PVT Felix Dolese II

PVT Felix Dolese II was born 12 Aug 1893 in Assumption Parish, Louisiana to Felix and Aurelienne Philomena (Himel). He is a first cousin to Alphonse Frederick Dolese Jr.  His father worked in a grocery and as a cooper.

PVT Felix Dolese was assigned to B Company 116th Infantry when he was killed in action on 23 Oct 1944.  PVT Dolese is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. 

PVT Alphonse Frederick Dolese Jr.

PVT Alphonse Frederick Dolese Jr. was born 17 Jan 1896 in Napoleonville, Louisiana the only child of Alphonse Frederick and Louise (Himel) Dolese.  He is a first cousin to Felix Dolese II. His father farmed.

PVT Dolese was assigned to Machine Gun Company 116th Infantry when he was killed in action on 23 Oct 1918.  He is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. 

PVT Ernest O. Gray

PVT Ernest O. Gray was born 5 May 1893 In Mecklenburg County, Virginia to Charles Robert and Martha Elizabeth (Floyd) Gray. His father worked as a shoemaker.

Ernest was assigned to B Company 116th Infantry when he was killed in action on 23 Oct 1918.

PVT Gray is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. 

Musician 2nd Class Austin Herman Hersh

Musician 2nd Class Austin Herman Hersh was born 6 Jan 1892 in Elizabeth, New Jersey the 2nd of 4 sons born to Edward Simon and Lily G (Hackes) Hersh.  His father was born in Austria and owned a dry goods store in Elizabeth with his brother. Austin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College in 1916.

After entering the Army, Austin would be assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company 116th Infantry and travel with the unit to France, serving as the Regimental musician.  Musician Hersh was killed in action on 23 Oct 1918 when he was carrying hot food to a front line trench and a shell exploded in the kitchen killing a cook outright and injuring Hersh so badly that he died before he could be evacuated.

Musician 2nd Class Hersh was buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. There is a cenotaph to his memory at BNai Israel Cemetery in Newark, New Jersey.

Younger brother, Robert Wilson Hersh, served 1917-1919.

PVT LeRoy Hooten

courtesy of Norman and Kim Clark Hiatt

PVT LeRoy Hooten was born 2 Jul 1892 in Washington, North Carolina together with his twin, Ruby, to James B. and Nancy J. (Bowen) Hooten. His father worked as a mechanic and wholesaler.

After entering the army Roy (as he was known in the family) was assigned to I Company 116th Infantry.  He trained with the unit at Camp McClellan, Alabama and shipped to France aboard the USS Finland with the unit.  Arriving in June 1918, the unit trained and then moved into the line.  PVT Hooten died of disease on 23 Oct 1918.

PVT Hooten was repatriated in 1920 and buried in Oakdale Cemetery in Washington, North Carolina.

PVT Arthur Blanton

PVT Arthur Blanton was born 2 May 1893 in Harlan County, Kentucky the youngest of 3 sons of Henry Clay and Louisa (Howard) Blanton.  The family farmed.

After entering the Army, Arthur was assigned to H Company 116th Infantry.  He was with that unit aboard the USS Finland for the trip to France in June 1918.  PVT Blanton was killed in action on 23 Oct 1918.

PVT Blanton was repatriated and rests forever in New Freedom Cemetery in Spiro, Kentucky.

PFC David J. Lassiter

PFC David J. Lassiter was born 26 Aug 1895 in Drum Hill, North Carolina.  He was likely drafted then assigned to E Company 116th Infantry.  PVT Lassiter was killed in action 22 Oct 1918.  He rests forever in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.

Wagoner Henry Thomas Bullock

Wagoner Henry Thomas Bullock was born 20 Nov 1893 in Prentiss, Mississippi. He was the 6th of 10 children born to William Diamond and Hattie (Hall) Bullock. His father died 6 Dec 1899. The family supported themselves by farming rented land. Henry was farming when drafted.

Henry was drafted in April 1918 and initially sent to Camp Pike, Arkansas. Assigned to Supply Company 116th Infantry, Henry shipped out for France aboard the USS Finland on 15 Jun 1918. Wagoner Bullock served with and supported the regiment as it trained for trench warfare. Wagoner Bullock contracted pneumonia at some time, possibly as a complication of influenza, and died on 21 Oct 1918.

Wagoner Bullock was repatriated and re-interred in the Antioch Cemetery in Prentiss, Mississippi.

PVT Eloi Morin

courtesy of SoilSister

PVT Eloi Morin was born 10 Sep 1887 in Montcalm, Quebec.  He lived and worked in Connecticut. He enlisted from Connecticut even though he was not yet a citizen and was assigned to F Company 116th Infantry.  He was transported to France aboard the Finland with his unit, departing Hoboken, New Jersey on 15 Jun 1918.

PVT Morin was killed in action on 21 Oct 1918.  He was buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.

PVT Sidney Thomas Norfleet

PVT Sidney Thomas Norfleet was born in September 1887 in Nansemond County, Virginia one of eight children of John Thomas and Julia Amascus (Pierce) Norfleet.  His father was a farmer near Chuckatuck, Virginia.

Sidney was working as a ship fitter in Norfolk, Virginia when he entered the service and was assigned to E Company 116th Infantry.  PVT Norfleet was killed in action on 21 Oct 1918.

His body was repatriated and he was buried in Bethelem Christian Church Cemetery in Suffolk, Virginia with many other family members.

His father served as a PVT in E Company 6th Virginia Infantry during the Civil War.

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.

CPL Ernest John Lewis

courtesy of Janiera

CPL Ernest John Lewis was born 21 Feb 1886 in Fairfax County, Virginia to George W. and Anne C. Lewis.  His father worked as a watchman.

Although his headstone is marked B Company, CPL Lewis was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry when he died of wounds on 19 Oct 1918.

CPL Lewis is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.

PVT Michael Craparotta

PVT Michael Craparotta was born 9 Apr 1896 in Calatafimi, Sicily.  He immigrated in March 1914.  In 1917 he was working for Warwick Bed Company at Warwick and Liberty Avenue in Brooklyn, New York and was living at 542 Hendrix Street in Brooklyn only a 14 minute walk from work.  His brother, John, was living on the way on Pitkin Avenue.  Their mother was still living in Calatafimi, Italy.

Michael was inducted on 4 May 1918.  He was first assigned to the 2nd Recruit Company at Fort Slocum, New York. On 7 May 1918 he was assigned to L Company 116th Infantry.  He then traveled to Hoboken, New Jersey with his unit where, on 15 Jun 1918, he boarded the USS Finland with his unit and sailed for France.  The arrived on 28 Jun 1918 and after some training the unit went into the line. In October 1918 Michael came down with pneumonia and he died on 19 Oct 1918.

We do not know where PVT Craparotta is buried but we think he was repatriated and re-interred in a Catholic Cemetery near Brooklyn. 

His brother likewise served overseas in the World War.  He was stationed at Camp Hancock, Georgia when he was naturalized in July 1918.

PVT Austin Lawless

PVT Austin Lawless was born 13 Dec 1887 in Brooklyn, New York to Michael and Elizabeth Lawless. His father was a plumber. The family lived at 98 Junius Street in Brooklyn in 1918. 

Austin was drafted 3 May 1918.  He was assigned to 25th Recruit Company General Service Infantry until 7 May 1918.  Then he was assigned to 5th Company 58th Infantry Brigade until 20 May 1918.  He was then assigned to B Company 116th Infantry.  He died of lobar pneumonia on 19 Oct 1918.  PVT Lawless is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.

His mother was listed on the 1929 Mother's Pilgrimage list but it isn't clear if she traveled to France.  She lived at 529 84th Street, Brooklyn in 1929. 

PVT Curtis LeRoy Yeager

PVT Curtis LeRoy Yeager was born 24 Sep 1896 in Terre Haute, Indiana. He was the youngest of 6 children born to James A. and Barbara Berry (Grindle). His mother had lost 3 previous husbands before she married James Yeager. His father worked as a common laborer and about 1900 he lost his right arm to a minor injury which had caused blood poisoning which required amputation of the arm to save his life.

After entering the Army on 28 Mar 1918 in Terre Haute, Indiana, Curtis was sent to Camp Taylor, Kentucky and was then transferred to Camp Gordon, Georgia. Curtis was assigned to L Company 116th Infantry and transported with his unit to France. The unit sailed from Hoboken, New Jersey aboard the USS Finland on 15 June 1918.  He died on 19 Oct 1918 of wounds suffered on 12 Oct 1918. PVT Yeager was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his efforts in that fight.  The citation for that award best tells the story of his final hours and days.

Private Curtis L. Yeager (deceased) - Company, One Hundred and Sixteenth Infantry (A. S. No. 2003864). For extraordinary heroism in action near Verdun, France, Oct. 12, 1918, Private Yeager, in an exposed position, under heavy machine gun and artillery barrage, kept up an effective fire from his automatic rifle until severely wounded. After waiting seven hours with a comrade for a stretcher, and only one arriving, although practically unconscious, he insisted on his comrade leaving first.

PVT Yeager is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.

Paternal grandfather, Nathaniel Yeager, had served as a CPL in I Company 16th Indiana Infantry in the Civil War. Maternal grandfather, John Corneal Grindle, served as a PVT in D Company 43rd Indiana Infantry.

CPL Bonnie Franklin Boyd

CPL Bonnie Franklin Boyd was born 23 Dec 1894 in Long Acre, North Carolina the third of fifteen children born to Samuel Farrow and Mary Virginia (Osborne) Boyd.  The family farmed.

CPL Boyd was assigned to E Company 116th Infantry when he was wounded.  He died of his wound(s) on 19 Oct 1918.

CPL Boyd was returned to the U.S. and is now buried in the Thomas Boyd Cemetery in Pinetown, North Carolina.

PFC Charles William Findley

PFC Charles William Findley was born 9 Oct 1892 in Etowah County, Alabama the 2nd of 8 children born to John Pinckney and Nacoochee Marie (Parr) Findley.  His father worked as a blacksmith in Etowah County and then the family moved to Dekalb County, Alabama and began farming by 1910. In 1917, Charles was working for W. B. Jones (who operated cotton mills) in Crossville, AL as a bookkeeper.

After he entered the service, Charles was assigned to I Company 116th Infantry and trained with the unit at Camp McClellan, Alabama.  On 15 Jun 1918, he sailed for France aboard the USS Finland, still with his unit.  PFC Findley was wounded and died of those wounds on 18 Oct 1918.

Repatriated in 1921, PFC Findley was re-interred in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. 

PVT John Kornoelje

courtesy of Anne Cady

PVT John Kornoelje was born 11 Apr 1887 in Aetna, Michigan to Pieter and Johanna (Hinkleban) Kornoelje.  Both parents were natives of the Netherlands.

PVT Kornoelje was assigned to D Company 116th Infantry when he died of wounds on 18 Oct 1918.  His body was returned to the United States and he is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

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.

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. 

SGT John Cleburne Culin III

courtesy of SoilSister

SGT John Cleburne Culin III was born in Charlottesville, Virginia in October 1896 the eldest of 6 children that would be born to John Cleburne and Lillian Emily (Molter) Culin.  His father was a cutter and tailor.  The family lived in Washington, West Virginia and Charleston, South Carolina before returning to Charlottesville where John's father would die on 2 Oct 1918.

John was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry and was killed in action on 17 Oct 1918.  SGT Culin rests forever in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. 

His grandfather, John Cleburn Culin was a CPT in A Company 19th Virginia Infantry during the Civil War. 

PVT Alfred Clinton Weesner

Alfred on our left, Clifford seated to right

PVT Alfred Clinton Weesner was born 29 Jan 1894 one of 10 children of William Rufus and Sarah Ellen (Carnes) Weesner of Searsboro, Iowa. A typical farm family of the time. He is shown here with his hand resting on his brother, Clifford Ernest Weesner (15 Jan 1892 - 11 Sep 1918). Alfred was assigned to B Company 116th Infantry and his brother to F Company 339 Infantry.  Brother John Virgil Weesner also served in the Great War but survived. Sister Lucy E (Weesner) Martin (already a widow) died in 1918 of influenza like brother Clifford did while serving in Russia as part of the "Polar Bear expedition". PVT Alfred Weesner died 17 Oct 1918 and is buried in Roseland Park Cemetery, Berkley, Michigan as is Clifford.

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. 

PFC Julian Doran Miller

PFC Julian Doran Miller was born 7 Aug 1900 in Luray, Virginia.  He was the youngest of 6 children born to William Michael and Lucy Anna (Shenk) Miller. His father was a carpenter.

Julian enlisted in the 2nd Virginia Infantry prior to 7 Aug 1917 and went with that unit for training at Camp McClellan, Alabama. It was at Camp McClellan that the 2nd was reorganized and PVT Miller was assigned to Machine Gun Company 116th Infantry.  Julian sailed with the unit aboard the USS Finland to France.  The ship sailed from Hoboken, New Jersey on 15 Jun 1918 and arrived in the port of Saint Nazaire, France on 28 Jun 1918.  The whole 29th Division, of which the 116th was a part, took part in trench warfare training. The unit was part of a major offensive in the vicinity of Verdun that began on 8 Oct 1918. PFC Miller was killed in action on 17 Oct 1918.

PFC Miller was repatriated and re-interred in Beahm's Chapel Cemetery in Luray, Virginia.

Grandfather, William Andrew Jackson Miller, served in K Company 10th Virginia Infantry in the Civil War.