World War I Veterans In Your Family Tree (father, Italian, test)

[PawleysDude]

My Grandfather was attacked with poison gas while serving in France and was shipped back home. He survived for about 12 years before dying from tuberculosis that was attributed to the effects of the gas. Much of that time was spent in a National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. I never knew him of course, but his service profoundly affected my life, having led directly to my mother's adoption.

Thank you GrandDad for you sacrifice. Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets, you served your time in hell.

[tamiznluv]

Originally Posted by Chava61

Recently I found out that three of my paternal grandmother's brothers served in WW1 in the US Navy. Have you found any family members/ancestors that did military service (in any country) during WW1? I thought it would be interesting to know as today is 100 years since the end of that war.

My maternal Grandfather was in WWI. He was a doughboy.

[Katarina Witt]

My maternal grandfather was a WW I era vet. He was drafted but did not go overseas. My paternal great uncle saw action in France.

[RichCapeCod]

Grandpa Sam (dad's father). Nose machine gunner in a flying boat in Florida (looking for subs), WWI. Survived at least one crash (liked to show me his scar from the accident).


Mom's dad, grandpa Ben. Doughboy WWI. Saw service in several battles. Raised three daughters as a cab driver in NYC.


Ben's discharge, showing battles he was in (tough to read).




Rich

[jtab4994]

At least one great-uncle of mine served in the US Army during WWI. He was on my mother's side. My maternal grandfather was too young to serve.


Nobody on my father's side served in the US forces during that war because they had all recently arrived on these shores and were married with small children, and I don't believe conscription for that war included married fathers.

[Bungalove]

My grandfather was in the Army during WWI. He spent 15 months as a POW in France and came home with a plate in his head after being shot. He suffered with terrible seizures for the rest of his life from his injuries.

[randomparent]

Originally Posted by SunGrins

Surprisingly, not many. Only my wife's grandfather served in the navy on a battleship (USS Kansas) and mostly did escort duty for convoys. Everyone else was born a little too early or late although I've seen draft registrations for others who were not called up.

Same here, and the one family group with a significant number of children between eighteen and thirty at the time had mostly daughters. I do have a lot of Civil War, Spanish-American War, and WWII vets in the family, but WWI fell in a crease that was mostly devoid of men the appropriate age.

[turkeydance]

as posted above....

1. the Spanish Flu limited US recruiting. my great uncle was supposed to go, but WW1 was over before the flu was.
2. "shut-mouth disease" affected lots of veterans. my other great uncle never-ever-never would say "World War One".

[brownbagg]

my great grandfather on my mom side was in wwi as a soldier on the british side. my mom was living in london during the bombing of london in ww11

[Steve McDonald]

Originally Posted by Chava61

Recently I found out that three of my paternal grandmother's brothers served in WW1 in the US Navy. Have you found any family members/ancestors that did military service (in any country) during WW1? I thought it would be interesting to know as today is 100 years since the end of that war.

My father was a gunnery sergeant in the Coast Artillery Corps during World War 1. His older brother went to Cuba during the Spanish American War, as a roughrider with Teddy Roosevelt. Their father, my grandfather, was in the Union Army during the Civil War. He earned citizenship and a square mile of land along the Columbia River, for his service. My father and his six brothers and sisters grew up in a log cabin in the wilderness, on that land.