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Charles S. Williams

Submitted by: Kathy Gryzeski {granddaughter}

Charles S. Williams born around 1901. Charles Williams served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1916 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

Charles S. Williams of Santa Cruz, born 1901, joined the Army at age 15 and served on the Mexican border, where his unit unsuccessfully tried to track down Pancho Villa.

He was then sent to France where he received the Purple Heart medal in World War I. He was discharged at age 18 and later received a 75th Commemorative Medal for the anniversary of World War I.

He was a commander of Veterans of WWI of Santa Cruz, a bugler for the American Legion, and a life member of Disabled American Veterans. He was married for 70 years to Oneta Williams, had 2 daughters and 2 sons. He passed away at the age of 92 in Santa Cruz, CA.

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Boleslaw Dominski

Submitted by: Dennis Christopher Dominski {Grandson}

Boleslaw Dominski born around 1894. Boleslaw Dominski 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

Private, L Co., 309th Infantry, 78th Division

Wounded in action in France.

Received:

— Lady Columbia wound Certificate

— Purple Heart (retroactive)

— WWI Victory Medal w/Battle Clasps St. Mihiel, Muese-Argonne, Defensive Sector, and Service Clasp France//WWI Victory Button-Silver

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Herman Cornwell

Submitted by: Patricia Hein {great niece}

Herman Cornwell served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known 1917-1918.

Co I., 52nd U.S. Regulars

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Julia Ann Stahl

Submitted by: Sandra L Sager {great great niece}

Julia Ann Stahl born around 1875. Julia Ann Stahl served in World War 1 with the Red Cross. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

Julia Ann Stahl, R.N.

Julia Ann Stahl was born March 12, 1875 in Cass County, Michigan. She was the last of eleven children born to immigrant parents Phillip and Barbara Stahl. Julia’s father died one week after she was born, and she was raised by her mother on the family farm near Dowagiac, Michigan. Little is known of Julia’s early years or why she chose a career in nursing. She may have been affected by the death of her sister Anna Louisa in 1885.

Julia moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan in her early 20s and enrolled in the University of Michigan School of nursing which was established in 1891. She completed the rigorous two year nursing program and graduated in 1898 at the age of 23. Julia stayed in Ann Arbor after her graduation and began her professional nursing career. In June of 1907 Julia was elected vice-president of the University of Michigan Nurses’ Alumnae Association, and in February 1914 she was elected as a member of the board of directors of the Washtenaw County Graduate Nurses’ Association.

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Frank Robert Dannanfelser

Submitted by: Sandra Dunlap {great niece}

Frank Robert Dannanfelser born around 1887. Frank Dannanfelser served in World War 1 with the United States Navy. The enlistment was in 1907 and the service was completed in 1926.

Story of Service

My great great uncle Frank Robert Dannanfelser was orphaned at the age of 10. Sent south to Savannah, GA to live with an aunt, he ended up being admitted to the Bethesda Orphan Asylum instead. After aging out of the orphanage about 1905, he worked as an electrician in Savannah until 1907.

On 14 May 1907, he enlisted in the US Navy and was sent off to Norfolk, VA, to the USS Franklin. In August of the same year, he was transferred to the USS Ohio (BB-12) at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and left in December on President Theodore Roosevelt's "Great White Fleet" world cruise.

Navy life apparently agreed with him as he re-enlisted multiple times. Early in his career, he was primarily attached to battleships, cruisers, and destroyers with a smattering of shore duty stations. The longest shore duty time was gunnery school at the Naval Gun Factory, Washington Navy Yard from June 1911 to January 1912.

After the war in Europe had started, but before the US had entered, Frank began the last part of his career serving on submarines and sub tenders. From 1915 to 1919, he was attached to the USS G-4 (SS-26). While primarily training torpedomen, the G-4 was operating off Long Island & New England where there had been U-boat activity. Most notably were the activities of the U-53 whose captain (Hans Rose) brought her into the Naval Station at Newport RI, posed for pictures, had courtesy visits from the Commandant of the 2nd Naval District, RADM Austin M. Knight and Commanding Officer of the Destroyer Force (Atlantic Fleet), RADM Albert Gleaves. The next day (8 OCT 1916), U-53 promptly sank 5 ships off of Nantucket. The G-4 was at times operating out of Newport, RI instead of New London, CT as the Torpedo Station and School were located on Goat Island, Newport, RI.

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Sebastiano Charlie Scalzadonna

Submitted by: COL (R) Robert DeSousa {grandson}

Sebastiano Charlie Scalzadonna was born around 1895, Sebastiano Scalzadonna served in World War 1 with the the United States Army . The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

When PFC Scalzadonna was released from service he missed the troop train coming back to his hometown in NJ. His parents were waiting at the station. Because there was no way to comminute then, when his mother saw that he was not on the train she convinced herself that he had died and worked herself into such a frenzy that she had a heart attack and died herself. It was a sad home arrival when Sebastiano got home on the next train and found that his mother had passed.

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Helma Caroline (Anderson) Evans

Submitted by: Douglas Evans {Grandson}

Helma Caroline (Anderson) Evans was born around 1894. Helma (Anderson) Evans served in World War 1 with the United States Navy . The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

Helma Caroline (Anderson) Evans was born on September, 2, 1894. Always fiercely independent, and against her parents' wishes, she enlisted in the US Navy in September of 1918. Helma was assigned as a bookkeeper and assistant to a Navy Commander known as the "Chief Bookkeeper" at the Washington Navy Yard.

She achieved the rank of Petty Office 3rd Class (E-4), and her rating was Yeoman 3rd Class (YN3). During WWI, female Yeoman were known as "Yeomanettes," and she proudly wore that moniker. Helma was honorably discharged in July of 1919. She was awarded the WWI Victory medal.

While in the service and after the war ended, she participated in a number of parades and ceremonies in support of her fellow Sailors, Marines, and Army troops. Helma also marched in parades in New York City, Providence RI, and Boston, MA, in uniform, in celebration of Armistice Day.

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Fred L. Stilson

Submitted by: Richard Frank {Nephew}

Fred L Stilson was born around 1896. Fred Stilson 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

Ceremony to Commemorate the 100-Year Anniversary of the Funeral and Interment of Sergeant Fred L Stilson - American Legion Post 57 Namesake

October 16, 2018

Interment October 16, 1918, at Cobleskill Rural Cemetery, Cobleskill, New York

Today we honor a hero.

Fred was born in March of 1896 in Warnerville, New York, at the home of his grandparents, Alex and Augusta Larkin. He was the son of Mert and Ada Stilson, my grandparents.

Fred grew up at 29 West Main Street, Cobleskill, New York. He attended Cobleskill High School and graduated with the class of 1913 at the age of 17. He graduated from Albany Pharmacy College at the age of 19.

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Walter Toy

Submitted by: Jeanne Ostnes {Great Grand Daughter}

Walter Toy was born around 1863. Walter Toy 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

Walter Toy was born on the 1st January 1863 in Budock, only a few miles from the port of Falmouth in Cornwall. His father was a farm laborer, his mother a laundress and he was the fourth of seven children and the second son.

After he left school, Walter would only have had about three choices of what to do with his life - to follow his father and work on the land, the hard grind of working in the tin mines, or going to sea. His elder brother by five years, Charles, had already ;entered the Royal Navy and was a Signalman 2nd Class aboard H.M.S. "Warrior".

No doubt Walter worked with his father for a time, but with the example of his brother, and being of age to join the Navy as a Boy, he knew what he wanted to do.

The local papers carried advertisements asking boys of 15 to 16 and a half years of age to volunteer for the Royal Navy and they should apply to the Commanding Officer of H.M.S. "Ganges", a boys training ship, then moored in St Just Pool at Mylor, a short distance from Falmouth.

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John Franklin Funkhouser

Submitted by: Joey Funkhouser {1st Cousin 4x Removed}

John Franklin Funkhouser was born around 1892. John Funkhouser 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

John Franklin Funkhouser was born June 17th, 1892 at Baker, West Virginia. He grew up on his family homestead, built by his grandfather. It is said that he was an excellent conversationalist and could liven-up any meeting with his outgoing personality. In 1916, John followed his older brother, William, to Dayton, Ohio where he found work. While in Ohio, John had an ear and mastoid operation probably due to an ear infection.

In April 1917, America entered the war and the call to arms began. John was called to the services of his country in May 1918. In John's surviving letters, he described his six weeks of extensive training. Writing to his sister, Della, he states, "I just got back from the big rifle range. It is 8 miles out from here. We marched those 8 miles and carried about 50 lbs. I never was so tired in all my life as I was when I got here."

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