Saturday, October 8, 1949 Ironton Evening
Old Company
Ironton’s ‘own’ in World War I was Company I, under the command of Capt. M.W. Russell. It was mustered into federal service on July 15, 1917, and an intensive training program was inaugurated after quarters had been established in Lawrence Street school. The accompanying photograph [will be added later] of the company, loaned by Walter Geswein, was taken there.
Daily meals were served at the First Methodist church. On Oct. 14, 1917, the company entrained for Montgomery, Ala., and was transferred there to Company A 148th Inf. of the 37th Division. In May 1918, the division entrained for Camp Lee, VA, and on June 21, embarked from Newport News, landing at Brest on July 5.
From then on, the division saw action in the Baccarat sector, Argonne, Saint Mihiel, Belgium. But the victory was not won without sacrifice. Some members of old Company I, other Ironton and Lawrence County residents who served with other units and in other service branches made the supreme sacrifice for our country.
In 1919, the veterans came home from a war fought ” to end wars.” Some 21 or 22 years later, a few of them were back in service, their sons and children of their World War I buddies were beginning to enter a Second War.
Not much concern was felt in Ironton as world affairs neared a crisis in 1914-15. There was not much fear that our boys would soon be in World War 1, the most savage conflict in history up to that time. But before Armistice Day of November 1918, approximately 2,200 Ironton and Lawrence County young men were in uniform, serving on the sea, on land, and in the air. And of this total, 99 made the supreme sacrifice and failed to return home.
Homer Dawson of Coal Grove was the first Lawrence County (Ohio) boy killed in France. Ironton’s first hero was Frank J. Goldcamp, who was awarded the U.S. Distinguished Service Cross after he gave his life in an attempt t save a wounded comrade. The American Legion Post in Ironton is named in his honor. The only Ironton woman to make the supreme sacrifice in World War I was Mary Almeda McMahon, a nurse who died of pneumonia at Camp Jackson.
Draft board members during World War I included W.E. Massie, John A. Mohr, H.M. Edwards, Dr. O.U. O’Neill, Dr. W.S. Eakman, Dr. G.W. King, W.G. Ward.
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