Who was Corp. James Bethel Gresham? It’s been more than a century since his passing, but in 1917, his name was known nationwide. Gresham was the first American soldier to die in action in WWI. As Veterans Day approaches, we honor veterans like Gresham and many others who served their country. Their sacrifices need to be remembered, and their stories need to be told.
Discovering the details of our ancestors’ military service can be difficult. On July 12, 1973, a fire broke out at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, MO. It burned for 22 hours and destroyed 16-18 million military files. Records affected included 80% of Army files for Personnel discharged between November 1912 and January 1960 and 75% of Air Force files for Personnel discharged from September 1947 to January 1964.
Fold3 has worked closely with the National Archives and others to digitize over 350 million military records from WWI and WWII. These record sets are valuable resources for reconstructing details of your ancestor’s military service and preserving their story.
These collections revealed more about Corp. James Bethel Gresham. Born in a log cabin in Kentucky in 1893, Gresham was the son of a Civil War Veteran. He enlisted in the US Army in 1914. Initially, the Army worried that Gresham was too small to carry a heavy Army pack. Gresham begged for the chance to serve, and they relented. In June 1917, he arrived in France with the 16th Infantry, Company F. On the morning of November 3, 1917, Gresham was entrenched near Artois, France, with two other Americans when German forces attacked and killed all three. The Americans were buried near the battlefield.
Following Gresham’s death in 1917, his mother became America’s first Gold Star mother. The tradition of hanging a banner with stars for each immediate family member in military service began during WWI. If a family member died, the blue star was replaced with a gold star. In 1921, Gresham’s remains were returned to the US, and he was laid to rest in Evansville, Indiana.
Each veteran has a story worth remembering. This Veterans Day, we invite you to discover your veteran’s story. Explore our record collections and create a Fold3 Memorial to honor those who served. Attach records, stories, photographs, journal entries, and more to create a lasting tribute.
Discover your veteran’s story on Fold3 today!
James Lovett Piland, Army, 142d Inf. Regiment TNG 36th Division. Served in WW 2 as Recon Scout in EAME Campaign, earning Purple Heartin battle for Rome. Sadly he was buried in an unmarked grave! However, with the help of the Patriot Guards, American Legion & VFW this is being resolved in an Honor Ceremony very soon. I’m his step-daughter!
I recently learned that my brother’s army records were distroved in that fire. Fortunately I had his discharge paper to show his years of service and hopefully it is enough to help him get benefits.
He is 90 years olds now
I was very fortunate to finally get my father’s records ten years ago after three requests. I finally demanded through the Freedom of Information Act all of his records. It looks like the archives staff didn’t want dig through the surviving dirty records for his files. Some show singed marks and holes like they were partially burned. I was fortunate and truly appreciate the efforts of the archives staff.
May they rest in peace and honor.
My husband‘s father served in the Coast Guard in the Asiatic Pacific in WWII. I have his discharge papers but can’t find any records past 1941 on fold3. Same for my father, who was a paratrooper with the 517th regiment of the 82nd airborne in World War II, part of Operation Dragoon. No records. Any tips?
Your father’s service may be documented in local newspapers. Have you looked there? If not, try Newspapers.com or call the library where your father lived at the time he entered the service. They may have a file on men from that area who served or may have information on his unit.
According to some research that I did, Merle David Hay was listed as one of the three Americans killed on Nov. 3, 1917. He was initially buried in France and then re-interred near his home town of Glidden, IA. The information suggested he might have been the first American killed in WWI, but he was definitely the first Iowan to die. An 8′ monument is erected at his resting place. I have seen the monument several times on my way west on Hwy. 30 but have never stopped. I will definitely stop on my next trip past Glidden. A major street through Des Moines is named after Merle Hay and also a shopping mall. (There were several articles from various sources about him in my Google search.)
I am a 100 year old WWII veteran with a story to tell, I was born 1923, joined the Jr Naval Reserve at age 13, enlisted US Navy Jan 1941, My father was in WWI, my sister was a WAC Air Cadet in WWII, my son was in the Navy on a submarine. I was on several ships, for invasions of Africa, France, Guadalcanal, Philippines Iwo Jima, Ryukas, Okinawa, cold war, & in 2 squadrons. For 65 years I couldn’t talk about the war, now I can’t stop. I kept a diary, now 85 pages. are you interested, with pictures.
Dear Mr. Miller, It’s an honor to hear about your memories. We can help you create a Fold3 Memorial and attach your memoirs, photos, or anything else you would like to add. I will message you privately.
You might also consider contributing to The Veterans History Project: https://www.loc.gov/programs/veterans-history-project/about-this-program/
Thank you for your service