CPL Shirley Pattie Pullin

CPL Shirley Pattie Pullin was born 6 Feb 1891 in Warrenton, VA to James Crawford and Louisa M (Cobb) Pullin.  Prior to the war Shirley worked as a grocery clerk in Alexandria, VA. Neither of his 2 brothers served in the military.  Assigned to A Company 116th Infantry, he died of wounds in France on 6 Nov 1918. He may also have been assigned to Machinegun Company 116th Infantry at one time. He now rests forever in Arlington National Cemetery.

PFC Lonnie Andrew Barland

PFC Lonnie Andrew Barland of A Company 116th Infantry was born 19 Jul 1892 in Port Gibson, Mississippi to John McIntyre and Mattie Elizabeth (Russell) Barland. His father was a farmer (a common thing in 1900). By 1910 Lonnie was a driver for the U.S. Postal Service in Jefferson County, Mississippi. He had 4 brothers and 4 sisters all but 2 of whom survived him. His brother, John Lee, served during the war in E Battery 62nd Artillery.

PFC Barland died of wounds on 25 Oct 1918. He is now buried in Wintergreen Cemetery in Port Gibson with other family members.

SGT Robert Anderson McGuffin

SGT Robert Anderson McGuffin was born in Staunton, Virginia on 3 Feb 1897 to Charles Robert and Sarah Elizabeth (Lusk) McGuffin. Sarah was his father's second wife. Robert graduated from Staunton Military Academy in 1917. His father was a bank clerk and bookkeeper. His maternal-grandfather CPT John Andrew Montgomery Lusk served with the Rockbridge 2nd Light Artillery Battery during the Civil War. Robert was assigned to A Company 116th Infantry when he was killed in action on 23 October 1918. He is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery but his family also erected a cenotaph in Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton, Virginia.

PVT Salvatore Cicero

PVT Salvatore Cicero was born in April 1889 in Messina, Italy.  We just don't know very much about him. We do know that he had a brother, Joseph Cicero who lived at 416 East 13th Street, New York City.  Salvatore enlisted 9 May 1918 and served in 5th Company 58th Brigade before being Assigned to A Company 116th Infantry with which unit he was serving when killed 17 Oct 1918. PVT Cicero is buried in the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery.

CPL Fred Lee Brubeck

CPL Fred Lee Brubeck is another of the members of A Company 116th Infantry during the "Great War".  Born 30 Jan 1895 in either Rockbridge or Augusta counties in Virginia to Caldwell Rice and Susan Nancy (McFadden) Brubeck, he was the youngest of 5 children.  The father worked as a farm laborer in the Moffetts Creek area of Augusta County.  Fred's father died in 1901 leaving he and his mother to live with relatives while his mother worked as a nurse.  2 of Fred's siblings were brothers neither of whom seemed to have performed any military service.  PFC Brubeck was killed in action 17 Oct 1918.  He is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. 

PVT William Richard LaBonte

PVT William Richard LaBonte was born 21 Jan 1894 in Leelanau, Michigan the fourth of six children of Richard and his third wife, Harriet (Lemay) LaBonte.  His parents were natives of Canada and his father was a farmer.

After entering the army, William was assigned to A Company 116th Infantry. He was sent to France with his unit aboard the Finland.  PVT LaBonte was killed in action on 17 Oct 1918. 

PVT Ira Phelon Martin

PVT Ira Phelon Martin, b. 19 Jun 1891 - d. 17 Oct 1918. Son of Ira a and Emma Victoria (Stampley) Martin of Hamburg, MS. Ira had 8 siblings. His father died in 1908 leaving his mother with 3 children still at home. Ira was working as a guard at Angola Prison in Louisiana when he registered for the draft in 1917-1918. Ira was assigned to A Company 116th Infantry when he was KIA. This stone is in Stampley Cemetery in Jefferson County, MS.

CPL John Russell Mitchell

We don't know much about CPL John Russell Mitchell. We do know he was born in Greene County, Virginia on 6 Oct 1895 and that he had a sister, Anne, who married a Mr. Moon with whom she had at least one child and one grand-child.  We know that he was assigned to A Company 116th Infantry when he was killed 17 Oct 1918 and that he is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

VFW Post 609 is apparently named for him. 

PVT Gaston O. Ballard

PVT Gaston O. Ballard was born in December 1894 in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana the fifth of eight children of John Asa and Sallie J. (Bennett) Ballard. His father was a night watchman in a gin factory.

After entering the Army, Gaston was assigned to A Company 116th Infantry.  He shipped out for France with that unit aboard the Finland on 15 Jun 1918.  PVT Ballard died of wounds on 15 Oct 1918.  We do not know where Gaston was buried but suspect it was in a cemetery near his parents' home.

CPL James B. Jackson

CPL James B. Jackson was born 1 Feb 1893 in McBain, Michigan the oldest of three children of William and Elsie (Croznier) Jackson. His parents had come to McBain from Brant, Canada. The family farmed.

When James entered the Army service he was assigned to A Company 116th Infantry.  He embarked with that unit for France aboard the Finland on 15 Jun 1918.  CPL Jackson died of wounds on 14 Oct 1918.

CPL Jackson was repatriated and likely reburied in McBain, Michigan. 

PFC Harvey W Smith

PFC Smith's entry on the Tablet of the Missing at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery

PFC Harvey W Smith was born in Alderson, West Virginia on 27 May 1897 the 4th of 6 children born to John David and Martha Catherine Lutitia (Brown).  The family farmed and as late as 1910 Harvey was working on the family farm in Blue Sulphur, West Virginia.  PFC Smith was assigned to A Company 116th Infantry when he was killed in action on 12 Oct 1918.  It should be noted that those soldiers who are listed on the tablets of the missing are there because their bodies could not be found/recovered.

PVT Josef Slovacheck

PVT Josef Slovacheck is one of many immigrants who have served in the 116th and ultimately paid for our liberty with their lives.  Josef was born in Setin, Moravia on 18 Feb 1892. His parents were Josef and Veronika (Beták) Slovacek.  In 1917 he registered for the draft and reported his residence as 2209 Clark Street, Racine, Wisconsin and he was not yet a citizen.  I have yet to discover when, if ever, he was naturalized.  At some point he was probably drafted and assigned to A Company 116th Infantry.  On 12 Oct 1918 he was killed in action (along with several others in his company) and now rests forever in the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery. His mother made the Blue Star Mothers' pilgrimage to visit his grave in 1930.

CPL Reuben Beverly Padgett

CPL Reuben Beverly Padgett was born in Augusta County, Virginia to James William and Clara Lena (Breeden) Padgett in 1898. 2nd son in a family with 7 children, Reuben was named after his grandfather who served as a Private in D Company 2nd Virginia Infantry Regiment during the Civil War.  His great-grandfather, Spottswood Henry Padgett, served in the War of 1812 in 60th Regiment of Virginia Volunteers. CPL Padgett was serving with A Company 116th Infantry when he was killed by artillery fire at Molleville Farm on 12 Oct 1918. CPL Padgett is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Waynesboro, Virginia. 

PVT Emery Nathend Derbyshire

PVT Emery Nathend Derbyshire was born 28 Oct 1895 in Manton, Michigan to Joseph Henry and Deborah S. (Harkness) Derbyshire.  The youngest of 5 children, Emery was the only one of the 2 sons to serve.  In 1910 the family was farming in Cedar Creek Township, Michigan. On 23 Nov 1917, Emery married Mona E Rollins but they had no children.  While serving with A Company 116th Infantry PVT Derbyshire was killed in action on 12 Oct 1918.  Mona remarried in 1920, had 8 children and lived until 1983. Emery's body was repatriated, probably in 1920-1921, and he now rests forever in Fairview Cemetery in Manton with other family members. 

2LT Henry Rysdyk Blackham

2LT Henry Rysdyk Blackham was assigned to A Company 116th Infantry.  Born 15 Dec 1891 in Jersey City, New Jersey he was one of 3 sons of David and Clara A (DeWolfe) Blackham.  His father's parents were Irish.  In 1900 his father was a clerk for the telephone company and by 1910 was a stenographer for a lumber company (name unknown).  It doesn't appear that either of his brothers served in the military.  2LT Blackham was killed in action 11 Oct 1918 near Brabant, France.  For his actions that date he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Henry Rysdyk Blackham, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, A.E.F., near Brabant, France, 11 October 1918. Although severely wounded by machine-gun fire, Lieutenant Blackham refused to go to the rear and continued to lead his company until he was killed.
General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 20 (1919)

 

PFC Cardie Earnest Cottingham

PFC Cardie Earnest Cottingham was born 24 May 1894 in Crystal Springs, Mississippi the third of six children of William James and Mary Elizabeth (Smith) Cottingham. The family farmed.

After entering the Army, Cardie was assigned to A Company 116th Infantry.  He trained with the unit and was transported with them aboard the Finland to France.  PFC Cottingham was killed in action on 11 Oct 1918.

PFC Cottingham was returned to the U.S. and is buried in the Old Crystal Springs Cemetery in Crystal Springs, Mississippi with family members.

PVT William H Smith

PFC William H Smith enlisted from Illinois and was serving with A Company 116th Infantry when he was killed in action on 9 Oct 1918. 

1LT Herbert R. Holleman

1LT Herbert R. Holleman was born about 1896 in Suffolk, Virginia to John Lee and Eva Leonard (Wood) who had moved there from North Carolina. In 1910 his father was working as a blacksmith in Suffolk.  The second of 4 children (3 boys and 1 girl), Herbert seems to have had a normal childhood for the time.  He never married and had no children.  Assigned to A Company 116th Infantry, 1LT Holleman was killed 8 Oct 1918, just 2 days before fellow officer 2LT Blackham.  1LT Holleman is buried in the Faith Tabernacle Cemetery in Highland Springs, Virginia.

CPL William H Newman

CPL William H Newman was born in January 1897 in Waynesboro, Virginia. He was the 5th of 7 children born to John William and Annette "Nettie" Catherine (Gardner) Newman. His father supported the family as a laborer.

After entering the service, William was ultimately assigned to A Company 116th Infantry.  He sailed with the unit to France aboard the USS Finland.  The ship departed Hoboken, New Jersey on 15 Jun 1918 and arrived at the port of Saint Nazaire, France on 28 June 1918. The unit underwent training in trench warfare before being put into the line in a "quiet" sector.  It was here that CPL Newman was killed in action on 24 Aug 1918.

CPL Newman is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.

Brother, Charlie Brown Newman, also served in the Army during the war.

PVT Steve J. Kolevas

courtesy of Des Philippet

PVT Steve J. Kolevas was born in Reading, Pennsylvania on 28 Feb 1925. He was the only child of Greek immigrants John James and Tuxedo Duxea (Moustakas) Kolevas. His father was a cook and manager at a local sandwich shop. After graduating from high school, Steve went to work at Ennis Hardware Company in Reading. 

Steve was drafted in April 1943 and after his basic military training was sent to the European theater. We aren't certain to which units he may have been assigned. His military occupational specialty is given as Military Policeman in the morning reports. However, he was transferred from the replacement depot to A Company 116th Infantry on 21 May 1945. PVT Kovelas was killed on 28 May 1945 when he was accidentally shot by another soldier who was cleaning his weapon. 

PVT Kolevas is buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery.