Amédee Poirier was born ion 2 January 1897 in New Bedford, Bristol, Massachusetts. His parents were Andre Poirier and Emélie Legere.[1]
At the outbreak of World War I, Amédee joined the United States Army and was assigned to the 26th Infantry Division. This division was formed on 18 July 1917 and activated the following month at the Massachusetts Military Reservation (today known as Camp Edwards) in Barnstable County, Massachusetts.[2][3] Nicknamed the "Yankee Division", the outfit was quickly deployed to Europe. The division arrived in Saint-Nazaire, France on 21 September as part of the American Expeditionary Force. Because most of the recruits were new to military service, they moved to Neufchâteau in Northeastern France for training. They spent their initial months in the field in a quiet sector of the Western Front before relieving the 1st Division near Saint-Mihiel on 3 April.
From this time the 26th Division experienced almost nightly encounters with ambush parties as well as constant harassing enemy artillery fire. Heavy bombardments and fighting occurred on 20 April, 27 May and 16 June. The Division was relieved on 28 June and moved by train to Meaux on the River Marne, but not before Amédee became one of the war's casualties.[4]
Amédee Poirier was Killed in Action on 24 June 1918 in France.[5] VFW Post 3260 Private A Poirier in New Bedford, Massachusetts is named after him. A cenotaph erected to his memory can be seen in the Sacred Heart New Cemetery in New Bedford, Massachusetts.[6]
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Categories: United States Army, World War I