Remembering My Father on Memorial Day

 I would like to share a personal story. My father was in the Army during World War I. He served his country and was wounded while in France. That was really all I knew about his time in the service.  A number of years ago I became very interested in genealogy and did quite a bit of research. My mother did not keep a journal or a diary, but she had a lot of little pieces of paper here and there with some notes that were very helpful as far as finding out some facts about some of the events in her life.

 

 My son recently told me about a very interesting book that he was reading that was written by the grandson of a World War I veteran. The man in the book served in Company D and my son was wondering if his grandfather was in Company D as well. Well, from my some of the notes my mother had recorded, I learned the following:

 My father was 21 when he enlisted in the U. S. Army. On July 19, 1917 he left Baltimore and was sworn in at Fort Slocum, New York on July 22, 1917. His rating was private first class. He left New York on July 30 and went to Chickamauga Park, Georgia.

 He came home on furlough April 17, 1918 and married my mother on April 22, 1918. On April 24¸1918 just two days after marrying my mother he went back to Chickamauga Park, Georgia and then moved to Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina in May of 1918. He was in Company D 53rd Infantry.

 He boarded the troop ship the Leviathan and served his country in Geradmer Sector Meuse, Argonne France from July 6, 1918 to June 12, 1919. I know that he was wounded while in France but that is really all I know. I don’t recall that being talked about, and I am sure it wasn’t.

 I can only imagine how difficult was for both of my parents. They had only been married two days when my father returned to his base camp. Then in less than three months he was off to fight in what is now called the Great War. The war front was not covered back then like it is today, so my mother must have been very worried about him and wondering what was happening. Then to get word that he had been wounded had to have been so difficult to hear.

 Back then it was not like it is today. There was only the radio to hear the news about the war. As far as mail was concerned, it probably took weeks to get a letter to and from France. So not knowing from day to day what was happening over there had to be way beyond difficult.

 Then on April 5, 1919 my Grandfather passed away at the young age of 54. The war was over then but my father did not come home until June 12, 1919 and he received an honorable discharge June 19, 1919.

 He did not learn of his father’s death until he arrived home. I suppose everyone thought it best to not write him telling him of his father’s passing, but to wait until he came home. I cannot help but wonder how he must have felt; coming home from the war and hearing such sad news.

 While I do know the facts and dates, I would love to have had some written record of his experiences and the feelings behind those experiences which are clearly a part of history. What a wonderful treasure it would have been if only my parents had recorded their memories. I am fortunate however that I do have many pictures but the stories would have added so much to those pictures.

 Everyone does have a story to tell!  My message to each and every one is, keep those treasured memories alive and families connected by recording your story.

 To quote Mark Twain, “There was never an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy.”

 

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