PVT John White

courtesy of Marijke Taffein

PVT John White was born 21 Jan 1892 in New York City, New York. John was literate but likely had a grammar school education and in 1917 he was working for a Eagle Pencil Company at 14th between Avenue C and Avenue D alongside the East River. John was living at 283 Avenue C at the time.

After he was drafted on 4 May 1918 PVT White went to Fort Slocum and on 7 May 1918 he was assigned to L Company 116th Infantry before the unit was sent to France in June 1918. He might have been estranged from much of his family because he gave his paternal spinster aunt, who also lived apart from all the family from a young age, as his next of kin. Arriving in France, PVT White went through trench warfare training with his company and then into the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. PVT White was killed in action on 23 Oct 1918. 

PVT White rests forever in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France.