• Print

Eugene Biancheri

Submitted by: Eugene J. Biancheri {Son}

Eugene Biancheri was born around 1889. Eugene Biancheri 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

Eugene Biancheri, born in 1889 in Italy, emigrated to New York City in 1904 and became a citizen two years later. He entered the U. S. Army on October 12, 1917 and trained with the 82nd Infantry Division in Camp Gordon, Georgia. Alvin York, then a Private and later one of the best known heroes of the War, was in the same 328th Infantry Regiment.

Eugene participated in the first major offensive of the War at St. Mihiel, France. On September 15 he was seriously gassed while working on repairs to broken telephone lines near Vandieres, France, and was evacuated to the field hospital at Dieulouard.

When the Order of the Purple Heart was revived in 1932, he received the medal, via the orders signed by General Douglas MacArthur, then Army Chief of Staff. My father proudly wore the Purple Heart pin on his jacket.

• Print

Conan Samuel Babin

Submitted by: Conan Samuel Babin {grand nephew}

Conan Samuel Babin was born around 1899. Conan Babin served in World War 1 with the the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1917.

Story of Service

Bennett was from Donaldsonville LA but was living and working at the Buick plant in Flint Michigan at the war's onsite.

He apparently volunteered for combat duty and arrived in France around June 2018. He died in advance on a railroad embankment in Juvingy France August 29th 1918.

The American Legion Hall in Donaldsonville, LA is named in his honor

Read more: Conan Samuel Babin

• Print

Clement E. Whittle

Submitted by: Norbert F. Whittle {son}

Clement E. Whittle was born around 1892. Clement Whittle 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

Private 1st class.

Served in France, was assigned to a demolition group.

• Print

Thomas C. Carter, Jr.

Submitted by: Ward Calhoun {friend of family & researcher}

Thomas C Carter Jr. was born around 1889. Thomas Carter 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

Thomas Carter's education began in 1906 at the Marion Military Institute, graduating in 1908. He applied for OCS in 1917 and was accepted for training at Ft Ogelthorpe, Tn. He was commissioned in December 1917 as a 1st Lt and moved to Ft Gordon, Ga. His unit, the 320 Machine Gun Battalion, was part of the 82nd Division.

In April 1918, Lt Carter was on his way to England and France. He wrote letters to his family from training camp until just before his death in October 1918. Tom was all for the war because of the atrocities he saw and knew the Allies would prevail.

Read more: Thomas C Carter Jr.

• Print

Richard Lee Arnold

Submitted by: Kim Gregg {granddaughter}

Richard Lee Arnold was born in 1895. Richard Arnold 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

Richard Lee “Dick” Arnold was born January 21, 1895 to John Edward and Louallan (née Nickerson) Arnold. He was the youngest of four children who grew up on a farm two miles east of Ames, Iowa.

After the US government declared war on Germany, President Wilson instituted a national draft. Dick registered as required. He enlisted (whether he was drafted or volunteered remains unclear) in the Army on August 28, 1918 at the Nevada (Iowa) courthouse as that was the county seat of Story County.

He was inducted through Camp Dodge (Johnston, Iowa - home of the Iowa National Guard) being assigned to the 144th Engineers.

Read more: Richard Lee Arnold

• Print

Joseph Urbanski

Submitted by: John A. Urbanski {Grand-Nephew}

Joseph Urbanski born in 1895. Joseph Urbanski 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

Joseph Urbanski #1765091
Private Company M, 312th Infantry Regiment
78th Division, United States Army

Joseph Urbanski was born in Schenectady, N.Y. in 1895 to Prussian immigrants, John Urbanski and Stanislawa Wozniak, and was their fourth of twelve children. According to his siblings, he was strong and would often settle disputes among kids in the neighborhood. Prior to the war, Joe worked as an ice delivery man in the local area from a horse drawn ice wagon with his older brother.

When the US entered the war, Joe tried to enlist in the Army but was rejected because he had flat feet. However, after work he would go to the local recruitment location and would argue for enlistment. He was later drafted into the Army. My Father, who was the youngest child in the family, recalled that before Joe left for training he told his mother (my Grandmother) that he would bring the Kaiser home on a chain. This claim likely reflected my Grandparents known dislike of the Germans who occupied and controlled their region of Poland (Prussia) before they immigrated to the U.S.

Read more: Joseph Urbanski

• Print

Oliver Jacob Buser

Submitted by: Lorie Culham {great niece}

Oliver Jacob Buser was born around 1887. Oliver Buser 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

Photos below.

Read more: Oliver Jacob Buser

• Print

William F. Krone

Submitted by: Frank Krone Bill {Great Nephew}

William F. Krone was born around 1893. William Krone 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

My Great Uncle Bill...William Frederick Krone was born on May 5, 1893 in North Yakima, Washington to Friedrich and Fanny Krone, formerly of Hamburg, Germany who in October 1880 had sailed over 6000 kilometers to America on the passenger ship North Star, a vessel of English registry. They had come to the United States seeking land and opportunity, and wanted to try their hand at cattle ranching, or farming.

In fact, Great Uncle Bill’s World War 1 Draft registration card dated June 4, 1917 noted that he was 24 years old, unmarried and self-employed farmer on land that he had in Dilo in Dawson County, Montana. His description on the back side included “blue eyes”, medium build and height and dark brown hair.

Read more: William F. Krone

• Print

Ernest L Wrentmore Jr.

Submitted by: K.C. Picard-Krone {State World War 1 historian}

Ernest L Wrentmore, Jr. was born around 1904. Ernest Wrentmore 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

Ernest L. Wrentmore, Jr. was the 12 year (10 months) old son of Maude Vinora and Dr. Ernest Wrentmore Sr of West Farmingham, Ohio who decided on the morning of September 28, 1917 to skip school and enlist in the army. A big, strapping boy who easily passed for a young man on the brink of manhood, Ernest was five foot, six in his stocking feet, and weighed over 145 pounds. He easily passed the physicals and no one questioned the vital statistics he scribbled down on the enlistment documents: Henry E. Monroe of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, age 18.

His distraught family became aware of his disappearance when Ernest didn’t return home that night and they started a search of the area. Finally a clue to his whereabouts surfaced eight months later when the Army mailed an overseas card to their home address in May. By this time he had already made the perilous trek through the German submarine infested waters to the Western Front in France.

Read more: Ernest L Wrentmore Jr.

• Print

Steve Lakios, Sr.

Submitted by: Stephen Lakios {Son}

Steve Lakios, Sr. born around 1891. Steve Lakios 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

My father Steve Lakios, was born 1891 in Icaria, Greece. He had an adventurous childhood, after two months of schooling at seven, his father, Stefanous pulled him from school and he sailed the Mediterranean and Black seas for eleven years on his fathe'rs two masted ship, and grandfather's three masted cargo ship. Steve learned eleven languages, it is amazing to me he did not join the navy.

He came to America in 1909, took the required classes and became a citizen.
He worked 16 hours a day, six days a week in construction, on Sunday he helped a friend run a Greek restaurant.

He saved and put his money in a rented locker, like so many other immigrants, as they did not trust banks.

Steve knew the US was going to enter the war, he enlisted from Youngstown, Ohio. Several weeks later the draft started and he was pressed to help train the vast numbers of new recruits. As he had nine weeks of tough training already.

Read more: Steve Lakios, Sr.