Stories of Service

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

Thomas William Butterbaugh

Submitted by: Raymond W Schaffranek

598d2598c190e Pvt Thomas W Butterbaugh picture

Thomas William Butterbaugh served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known July 22, 1918 - November 11, 1918.

Thomas William Butterbaugh, the first son of William and Mary (Nagle) Butterbaugh (aka Booterbaugh), was born on December 23, 1894, in Mark Hanna, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. He was working in a coal mine at age 15.

At age 22, he was single, living in Lilly, Cambria Co, PA, and working as a coal miner in Cassandra, PA, when he registered for the military service draft on June 5, 1917.

On July 22, 1918, he was inducted into the US Army at South Fork, PA, and sent to Camp Lee, VA, for training. He served as a Private with the American Expeditionary Forces from September 8, 1918 to November 11, 1918.

On September 8, 1918, he sailed overseas out of Newport News, VA, as part of the 69th Provisional Company August Replacement Draft on the USS Madawaska, which was originally the German steamship Konig Wilhelm II.

Wali Muhommad

Submitted by: Tanveer Kalo

no photo 300 Wali Muhommad served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known July 17, 1917 to August 18, 1919.

Private Wali Muhommad was born about 1896 in Peshawar, British India. He enlisted in the U.S Army at the age of 21 on July 17, 1917 in Buffalo, New York. .Muhommad's New York state military service abstract listed his race as white.

He served with Battery A 3rd Field Artillery( Battery A 106 Field Artillery until December 23, 1918. Then he served with Company D Battalion 2 Army military police until April 14, 1919. Muhommad was then with 299 military police company until his discharge.

Muhommad departed from Newport News, Virginia on the ship Matsonia with Battery A 106 Field Artillery on June 6, 1918 He served overseas from June 6, 1918 to August 10, 1919 and was honorably discharged on August 18, 1919.

He filed a petition for naturalization with the New York Supreme Court on August 28, 1919.

On March 8, 1938 at age of 41 Wali Muhommad arrived to New York City from London on the ship American Farmer.

Max Missel

Submitted by: Joel H. Rosenthal

Max Missel served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known December 11,1917 - June 30, 1919.

Max Missel
405th Telegraph Battalion, U.S. Army Signal Corps
Enlisted: Los Angeles, CA. December 11, 1917
Reported: Camp Lewis, WA. December 15, 1917
Discharged: Presidio, San Francisco, CA . June 30, 1919

Max Missel was born October 18, 1895 in Kovno, Russia (now Kaunas, Lithuania).

Five-year old Max came to the United States with his mother Lipsa and his brother Harry in 1900 or 1901 (exact date not determined). They came to join Max’s older brothers John, Samuel, and Abraham who had already established themselves in Boston.

The youngest of five sons, Max arrived as a Yiddish-speaking boy. He and his family were part of the wave of Jewish emigration from Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They left to escape religious persecution and to find a better life.

By 1917, Max was a 22-year old telegraph operator working for Western Union in Boston. For reasons lost to history he moved to the west coast. By December of that year, he enlisted. Max was assigned to the 405th Telegraph Battalion, Signal Corps, Company D. The 405th trained at the newly-established Camp Lewis, near Tacoma, Washington.

Gordit Singh

Submitted by: Tanveer Kalo

no photo 300 Gordit Singh served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known August 7, 1917 to February 14, 1919.

Gordit Singh was born in India about 1883. He enlisted in the U.S Army or Regular Army at Fort Slocum in New York on August 7, 1917.

He was with Company L 50th Infantry until August 10, 1917. Then he was with Company L 23rd Infantry until his discharge.

Singh was promoted to private first class on December 10, 1917. He served overseas from September 7, 1917 to November 23, 1918.

Singh was honorably discharged on February 14, 1919 and was reported as 10% disabled at the time.

Gorbit Singh died on September 11, 1934 and is buried at the Cypress Hills National Cemetery in New York.

James John Dolan

Submitted by: Ed Saunders

5980983709a90 Stories of service 1

James John Dolan served in World War 1 with the United States Coast Guard. The dates of service are: Known January 1917-August 1918.

Records of the state adjutant general, Montana state library, Helena, Montana, read James John Dolan as the sole World War I Coast Guard veteran enlisting from Montana.

He apparently served two tours-of-duty in the Coast Guard. His last tour was from Miles City, Montana. Dolan enlisted January 6, 1917, and served one year, seven months, and six days on the Coast Guard Revenue Cutter, Bear.

Dolan is buried in Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, California.

Hiram Edwin Piper

Submitted by: Richard Piper {son}

no photo 300

Hiram Edwin Piper served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known 1917-1919.

Hiram E. Piper entered the Army at Camp Dodge. He said he became a soldier when he was issued his hat and a broomstick to begin training. At first there was no rifle or uniform. Letters home told of his training and his concern for their sick cow at home on the farm.

He was a Sergeant by the time he was at Camp Pike, Arkansas in the winter of 1917-1918. Then he went to Camp Dix N.J. He said he remembered waking up in a huge gym filed with soldiers in cots and a startled nurse told him she thought he was going to die, but now that he was awake he would probably live. He asked why civilians were in the gym and she said he had the Spanish flu and had been unconscious. The civilians were family members trying to care for their sick sons because there were not enough doctors or nurses. Many soldiers had died and they were trying to help as many as they could.

My Grandpa Piper recovered and went to Paris France. He got off the troop train one foggy night to stretch his legs and peeked inside a white railroad car with a red cross on it. Inside he saw men without faces, arms or legs who were returning from the front lines. He said he deeply regretted being curious. By the time he reached his unit the war was ending and he saw no action.

Later in his 80's he would have morning coffee with his Army buddies in town. One had lost a leg when his unit was fighting in France while Grandpa was fighting the Spanish flu in New Jersey. He said he always enjoyed my letters to him when I was in the army in South Korea in the early 70's.

Amulla M. Mukerji

Submitted by: Tanveer Kalo

no photo 300 Amulla M. Mukerji served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Unknown.

Amulla M. Mukerji was born around 1895 in British India. He immigrated to the United States in 1915 and was naturalized in 1918. Mukerji settled in Detroit, Michigan.

When America entered the First World War, Mukerji was drafted and sent to Camp Custer, Michigan. He was part of the 338 Field Hospital, 310 Sanitary Train in the 85th Infantry Division.

On July 21, 1918 Private First Class Mukerji and his unit departed from New York to most likely France on board the ship Anchises. Mukerji was also featured in the August 1918 issue of the newspaper and journal Young India among other Asian Indians serving in the U.S military during this time.

On April 6, 1919 Private First Class Mukerji and his unit left Brest, France on board the ship Winifredian and arrived in Boston, Massachusetts for Camp Devens on April 18, 1919.

Charles A. Buhl

Submitted by: Judith Rauh {granddaughter}

Charles A Buhl Charles A. Buhl served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known 8/23/1917-6/25/1919.

Remembering a Soldier

By Judy Rauh

On April 6, 2017, we marked the 100th anniversary of the United States entry into the Great War, World War I. Among the Bronx, New York men who joined the Army to fight in the war was Charles August Buhl, my grandfather.

Charles Buhl was the youngest of 13 children of Peter and Pauline Buhl. He was born on Jan. 13, 1892 in New York City. He enlisted in the Army on Aug. 23, 1917, at the Enlistment Recruitment Center on Governor’s Island, NY. He was sent to Fort Dix, NJ on Nov. 19, 1917 and joined the 303 Wagon Company.

He was promoted to Sergeant on Dec. 12, 1917. He served overseas in France from Sept. 8, 1918 to June 22, 1919. He was honorably discharged from the Army on June 25, 1919.

Raghunath N. Banawalkar

Submitted by: Tanveer Kalo

no photo 300 Raghunath N. Banawalkar served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known 2/25/1918-5/9/1919.

Private Raghunath N. Banawalkar was born on 12/28/1890 in Bombay, British India. In 12/10/1910, 20
years old Banawalkar arrived in New York, New York on the ship George Washington. On Banawalkar 's New York passenger list from this period, his Ethnicity was listed as Romanian.

He enlisted in the U.S Army on 2/25/1918. He trained at Camp Upton in Long Island, New York. Raghunath N. Banawalkar served with Battery F 306 Field Artillery until 4/18/1919. Banawalkar, then served with the sanitary detachment of the 305th infantry 77th division until his discharge.

He served overseas from 4/16/18 to 4/24/1919. Private Banawalkar left for France from New York with his unit on 4/16/1918 on the ship Cedric. He saw action at Baccarat, Vesle, Oise-Aisne, and Meuse-Argonne and was gassed on 10/15/1918.

Banawalkar rejoined his unit after recovering from his wound(s) in 12/14/1918.
He left with his unit for New York from Brest, France on 4/18/1919. He arrived in New York for Camp Mills on 4/24/1919 on the ship Aquitania and was honorably discharged on 5/9/1919 with the rank of private.

John Arthur Short

Submitted by: Tanveer Kalo

no photo 300 John Arthur Short served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known July 7, 1917- March 12, 1919.

John A. Short enlisted at Camp Syracuse on July 7, 1917 at the age of 21. He served with Company F 23rd Infantry 2nd Division.

Short was promoted to corporal on October 14, 1917 and sergeant on October 18, 1918. He served overseas from September 7, 1917 to February 28, 1919. He was slightly wounded on July 18, 1919 while overseas.

Short was honorably discharged on March 12, 1919.

Charles James Sistek

Submitted by: Mary Lynn Topel {grandniece}

no photo 300

Charles James Sistek served in World War 1 with the the United States Army . The dates of service are: Known Died in France September 1918.

Charles Sistek was my great uncle. His death at age 22 meant that I would never meet him. He was the only son of his parents and only brother to his four sisters.

Just six months after his death from pneumonia while serving in Battalion E of the 54th Army Coast Artillery Corps, his father was killed in a work-related rail yard accident.

I have tried in vain to locate his remains. The price this family and others have paid is beyond description.