52 Ancestors Week 47: Soldier

Question

Time for the next 52 Ancestors challenge!

Please share with us a profile of an ancestor or relative who matches this week's theme:

Soldier

From Amy Johnson Crow:

What discoveries have you made regarding ancestors who served in the military? What about an ancestor who tried to stay out of the military? You could also interpret it as someone who "soldiered on," always trying to reach a goal despite some hardships.

Share below!

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Comments

My wife's grandfather travelled around the world during his time in the US Army Air Corps during WWII.  

https://edovt.blogspot.com/2019/11/joseph-william-davidson-around-world-in.html

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My late Father William Ellis, from England U.K, served in the Army in WW2. He was a desert rat, a driver on supplies truck. Unfortunately he became a prisoner of war, sent to Stalag 1 or 2.

He survived, and came home to my late Mother.

He lived in Banwell Somerset. He died in 1986 aged 77. I am trying to find out his regiment.

Hoping someone can help, please

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For all with Soldier relatives, PLEASE register them in the Soldier Registry of the National Museum of the US Army at www.armyhistory.org (->Registries->Soldier Registry->Register a Soldier).  You can also send a picture electronically.  Then print out the entry (or order a plaque or brick). No charge for the entry.  I added some already but won't have time to do all.

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Please register Soldier relatives on the Soldier Registry of the National Museum of the US Army at www.armyhistory.org.  If you have problems doing so, email customerservice@armyhistory.org  for help.  Can send picture in electronically too.  No charge.

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Is that only possible for Army?  (My dad and great uncle were Army).  But not Navy or other branches (another great uncle was Navy; cousins were Marines.)

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Please, tell me where I can see the list and other documents (combat path) of American soldiers participating in world war 1?

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I'm not aware of any single source for that.  To research individuals, try archives.gov.

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Is something like that available for Canadian or British soldiers? Those are the forces mine served with.

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Sorry, I'm not familiar with similar registries maintained by other US Services or allies, although I believe some do have them.  Try their respective museum websites.

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Hi, thanks for the replies,

My Dad served with the British Army, not American.

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Hi Margaret

On Forces war records there are a potential 76 profiles to review

If you have any other details can you post I will take another look at the forces war records

Middle Name

Rank

Regiment

Service number

Answer 1

My great uncle's wife, Jeanette Lacroix, had twelve brothers and sisters. One of the youngest was Francis Herman Lacroix. He died in Italy in 1943, after having served in Ireland and Africa. Francis had time to do a few odd jobs at home in Iowa before he left the county to be a soldier. Farm hand, paper hanger... Maybe too he knew of a great place for dancing in Sioux City, maybe he had plans.

A Find A Grave volunteer has posted Francis' photo and obituary, so a big thank you to Robert Fahey and Dennis Johnson.

Answer 2

My relative Major Lemuel Abijah Abbott (on whose profile I've done some editing recently) clearly found his calling in the U.S. Army. After serving in the Union Army for most of the U.S. Civil War (and being seriously wounded), he became an officer in the United States Colored Infantry during Reconstruction, then continued his career as officer in the U.S. Cavalry in the west, in both peaceable interactions and armed conflicts with Native Americans. His published Civil War diary shows his passion for military service.

After retirement, he engaged in genealogy, publishing a massive Abbott genealogy. His profile has a very abbreviated version of the account he gave of his military career in that genealogy (I don't think I know enough about the military to correctly condense very much of what he wrote there).

He was my great-grandfather's cousin (first cousin 1X removed, if I remember correctly) and seems to have been both a fascinating and exasperating character for that branch of my family. I have a painting that he did (or possibly commissioned), and I think other family members have other heirlooms that came from him.

Comments

Interesting character.  I am unable to identify either of the medals he is wearing 

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Interesting about the medals. I've not found mention in his various autobiographical writings of his receiving any medals, although he does say that a couple of his compatriots received Medals of Honor for actions during the Civil War (I think for the Battle of Monocacy).

There's another photo of him with his medals at https://archive.org/details/personalrecollec00abbo/page/n7 -- maybe there's something recognizable in that image. I think he might have received insignia recognizing service in particular wars or campaigns.

Answer 3

My grandmother, Sarah had 11 children. This article, appeared in the Sacramento Bee 19 Oct 1940.  Her oldest son was 2 years over the draft limit. Forgive, as I am still chugging along on their profiles!

Comments

wow!!!

Answer 4

I have identified 15 of my bloodline ancestors and many, many non-bloodline ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War.

I have pretty good sources on 10 of them.  So far I have only submitted 3 to the SAR.  As time permits I may submit more?  All three submitted have been approved.  They are: William Humphrey ... Augustine Sims ... John Vertrees

Comments

WOW Bill, you go! ! I have 2 and they don't like either of them! :)

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Me Too! 6 (so far) from Nouvelle France & 6 (so far) from the Colonies!!! All cousins in the second and third and the DAR doesn't like them either, sad to say. But they are all patriots in the 'first' to me.

Answer 5

My father Vern served with the SeaBees (construction battalion) at Panama Canal during WWII. Since I can't afford the fees charged by Ancestry or Fold3, I've been unable to locate his military service record. I've posted a picture of him standing next to a Jeep in Panama on his profile. He never talked much about his war experience, but he was an excellent cook. Said he learned to cook while serving KP duty.

Dad was very creative and used his construction skills making artwork later in his life:

Comments

https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records

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Thanks Gordon, but I tried using that link in the past but was unsuccessful.

Answer 6

My grand uncle Pvt. Kyle McCleery was killed in action in WWI in the Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge on 10 Oct 1918. His body was never returned from France, and he is buried in the Muse-Argonne American Cemetery in France. My grandmother Pearl McCleery Lovelace told me that she grieved terribly over his death, because he was like her child. Their mother had died when he was six, and she raised him. I am his closest descendent, since he never had the opportunity to marry or have children. The only things I have are a few photos of his childhood, a photo of him with his brother, and this certificate from the State of Oklahoma. Nothing was ever returned to my grandmother or his father.

Comments

It is nice you have that certificate.

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Thank you SJ, I have wished I had a photo of Kyle in a WWI uniform. I used his brother for Week 10 Home Sweet Home.

Answer 7

My granduncle was in WWII somewhere in Ukraine when he went missing. We never found out if he died or somehow survived but didn't come back home.

Comments

Jelena, how terrible for your family to not know what happened to him.

Answer 8

One branch of my family I have recently been researching is the Glading family. The earliest ancestor I have confirmed is a William Glading from the area of Ware in Hertfordshire, England in the early 1700s. One of his descendants, also named William (born 1779) moved to Cornwall with his family and some of his descendants emigrated to Australia. My research has enabled me to connect several tree fragments on to the wider family because I started from the English ancestors and researched where they ended up whereas it appears some of the Australian descendants ran into brick walls trying to discover where their ancestors originated.

There are probably many soldiers in this family, but the one who caught my eye was Sergeant Walter Daniel Glading who died due to wounds sustained at Gallipoli during World War I. He was only 21 years old.

Answer 9

Soldiering through some tough times with my great-grandfather, Austin Felker: https://allroadhaverhill.blogspot.com/2019/11/52-ancestors-week-47-soldier.html

Answer 10

Achtung Wikikindern!

Ich habe schreiben ein profil für mein 5 zeiten urgrossvater Simon Schütz [[www.wikitree.com/wiki/Schütz-547]]. If he was a soldier I don't know.  I do know that in America the surname is often spelled Shoots.

Eowyn, I'm trying my best to do 52 different ancestral surnames in 52 weeks!  Only 5 to go!

Answer 11

I have many soldiers in my branches of the tree and I am proud of all of them.  This week I am honoring my 7x great grandfather, Capt. Thomas Lee who served in the American Revolution. 

Answer 12

While I am slowly adding my maternal relatives in Australia, to my tree, I find more and more of our brave soldiers who fought for our country. Here is another. Corporal Ronald Eugene Sullivan who fought in World War Two and passed away as a prisoner of war, in Borneo. 

Comments

Hi David,

We lost so many good soldiers during WWII and so many other wars and conflicts. I am sorry to read of your soldier's death as a POW in Borneo.

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Thank you Carol, yes we did. I am slowly working through them all. I keep wondering about photos. These relatives lived in New South Wales and I know not much about them.

Answer 13

I have two for soldiers. The first one is Darling Jones and his profile is https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Jones-76636.

Pvt. Carter's Co
Shelby's N.C. Regt.
Rev.War
10-9-1848

The D.A.R. has placed a marker to by his headstone, a Revolutionary War veteran.

About the time of the Revolution War, he was visiting his parents in Washington (now Carter) County on the "Doe River" when he was drafted for Revolutionary service. He stated in his pension application: "left Roans Creek, crossed Stone Mountain at the head of Watauga to the high hills of Santee and to the Santee Swamp where he joined Marion." He also stated in the Indian Wars with John Sevier. After the war, he moved his family to Washington County where he had a grant of 259 acres - Grant No.1073, July 11, 1794" on Brush Creek." (The land was actually in the present Asbury Community.)

Darling and Nancy Huff (his second wife) Jones lived in a cabin home located near the Clinchfield Railway and the Asbury Bridge. After Darling's death, Nancy continued to live in that home until her death. The cabin was moved at the efforts of a Mr. Miller to the Girl Scout Camp on Oakland Avenue, where it is used as an office building.

Darling Jones was buried near his home where his grave was marked by the DAR.

My second one is Franklin Lafayette Rominger and his profile is https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Rominger-118.

The National Archives Civil War records reveal that Franklin had enlisted in both the Confederacy on November 1, 1862 in Taylorsville, Tennessee ( which may have been conscript) and was listed as AWOL on the June to December 1863 Company Muster Roll of the (6th NC Cav) 65th Reg't Co. G North Carolina Volunteers only to surface again in Olney, Ill. on February 27, 1864 where he joined the 46th Reg't Illinois Infantry. He was listed as 22 years of age at this time putting his year of birth between 1842 and 1843. He is listed in Broadfoot Publishing Co.'s "The Roster of Confederate soldiers 1861 - 1865" as Frank Rominger. He is buried in the National Cemetery at Johnson City, Tennessee Section I grave 6 row 15.

Answer 14

Of the many soldiers in my ancestry, I selected Col. Loammi Baldwin (Baldwin-6646). Loammi Baldwin is my 1st cousin 6X removed. Loammi Baldwin was a Major in the 2nd Middlesex Co., Col. David Green's Regt., in service of the alarm of April 19, 1775, at Lexington and Concord. Soon after, he enlisted with Col. Samuel Garrish's Regt., rapidly advancing to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. When Col. Garrish retired from the army in August, 1775, Loammi was given command of the regiment, and later promoted to full Colonel. His regiment was originally the 38th, and consisted of eight companies, all of them stationed around Boston: four at Sewall's Point, Brookline, three at Chelsea, and one (Capt. Wood's company of Woburn) at Medford. On the extremely cold and snowy night of December 25, 1776, Col. Baldwin and his troops followed Washington when he recrossed the Delaware to the New Jersey side. The next morning at Trenton they surprised about 1000 Hessian troops. Washington emerged victorious, dealing a huge blow to the British, and lifting the American cause and spirit.

 In addition to his Revolutionary War service, cousin Loammi is known as the Father of American Civil Engineering and was responsible for the construction of the Middlesex Canal. He is also known for propagating the 'Baldwin' apple. I uploaded a reproduced engraving of Loammi Baldwin by A. H. Ritchie done in Boston in 1775. I photographed this replica at the ancestral home of Loammi's boyhood BFF, Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford. The Benjamin Thompson home is now a museum with countless historical Thompson, Baldwin and Woburn artifacts, including Thompson's development of invisible ink when he was a spy for the British!    

Comments

Great history Carol!

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Thanks SJ! How are you!

Answer 15

This week I would like to write about my 3rd great grandfather, Nicholas Dodge, Jr. who was a Pfc during the Revolutionary War. 

Nicholas enlisted as a private into the 1st Company, 1st Regiment, commanded by Col. Gilley.  He enlisted on 9 Mar 1781 in the town of Dunbarton in New Hampshire for a term of three years.  According to George M. Dodge, Nicholas served on the staff of General Washington as the New Hampshire Chief of Blacksmiths.

There is a story which comes from Charles Francis Dodge, Nicholas' great grandson.  Charles remembers "his father George Addison Dodge telling his children how he sat by the open fire and listened to tales of the Revolutionary War told by his Grandfather Nicholas Dodge, and how proud the old man was of the fact that he shod George Washintgon's horse."

Is this story true?  I don't know, but I'm sure it thrilled those who heard it.  The story continued down through time because I can remember my mother repeating it to me as a child.  She was not a Dodge by birth, but she heard the story from the Dodge family. 

Comments

Robin, thank you for sharing Nicholas’ story with George Washington’s horse; I am betting that it is true.

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Thanks Alexis.  The family always believed it -- too bad we haven't been able to prove it.

Answer 16

My greats grandfather Frederick Crofutt, had three sons. All three fought in the civil war. My direct ancestor Charles Henry Crofutt, I've talked about before. His brother William Chauncy Crofutt enlisted a couple of times in Pennsylvania, fought, mustered out and eventually filed for a pension. The third brother, James Lyman Crofutt, had a rather sad tale. He enlisted was placed aboard the gunboat USS Mound City. It was blown up. He left the ship (he claimed he was demented), and went home. He later enlisted for a second term. He had a pension, but later he was denied the pension. The desertion and accepting bounty money from the county caught up with him.  His letters are so pitiful and sad, it rather breaks my heart.

Answer 17

It is very moving to read everyone's story here.  Thank you very much for sharing them.

Answer 18

My dad's grandmother was always interested in joining the DAR but could never prove her lineage.  My dad was always interested, because while my mom has many ancestors that fought in the American Revolution, Dad only knew of possibly one.  It turned out to be a correct story-a cousin discovered that John Martin Coss's name was spelled John Martin Cort in his pension file.  The file yielded a treasure trove of information, and I just wish my great-grandma had been able to see it.

Answer 19

Tee hee, I have the perfect answer for this week!

My third great-grandfather was born Henry Goodrum, immigrating to New Zealand during the New Zealand Wars. He was a major brick wall for me because my second great-grandfather was named James Goodwin, and his father was listed as William Henry Goodwin.

Research from both myself and my cousin Lauren Bavin shows that Henry changed his name to William Henry Goodwin to avoid service in the Waikato Militia during the Wars; he previously served in the Wars elsewhere, but after moving to the Waikato he clearly decided that he wanted to leave the Wars behind and focus on his family.

Answer 20

Mr G-Grandfather John Birmingham was born into a poor family in London and joined the Army as a 'boy' aged just 14. He attained a 1st class education and went to Kneller Hall, finally becoming a Bandmaster.

He spent years in South Africa and India (where my grandmother was born and had wonderful childhood memories).

Upon retirement, after 40 years service, it was noted 'he is particularly good at training young hands'

He turned the family fortunes around!