president of Turkey * Kemal (name), a Turkish name ;Places * Kemalpaşa, İzmir Province, Turkey * Mustafakemalpaşa, Bursa Province, Turkey ;See also *"Kema ...
, and at the personal recommendation of French General
Maxime Weygand Maxime Weygand (; 21 January 1867 – 28 January 1965) was a French military commander in World War I and World War II, as well as a high ranking member of the Vichy France, Vichy regime. Born in Belgium, Weygand was raised in France and educate ...
, became one of Atatürk's military advisors. An October 1923 magazine article describes Sweeny as "now war correspondent of the ''
New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 to 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers as a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under publisher Jo ...
'' in the Near East". Front page of the Paris edition of Le Petit Journal (newspaper), ''Le Petit Journal'', August 6, 1925. Translation: "The American volunteer pilots left yesterday for Morocco / Before departure: General Dumesnil gives the American colonel Sweeny a ''bon voyage'' toast." In 1925, Sweeny fought in Morocco for the French in the Rif War and recruited World War I veterans for the Escadrille Cherifienne, the 19th Squadron of the Moroccan Aviation Regiment, which was responsible for the
bombardment of Chefchaouen The Bombardment of Chefchaouen was an aerial bombardment of Chefchaouen, Morocco carried out in the middle of the Rif War by a rogue United States, American squadron in the service of the French colonial empire, the Escadrille Cherifienne, on Se ...
. He became the leader of the Sultan of Morocco's air force. Sweeney later explained his involvement in the war, saying, "In our view, France, in fighting Abdel Krim, is fighting the cause of the white man's civilization, and all who have formed this squadron know enough of the world to appreciate what the white man's civilization means." After learning about the mercenaries, the
U.S. Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...
issued instructions to its consul in Morocco to warn the Americans that they would risk the revocation of their citizenship, imprisonment, and fines under the
Neutrality Act of 1794 The Neutrality Act of 1794 was a Law of the United States#Federal law, United States law which made it illegal for a United States citizen to wage war against any country at peace with the United States. The Act declares in part: If any person ...
if they did not end their involvement in the war. While the initial public reception to the mercenaries had been mixed back home, their involvement in bombing campaigns caused widespread outrage. ''
The Literary Digest ''The Literary Digest'' was an American general interest weekly magazine published by Funk & Wagnalls. Founded by Isaac Kaufmann Funk in 1890, it eventually merged with two similar weekly magazines, ''Public Opinion'' and '' Current Opinion''. ...
'' headlined the news as "U.S. bombs and Rif babies". The ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...
'' said it would have been one thing if the mercenaries were fighting for the Riffians, but that there was "nothing gallant or chivalrous in the rain of bombs, dropped on defenseless villages." ''
The Christian Century ''The Christian Century'' is a Christian magazine based in Chicago, Illinois. Considered the flagship magazine of US mainline Protestantism, the monthly reports on religious news; comments on theological, moral, and cultural issues; and reviews ...
'', a leading Protestant magazine, remarked, "These American soldiers of fortune have no pretexts other than the exaltation of the manhunt. This is a royal sport and the fact that these women and children who have had the misfortune to be born in the Rif villages as victims has no more meaning for them than the death of a rabbit during a hunt." The State Department repeated its threat to prosecute the pilots for violating American neutrality laws if they did not immediately cease their participation in the war, but the pilots rejected the warnings. Nevertheless, after only six weeks of operations, the French disbanded the squadron under diplomatic pressure by the United States. According to Marshal Philippe Pétain, the unit carried out 350 combat missions in six weeks and dropped more than 40 tons of ammunition. According to Lieutenant Colonel Charles Kerwood, the squadron had bombed villages and caused caused considerable civilian casualties. There was even a proven instance of the American squadron bombing a village which had previously surrendered. Sweeny observed and evaluated the effectiveness of French aircraft in the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
, and was reunited with Hemingway. In 1939, he recruited and financed American flyers to fight in World War II in France at a time when the United States was still neutral, making his activities a violation of the
Neutrality Acts of the 1930s The Neutrality Acts were a series of acts passed by the US Congress in 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1939 in response to the growing threats and wars that led to World War II. They were spurred by the growth in isolationism and non-interventionism in ...
. This earned him the ire of
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
Director
J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American attorney and law enforcement administrator who served as the fifth and final director of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) and the first director of the Federal Bureau o ...
, who tried unsuccessfully to apprehend him. The British, on the other hand, made Sweeny a
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
reserve captain,
group captain Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British influence. Group cap ...
temporary group captain, or honorary group captain. Thirty-two of his recruits reached France before the Germans invaded the country in May 1940, though none of them managed to fly while there. Of these, four were killed, 11 were taken prisoner, and five reached England. Meanwhile, his nephew Charles Francis Sweeny was in London persuading the
Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...
to gather all the Americans currently serving in the RAF, plus any new recruits, into what would become known as the
Eagle Squadrons The Eagle Squadrons were three fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force (RAF) formed with volunteer pilots from the United States during the early days of World War II (1940), prior to the United States' entry into the war in December 1941. ...
. Another of the elder Sweeny's recruits, Chesley G. Peterson, was unable to get to France, but managed to join the Eagle Squadrons instead, and eventually became an ace and a United States Air Force major general.


Later life

He eventually retired and lived in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
, Utah. He died there on February 27, 1963, and was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery.


References

*


Further reading

* *


External links

*
Photographic portrait of Sweeny
in the collection of the
Imperial War Museum The Imperial War Museum (IWM), currently branded "Imperial War Museums", is a British national museum. It is headquartered in London, with five branches in England. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, it was intended to record the civ ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweeny, Charles 1882 births 1963 deaths American anti-communists American military personnel of World War II American mercenaries American journalists American war criminals American war correspondents Officers of the French Foreign Legion United States Army colonels United States Army personnel of World War I United States Military Academy alumni Military personnel of the Second Polish Republic Military personnel from San Francisco Non-British Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Military personnel from Spokane, Washington People of the Rif War People of the Polish–Soviet War American recipients of the Legion of Honour