Louis Carlton Webster
Submitted by: Peggy Durack (granddaughter)
Louis Carlton Webster served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known April 3, 1918 - June 7, 1919.
My grandfather was born and grew up on the farm that had been in his family for 200 years, the legacy of a Revolutionary War veteran who moved from Massachusetts to settle in Ontario County, NY. Grandpa graduated from Cornell University in 1915 with the degree Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and had begun his own veterinary practice when World War I began. When I learned that he served during the war, I believed that he was in the Army Veterinary Corps, but his service record tells a different story.
Known as "Carlton" (his middle name) to his sister, "L. C." (his initials) to some, most called my grandfather "Doc" Webster. He was 'Grandpa Doc' to me and 'Uncle Doc' to his nieces and nephews. Doc enlisted on April 3rd, 1918 and wrote two letters to the Clyde, NY Times which were published that April and explained his experiences getting to, and the induction process, at Camp Dix, NJ (now Fort Dix). They are light-hearted and express his readiness for "new adventures."
Daniel R. Warvel and his brother Ira W. Warvel
Submitted by: Lana Lease-Johnston (Granddaughter and WWI Centennial Commission Volunteer!)
Daniel R. Warvel and his brother Ira W. Warvel served in World War 1 with the the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known 10-1917 through 5-19-1919.
My Grandfather Daniel R. Warvel (right) served with his younger brother Ira (left) in WWI. Daniel served in the 128th Infantry, Company M. He served with the Red Arrow Division in the Aisne-Marne Offensive, Oise-Aisne Offensive, and the Muese-Argonne Offensive. The Red Arrow Division was the division known to finally break the last stronghold of the German forces, causing their ultimate surrender.
Not much is known of my grandfather's brother, Ira but he did return home after the war. My grandfather's history is very well known to me as I have his daily journal and letters written home and this is how I got to know him. What follows is a short story of how I became interested in my grandfather.
Daniel Thomas Murie
Submitted by: Muriel Ellis Parrish
Daniel Thomas Murie served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known 26 Apr 1918 - 3 Jun 1919.
Daniel Thomas Murie aka Thomas Daniel Murie was a private in the 89th Inf Div, 177th Inf Brig, 354th Inf Reg, 3rd Inf Batt, Co I during combat and when the war ended he was a Corporal in Co C of the Army of the Occupation.
His enlistment record said he participated in the Lucey Sector engagement, St Mihiel Offensive, Euvezin Sector and Meuse Argonne Offensive. He knowledge was listed as mechanic, with excellent character and service remarks of honest and faithful with no AWOL or absence without leave.
He was gassed in the trenches while fighting Aug 7-8, 1918. He loved to tell war stories to Jack Ellis, his son in law and Robert Parrish the husband of his granddaughter. He wore tropical worsted wool pants and shirts from the army surplus stores the rest of his life. He said they kept you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. He always had Juicy Fruit gum to give to his grandchildren and a silver dollar was always a present on birthdays and at Christmas. He collected poems and had amassed a huge collection of them at his death.
He was born on 17 Feb 1893 in Sheridan, WY and died on 7 Nov 1975 in Reno, NV. He was married to Gladys Myrtle Jones on 9 Nov 1917 in Greeley, CO. He was one of 13 children born to John Murie, born in 1846 in Lanark, Scotland and Julia Kelly born in Clare County, Ireland. John Murie immigrated to America at the age of 6 weeks in 1846 with three other brothers under the age of four with his father, Peter Murie and mother Ann Allen. This family's contribution was significant to the opening of the west on the Overland Trails.
Martin Theodore Mathisen
Submitted by: Victoria L. Nilsen
Martin Theodore Mathisen served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known 05/28/1918-06-05/1919.
Martin Theodore Mathisen was born 5 November 1889 in Brooklyn, New York to Norwegian immigrants Edvard Mathisen and Amalia Cathrine Pedersen. At the time of his draft registration in June 1917, the 28-year-old was working as an investigator for the New York Railways Company in Manhattan.
Family lore described Martin as deeply patriotic but someone who also felt a conscientious objection to war. “Religion” was cited as the reason for exemption from service on his June 1917 draft registration card. Despite this request, he received induction papers to report to duty on May 28th, 1918 at the Local Board Division #43 in Brooklyn.
Some accommodation may have been made for his convictions. After spending a few weeks at Camp Upton, New York where he received vaccinations and some drill training, he was sent to Camp Meade, Maryland where he and was assigned to the 313th Infantry, Co. K of the 157th Brigade and the 79th Division commanded by Major General Joseph E Kuhn. Shortly after this assignment he was transferred to the 313th Sanitary Detachment to provide first aid to the wounded.
Martin endeavored to keep the memories of his time in France alive by keeping notes about his daily life. He transferred those notes into diaries where he detailed his activities. He also compiled a scrap book containing more notes, post cards, and pictures which he ordered from the war photographer M.C. Sparks. This compilation of memories provides a glimpse of his experiences as a medic during the Meuse-Argonne offensive.
Sgt Willard Tompkins
Submitted by: Leland E Tompkins (son)
Sgt Willard Tompkins served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known 21 Dec 1910 - 3 Oct 1919.
Willard Tompkins was my father and born in 1890 in England. He grew up in the state of Maine, U.S. He enlisted at Fort Wright, New York 21 Dec 1910. He was in the Coast Artillery and spent most of his time working on small boats for Harbor Defense around New York. He made Corporal in Oct 1912 and Sgt on 1 Aug 1917.
In 1917 he was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division with the Ammunition Train. He and his unit moved as the Division did maintaining a flow of all types of munitions to the units. NCO's on motorcycles lead trucks into the units where they delivered the munitions. Also, NCO's where in charge of movements without officers at times.
Sgt Tompkins had worked on engines on boats and vehicles so he worked on the vehicles often along with unit mechanics.
After 11 Nov 1918 Sgt Tompkins was transferred to the 13th Infantry and performed occupation duties with that unit until it returned to the U.S. in Sept 1919 . My father separated from the Army at Camp Dix, NJ 3 Oct 1919.
William Seach
Submitted by: William "Bill" Seach (grandson)
William Seach served in World War 1 with the United States Navy.
William Seach was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his service in China during the Boxer Rebellion, prior to World War I. When he died in 1978, he was the oldest. and longest-living, recipient of the Medal of Honor, and the last surviving US veteran of the Boxer Rebellion to receive the medal. His story was shared with us by his namesake grandson, Bill Seach:
During WW I, William Seach was Gunnery Officer on board Troop Transport U.S. Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln was torpedoed/ sunk May 31, 1918 by the German submarine U-90. Lt Seach was wounded, but taken on board and briefly made a prisoner aboard the U-90. The German U-Boat crew had no idea they had captured a Medal of Honor recipient.
James A. Mitman
Submitted by: Roger Cook
James A. Mitman served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known 9/1917 to 4/1919.
Enlisted as a cook in the Yankee Division (26th). Lived in Danville, Illinois. He was gassed during his service and spent the rest of his life in and out of Disabled Veterans Homes.
Lt. Edward Cedric Harris
Submitted by: N. Larry Rozier
Lt. Edward Cedric Harris served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known April, 1917 - Nov. 11, 1918.
He served with a Machine Gun Company, 81st Div., 321st Inf. When his unit came under fire, he carried a machine gun through the wire and came under fire from 3 enemy machine guns. He was fatally wounded on Nov. 11, 1918. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and The Croix de Guerre from France.
Martin Booterbaugh
Submitted by: Raymond Schaffranek
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Martin Booterbaugh served in World War 1 with the United States Marine Corps. The dates of service are: Known May 19, 1917 to June 20, 1919.
Martin Samuel Booterbaugh was born on January 31, 1895, in Mark Hanna, near the town of Ashville in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. He was the fourth of eleven children born to John Booterbaugh and Louisa McDermott. The Booterbaugh (aka Butterbaugh) family has a long history of military service dating back to the Civil War. Martin’s Grandfather Samuel Butterbaugh served two enlistments during the Civil War as a Pennsylvania volunteer in the Army of the Potomac, first with the 125th Infantry Regiment at the Battles of Antietam and Chancellorsville and then with the 208th Infantry Regiment in the siege of Petersburg and in the Appomattox Campaign. So it comes as no surprise that Martin would step forward to serve his country during WWI.