PVT Valentine O'Mara

courtesy of Marijke Taffein

PVT Valentine O'Mara in March 1892 in County Boyle, Ireland.  He was working at Astor Garage at 87 North Broadway in New York City when he registered for the draft.  His parents may have died prior to 1918 because he listed his sister, Nora, as his next of kin. 

Valentine was inducted on 4 May 1918.  First assigned to the 4th Recruit Company at Fort Slocum, New York, he was reassigned to the 6th Recruit Company on 7 May 1918 and to K Company 116th Infantry on 22 May 1918.  There was not much time to train with the unit at Camp McClellan and he most likely never traveled to Alabama but first met his unit at the point of embarkation in Hoboken, New Jersey.  He boarded the USS Finland with his unit and sailed for France in mid-June 1918.  All of his training likely occurred during the unit training as the regiment was prepared for service in the trenches.  PVT O'Mara took ill and died of lobar pneumonia on 20 Oct 1918.

PVT O'Mara is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.