Stories of Service

You can search for the name or unit and you will get a list of the stories that contain them.

Arthur E. Winslow

Submitted by: AD1 (AW) Darren Winslow, USN (Ret.) {Nephew}

Arthur E Winslow was born around 1895. Arthur Winslow served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

Arthur Winslow enlisted on June 6, 1917, he was the "First to Enlist" and has an American Legion Hall named after him, (American Legion Post #1 Rockland Maine).

After enlistment he was transferred to Augusta June 8, 1917 Company F 2nd Infantry, Maine National Guard. He sailed for overseas in the latter part of September 1917.

He was promoted to Pvt 1st Class December 1, 1917 and assigned to Company F, 103rd Infantry. He was mortally wounded in the Toul Sector on June 16, 1918 and died on July 6, 1918, at evacuation hospital No. 1 He was buried in a cemetery at Toul, word of his death was received in Rockland on July 16, 1918.

Frank Clyde Mercer

Submitted by: Michael Conn {Great Grandson}

Frank Clyde Mercer

Frank Clyde Mercer was born around 1887. Frank Mercer served in World War 1 with the United States Army Air Corps. The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

The service of Franklin “Clyde” Mercer in the First World War began in support of the war effort as a 30-year-old, civilian, munitions worker for the Whitaker Glessner Company, a steel production company contracted to manufacture 155mm howitzer shells at its location in New Boston, a small Ohio village within the city of Portsmouth, Ohio. Frank’s military draft paperwork show that he was employed with Whitaker Glessner on June 5, 1917, the date of his registration for the draft.

Eleven months later, on May 17, 1918, Frank would enter military service. He was accompanied by his uncle, Harzy Walls, 6 months his junior, who was also entering the service. Now 31 years of age, Frank departed the Ohio River Valley for Camp Sevier, a military training camp located in the upstate of South Carolina, near the city of Greenville.

It was here, following their formal induction and training into the Air Service of the National Army, that Harzy and Frank would part ways. Frank was assigned to the 15th Aero Construction Company as a carpenter and would spend the early summer months getting technical training at Camp Mills and Hazelhurst Field, near Garden City, New York while Harzy would train near Norfolk, Virginia at Camp Morrison with the 27th Balloon Company for the remainder of the war.

Henry Eugene Quinn

Submitted by: Diana Quinn Cotton {Granddaughter}

Henry Eugene Quinn

Henry Eugene Quinn born around 1899. Henry Quinn served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

PFC Henry E. Quinn served as a company runner in Co. F 28th Infantry 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces, United States Army, during World War I and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, Croix de Guerre, and Victory Medal with Five Battle Clasps.

My grandfather, Henry Eugene Quinn, was born in Anniston, Alabama, on January 31, 1899. He was the fourth of eleven children of William Eugene Quinn (1865-1945) and Emma Langdon (Fowler) Quinn (1873-1963). He stood 5’ 8” tall, had red hair, blue eyes, a fair complexion, and was covered in freckles. His nicknames were “Bud” (at home) and “Red” (in the Army).

In his World War I memoirs, written many years after the war, Henry wrote:

“March 1917—Applied for enlistment at Monroe (LA), was examined by a colonel Dr. who was rather rough in criticizing my physical condition, stated that I looked like a picked chicken, etc., account of being so skinny. I was not use to such criticism & talked rather rough to him in return. Sgt. was in the background motioning me to hush, etc., but I said my say. Col. flared up & stated, ‘He will do Sgt—I will get a waver on his weight tonight.’ I was 11 lbs. under weight.”

Henry briefly returned to Swartz, LA, to inform his family he had joined the Army and to tell them goodbye. His father “shook hands & told me that I had been my own boss for some time, but now I had a real boss.”

Richard H. Leeseberg

Submitted by: Virginia Cameron {County researcher}

Richard H Leeseberg was born around 1894. Richard Leeseberg served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

He went aboard the President Grant 9/23/1918 Hoboken, NJ. Next known fact, missing in action 10/5/1918.

John Joseph Quinn, Jr.

Submitted by: Dave Quinn {Grandson}

no photo 300

John Joseph Quinn, Jr. was born on 09/21/1894. John Quinn served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

Headquarters, 79th Division, Am. E. F. France. 8th May,. 1918
General Orders : No. 29:. E X T R A C T.

Par. 3 For gallantry in action and meritorious services, the following citations are published for the information of the command.

(On Sept. 27, 1918) Sergeant John J. Quinn, Medical Detatchment, 314th Infantry.

Sergeant Quinn remained alone in a dressing station near Montfaucon and gave first aid to all wounded men, and arranged for the evacuation of same, which was executed under heavy shell fire. Sergeant Quinn completed the task regardless of safety to himself. (Silver Star).

On September 29th, 1918, near Nantillois, he remained at a first aid station, while being shelled by German artillery, performing his duty under continual artillery fire until all patients had been given first aid and evacuated.

Henry P Furtado

Submitted by: Cidalina Maziarski {Great Niece}

Henry P Furtado was born around 1898. Henry Furtado served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

Henry Furtado wanted to fight in "the great war" he lied about his age and went into the war at the age 0f 16 (I would believe he was going to be 17 soon) but just weeks in France I was told he was killed when cleaning a cannon (or weapon of some kind) and backfired on him on Aug 13 1918.

His records say he was killed in Action. Aug 18th 1918 was the big Battle in Amiens, France that pushed back the Germans 25 miles. I would believe that Henry was getting ready for this event and never made it.

He did write this letter to his sister Mary one month before he was killed. This is the transcript of his Letter for sister Mary:

Albert Luther Peck

Submitted by: Jim McLoughlin {None}

Albert Peck image

Albert Luther Peck born around 1896. Albert Peck served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

On 27th November, 1918, Private Albert L Peck of 125 Main St, Spencer, MA died of spinal meningitis. It was the day before 1918's US Thanksgiving, and 16 days after the Armistice ended the war. He was 22 years old, and serving as a surgical assistant in the 101st Field Hospital of the Sanitary Train of the 26th 'Yankee' Division.

Although the 'Spanish Flu' pandemic of 1918 caused most of the deaths attributed to disease in the American military in WW1, spinal meningitis caused nearly 2,000 deaths, ranking second only to pneumonia with 40,000 deaths. Both diseases were largely the result of bringing large numbers of men together in close confinement.

Albert was the youngest of three children of the Spencer physician, Dr Albert Frederick Peck and his wife Lizzie (nee Bates). He was already enrolled as a medical student at Tufts Medical School in Boston when he signed up during the first draft of June, 1917, though his draft card says he was already a reserve member of the Massachusetts National Guard.

Raymond Anderson

Submitted by: Lyndia Nicholson {granddaughter}

Raymond Anderson born around . Raymond Anderson served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

Albert Robert Laske

Submitted by: Jean Burns {granddaughter}

Albert Robert Laske mug Albert Robert Laske born around 1894. Albert Laske served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

Feb. 1918, Albert "Bert" (24 yrs. old) received induction orders to enter the Army, during World War I. He is to serve in the 25th Spruce Squadron, Vancouver Barracks, in Vancouver Washington. This Squadron is to harvest wood that will be used to build the planes they need for the war. In Dec.

1918, Bert is discharged honorable and thanked for his service, but since the war is ending, his service is no longer needed.

About the 25th Spruce Squadron: “The states of Oregon and Washington form the backdrop for one of the most interesting dramas of the First World War. When the U.S. entered the War, it was quickly discovered that the nation had no capacity to build warplanes in quantity. Even though the U.S. had invented the airplane, by 1917 the European powers had already spent years developing it for warfare, and deploying it in deadly combat. Those nations were trying to produce enough machines to keep the skies occupied over the front lines in France.

Fayette Clark

Submitted by: Gerald Clark {Grandson}

no photo 300 Fayette Clark born around 1895. Fayette Clark served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

Served with Co. B 2nd Engineers. Lost a leg in Chateau Thierry France June 14th 1918. Honorable Discharge July 29th. 1919.

Joseph H Masterson

Submitted by: Steve Masterson {Great nephew}

no photo 300 Joseph H Masterson born around 1894. Joseph Masterson served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

Joseph was born in Londonderry, Ireland, in 1894. His father, Michael, was apparently doing well as an “Assurance Superintendent” (an inspector for a commercial lines insurance company) and was able to house his growing family in a nice townhouse with a maid. In 1901, 7 year old Joseph moved with his family to an apartment on 85th St. in Manhattan. Michael’s fortunes apparently went downhill after he arrived in New York, so he moved the family to upper 8th Ave in Harlem. In 1910, Joseph’s mother, Jane, fell ill with tuberculosis. During this time, Joseph took off to California – he was 16 years old. His siblings ended up living with oldest sister Helen (Nellie) Hefferman and her husband, except for William (my grandfather), who ended up at Father Drumgool’s Home for Boys for a time.

Joseph enlisted in the California National Guard on May 20, 1917, in Hanford, California, and was assigned to Company M of the Guard’s 2nd Infantry Regiment. The 2nd Infantry had already been called into Federal service in contemplation of the War. He was sent to Fort Mason in San Francisco (now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area) to join Company M.