Toney Guzman

Submitted by: Alan Leventhal, Tribal Ethnohistorian, Muwekma Ohlone Tribe

Toney Guzman born January 15, 1890, Toney Guzman 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 Antonio (Toney) Guzman

U.S. Army, Battery F, 347th Field Artillery Regiment, 91st Division, American Expeditionary Force.

Toney Guzman was born on March 27, 1890 either in Centerville or on the Niles Rancheria. He was the son of Muwekma Indians Francisca Nonessa and Jose Guzman. Toney enlisted in the U.S. Army and he fought in the Meuse-Argonne (September 26 to October 8, 1918), Ypres-Lys, and Lorraine campaigns in France.

Toney served in the Army from April 29, 1918 and was honorably discharged at the San Francisco Presidio on April 26, 1919.

The 91st Division was known as the "Wild West Division." The Division's shoulder patch was a green fir tree referring to its origin at Camp Lewis in the Pacific Northwest. The Division was deployed to France in August, 1918 and fought with great distinction.

In the Ypres-Lys campaign, the Division served in the Flanders Army Group, under the command of the King of Belgium. The Division was headquartered adjacent to Flanders Field. Five members of the Division earned the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The 347th Field Artillery Regiment was assigned 4.7" inch guns, and the 91st Division received the following Victory Medal Clasps: Ypres-Lys, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne and Defensive Sector. In October 1931, Toney Guzman and his brothers, enrolled with the Bureau of Indian Affairs under their mother's BIA Application #10293. On his WW II Registration Card dated April 27, 1942, Toney was identified as "Indian".

Toney passed away on October 8, 1948 and was buried on October 12, 1948 at the Golden Gate National Cemetery (Section J, Grave 254).