5th Division
5th Division


NOTABLE MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

Names F - L


Includes All Service Branches and Volunteers




To visit the other alphabetized listings of NOTABLES...
A - E || F - L || M - R || S - Z

 

Fish, Hamilton
369th Infantry Regiment

White Captain in primarily black regiment; helped found American Legion; supporter of bonus marchers; later became isolationist politician; anti-new dealer; extremely anti-communist; featured in documentary "Men of Bronze".

 

L. Gerow

Gerow, Leonard T.
Signal Corps / Services of Supply

Colonel in charge of purchasing all the radio equipment for the AEF. While he strictly worked in Paris, he was one of many AEF career officers to establish strong reputations during the Great War. In the Second war, he commanded V Corps for the Normandy battle and the Battle of the Bulge and Fifteenth Army during the final assault on Germany.

 

Floyd Gibbons

Gibbons, Floyd
Correspondent

War correspondent who lost an eye at Belleau Wood. Returned to cover later action wearing an eye-patch.

 

Hall, James Norman
Lafayette Escadrille / US Air Service

Collaborated with fellow aviator Charles Nordoff on the classic "Bounty Trilogy". After transferring from the French to US air services, Hall led some of the earliest missions by AEF aircraft.

 

Halsey, William [Bull]
USS Shaw

Commanded destroyers stationed at Queensland, Ireland. In 1934 took flight training and became carrier commander; commanded US fleet at Leyte Gulf, Guadalcanal.

 

Harbord, James
2nd Division / Services of Supply

Key US senior officer who commanded the 2nd Division during its Belleau Wood phase and then was given the job of re-organizing the Services of Supply which was collapsing under its own weight. Later became chairman of RCA.

 

Harden, D.H.
26th Infantry, 1st Division

Stallings credits Lt. Harden with being the first wounded man in the AEF.

 

Harmon, Ernest
2nd Cavalry

A crusty veteran of cavalry missions in the St. Mihiel salient and in the Argonne Forest, Harmon like George Patton switched from horses to tanks. He commanded the 2nd Armored Division in North Africa and in the Battle of the Bulge in which he served with distinction.

 

Harriman, Florence Hurst
Red Cross

New York socialite who helped organize the Red Cross Women's Motor Corps. Later was a visible social activist and government official.

 

Harold Hartney

Hartney, Harold
First Pursuit Group

Canadian who transferred to US Air Service and became an outstanding air commander.

 

Helsel, Paul
28th Division

Subject of apocryphal story retold by L. Stallings. Private Helsel was among the 125 survivors of his 260 man company who returned from an attack in the Aisne-Marne sector with six bullet holes in his shirt, two in his breeches, and one in his first-aid kit. His bayonet was also shot away during the final assault.

 

Clarence Heubner

Heubner, Clarence
28th Infantry, 1st Division

Of all the officers commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants in 1917, Clarence Heubner ended the war the highest ranking. He made Lt. Colonel in a little over a year's time. Part of this rapid advance is explained by his three Distinguished Service Crosses for valor and his DSM for leadership. In the Second World War he was commanding V Corps on VE Day.

 

Hilton, Conrad
304th Labor Btln, 79th Division

After the war, helped father expand their hotel chain to one of the world's largest. Was briefly one of Elizabeth Taylor's many fathers-in-law.

 

Hines, John L.
Commander, III Corps

Arrived in France in June 1917 as a Quartermaster Major with Pershing's orginal group of officers. By the Armisitice, 16 months later, he was a Major General commanding the III Corps in the last phase of the Meuse Argonne Offensive. Future Army Chief-of-Staff and subject of 1999 US commemorative stamp. Click here to see the 1999 issue stamp.

 

Hodges, Courtney
6th Infantry, 5th Division

Regular officer who won the DSM serving with a regular army division in the Great War. Commanded US First Army in European Theatre in WWII after Omar Bradley was promoted to Army Group Command. First Army took the brunt of the intital German assault at the Battle of the Bulge and was temporarily reassigned to Field Marshal Montgomery's command. Monty wanted to relieve Hodges who seemed exhausted, but Eisenhower explained that it was just Hodges's manner.

 

Holcomb, Thomas
6th Marines, 2nd Division

Major Holcomb commanded the 2nd Battalion of the 6th Marines and went on to become the regiments Deputy Commander. Saw action in every battle of the division from Belleau Wood to the Meuse-Argonne. Served as Marine Corps Commandant until early 1944 during the Second World War.



Hormel, Jay C.
Ice Plant Company 301; Svcs. of Supply

Originally assigned as an infantry officer to the 88th Division he was given duty that put the experience he had gained from the family meat packing business to use. With his commander, Lt. Hormel devised a plan for saving 40% of the space used to ship meat to Europe by boning the cuts and freezing them. He was sent home to implement the successful plan and later applied what he had learned in the AEF for the business of which he became the CEO. One such product was the GI 'favorite' of WWII, Spam.

 

Hubble, Edwin
86th Division

Rhodes scholar who decided to become an astronomer and eventually served in France. As head astronomer of Mt. Wilson observatory located galaxies beyond ours and helped verify the theory of expanding universe. One, apparently untrue, legend of the AEF has Hubble helping on the calculations to aim a giant rail-mounted 14-inch artillery piece. According to the story, it directly hit the Crown Prince's command post at the Montmedy citadel on the first try, leading to its immediate evacuation. [Please contact the editor if you have any evidence on this incident.]

 


David Ingalls

Ingalls, David
Northern Bombing Group

Assigned to a joint Allied operation, Lt Ingalls became the first Ace of the US Navy in less than six weeks, patrolling in his Sopwith Camel. He completed the war with 19 victories. He would become Asst. Secretary of the Navy for Air in the Hoover administration and returned to active service in World War II. Ingalls retired as a Rear Admiral in the Naval Reserve.

 

Janis, Elsie
Entertainer

Once known as the most difficult woman on Broadway, Elsie toured the American camps, chaperoned by her mother. Nevertheless she became "The Sweetheart of the AEF". Toured with French veteran Maurice Chevalier after the war and wrote a memoir of her experiences in France.

Keaton, Buster
159th Infantry, 40th Division

One of American's greatest comedians did not avoid war service as did many of his Hollywood colleagues. Buster was assigned to the California National Guard and had the opportunity to polish some of his routines on his fellow doughboys. Surprisingly, Buster's WWI film effort THE DOUGHBOY is one of his weakest films. Read more about Buster's war service at: Buster Keaton at War

 

 


Joyce Kilmer

Kilmer, Joyce
165th Inf. [Fighting 69th], 42nd division

Venerated newspaper man known for poem "Trees". Best known war poem was "Rouge Bouquet". KIA along the Ourcq River.

 

Kimmel, Husband
USS New York, Grand Fleet

The champion gunnery officer of the American Navy, Kimmel served aboard the battleship USS New York based at Scapa Flow with the US 6th Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet. Later, he would command the Pacific Fleet during the Pearl Harbor disaster.

 

Krauss, Caesar
313th Infantry, 79th Division

Former Hussar of the Tsar who imigrated to American where he was drafted into the American Army and rose to sergeant's rank. A reenactment center in Pennsylvania is dedicated to his memory.

 

La Guardia, Fiorello
US Army Flying Service, Italy

Served as a pilot and led first group of eightenn American's to be trained to fly Caproni Bombers in Italy. Had been elected to Congress 1916, but enlisted in 1917. Later elected to many terms as mayor of New York City.

 

Landon, Ruth
Red Cross

Volunteer from New York who was killed while in Paris by the German 'Paris Gun' fired from 75 miles distance. Only female American Red Cross member killed by enemy fire in the Great War. Many others, however, died in the Influenza Pandemic.

 

Lejeune, John
2nd Division

Highest ranking Marine in the AEF. Major General who was the first Marine to command a full division [2nd] in combat. He became Commandant of Marines after the war and helped carve out the amphibious warfare niche for the Corps. The North Carolina Marine Base is named after him.

 

Lippman, Walter
Army Intelligence

Early advocate for American entry into the war. Served as Captain with Army Intelligence; later worked on the Fourteen Points and with the US staff at Paris peace conference; most influential journalist in America at mid-20th century.

 

 

Love, Spencer
Hq. Staff, 78th Division

Like his fellow Harvard Class of 1918 member, Philip Carret, Love served with the AEF before beginning a remarkable business career. He went on to found Burlington Industries and become a major civic leader in his adopted state of North Carolina.

 

Raoul Lufbery

Lufbery, Raoul
94th Aero Squadron

First ace of Lafayette Escadrille who was later killed in action after transfering to the American Air Service. Billy Mitchell felt he would have been survived jumping from his plane [he was aiming for a pond] if he had worn a parachute.

 

Luke, Frank
27th Aero Squadron

Know as the "Balloon Buster" Won Medal of Honor for shooting down 18 enemy observation balloons in September 1918. Later killed in action. Luke Air Force Base in his home state of Arizona is named after him.





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