Sgt. Thomas Wegimont, Battery B

Sergeant Thomas Wegimont, Jr. was a member of Battery B, 50th Artillery, C.A.C. and sailed to France during WWI with the 50th Artillery but did not see any combat on the front lines as his unit had arrived too late in the war.

Thomas Wegimont, Jr. was the first-born son to Jeanne and Thomas Wegimont, Sr. Thomas, Jr. was born in Dison, Belgium, which is located in Liege Province about 13-miles west of the Belgium-Germany border. Thomas, Jr. was born on June 8, 1895 in Dison, Belgium. By 1905 the Wegimont children in Belgium consisted of eldest son Thomas, Jr; daughters Gennie, Lousie, sons John, Louis and Henry.

In 1905 Thomas, Sr. and his wife Jeanne decided to come to America, likely in search of better work. On August 29, 1905 Thomas, Sr and his wife Jeanne and six children arrived in New York Harbor and set foot in America for the first time.

The Wegimont family then settled in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The reasons they had chosen Woonsocket may have been due to the fact that the French Worsted Company had a large Worsted wool mill there. Several French investors had come to Woonsocket and started the mill about late 1905 and early 1906, and it may have been for this reason that the Wegimont’s arrived in Woonsocket. Worsted wool fabric is typically used in the making of tailored garments such as suits, as opposed to woolen wool, which is used for knitted items such as sweaters.

There in Woonsocket the French Worsted Company would build a complex of sixteen brick buildings to house the mill complex in and would operate the mill until it closed in 1969. In the 1910 Federal Census the Wegimont family was listed as living on Adams Street in Woonsocket. Adams Street was only about a mile north of the mill complex on the north side of the Blackstone River.

In 1908 Frank was the first American born in the Wegimont family. On November 11, 1911 the Belgian born Wegimont’s were all Naturalized by the United States Circuit in Providence, Rhode Island.

It was about the same time that Thomas, Jr. enlisted into the Rhode Island National Guard and served with the 6th Company Coast Artillery Corps from 1911 through 1917. His rank was Private during this time. The 6th Company served at Ft. Greble, Rhode Island, and also later functioned as the 1st Company at Ft. Adams, Rhode Island.When Thomas, Jr. was 21-years old he registered for the draft during WWI on June 5, 1917 during the first call-up. At the time he was married and living at 118 Hebert Ave in Woonsocket. He was working for the French Worsted Company, which may have also been known as the Lafayette Worsted Company, as a spinner on a mule spinning machine in the mill. Thomas was a tall slender man with blue eyes and light sandy hair.

When the 50th Artillery was formed in July of 1918, Thomas Wegimont who had already served 6-years in the Coast Artillery was a prime candidate and was assigned to the 50th Artillery serving in Battery B as a Corporal. By the time the 50th was fully formed and ready to sail to France in October of 1918, his home was located at 256 Gaulin Ave in Woonsocket.

On October 7, 1918 Corporal Thomas Wegimont service No. 589259 of Battery B listed his wife Jeanne as his person to contact in case of an emergency. The Italian liner SS America sailed out of Newport News, Virginia for France and Cpl. Wegimont and the rest of the 50th Artillery began the great adventure, of what fate they could not be certain of when they arrived in France. That fate played it hand and nearly a week after they arrived the war had ended.

On January 30, 1919, Wegimont, who had by then promoted to Sergeant when aboard the American Cruiser USS Charleston at Brest, France and the sailed back for home. On February 14, 1919 they arrived in Hoboken New Jersey and touched American soil again. Sgt. Wegimont was then Honorably Discharged from Active Service at Camp Dix, New Jersey during the month of March 1919.

Thomas Wegimont in January of 1920 was living in his parents’ home on Hebert Ave, in Woonsocket, but he was listed as being married but his wife was not listed on the census form as living at that address. It is assumed that the marriage of Thomas and Jeanne had ended or at the least they split up and were not living together at the time. There were seven Wegimont’s living in the home at the time, three of which were working at the French Worsted Mill.

During the summer of 1927 Thomas, Sr, his wife and Thomas, Jr. and Georgette Weigmont who was then 18-years old and was Thomas, Jr’s youngest sister traveled to Belgium, likely to visit family. This is known from a passenger manifest from the SS Arabic arriving in New York Harbor on July 11, 1927. The SS Arabic had come from Antwerp, Belgium on July 1, 1927. The address of all four of the Wegimont’s was listed as No. 60 Hebert Ave, in Woonsocket.

SS Arabic was a passenger steamship launched in 1908 as the SS Berlin and was built by the A.G. Weser shipbuilding company in Germany. In 1920 she was purchased by the White Star Line, based in Liverpool and was refitted in Portsmouth, England. She was then renamed the SS Arabic. In September of 1921 she made her maiden voyage as a White Star Line ship, via the Southampton to New York route. Later in October of 1926 Arabic made her first voyage under charter to the Red Star Line and resumed doing so until 1930 on the Hamburg, Germany to New York route.

About a year after his return from Belgium in the summer of 1927, Thomas Wegimont, Jr. passed away on June 1, 1928 of unknown causes. He was buried in the Precious Blood Cemetery in Woonsocket. When the Wegimont family lived on Adams Street back when they first came to Woonsocket, Adams Street ran into the Precious Blood Cemetery. Today Thomas, Jr. is buried with his mother and father.

On July 5, 1928, Thomas Wegimont, Sr. filled out an application with the War Department to have a military gravestone placed upon his son’s grave.

Bugler Joseph D’Elia

Robert C. Flood shared this photo of his grandfather, Joseph D'Elia who was a Bugler in the 50th Artillery CAC during WWI. Joseph was born in New York on April 29, 1901 and was only about 17 when he enlisted into the Army. After the war he returned to live in the Bronx, New York with his parents Angelo and Rose D'Elia in their rented home at 1730 Webster Ave. in the Bronx. Also in the home at the time were Joseph's sisters Louise, Hrinetta and virginia and his younger brother Charles. Joseph would later become a New York City Police Officer and died on January 24, 1952.

Dana Oren Clark, Battery C

Diane Clark Smith of Seattle, Washington relates about her grandfather Dana O. Clark:

I have no memory of my grandfather talking about his experiences during the war. He belonged to the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars organizations. I do remember many trips to the Legion with my dad to see grandpa and watch the dancing. 
Dana Oren Clark was born in Towanda, McLean County, Illinois on November 5, 1899. He was 17 years old when he enlisted so his father, Oren Clark, had to sign for him. His first rank was Private and he received a promotion to Corporal. Dana left the United States on October 7, 1918 from Camp Stuart, Newport News, Virginia; arrived in Brest, France on October 21, 1918. His record says he "passed through gas on August 31, 1918". Left France on the USS Seattle on February 1, 1919, arrived Hoboken, New Jersey February 13, 1919. He was discharged from Camp Grant, Illinois on March 1, 1919.

Dana Oren Clark was a farmer in McLean County, Illinois growing corn in the rich soil. He had hogs and a few cows. He liked to go to Chicago to the horse races and try his luck. In his older years he had a Doberman Pincher, named Puppy, that went with him everywhere.  He died in Bloomington, Illinois on June 26, 1967 and is buried in Park Hill Cemetery in the military section. He married Rose Falkingham after his discharge from the army in 1919; my father, Dana Andrew Clark was their only child. At his death he was married to Helen Sophia Noel. She is also buried in Park Hill Cemetery.

Private, John Lacey Febuary, Battery F

John Lacey Febuary was born on July 2, 1900 in Roan Mountain, Tennessee and passed away on March 14, 1966 in Tampa, Florida. He is buried in the Happy Valley Cemetery in Johnson City, Tennessee. He married Edith Davis on February 16, 1922. His father's name was William A. Febuary and his mother's maiden name was Margaret C. Renfro. John enlisted into the Army at Knoxville, Tennessee on June 18, 1918 and was a teamster before the war. He was discharged from the Army on March 1, 1919 at Camp Zachary Taylor.

Corporal Walter W. Lancaster

The son of T. H. Lancaster od Kearney, Nebraska enteren the Army at Jefferson Barracks, MO., on 7 March 1918. Assigned to the Coast Artillery Corps at Ft. Totten, New York and as the 50th Artillery was fromed moved to Camp Eustis, Virginia. He was discharged from the Army on 27th February 1919.

Captain Hugh A. Ramsey

He was born 31 December 1890 in Lisbon, Ohio went to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Upon graduation he was commissioned a Second Lt. in the Army. On 6 April 1917 he was made 1st Lt. in the regular Army and on 5 August was appointed Temporary grade of Captain. On 12 October 1917 he recieved from the Regular Army a permanite grade of Captain. He was assigned to the 50th Artillery, C.A.C. and sailed with the 50th Artillery on 7 October 1918 and served with them until he was again reassigned to the 39th Artillery Brigade, C.A.C. He remained in France after the 39th Artillery Brigade returned and he returned to the states on 11 July 1919 and was discharged from his Emergency Commission only on 19 April 1920 and reverted to his Regular Army Status. During 1917-1920 he served at the following posts and stations: Ft. Revere, MA; Ft. Banks, MA; Camp Eustis VA; AEF France; Camp Grant, IL.

Jens H. V. Nelson, Battery B

Chris Stensgaard the grandson of Jens H. V. Nelson contacted me and shared this about his grandfather. Chris has his grandfathers uniform, mess kit, dog tags and other items form his WWI service with Battery B, 50th Artillery. Jens H. V. Nelson enlisted into the army in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25th, 1918. He was part of Battery B, 50th Artillery, C.A.C., and sailed from the United States with the 50th Artillery on October 7th, 1918. He arrived home on February 14th, 1919 and was later discharged at Camp Dodge, Iowa on February 27th, 1919.

Cpl. Walter E. Champion, Supply Company

Walter E. Champion was born 13 March 1892 in Gilmer County, GA. He entered the Army on August 12, 1914 and was assigned to the 6th Co. Coast Defenses Narragansett Bay, stationed at Fort Greble, Rhode Island. He would serve with the 6th Company at Fort Greble until America entered into the war in 1917. Corporal Walter Champion was transferred into the newly formed 50th Artillery, CAC for overseas duty. Cpl. Champion sailed overseas with the 50th Artillery on October 7, 1918 outbound from New Port News, VA aboard the SS America for France.

The 50th Artillery arrived in France late in the war and their training had not yet begun when the war ended, and they did not see combat. Corporal Champion returned to the States on February 13, 1919, and remained on active duty in the 6th Company, CAC. At Fort Greble. Champion was advanced to Sergeant and was Honorably Discharged from service on July 20, 1920.

Returning to civilian life Walter Champion married Vitaline Fortin (1886-1956) in Detroit, MI on September 4, 1920. They lived in Detroit and had one daughter, Pearl Ruth Champion (1924-1954). Not much else is known about Walter's life except he was treated at the VA Hospital from June 28, 1940 until his death on May3, 1964. He was buried in the Dayton National Cemetery.

Sgt. Walter E. Champion’s grave marker in the Dayton National Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio

PFC Samuel Bierman, HQ Company

Brock Bierman's Grandfather Samuel Robert Bierman, served in the Headquarters Company of the 50th Artillery, C.A.C. during World War I. Samuel Bierman was born in Soroka, Moldova on December 2, 1890. He immigrated with his family to the United States on May 26th, 1906 and he died on May 16th 1965. It was said that as soon as Sam got off boat and arrived in New York, he never talked about the old country again, at least no voluntarily and he learned English, worked hard and became a naturalized citizen in 1910. Samuel Bierman’s first priority was his new country and being an American.

He lived in Brooklyn, went to NYU and studied engineering after which he started his own company until he sold it when he retired. Sam was married and her name was Irene and together they had 3 children. Sam was elected Tax Assessor for a short time during his retired years and served in a leadership position with the American Legion.

Pvt. 1c Sam Bierman, service #599751 entered the army in Brooklyn, New York on June 5, 1918 and was honorably discharged on February 24, 1919. In December of 1918 while in Brest, France Sam Bierman wrote to his wife Irene and below in a transcript of the letter.