Some World War I Veterans Connected with Jackson County, Kansas (April 6, 1917 – November 11, 1918) A work in progress as of June 27, 2017, by Dan Fenton 1 Some World War I Veterans Connected with Jackson County, Kansas (April 6, 1917 – November 11, 1918) Abbott, Carl.1 Carl C. Abbott, private in Company C, 40th Regiment Infantry; enlisted on June 27, 1917, at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; discharged on March 12, 1918 on account of a physical disability at the Base Hospital, Fort Riley, Kansas. Box 1.10 Carl Clarence Abbott. “OHIO PVT CO C 40 INFANTRY WORLD WAR I” Born May 5, 1898; Died May 12, 1957. Buried in Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, Akron, Ohio. www.findagrave.com. Abbott, Paul.1 Born in Holton, Kansas, enlisted on September 22, 1917 at Minneapolis, Minnesota; served in France as a private in Company D, 61st Infantry, wounded in right leg. Box 1.10 “August 8, 1918. Dear Mother and kids: I received your letters of July 7 yesterday. It took them just a month to get here. … We have just returned from the trenches to our rest camp, which is about three miles from the trenches. We were about 300 feet from the German trenches, but the only Germans I have seen yet, were some prisoners further inland. The trenches are about a foot above my head at most places, having lookout posts and dugouts at various points. I have been put in an automatic squad. This squad consists of two automatic rifle teams, and the corporal. Each team has one automatic rifleman and two carriers. I am first carrier.” The Holton Recorder, September 19, 1918. “Another Holton boy, who is still in the hospital is Paul Abbott, son of Mrs. Euterpe Abbott. He is in the hospital at Camp Dodge, not far from where Arthur Bailey is at Fort Des Moines. Paul is also suffering from a leg wound and has undergone several operations. An attempt was made to take some muscles from his thigh to replace the injured tendons in his leg. While the operation was not entirely a success, other efforts will be made in an endeavor to restore the wounded leg to complete usefulness. At present it is necessary for Paul to wear a brace, but in time he will be able to dispense with this. He too was wounded during the Argonne fight and has paid this long toil of suffering.” The Holton Recorder, August 7, 1919. Abel, Arch D. “KANSAS LT CO, US MARINE CORPS WORLD WAR I & II” Born May 21, 1903; Died January 22, 1950. Buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, California. www.findagrave.com. Abel, Leroy Preston; rank, corporal; inducted into service at Holton, Kansas on May 29, 1918; served with headquarters supply company, R. D. Bm Signal Corps; served in France; discharged at Camp Funston, Fort Riley, Kansas on May 20, 1919.5 Box 1.10 in Camp Funston Headquarters Detachment; Camp Funston, Fort Riley, Kansas on April 9, 1919.5 Box 1.10 “The Holton boys in the 8th Battalion, Signal Corps, Louis Roebke, Roy Abel, Paul Hurrel, Herbert Robinson and A. Zieglasch, who were trained at Fort Leavenworth, are now on the water on their way overseas. Merle Frazey has also started overseas.” The Holton Recorder, August 29, 1918. “Cards were received in Holton Wednesday announcing the safe arrival overseas of Louis Roebke, Jr., Herbert Robinson, A. Zeiglasch, Roy Abel and Paul Hurrel.” The Holton Recorder, September 12, 1918. Probably Leroy Preston Abel. Born August 21, 1891; Died April 24, 1952. Buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale), Glendale, California. www.findagrave.com. Abele, Leon. “Leon Abel is ill with Spanish influenza at Camp Funston.” The Holton Recorder, October 10, 1918. “Leon Abele of Camp Funston spent the first of the week in Holton.” The Holton Recorder, November 7, 1918. Adams, Clarence F.; rank, private; enlisted on September 19, 1918; served in S. A. Y. C., Fort Hayes State Normal School; discharged December 29, 1919.5 Box 1.10 Adams, J. R.1 “1st Lieut. Dr. J. R. Adams was last week assigned to the 303d Cavalry U. S. A. as Regimental Surgeon, located at Leon Springs, Tex., which is about seven miles from San Antonio, Tex.” The Soldier Clipper, February 13, 1918. “First Lieutenant Dr. Adams arrived in Soldier on Monday evening, and will be here until Friday when he will rejoin his regiment at Leon Springs, Texas, and then soon to France.” The Soldier Clipper, July 3, 1918. “Lt. Dr. Adams is in town today, from the camp at San Antonio, Rex.” Soldier Clipper, September 18, 1918. Joseph R. Adams, commissioned a 1st Lieutenant on August 15, 1917; resigned on October 14, 1920. 5 Box 1.10 Aitkens, Orville J. Atkins, Orville J. Atkiens.1 Enlisted on May 12, 1917, at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; served as a sergeant in Headquarters Company, 16th Regiment Infantry, A. E. F.; discharged on April 9, 1920. Box 1.10 “KANSAS SGT 16 INF 1 DIV” Orville John Aitkens. Died March 12, 1941. Buried in St. Mary Catholic Cemetery, Seneca, Missouri. www.findagrave.com. Alexander, Harold L.; rank, private; enlisted on April 18, 1917 in Company B, 2nd Infantry, Kansas National Guard; drafted into Federal service on August 5, 1917 to serve during WWI; became a member of Company B, 137th Infantry Regiment, 69th Brigade, 35th Division in October of 1917 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.3 Box 1.10 “Mr. Alexander had a letter from his sons, Roy and Harold, this week. They are near the fighting line in France. They say they have bread, butter and milk for suppers.” The Soldier Clipper, June 26, 1918. “L. P. Alexander has a letter from Harold one day last week. He said they were doing some work in the front. In an exchange they met a company of Highlanders, those boys that wear short skirts and their socks only come half way to their knees. He say the Germans call them ’the laddies from hell’ because they are the best bayonet men on earth. Harold says the American boys are anxious to get such a reputation from the Huns.” The Soldier Clipper, July 17, 1918. “Harold Alexander has sent his father a 72 German shell, worked into a beautiful vase. It is the first German war souvenir on exhibition in Soldier.” The Soldier Clipper, March 5, 1919. Alexander, James P. Service number 2176248, enlisted or inducted September 19, 1917 at Seneca, Kansas; served as a cook, Company E, 353rd Infantry, A. E. F., France; discharged February 18, 1919 at Camp Funston, Fort Riley, Kansas.11 Probably James Preston Alexander. Born April, 1894; Died in 1963. Buried in Corning Cemetery, Corning, 2 Kansas. www.findagrave.com. Alexander, Roy C.; rank, private; enlisted on April 10, 1917 in Company B, 2nd Infantry, Kansas National Guard; drafted into Federal service on August 5, 1917 to serve during WWI; became a member of Company B, 137th Infantry Regiment, 69th Brigade, 35th Division in October of 1917 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.3 Box 1.10 “Mr. Alexander had a letter from his sons, Roy and Harold, this week. They are near the fighting line in France. They say they have bread, butter and milk for suppers.” The Soldier Clipper, June 26, 1918. “Roy Alexander writes home that he had been sixteen days in the trenches, on the last day he went ’over the top.’ It was a wonderful experience, he returned without a scratch, and says the Huns got worsted badly.” The Soldier Clipper, August 21, 1918. “We had supper left for the trenches. It was quite a walk and we were all tired when we got there. We rested on the hill above the trenches waiting for time to go in. I and a friend of mine slipped down to a dug-out occupied by some signal corps boys. They treated us good. They gave us some meat, bread and some good hot coffee. We appreciated that because it was cold and we had no jackets on. We went down into the trenches to our positions. We had a couple of hours to wait. Our artillery opened fire with a barrage, and it was some barrage. Imagine scores of big guns firing all at once. So far, I hadn’t been the least bit afraid, and was just complementing myself when I looked down and saw my knees knocking together. That should draw a laugh, but it’s straight. I said to myself, ’that wont’ do,’ so I rolled a big Bull Durham cigarette, and then I felt O. K. Only for about five minutes was I the least bit scared, and that was when our barrage started. Our big guns fired for several minutes and then the Lieutenant said, ‘It’s time to go boys, and we went, there wasn’t a dissenting voice, all were ready. Our wires had been cut, so we had nothing to stop us. At our place one wire hadn’t been cut and we had to step on it, and jump over. I was just balanced on on it, when a big shell hit close by and knocked me about 10 feet. Having got through that, we were encountered with Boche machine gun fire. You know a fellow forgets everything when he goes over. Nothing worries him. Well , I watched those machine gun bullets pick the dust in front of my feet, fly over my head, burst against the wall, etc. But I wasn’t worried about it at all. We made a successful raid and our casualties were very light.“ The Soldier Clipper, October 9, 1918.