Stories of Service

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

H. (Henry) Stuart Hotchkiss

Submitted by: T.J. Cullinane, community historian

H Henry Stuart Hotchkiss H. (Henry) Stuart Hotchkiss born around 1878, He 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

H. (Henry) Stuart Hotchkiss, a prominent and successful manufacturing executive, served as a commissioned officer on the Bureau of Aircraft Production both in Washington D.C. and France during the First World War.

Hotchkiss was born in New Haven, Connecticut on October 1, 1878 to Henry L. and Jane (Trowbridge) Hotchkiss. A graduate of the prestigious Phillips Academy (Class of 1897) he went on to earn a Bachelor of Philosophy degree from Yale in 1900.

Hotchkiss gained his first bit of military experience while serving in the Connecticut Naval Reserve from 1899 – 1901. He began his career in the manufacturing industry by joining L. Candee & Company, a subsidiary of the United States Rubber Company in 1901. He would remain with the firm for 29 years, advancing to position of vice-president.

Clarence Mathias Hensel

Submitted by: T.J. Cullinane, community historian

Clarence Mathias Hensel born around 1893, Clarence Hensel 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

Ohio farmer Clarence Mathias Hensel was a soldier of the Great War serving as an infantryman in both the 84th “Rail-splitter” Division and the 78th “Lightning” Division.

Clarence was born on April 16, 1893 to John Hardin and the former Elizabeth Casper in Cessna Township, a small community located in Hardin County in northwestern Ohio. From his draft registration card we learn that Clarence was 24 years old when America entered the World War One and was employed as a farmer on the farm belonging to his father, John Hensel. The farm was located on Rural Route Number 4 in Kenton. Kenton lays claim to great American military heritage as John Wilson Parrot, a Union soldier and the first recipient of the Medal of Honor, would call Kenton home after the Civil War.

Clarence was of medium height and medium build with blue eyes and dark hair. He noted on his registration card that he had weak eyes. In spite of his defective eye sight, Clarence was inducted into the U.S. Army on June 28, 1918 and given serial number 3533412.

Oscar Lubchansky

Submitted by: Gene Fax {Grandson}

Oscar Lubchansky

Oscar Lubchansky born around 1896, Oscar Lubchansky 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

An AEF Veteran’s War Stories

These stories were told to me by my grandfather, former Sergeant Oscar Lubchansky (d. 1958), 2nd Battalion, 313th Infantry Regiment, 79th Division, American Expeditionary Forces.
Whether they are historically accurate is debatable, but they are an accurate representation of a veteran’s memories. At this late date, second-hand memories are all we’ve got.

American soldiers had an insatiable appetite for fresh eggs. Whenever Lubchansky and his comrades were en route and a halt was called, the soldiers would crowd around the kitchen door of the nearest farmhouse shouting, “Oofs! Oofs!” The farm wives would be frightened at first, but would soon figure out that the Americans wanted des oeufs and would pay for them. After that, all went well.

I have been able to partially corroborate this story. Bruce Bairnsfather, the British war cartoonist, writes in his memoirs about the American soldiers’ astonishing capacity for eggs.

John William Tarter

Submitted by: T.J. Cullinane, community historian

John William Tarter born around 1895, John Tarter 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

John William Tarter was a soldier of the Great War who was felled by to disease rather than German bombs and bullets.

He was born in Hartline, Washington on April 3, 1895 to Joseph Henry Tarter (1862 – 1925) and the former Nancy Ann Epperley (1864 – 1945). Hartline is a small town in Grant County located in central Washington. Tarter had four siblings: Joseph Clinton Tarter, Bonnie B. Tarter Neal (1886 – 1983), Maude D. Tarter Zetty (1890 – 1979), and Lonnie Clinton (1893 – 1966).

From John’s draft registration card, we learn that was tall with a medium build and had blue eyes and dark brown hair. When the United States entered the war in 1917, John was employed as a miner with the Federal Mining and Smelting Company in neighboring Shoshone County, Idaho.

At some point in 1917, John journeyed back home and enlisted in the Washington National Guard. He was given serial number 76284 and assigned to Company H of the 2nd Infantry Regiment. The insignia for this unit can be seen on the collar disc affixed to John’s uniform in his Army photo. John’s unit was called into federal service on March 25, 1917. In a series of consolidations carried out by the War Department, John’s unit was combined with elements of the 3rd Infantry Regiment belonging to the District of Columbia National Guard. The new unit was re-flagged as the 161st Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 41st Infantry Division.

John Mohamed Mondo

Submitted by: Tanveer Kalo

John Mohammed Mondo John Mohamed Mondo (or Mando) 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

John Mohamed Mondo (or Mando) was born in the late 1890s in Calcutta, British India or Punjab, East India to Mohamed Noor.

At the age of 21, John immigrated to Laredo, Texas from Mexico on July 9, 1909 or 1910. His Border Crossing Card recorded his race as East Indian, as a polygamist, and birth place as Calcutta, India.

By 1917 John Mohamed settled in California and worked as a laborer. His World War I draft card recorded his race as Caucasian and his place birth as Punjab, East India.

The dates and unit(s} of his service are unknown. Two photographs with unknown dates show him in a U.S. Army uniform.

Charles Albert Rinehart

Submitted by: Zachary Bostion {great-grandson}

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Charles Albert Rinehart born around 1892, Charles Rinehart 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

Served as an aviation mechanic at Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL.

George Ormond, Sr.

Submitted by: Valerie Ormond {Granddaughter}

5a42d5f1a0f12 George Ormond WWI Army Photo

George Ormond Sr. born around 1899, George Ormond 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

Lessons from a Humble Warrior

by Valerie Ormond

George Ormond’s pale blue eyes watered until the day he died. But he never complained about the Great War. Word was that mustard gas got him, but in those days, people didn’t talk much about injuries, follow-on treatment, or post-traumatic stress. My grandfather died when I was 21, about the same age he was when returning from the war. I wish I’d had adult conversations with him about his experiences, but it’s obviously too late. He likely didn’t realize how interested people might be in a blue-collar kid from Brooklyn’s renditions of his encounters on the front lines.

John O. Thompson

Submitted by: Lieutenant Colonel Steven Goligowski (USA, Ret.) {Grandson}

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John O. Thompson born around 1894, John Thompson served in World War 1 with the the United States Army . The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

My grandfather, John Thompson, was a 23 year-old bus driver for the then-new Greyhound Bus Company, which was founded in 1914 in Hibbing, MN, until he was drafted into the U.S. Army in April 1918. He was initially sent to Camp Dodge (Des Moines), IA and assigned to the 88th Division for training. Someone apparently noticed his pre-war bus driving experience because in August 1918 he was transferred to the 20th Division, a new Regular Army division then being organized at Camp Sevier (Greenville), SC.

My grandfather was assigned as a truck driver in the 20th Ammunition Trains, providing transportation support for the 20th Field Artillery Brigade, the artillery support unit of the 20th Division. This meant that my grandfather’s unit actually lived and worked at Camp Jackson (Columbia), SC, about 120 miles from Camp Sevier.

The 20th Artillery Brigade and 20th Ammunition Trains were stationed at Camp Jackson rather than Camp Sevier to take advantage of the extensive artillery live-fire ranges available at Camp Jackson. My grandfather’s primary duty was hauling ammunition for live-fire training by the 20th Field Artillery Brigade. When not driving truck his duties included maintaining the trucks and performing other required military training and duties. He continued to serve as a truck driver in the 20th Division until his discharge in February 1919, as the 20th Division was being deactivated.

Thomas Goligowski

Submitted by: Lieutenant Colonel Steven Goligowski (USA, Ret.) {Grandson}

Thomas Goligowski mug

Thomas Goligowski was born around 1888, Thomas Goligowski 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

My grandfather, Thomas Goligowski, was a 29 year-old farmer with a sixth-grade education living near Browerville, MN when he was drafted. He was inducted into the U.S. Army on 25 February 1918 and assigned to the 88th Division at Camp Dodge (Des Moines), Iowa for training. New soldiers were supposed to receive at least 3 months of training before deployment, but by April 20th he found himself at Camp Logan (Houston), Texas, assigned as an automatic rifleman in Company I, 130th Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Brigade, 33d Division. He was one of 6,080 soldiers transferred from Camp Dodge to the 33d Division to fill vacancies in the the 33d Division in preparation for deployment to France.

He was soon on the move again, traveling with his unit to Hoboken, NJ and departing on May 16th aboard the troop ship USS Agamemnon for France. They arrived at the port of Brest, France on May 24th.

After a short period of orientation and training the 33d Division conducted its first offensive action against German forces on July 4th, 1918 at Hamel, France. The division provided four companies of infantry fighting under Australian command. The division fought at the Somme (August-September 1918), Saint Mihiel (September 1918), and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (September-November 1918).

Kehar Singh

Submitted by: Tanveer Kalo

no photo 300 Kehar Singh born around 18973, Kehar Singh served in World War 1 with the the United States Army . The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

Private Kehar Singh was born in 1873 in Tusa , British India. He immigrated to the United States prior to 1918 and settled in Imperial, California. He worked as a laborer.

On July 12, 1918 Singh signed up for the draft. His draft card recorded his race as white and oriental.

Private Singh was assigned to Fort Eustis in Newport News, Virginia. At Fort Eustis, Singh applied for U.S. naturalization on October 9, 1918. He was assigned to Battery B of 46th Artillery Costal Artillery Corp.

Cornelius T. McCarthy

Submitted by: Frederica Templeton {granddaughter}

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Cornelius T. McCarthy served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known 1917-1919.

A Yankee Doctor on the Somme

By F. M. Templeton

Just days after the United States formally declared war on Germany in April 1917, Arthur Balfour, former prime minister of Great Britain, on meeting Dr. Franklin Martin, chair of the U.S. General Medical Board, in Washington, D.C., said with urgency “Send us doctors!”

In response to his urgent request, 1,300 American doctors out of thousands of volunteers were selected to serve with the British Expeditionary Forces as medical officers. My maternal grandfather was one of them.

Cornelius Theodore McCarthy enlisted in the U.S. Army Medical Reserve in August 1917 as a regimental medical officer and was commissioned as a first lieutenant. Over the next two years he would serve as a medical officer in France with the 36th Field Ambulance and the 9th Essex Battalion of the British Expeditionary Forces, and finally with the 27th Division of the American Expeditionary Forces.

Ten years after my grandfather's death in 1966, my aunt showed me a diary that had been found among his possessions. My astonishment was exceeded only by my joy. I begged to see it, promised to protect it with my life, and brought it away with me. Here, I thought, was my chance to know him in a completely unexpected way.