World War I Veterans In Your Family Tree

[residinghere2007]

Yes, I've recently discovered a 2nd-3rd cousins who served (thought for a while he was a 2nd great uncle but found his burial information via our local cemetery and his mother was listed as a 2nd great aunt of mine, who I thought was his sister! So he's a cousin - his name had been spelled incorrectly and he had an extra surname that I didn't know about in the cemetery record; however, it was confirmed to be him because his wife signed all the burial/headstone information and stated she was his wife in the cemetery's records. I have his marriage info and the wife matches - she had a unique name).

I've been surprised to not have found anymore to confirm that are directly related to me. But I have found a few Spanish/American war veterans as well, which was more surprising and I have a lot of WW1 vets related via marriage.

Interestingly, I have more Civil War vets than any other conflict in American history that are directly related to me. Research I've done and collaborated with others about shows that 75-80% of black men joined the US Colored Troops once they were allowed to fight in the "free" states. In most of my "free" lines before the Civil War every age eligible man in the family served from age 16 through 60!

It was very shocking because I'd never known other than the Glory movie that there were so many black troops or how important it was seen in black communities during that era for black people to join the war effort. Eight of my relatives, including two 3rd great grandfathers, actually came down from Canada and joined.

[RDM66]

Originally Posted by historyfan

Yes, my grandfather & great uncle both served in WWI. This was the time of the Spanish flu epidemic and many aboard the US troop ships going to Europe died before they even got to the war zone.

I have a tragic incident in my tree related to WWI and the Spanish flu: A branch of my g-g-g-grandmother's family moved from a small town in Missouri to small town near an Army base in Colorado shortly before the war. --Many of the Army bases were breeding grounds for the flu.

In 1918, the whole family contracted the Spanish flu. In matter of three weeks, the mother and four of the children (all sons) died one after another only days apart. Only the father and his 3-year-old daughter survived.

I cannot image the grief! --To lose your wife and four children in a matter of three weeks! It's heartbreaking!

[aries63]

My grandfather took part in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in WWI. After the war he developed a bad stutter so that he talked very little. It was called "shell shock". I remember him as a quiet man who enjoyed smoking his cigar and reflecting in his chair, he would blow smoke rings when we grandkids asked him. He taught me how to play pool at the pool table in his basement. He was a very modest man and never flaunted his service or participated in veteran activities.

I remember another story, that when my grandfather tried to enlist, he didn't weigh enough. He went on a diet of walnuts and bananas to gain weight until he was accepted into the Army.

[jeffdoorgunner]

my paternal grand father just before he shipped out. He is the one with the rifle.