First Lieutenant Richard Tannous, A Soldier's Story
.png "First Lieutenant Richard Tannous, U.S. Army – Mexican Expedition and World War I")
First Lieutenant Richard Tannous, A Soldier's Story
First Lieutenant Richard Tannous was born on November 6, 1896, in Jaffa, then part of the Ottoman Empire. He was the son of Episcopalian missionaries and spent his early years abroad before immigrating to the United States as a teenager. Traveling via Patras, Greece, he arrived in New York on October 16, 1912, and began building a life in his adopted country, working as an embroiderer prior to military service.
Tannous first entered U.S. Army service during the period of unrest along the United States–Mexico border. In 1916, amid General John J. Pershing’s Mexican Expedition, he served as a cavalryman with the 13th Cavalry Regiment. Contemporary newspaper accounts place him at the Battle of Parral, where he came under heavy fire during combat operations.
During the engagement, Tannous was wounded in action, suffering a gunshot wound to the arm while assisting fellow soldiers under fire. His service during the Mexican Expedition placed him among the earliest generation of American troops engaged in overseas combat operations in the twentieth century.
Following the United States’ entry into World War I, Tannous returned to military service on September 23, 1917. During the war, he served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army and attained the rank of First Lieutenant. He completed his wartime service and was honorably discharged on September 3, 1919.
After leaving the Army, Tannous embarked on a successful civilian career with the Ward Baking Company of New York. He became closely associated with the Tip Top Bread brand and later advanced to the position of vice president. He remained active in veteran and professional organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Bakery Engineers Club, and the Metropolitan Production Club.
Richard Tannous died on July 11, 1971. He is buried at Beechwoods Cemetery in New Rochelle, New York.
His life reflects a distinctly American arc: immigrant, soldier, wounded veteran, officer, and civic professional—shaped by service during both the Mexican Expedition and World War I.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
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