It was a custom of families of servicemen to hang a service Flag in the window of their homes. The Service Flag had a star for each family member in the military. Living servicemen were represented by a blue star, … Continue reading
Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France, October 12–17, 1918 McKinley’s outfit arrived in the vicinity of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon on October 12. They suffered casualties from the heavy shelling of enemy guns the next day. That evening the 11th Infantry took up a position around Ferme … Continue reading
Cunel, France, October 11, 1918 On October 11 the attack was renewed early in the morning…Progress was bitterly contested by heavy machine-gun fire and by flanking artillery support, as on previous days. During the night of October 11-12, the relief … Continue reading
McKinley (Mac) Austin’s brother was serving in the Panama Canal Zone. Raymond Austin, Balboa, Canal Zone, to Mort Austin, Eldred September 27, 1918 Dear Father, So you will be glad when the last battle is fought. I think we all … Continue reading
Meuse-Argonne: First Phase September 26 to October 3, 1918 It was foggy around 5:30 a.m. Thursday, September 26, when about 600,000 American troops (most of them inexperienced) and their 2,700 artillery guns opened fire on 60,000 well entrenched Germans. The … Continue reading
McKinley Austin, 11th U.S. Inf. A.E.F., to Aida Austin September 22, 1918 (received Oct. 23) Dear Aunt, I am writing to let you know I am well. So far I have received all your letters. They did not come in … Continue reading
11th Infantry On September 6, 1918, the 11th Infantry left for St. Mihiel. My grandfather Irwin Briggs, a medic, went to the front lines to get the wounded and the dying during the St. Mihiel battle. He would also help … Continue reading
When Raymond Austin enlisted in May, Mort and Jennie Austin had two sons to be concerned about. In mid-June, Raymond was recuperating at the Base Hospital at Camp Merritt, NJ. McKinley was with the 11th Infantry in the Vosges Mountains, … Continue reading
In March 1884 Aida Austin was in New York City and received the following letter from her father. The Stidd Family mentioned was probably William and Mary Hickok Stidd, relatives of Mary Ann Eldred Austin, Aida’s mother. William Hickok, also … Continue reading
Hello Halfway Brook Friends. We have been having freezing temps at night for two weeks here in Arizona, and it has been a pretty hard winter back east, though sometimes the temps have fluctuated to something more reasonable. I received … Continue reading
