Corporal James Bethel Gresham, A Soldier's Story
.png "A Soldier’s Story: Corporal James Bethel Gresham, World War I")
Corporal James Bethel Gresham, A Soldier's Story
Corporal James Bethel Gresham was born on August 23, 1893, in McLean County, Kentucky. As a young boy, he moved with his family to Evansville, Indiana, where he attended Centennial School through grammar school before entering the workforce at a local furniture manufacturer.
On April 23, 1914, Gresham enlisted in the United States Army. He was assigned to the 16th Infantry and stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, where he helped guard the United States–Mexico border during the unrest surrounding the Mexican Expedition. His early service reflected the increasing responsibilities placed on a growing professional army in the years leading up to global conflict.
In June 1917, Corporal Gresham deployed to France as part of the first wave of American troops sent overseas following the United States’ entry into World War I. He was stationed in the Artois region, where American forces began supporting Allied operations on the Western Front.
On the morning of November 3, 1917, while on guard duty, Corporal Gresham was fatally wounded during an enemy raid on his camp. Alongside Private Merle Hay and Private Thomas Enright, he became one of the first United States soldiers killed during the First World War, a solemn marker at the beginning of America’s sacrifice in the conflict.
Initially buried near the battlefield in France, Corporal James Bethel Gresham was repatriated in 1921. He now rests at Locust Hill Cemetery in Evansville, Indiana, where his life and service are remembered.
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