McELFRESH
(Surname Index) |
photo
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- Russell F. McElfresh
(1896 - 1918) - Ohio, PFC 39th Infantry, 4th Division
- photo of gravestone
at Woodhill Cemetery
- Service Record
from Ohio
Military Men 1917-1918 database at Ancestry.com
Name: Russell F. McElfresh
Serial Number: 556270
Race: W
Residence: Franklin, O.
Enlistment Division: Regular Army
Enlistment Location: Columbus Barracks, O.
Enlistment Date: 18 Apr 1917
Birth Place: Boston, O.
Assigns Comment: Co B 30 Infantry to 1 June 1917; Co B 39 Infantry
to 10 Aug 1917; Machine Gun Company 39 Infantry to death. Private
18 Apr 1917; Private, first class 13 Dec 1917. Aisne-Marne; St Mihiel;
Meuse-Argonne; Defensive Sector. American Expeditionary Forces 10
May 1918 to death. Killed in Action 7 Oct
1918. Notified Granville M. McElfresh, father, Franklin,
O. Body returned to United States on SS Wheaton Aug 1920.
- Russell McElfresh, The Franklin Chronicle,
14 Nov 1918
"Russell McElfresh; First Volunteer From Franklin;
Makes the Supreme Sacrifice in France; Killed in Action, October
7th. This Young Man Gave His Life For Liberty.
"The sad news reached Franklin last night that Russell McElfresh
had made the supreme sacrifice, somewhere in France. Russell
McElfresh is the first soldier from Franklin to give his life for
freedom. We had begun to hope that none of our boys would
be taken; that all would be spared to come back home.
McElfresh was killed in action on October 7, 1918, and the War Department
so notified his parents at Springboro last night. Russell
was the first Franklin boy to volunteer and Postmaster McCarthy
took him to Dayton where he enlisted in the regular army.
At the time of his enlistment his parents resided on Route 3, and
the young man was working for the Gas Company. He has a brother,
MArion, who enlisted in Lebanon and went out with the company under
Captain McCreary."
- In Remembrance of Russell McElfresh, The
Western Star, Lebanon, Ohio April 3, 1919
"American Expeditionary
Forces
Germany, February 15, 1919
Mr. G. M. McElfresh,
Springboro, Ohio
Dear Sir: - No doubt you have received notification of the death
of your son, Pvt. 1st C. Russell F. McElfresh, who was a member
of the M. G. Co. of the 39th Inf. of which regiment I had the honor
to command throughout the war. I am indeed sorry I have been
forced to delay owing to the difficulties of the campaigns this
brief message of sympathy. Your son was killed instantly by
shell fire in the Doisde Septsarges, October 7, 1918. His
company commander speaks very highly of his courage and rated him
as one of his most faithful and reliable men. He remains near
where he fill fighting for his country and is marked by a cross
to which is firmly fastened the army identification tag.
I wish to assure you Mr. McElfresh that we sympathize with you and
your family most deeply in your great loss, at the same time we
congratulating you upon being the father of a boy who rushed forward
in the very beginning to volunteer his services to his country in
the crisis, and one who never shirked when the final test came.
Most Sincerely,
Colonel F. C. Bolles
_____________________
Private, 1st C. Russell F. McElfresh, 39th Inf., M. G. Co. 4th Division,
Regulars, the eldest son of Mr. And Mrs. G. M. Mcelfresh, was born
near Owensville, Ohio, August 8, 1894.
On April 17, 1917, he enlisted from Franklin, Ohio, and the following
month was spent at Camp Eagle Pass, Texas, from there he was sent
to Camp Syracuse, Syracuse N. Y. for six months, while the winter
of 1917-18 was spent in training at Camp Greene, Charlotte, N.C.
The latter part of May, 1918 he landed in France and on October
7, 1917, he was instantly killed in action by shell fire and was
buried near the roadside in Dois De Septsarger about one mile from
the village of Septsarges, France.
"I like this life," he often wrote to home folks for army
life is just what we make it and through all his long raining and
active service he never complained, and at the age of 24 years and
two months he gave his life mourned deeply by officers and comrades,
father, mother, sister, brothers, and friends.
One brother, Marion, is a member of Co. E., 147th Inf., 37th Division."
- MILITARY FUNERAL. Body of Russell McElfresh
Laid to Rest., The Franklin (Oho) Chronicle, September 15, 1921
"The body of Russell McElfresh, killed in the Argonne, in France,
reached Franklin last Saturday morning as was at once taken to the
home of his parents in Springboro. On Monday afternoon funeral
services were held at the U. B. Church, in Springboro, under the
direction of Russell McElfresh Post, American Legion. The
funeral was a military one and the services were beautiful and impressive.
Two vocal duets were given by Miss Uenna Bruscup and Mrs. Graham.
All the ministers of Springboro participated and the eulogy was
delivered by Chaplain Hughes, of Miamisburg. Following the
services at the church, the body was brought to Franklin and buried
on the Soldiers'
lot in Woodhill cemetery.
A bugler and firing squad paid the parting honors to the dead soldier,
as the casket was lowered into the grave.
Russell McElfresh was the first volunteer from this vicinity, having
offered his services to Postmaster McCarthy four days after the
United States entered the world War. He was the only soldier
from here to fall in action.
The local Post of the American Legion was named in his honor."
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