REMEMBER - HONOR - PRESERVE

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Alex Harris
 Alex Harris  
   

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WW I Flag Charles Henry McKamey was born on July 4, 1896 in Greensville, Virginia. He was a son of Charles and Ada Harris McKamey.

Charles was inducted into the U.S. Army during World War I on October 27, 1917 in Steelton. He was assigned to Wagoneer Supply Company 368th Infantry 92nd Division, a segregated division of the Army that served in both world wars. He was first stationed at Camp George G. Meade in Maryland, a training site for more than 400,000 soldiers during World War I.

From June 27, 1917 to February 15, 1919, Charles served in active duty in France but was never injured in service. On Dec. 15, 1917, he was promoted to the rank of wagoner, which was equivalent to a truck driver in World War II when trucks and tanks replaced horses and wagons in the Army.

Charles was honorably discharged from the Army on March 4, 1919 at Camp Meade. By 1920, he was working as a driver while living at 66 Adams Street in Steelton. For the 1930 U.S. Census, he was listed at the same address while working at Pocket Billiards and as a private chauffer.

Charles McKamey died after a six-month bout with lung cancer on Feb. 5, 1951. He was 54 years old.

Charles H McKamey
   
   
   

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WW I Flag Dan Fordham was born on October 10, 1899 in Macon, Georgia. His father's name was Racker Forham, but his mother's name was alternately listed as Della, Ella or Lizzie Fordham, depending on the source.

Dan enlisted in the U.S. Army on Nov. 20, 1917. He was stationed in the Company M 303rd Stevedore Operations that was established by the Army for moving supplies through ports as part of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.

The American Expeditionary Forces were the fighting men of the U.S. Army during World War I. It was established on July 1, 1917, in France, fighting with the armies of France, Great Britain and Australia on the Western Front against the German Empire. A small amount of AEF troops fought with the Italian Army against the Austro-Hungarian Army.

After that, Dan was transferred to the 852nd Company Transportation Corp. He served overseas from Dec. 26, 1917 to July 6, 1919 with no reported injuries. He departed France with his company on July 1, 1919 on the ship Great Northern. They arrived at Hoboken, New Jersey on July 6. Dan was honorably discharged from the Army private first class on July 12, 1919 at Fort Dix, New Jersey. At that time, his home address was 547 Third Street in Steelton.

On Feb. 1, 1934, Dan applied for veteran's compensation. At that time, he lived at 658 Broad Street in Harrisburg, but his wife Mary Green Fordham and sons Junior and Wilbur Fordham were noted as living in Millerstown, Pennsylvania.

Dan Fordham died on March 9, 1937. He was 39 years old and was living at 627 Hamilton Street in Harrisburg. He was noted as a laborer who was unemployed. He lost his life at a relatively young age from coronary disease.

 

History Card #272

WW I Flag Artillery Foster was born around 1892 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was inducted into the U.S. Army during World War I on October 27, 1917. At that time, his address was listed as 516 North Parrish Street in Baltimore. Artillery was assigned to the Battery B 351st Field Artillery of the 92nd Division.

The 92nd Division was a segregated infantry division of the U.S. Army that served in World War I and World War II. It was first organized at Camp Funston, Kansas with African American soldiers from across the nation in October 1917 after the U.S. entered World War I. Although there is no available record of Artillery's service, it is recorded that many of the 351st Field Artillery of the 92nd Division served overseas in active duty around France.

Artillery was honorably discharged as an Army private on January 21, 1918. His discharge status is listed as SCD, an acronym for service-connected disability. It appears that Artillery was discharged before the end of the war because he was injured in service. He was decorated with the Serbian Order of St. Sava.

Between July 9, 1918 and July 1, 1922, Congress permitted members of the U.S. military who served in the World War I to accept and wear certain foreign decorations. Various nations allied or associated with the United States during World War I awarded a total of 18,019 decorations to officers and enlisted men of the U.S. Army, members of American welfare organizations, and American civilians connected in some service to the Allied cause. This included 19 U.S. recipients of the Serbian Order of St. Sava.

Records of Artillery Foster's life after service to his country are scarce. An Artillery Foster born about 1887 � five years earlier than in his Maryland military records � was married to Mary Fields on Dec. 22, 1935 in Wilmington, Delaware. It is not immediately known when or if he lived in Steelton.

Not long after his death on July 9, 1938, an application for Artillery Foster's military headstone was submitted to the Dauphin County Commissioners. The headstone was shipped by train at government expense from Lee, Massachusetts on May 17, 1939.

 

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WW I Flag Arry Ulysess Wise was born Oct. 9, 1896 in Shenandoah, Virginia to Grant and Lottie Wilson Wise. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I. He enlisted on Oct. 27, 1917 in Steelton. At that time, he lived at 213 North Second St. in Steelton.

Arry was assigned to 368th Infantry of the 92nd Division, a segregated infantry division of the U.S. Army that served in both world wars. He first was stationed at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland, a training site where more than 400,000 soldiers passed through during World War I. From June 15, 1918 to Feb. 11, 1919, Arry served overseas in active duty but was never injured. On Jan. 10, 1918, he was promoted to the rank of corporal while in France. He departed from France on Feb. 3, 1919 on the troop ship Leviathan, arriving in Hoboken, New Jersey on Feb. 11 of that year. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army at Fort Meade on Feb. 27, 1919. After the war, Arry returned to Steelton, eventually settling at 228 Bailey St. with his wife, Della. Together, they raised four children: daughters Dagmire and Jean and sons Wendell and Edsel. He worked at Bethlehem Steel in Steelton for the remainder of his life.

Arry Wise died on Feb. 25, 1948 from kidney disease and hypertension. He was just 51 years old. Along with his wife and children, he was survived by four grandchildren, sister Lenice Hughes of Philadelphia, and brothers Godfrey and Floyd of Steelton, Fred of Baltimore, and Jennings of Virginia. Nieces and nephews also survived him.


Arry U. Wise
   

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WW I Flag Irvin Charles Keys was born on June 9, 1894 in Oberlin to Maryland natives James and Sarah Carey Keys. For the 1900 U.S. Census, Irvin, then 6, was recorded as living in Swatara Township with his parents and brother Sterling, 24; sister Edna, 21; brother William, 13; and sister Maggie, 10. By the time of the 1910 Federal Census, Sarah was widowed and supporting the family as a laundress. Seventeen-year-old Irvin helped out by working as a Teamster in the contractor industry. The family, which included Irvin's older siblings William and Maggie and 1-year-old niece Virgie, was noted as living on Furnace Street in Steelton. Irvin was inducted into the U.S. Army in Steelton during World War I on October 27, 1917. He first was assigned to the 368th Infantry Supply Company at Camp Meade, Maryland before serving overseas in France from June 13, 1918 to February 15, 1919. He was stationed in the Vosges Mountains St. Die Sector, Mense Argonne Offensive, a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War II on the Western Front from September 26, 1918 until the Armisrice on November 11, 1918.

Irvin was honorably discharged from the Army at Fort Meade on March 4, 1919 under the rank of wagoner. This rank was considered the same as a truck driver in World War II when trucks and tanks replaced horses and wagons in the Army.

By 1923, Irvin was married to the former Daisy Tuckson and working as a driver for the Borough of Steelton, where he would remain employed for the rest of his life. The couple lived at 42 Ridge Street in Steelton that year. For the 1930 U.S. Census, Irvin and Daisy were recorded as living at 121 Ridge Street with his mother, Sarah. Irvin also was a member of American Legion Post #479, commonly known as the African American Andrew Askins post.

By 1938, Irvin and Daisy had moved to 303 Lincoln Street in Steelton. There, Irvin died from heart disease on Aug. 26, 1938 when he 44 years old. The couple had no children.


Irving Charles Kees
 

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WW I Flag Eugene McKamey was born April 5, 1924 in Steelton. He was a son of Newton McKamey, a native of Augusta County, Virginia, and Mary Brown McKamey, a native of Wrightsville, Pennsylvania.

The 1930 Federal Census recorded Eugene, then 6, as living with his parents and 8-year-old sister Betty at 224 Bailey Street in Steelton. Newton, then 51, was listed as a highway worker. Mary, then 35, was a homemaker.

Eugene graduated from Steelton High School in 1942. In high school, he was known as Newt. He was enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 1, 1943 and served in the 297th Port Company and 506th Port Battalion. It is not known exactly where he served during World War II.

On January 23, 1946, Eugene was honorably discharged from the Army as a technician 5th grade. Those who held this rank were addressed as corporal.

After the war, Eugene returned to his parents' home in Steelton and attended electrical school until his life was cut short only a few years later. Eugene McKamey died in Harrisburg Hospital on June 10, 1949 from injuries resulting from an auto accident. He was 25 years old.


Eugene McKamey
   

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Douglas Jackson was born on March 4, 1894 in Arcola, Virginia to Lawrence and Leeama Jackson. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I. He was inducted on August 5, 1918 in Steelton. At that time, he lived at 148-1/2 Adams Street in Steelton.

Douglas was assigned to the 38th Company 10th Training Battalion of the 158th Depot Brigade, a training and receiving formation of U.S. Army during World War I. He first was stationed at Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan before being transferred to Camp Sherman in Chillicothe, Ohio. Although Army draftees and enlisted men were trained for overseas duty at Camp Custer, Douglas never served overseas. It is likely that he was still in training when the war ended on November 11, 1918. He was honorably discharged as an Army private on January 30, 1919.

After the war, Douglas returned to Steelton. For the 1920 U.S. Census, he was listed as still boarding at 48-1/2 Adams Street, which became his permanent home. Douglas never married and worked as a laborer at Bethlehem Steel in Steelton for the remainder of his life.

Douglas Jackson died from a cerebral hemorrhage on February 18, 1936. He was 41 years old.


Douglas Jackson
 

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Earl Ingram was born November 27, 1893 to John and Bette Jane Reid Ingram in Gold Hill, North Carolina. He was inducted into the U.S Army in Steelton during World War I on October 27, 1917.

Earl first was assigned to the Supply Company 368th Infantry through June 7, 1918. He then was transferred to the 154th Depot until August 16, 1918 before finishing out his service with the Company G. 808 Pioneer Infantry. He served overseas from August 31, 1918 to June 22, 1919 with no reported injuries.

On February 1, 1918, Earl was assigned to the Army rank of wagoner. The position was equivalent to a truck driver in World War II when trucks and tanks replaced horses and wagons in the Army. On Feb. 7, 1918, he also was designated as an Army private.

Earl was honorably discharged from the Army on June 27, 1919. Soon after his return home, he married Beatrice Gertrude Pitts in Bressler on September 23, 1919. The couple would spend many years together.

For the 1930 Federal Census, Earl and Beatrice were recorded as living on Monroe Street in Swatara Township with their eight-year-old son John and four-year-old daughter Betty. By the 1940 U.S. Census, Earl and Beatrice were living at 556 Main Street in Swatara Township with John, then 19, and Betty, 14. In 1940, Earl was listed as a steelworker who mostly likely worked at Bethlehem Steel in Steelton.

Earl Ingram died just a year later on July 30, 1941, a few months short of his 47th birthday. In 1954, a veteran's headstone honoring Earl's service was shipped by train for placement by the Dauphin County Commissioners.


Earl Ingram