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Horace Regent

Submitted by: Richard Crowther {Great Nephew}

Horace Regent served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1917.

Story of Service

My Great Uncle was 19 years old when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1917. He was KIA in the Battle of the Marne, in France. He had a Military Funeral with his casket carried by horses and caisson. He was buried at Lawn Croft Cemetery, in Lower Chichester Twp., PA.

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Robert Lee Bullard II

Submitted by: Robert Bullard {Great Grandson}

Robert Lee Bullard II born around 1863. Robert Bullard served in World War 1 with the United States Army . The enlistment was in 1900 and the service was completed in 1925.

Story of Service

Robert Lee Bullard II was Commanding General of the Big Red One at the beginning of the war with the AEF under General Pershing, and his 1st Division was the first AEF unit in action against the German Army in 1917. The 1st Division fought well alongside French and British Army units in many major battles.

Robert Lee Bullard’s military leadership and skills of maneuvers saved countless American soldiers lives while achieving victories over Germany. He was promoted to Lieutenant General commanding the US Army Second Army until Germany was defeated November 11, 1918.

The American People will always remember the hard fought victory of 1918 and cheer and be thankful for the great leaders this nation has then in the right place, at the exact moment in time they, like LTG Bullard, and General Pershing, were needed most. As General Eisenhower once said on June 6, 1944 about the weight and great responsibility of the required leadership decisions and consequences good or bad that follow. Our nation should remember the heavy burdens placed on our senior leadership and the incredible soldiers they had the honor to lead at critical moments in history.

Read more about Robert Lee Bullard here.

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Alva Henry Cook

Submitted by: Daniel A. Anthony {grandson}

Alva Henry Cook was born around 1895. Alva Cook served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1920.

Story of Service

The attached PDF is research I (Daniel Anthony, Grandson of Alva H. Cook) conducted on his service to the U.S. Army in WW1 for which he was severely wounded and permanently disabled. This study is based on an original typewritten account of his time served in World War I by Alva H. Cook, my Grandfather (my Mother’s Father), also with some of his time and experience after the war and a few anecdotes from his survivors. A copy of the original account is provided, and the account is also shown in italics.

This study corrects several phonetically spelled locations in France, and grammar; and is organized in a timeline, bulleted fashion for readability. Hyperlinked references are also provided for further verification and interest. The order of events and locations, as written, is awkward to reconstruct at times, and I have attempted to make this as accurate as possible. In some cases, place names had to be reconciled with the movements of the 32nd Division during WWI and associated war records or most plausible locations in the general area of operations.

Additional information is also provided by service/testimony not described in his original account. Research to confirm locations of various wartime facilities was conducted, and other publications or evidence, or other testimony among his papers or peers provide additional insight into his service.

Read more: Alva Henry Cook

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Hartley Allen Moon

Submitted by: Rick Erisman {Grandson}

Hartley Allen Moon born around 1877. Hartley Moon 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

Colonel Hartley Allen Moon served in France during World War I. He served in the U.S. Army from 1916-1919. He was appointed Adjutant General by Governor Kilby and served as Acting Adjutant General until 1919. He also served on the General Staff of the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C.

Colonel Moon was a First Lieutenant of Infantry in the Alabama National Guard from 1909-1912. He served as Captain of Infantry Volunteer Reserves in 1908. He was Captain of Field Artillery, Alabama National Guard from 1912-1916. He was a Major in the Fourth Alabama Infantry and later in the One Hundred and Sixty Seventh U.S. Infantry, the Rainbow Division.

Hartley A. Moon held the rank of Colonel in the Adjutant General's Department in the Alabama National Guard, and as Adjutant General of Alabama in 1931 under Governor Miller.

Colonel Moon was severely wounded on June 9, 1918 in the Baccarat Defensive Sector, in Alsace, France. As a result, he lost the use of his left arm but participated in medical research to rehabilitate it without success.

Read more: Hartley Allen Moon

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George Archer Parker

Submitted by: George N Parker {Grandson}

George Archer Parker was born around 17 April 1886. George Parker served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1914 and the service was completed in 1920.

Story of Service

George was the youngest son of Peter and Martha Parker. He enlisted in the Army Coast Artillery at Norfolk, Virginia on 11 Feb 1914. On 24 April 1917 he sailed for France with the 8th Provisional Coast Artillery Corps as a Corporal, arriving in Le Harve on 27 Sep 1917. He was stationed at Camp de Mailly and was rated as a gunner 1st class on 7 April 1918.

He participated in the following battles: Montdidier-Noyon, St. Michiel, Verdun, and Meuse-Argonne. He was promoted to Sergeant on 25 August 1918. On the day of Armistice, 11 Nov 1918, he was at Meurthe-et-Moselle.

He returned to the states on 11 March 1919, arriving in Hampton, Virginia on the S.S. Nansemond. The 53rd was sent to Camp Eustis, Virginia for where the men were demobilized. George married Esther Lee Meador on 9 Jan 1920 in Amelia County. They returned to Camp Eustis but Esther was not fond of the military lifestyle. George received a honorable discharge on 4 Jun 1920.

Read more: George Archer Parker

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Roy William Billingsley

Submitted by: Deborah Billingsley Cavalcante {Grandniece}

Roy William Billingsley was born around 1901. Roy Billingsley served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1921.

Story of Service

My great-uncle, Roy William Billingsley, was born on 20 July 1901. He had lost his mother in January of 1913. Shortly after his mother's death, his father put him and his younger brother, James Stanley, in the Louisville Industrial School for Boys, to finish their education. He gave their youngest sister, Alice Rose, to a family in Oklahoma and then he skipped town, never to be heard from again.

Roy enlisted in the Army, at age 15, on 9 Apr 1917 (Regiment 30th Inf. Company “A”) and was stationed at Camp Merritt, NJ. According to his Roll of Honor entries he was in the Aisne defensive June 1918, the Chateau-Thierry July 1918, and the Champagne Marne defensive July 1918 when he was captured by the Germans 18 July 1918 and spent time in a prisoner of war camp, Camp Rastatt. He was released Dec 9, 1918. But in the interim, he was reported dead. In August 1918, the Courier Journal wrote that he had “given his life in battle against Hun.” Back home in Louisville, they held a memorial service for Roy.

When he was released from the POW camp, he returned to his company. When he returned home about a year later, his sister Pearl fainted when she saw him standing at the door. He was honorably discharged 23 Jul 1921.

Uncle Roy later enlisted in World War II 19 Sep 1942. He was honorably discharged 11 Mar 1943.

Read more: Roy William Billingsley

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Ernest L Chasteen

Submitted by: Johnny M Smith {Grandson}

Ernest L Chasteen was born around 5-6-1896. Ernest Chasteen served in World War 1 with the United States Arm . The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

30th Infantry Division ( Old Hickory)  American Expeditionary Forces

May 12 1918 - December 16 1918

Battle of St. Quentin Canal, part of the breach of the Hindenburg Line, France

Gunshot wound left arm

Read more: Ernest L Chasteen

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James Forrest Reynolds

Submitted by: Christopher Reynolds {2nd Great Nephew)

James Forrest Reynolds was born around 1895. James Reynolds served in World War 1 with the United States Marine Corps. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

 Corporal Reynolds was the company armorer for 82nd Co, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines when he was killed by German shrapnel on 26 Jun 1918 on hill 204 during the WWI Battle for Belleau Wood.

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Alfred Erlandson

Submitted by: Paula I Simula {Great Niece}

Alfred Erlandson born around 1887. Alfred Erlandson served in World War 1 with the United States Marine Corps. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

Alfred was the son of Norwegian Immigrants, Hans and Jensine Erlandson.

"For gallantry in action against the enemy", the citation accompanying the Silver Star medal awarded to Alfred Erlandson and James Carter reads:

"The two men above named assisted in the capture of a town on the 6th of June, after being wounded, and displayed remarkable energy and courage against superior numbers of the enemy. They engaged in street fighting and were of material assistance in driving out the enemy.

OMAR BUNDY, Major General, USA, Commanding".

The event took place at the town of Bouresches, during the "Battle of Belleau Wood". Erlandson was exposed to mustard gas, as well as being shot in the right shoulder. He re-joined his unit 13 July 1918. Alfred received promotion to Corporal on 8 Aug 1918. He was killed in action on the Champagnne font on 03 Oct.1918.

Much of this information was generously provided by Lenny Moore, whose grandfather served in the same unit.

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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.