Charles Hammett May (1897 - 1918)

Born 1 Jan 1897 in Sedalia, Pettis, Missouri, United States

Died 19 Jan 1918 at age 21 in Departement de l'Aisne, Picardie, France

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Carole Taylor [send private message]

Biography

Pvt Hammett May served in the United States Marine Corps in World War I
Service started: 1917
Unit(s): 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Division
Service ended: 8 April 1918 Died of Wounds received in Battle

Private Hammett May Died of Wounds during World War I.

Headstone Inscription

Plot Section 18, Site 1763

Charles Hammett May

Missouri

Pvt.

6 US Marine

Corps

2 Div.

July 19 1918

"The French government renamed the forest to "Bois de la Brigade de Marine" ("Wood of the Marine Brigade"), and

decorated both the 5th and 6th Regiments with the Croix de Guerre three times each. :This earned them the privilege to wear the fourragère, which Franklin D. Roosevelt, then Secretary of the Navy, authorized them to henceforth wear on the left shoulder of their dress and service uniforms.

"men were certified to wear the French fourragère as an individual decoration, per the Final Report of the Secretary of War, 1922." [1]

"The 2nd Division was three times awarded the French Croix de guerre for gallantry under fire at Belleau Wood, Soissons, and Blanc Mont."

From MOgenweb.gov

"MAY, Charles Hammett; Jan 1, 1897 - KIA July 19, 1918 (wounds rec'd); SN: 271965,

6th reg Interred: Unknown. Soldier's Mo. Awarded the French Fourragere (a unit citation, only one of three awarded individually to Americans in WWI).

This last statement does not appear to be correct, there were ::

"U.S. Army Adjutant General allowed these soldiers to wear the fourragère as an individual decoration regardless of future unit assignment—a very rare honor.

In total, 434 A.E.F. officers and men were certified to wear the French fourragère as an individual decoration

Charles was born in 1897.

1900 Washington Township Knobnester city Ward 1, Johnson, Missouri,

Age 3

Birth Date Dec 1898

Birthplace Missouri

Father's Birthplace Missouri---Mother's Birthplace Missouri

Edward May Head M 38 Missouri

Susan R May Wife F 34 Missouri

Wallace May Son M 8 Missouri

Hammet May Son M 3 Missouri

Cerilton May Son M 2 Missouri

Citing this Record

1910 Sedalia Ward 4, Pettis, Missouri

Age 13

Birth Year (Estimated) 1897

Birthplace Missouri

Father's Birthplace Missouri---Mother's Birthplace Missouri

Sheet Letter A---Sheet Number 7

Edward E May Head M 48 Missouri Real Estate

Years Married: 20

Susie R May Wife F 44 Missouri

Children: 4 / 4 living

Wallace E May Son M 18 Missouri

Hammett May Son M 13 Missouri

Chilton May Son M 11 Missouri

Rosalie May Daughter F 9 Missouri

Citing this Record

He passed away in 1918.

Sources

1. A Personal visit & photographed by: Taylor-25258 17:06, 12 June 2017 (UTC)
2. Pettis County, Missouri]
3. Find A Grave: Memorial #57192936 Created by: Anne Cady---Added: 17 Aug 2010
4. "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3Z8-GWL : accessed 18 September 2018), Cerilton May in household of Edward May, Washington Township Knobnester city Ward 1, Johnson, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 119, sheet 3B, family 80, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,868.
5. "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2B6-BX3 : accessed 18 September 2018), Hammett May in household of Edward E May, Sedalia Ward 4, Pettis, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 136, sheet 7A, family 136, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 801; FHL microfilm 1,374,814.
6. "No Word Since July of Sedalia Man Who Enlisted in St. Louis," St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri), 5 January 1919, page 7, column 6. Newspapers.com : accessed 18 September 2018.
7. "Casualty List: Died of Wounds," The Evening Missourian (Columbia, Missouri), 22 February 1919, page 2, column 2. Newspapers.com : accessed 18 September 2018.