LiberAntonio Bonsanto

Submitted by: Jim Rosati {grandson}

LiberAntonio Bonsanto served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known 8 July 1918 to 9 July 1919.

 

He served with the 127th Engineers in France from September 1918 until July 1919. He never spoke a lot about it but I found out that he served honorably as a foreign national. The documents are the only thing we have as to his service.
 

 Update: June, 2017

Grandpa and World War I

Newly-released information through Ancestry, several emails to the U.S. Army Center of Military History, and the book, “Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the World War”, a more complete picture has emerged as to Grandpa's military service during World War 1.

 My previous facts were: Grandpa was living in Hoboken NJ with his brother and family, he was working at Owens and Troeyer, a box factory in Hoboken, NJ. The US entered WWI in April 1917. The selective service was started in May 1917 and Grandpa registered for the draft on June 5, 1917. He later drove for Weehawken Freight Hauling Co. driving into the Port of New York. He had received security clearance to do so. That was May 1918. He was drafted and inducted in July 1918 into the Army.

He is sent to France in September 1918. World War 1 ends on November 11, 1918. Grandpa is sent home in June 1919 and is honorably discharged from the Army at Ft. Dix in July 1919.

Not much to go on other than what has been documented in general World War 1 information and TV shows.

While doing a military inquiry in Ancestry, I found two documents that have shed a great deal of information. Both are U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939. An embarkation list and a returning from France list.

LiberAntonio Bonsanto Embarkation List DetailThe embarkation lists the following information, he was assigned to the 57th Engineers Company E inland waterways regiment. They were leaving Camp Merritt in New Jersey to go to France. Researching the 57th Engineers, I found that the regiment was established in 1918 at Camp Laurel in Maryland. The original regiment was sent overseas in June 1918, companies A,B,C,D from Camp Merritt. His company was sent in September.

The 57th Engineers were renamed the 57th Transportation Company regiment. His company was considered an S.O.S. company, Services of Supply. Duties were: services of the rear and line communications. wharf construction personnel, railway, forestry, labor and general construction.

He was part of a six phase buildup of almost 2 million additional supple-mental troops that General Pershing determined he needed. He was in Phase 3, a total of 52,000 troops.

On November 11, 1918, an armistice is declared and the fighting stops, ending World War 1.

 Sometime afterwards, Grandpa is re-assigned to the 129th Engineers. The 129th was organized in November 1918 at Camp Forrest, Ga. The 129th was designated as a construction regiment. Again, he was doing work required to send back to the US men and materials from France. From what I have determined, the 129th was not used in any great extent. The 129th was then re-assigned to Camp Merritt NJ.

He is assigned to return to the US, leaving on June 28th from the port of St. Nazaire, France.

He left on the ship U.S.S. Marica from St. Nazaire. The next day, the ship is photographed off the coast of France near Brest. That would put him on the ship coming home.

On July 15, 1919, he is honorably discharged from the military at Ft. Dix, NJ.

 

 

 

 

 

 LiberAntonio Bonsanto Return List detail

 LiberAntonio Bonsanto returns to the United States aboard USS Marcia