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Tuesday, October 23, 2018

PVT Arthur Lee Eanes

PVT Arthur Lee Eanes was born in September 1896 in Roanoke, Virginia. He was the 6th of 9 children born to Arthur Washington and Harriet Elizabeth (Eanes) Eanes.His father supported the family as a laborer and a street cleaner. In 1912, Arthur was employed by the Roanoke Bridge Company.

Arthur answered the call to service and enlisted in Machine Gun Company 2nd Virginia Infantry on 2 Jun 1917.  He was with the unit when it went to Camp McClellan, Alabama for training and when the unit was reorganized Arthur was assigned to Machine Gun Company 116th Infantry.  He and the unit sailed for France aboard the USS Finland from Hoboken, New Jersey on 15 Jun 1918.  They arrived at the port of Saint Nazaire, France on 28 Jun 1918 and with the rest of the 29th Division participated in trench warfare training. After the division and regiment spent some time in a "quiet" sector on the front lines they were directed to take part in an offensive in the vicinity of Verdun.  PVT Eanes was killed in action on 23 Oct 1918.

PVT Eanes was repatriated in 1921 and re-interred in Fairview Cemetery in Roanoke, Virginia.

Brother, Thomas Wiley Eanes, served in Supply Company 116th Infantry during the war. Grandfather, Blair Holbrook Eanes, served in G Company 26th North Carolina Infantry and was captured at Petersburg on 27 Oct 1864. 1st cousin, PVT Edward Forest Eanes, was killed in action on 8 Oct 1918 while also serving with Machine Gun Company 116th Infantry.

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