CPL Abner Odell Witt

courtesy of Darrell Landrum

CPL Abner Odell Witt was born 13 Jul 1899 in Charlottesville, Virginia. He was the 3rd of 6 children born to Abner Thomas and Nannie Thomas (Weeks).  His father worked as a railroad mail clerk.

After entering the Army, Odell (as he was called by his family), was assigned to L Company 116th Infantry. He was wounded in combat on 23 Oct 1918 and, according to a newspaper account of a letter, he died within 20 minutes.

CPL Witt was repatriated and in December 1921 was re-interred in Spring Hill Cemetery in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Maternal grandfather, Jesse Burle Weeks, served in B Battery, 13th Battalion Light Artillery during the Civil War. Paternal grandfather, Abner Thomas Witt, served in B Battery 10th Battalion Heavy Artillery.