PVT Earnest Arlie Fletcher

courtesy of Soil Sister

PVT Earnest Arlie Fletcher was born January 1895 in Nickelsville, Virginia the 3rd of 6 of John Crisman and Victoria Belle (Austin) Fletcher.  Victoria was John's second wife. The family farmed.

On 29 May 1917, Earnest went to Roanoke, Virginia and enlisted in H Company 2nd Virginia Infantry.  He was undoubtedly present in the unit for Mexican Border service. After returning home, the unit was soon recalled for duty in France and re-organized as part of K Company 116th Infantry to which Earnest was assigned.  He trained with the unit at Camp McClellan, Alabama and was with the unit when it shipped out for France aboard the USS Finland in mid June 1918. After training, K Company moved to the front lines with the regiment.  PVT Fletcher was wounded and died of his wound(s) on 18 Oct 1918.

PVT Fletcher rests forever in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.

Brother, Charles Clares Fletcher, died of influenza at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital in Great Lakes, Illinois after only 4 months service in the U.S. Navy.