Walton Family Historian
As Memorial day 2017 approaches and we turn our focus to the Centenial remembrance of the "Great War", I wanted to document the service of my Walton Ancestors and the contributions of these first generation American's to serve uncle Sam during World War One.
The Draft
Like most people of my generation, when you say "the draft" the first thing that comes to mind are 18 year olds. This was not true during WWI. In fact there were three seperate draft registration days.
The first, June 5, 1917 required all young men age 21 (born 1896) to 31 (1886) to register. The draft lottery was held on July 20, 1917.
The Second registration was the following year on, June 5, 1918. It required all young men who turned 21 since the 1st registration to register. A supplemental registration was held on August 24, 1918, for those becoming 21 years old after June 5, 1918. This was included in the second registration.
The third registration was held on September 12, 1918, widening the range to men age 18 through 45.
The war ended, thanks largely to America's involvement, on November 11, 1918, so many of the third round draftees were still in training or were dismissed from serving
June 5, 1917- The first Draft Registration
As these period newspaper headlines show, the registration day was on June 5th, 1917. ALL elligible young men, whether White, Black or Foreign born had to register on THAT DATE. The consequences of not registering were severe.
There was little concern about draft dodgers, however, because after years of headlines about the attrocities of the Hun and the threat of German U-boats shadowing and heartlessly sinking American shipping, the young men across america were ready to serve. This included the Walton Brothers!
The Walton Brothers
George Walton and Constance Wilhemina Long were blessed with 7 sons, 10 if you include their first three sons who did not survive infancy.
On June 5, 1917 the two eldest Walton brothers are eligable for the draft. Their father, George, had been dead for 11 days short of 7 years and their widowed mother Constance (age 48) had struggled to keep her family together in his absence. Although no records exist to tell the story, I'm sure, like most mothers, the prospect of sending her sons into harms way was emotionally daunting as well as financiall frightening. Without any visable means of support, she surely relied on her older working sons to keep the family united.
In the 1915 New York State Census [1] eldest son William had taken up his father's profession, listing his occupation as Chauffer. Second son Robert was listed as a "tinsmith helper". Although too young for the first draft, Harry (17 in 1915) was already working as a "Elect[ricians] Helper " and Charles (15 in 1915) listed his occupation simply as laborer. They all remained under their mother's roof and clearly helped support their younger siblings who were still in school.
The following is a summmary of their World War One Service. I would love to hear from my cousins, their direct descendants, to learn more details about their service from family stories or gather photos and mementos.
William Walton
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| William E. Walton, U.S. Army (1892-1960) |
William E. Walton, born in Madison, N. J. on 27 June 1892 was the oldest son. On June 5, 1917 he was 24 years, 11 Months and 9 days old, making him eligible for the first draft.
Draft Registration Card
His Draft registration card is seen below and is available for free at the following link:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BRB-99VF?mode=g&i=1545&cc=1968530
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| June 5, 1917 Draft Registration Card for William Walton |
Although no longer living under his mothers roof, he lists "Mother, one sister and Two Brothers" as dependants. This describes the three youngest siblings: his sister Lillian (12) and brothers John (10) and Fred (8). He added a note above "Three other brothers working". Does this imply one brother and one sister have moved out of the household by this time?
Despite the fact that he is contributing to his mothers finances, he does not claim a reason for exemption, suggesting he is willing to do his duty.
The back side of the card describes William as tall, medium buid with brown eyes and light hair. It also shows that he registered on June 5, 1917 in Jersey City where he worked and resided.
World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919
On July 11 1919, the United States Congress passed an act authorizing the Secretary of War (for the Army) and the Secretary of the Navy (for the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard) to create a record of service for each soldier, sailor, and marine who served between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1919, and furnish to the adjutant general of the individual states. The cards were created by the staff of the War and Navy Departments over the next seven years, being finally completed in 1926.
One of the most frustrating obstacles in searching for WW1 era records is due to a 1973 fire at The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis where they maintained World War I Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs). The fire destroyed approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files, including most dating to WW1.
Because of the St, Louis fire, these records may be the only remaining sources of information but, to date I have unable to discover a source for these cards for the state of N.J, N.Y. or Mass. so I do not have a service card that "officially" summarizes Williams service.
Burial- U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963 for William E Walton
One place I was able to find some information for William was on the application form for a veterans headstone. All veterans are eligble for this honor. William's wife, Charlotte M. Walton applied for this on 21 September 1960, the same date as his death.
As you can see, He was a WWI veteran who served from 22 February 1918 to 4 Feb 1919 when he recieved an honorable discharge. The V. A. also marked in red pencil under medal that he received "P. H."- the Purple Heart (I wonder where this medal is today?). His wife listed his rank as Private 1st class, 16th company, 4th Battalion, 153 Depot Brigade
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| Example of a WWI era Purple Heart |
William grave has a veteran's marker, but there have GOT to be some untold stories about his service. Does anyone in the family know? What a shame that they may be lost!
I created a Find-a-grave entry for William, linking him to his parents and siblings, and have requested someone local to take a photo of his gravestone. I will add a photo of the marker when it becomes available.
William E. Walton Find-A-Grave
Robert Walton
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| Robert Walton and sister Lillian |
Robert Walton was born on May 26, 1895, in Madison, New Jersey. He was the second eldest son. On June 5, 1917 he was 22 years, 0 Months and 10 days old, making him eligible for the first draft.
Draft Registration Card
His Draft registration card is seen below and is available for free at the following link:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G1N1-LRL
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| June 5, 1917 Draft Registration Card for Robert Walton |
This card is filled out in Robert's own hand and signed by the 22 year old. He lists his home address as 135 Main Street, Tarrytown, N. Y. and confirms his birthdate as May 36, 1895 in Madison, N. J. He lists his occupation as a "driver" for Rose Bacigalupi, a 46 year old Italian widow who lives down the block on Main street and owns a retail fruit business. Since he calls himself a "driver" and not a "chauffer" I will make the assumption that Robert was a delivery driver, however there is nothing to document this with. Although still living with his mother and siblings he claims that he has no one dependant on him, although I'll bet he was contributing to the financial stability of the family.
We have a physical description of young Robert: medium height, "stout", brown eyes and brown hair. We also have a sample of his handwriting and signature.
Like his older brother, he does not claim a reason for exemption, suggesting he is willing to do his duty.
World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919
I was fortunate enough to locate a service card for Robert Walton on the subscription genealogy service FOLD3.Com which nets out his WWI service. (I searched here for all the brothers and for some unknown reason, Robert's was the only one on line.)
A family oral tradition, related to me by his grand-daughter in 2014, is that he was run over by a truck while in the Army and had a broken back when he was discharged. This is not reflected on his service card, however, because it lists 0 % disability upon discharge. While more evidence needs to be gathered to document his injury, it is well known, by family members that knew him, that Robert was hunched over. His granddaughter told me he loved the swimming pool because it was the one place he regained most of his mobility.
After being discharged Robert was a "tinsmith" for an auto company. My Dad recalled his Uncle Robert worked at the Tarrytown GM plant.
Burial- U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963
I was unable to find a form requesting a headstone because his death is later than the data that is in the on-line database. Clearly someone requested a Veterans headstone, because that is what is on his grave. If these post-1963 cards ever become available, they will contain useful information to help us document the veteran's military career and possible family connections.
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| Grave marker at Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Petersburg Fla. photo courtesy of great-granddaughter Marnie Caleen |
I created a Find-a-Grave entry for Robert and linked him to his parents and siblings.
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=156729390
Harry Walton
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| Harry Walton and his Mother Constance circa 1920's (photo Courtesy of his Grand-daughter Claudia Shuttleworth) |
Draft Registration Card
His Draft registration card is seen below and is available for free at the following link:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBRD-K2V?mode=g&i=315&cc=1968530
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| August 24, 1918 Draft Registration Card for Harry Walton |
This card is filled out in Harry's own hand and signed by the 21 year old. He lists his home address as 58 Depot Street, Dalton, Mass. He had left his Mother's home in Tarrytown sometime after the Census in 1915 and relocated to Massachusetts, probably for work. This is just down the street from the home of his future wife, Sarah Mae Adams, and her parents at 139 Depot Street. Family Oral history says that being neighbors is how they met. There is no question on the form that identified marital status. It is unclear exactly when Harry was married.
Harry confirmed his birthdate as August 18th, 1897 in Madison, N. J. He lists his employer as "Crane and Company" a high quality paper mill in Dalton. He lists it as a "government Mill" reflecting the fact that they supplied paper used for U. S. Currency.
Notice this is a slightly different form than the one his older brothers used. There were three different forms corresponding to each registration period. On this second registration form the question about claiming exception has been eliminated.
Finlly, we have a physical description of young Harry: medium height & build, Brown Eyes and Brown Hair. We also have a sample of his handwriting and signature.
World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919
I have been unable to find any information about Harry's service. Discussing this with his grand-daughter, the family oral history is that he was all set to serve, and then the war ended on November 11, 1918 before he could be inducted. Massachusetts does not have their WWI service cards available in the state Archives so I was unable to confirm his service. The lack of photos of him in uniform would support the family oral history.
Burial- U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963
Not having served Harry would not have been eligable for a veterans headstone.
I created a Find-a-Grave entry for Harry and linked him to his parents and siblings.
https://www.findagrave.com
Charles Walton
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| Charles "Chum" Walton U. S. Navy C. 1918 |
Draft Registration Card
His Draft registration card is seen below and is available for free at the following link:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-81N1-2F3?mode=g&i=1482&cc=1968530
The registration card for Charles is the third type and has a slightly different format and questions from the ones used by his brothers. This card is filled out in Charles handwriting and is signed by the 19 year old. He lists his home address as 135 Main Street, Tarrytown, N. Y. and confirms his birthdate as 13 July 1899 in Madison, N. J. He lists his occupation "forestry" and he worked for F. A. Bartlett in Stamford, Connecticut. Bartlett Tree Experts was founded by Francis A. Bartlett in 1907 and today is the world's leading scientific tree and shrub care company. Bartlett also founded an Arboritum in Stamford in 1913.
He lists his Mother as his nearest living relative and, considering he lives with her and commutes to nearby Stamford, he is most likely contibuting financially to the household.
His physical description is similar to his brothers medium height & build, brown hair, but he has blue eyes, where his brothers are brown. We also have a sample of his handwriting and signature.
World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919
Below is a certificate of the military service of Charles Walton found among the papers of his daughter and family genealogist Mabel (molly) Lewis, now in the hands of her daughter Alice Kearins. It shows he served for 4 years from 5 February 1919 to 3 February 1923.
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| Military Service Certificate for Charles Walton from Mabel Walton Lewis papers Courtesy of Alice Kearins, Scanned by Rick Walton 2012 |
Cousin Charlie Walton, the Great Grandson of Charles, shared this 1921 Navy certificate, issued to sailors who make their first equitorial crossing. The line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite in various navies that commemorate a sailor's first crossing of the Equator. The tradition may have originated with ceremonies when passing headlands, and become a "folly" sanctioned as a boost to morale. Although it is all "tonque in check", it was meaningful enough to Charles, like most sailors who earn it, to keep and pass down through the family.
As a historical document it tells us a couple of important facts:
1) Charles was still in the Navy in 1921- 3 years After WWI was over. He served a total of 4 years.
2) Charles served aboard the U.S.S. Idaho
from Wikipedia: USS Idaho (BB-42), a New Mexico-class battleship, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 43rd state. She was the third of three ships of her class. Built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey, she was launched in June 1917 and commissioned in March 1919. She was armed with a battery of twelve 14-inch (356 mm) guns in four three-gun turrets, and was protected by heavy armor plate, with her main belt armor being 13.5 inches (343 mm) thick.
Idaho spent most of the 1920s and 1930s in the Pacific Fleet, where she conducted routine training exercises.This information will help us conduct additional research. Charlie also recalled being told that his G-G-Gfather was the Fleet Boxing Champ.
Burial- U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963
I was unable to find a form requesting a headstone because his death is later than the data in the on-line database. Clearly someone requested a Veterans headstone, because that is what is on his grave and is shown below. He was a Seaman 1st Class. If you look closely at his photo, you will notice the braid sewn into shoulder seam which indicates his rank.
I created a Find-a-Grave entry for Charles and linked him to his parents and siblings.
Frank Walton
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| Frank Walton, U. S. Navy |
Born 18 Dec. 1902 in Tarrytown, N. Y., Frank was the 5th Son, and was technically too young to have enlisted in world War one. He attended school in Tarrytown. Perhaps the allure of adventure caused him to enlist and join his older brothers in serving. Like brother Charles, he chose the Navy.
Draft Registration Card
Frank was only 15 years 8 Mos and 25 Days at the time of the third and final draft registration on Sept 12, 1918 which required men age 18 to 45 to register. Frank was under age so he was not required to fill out a draft card and I was unable to find one for him.
World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919
At this time I was unable to locate a service card or any other information about Frank's Naval Service. Did he run away and lie about his age? Did his mother give him permission? How long did he serve? The war was nearly over, yet we have pictures of him in uniform and his obituary states he was a World War One veteran of the Navy. He started his 45 year long career with New York Central Railroad in 1923, so it is possible he entered the navy at the tail end of the war and served afterwards.
I am hoping family members who are direct descendants can fill me in with stories, documents and mementos that will help capture and preserve his naval career.
Burial- U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963
I was unable to find a form requesting a headstone because his death is later than the data in the on-line database. When I visited this grave, there was no veterans marker. He is buried at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Tarrytown, N. Y., Plot: section 95, row C, grave 12.
I created a Find-a-Grave entry for Charles and linked him to his parents and siblings.
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=157308238
Post War
All five of the Walton brothers survived the war and had long lives. Although serving in the "war to end all wars" didn't prevent some of their children from fighting in the second world war and Korea, while grandchildren and great grand children (and beyond) continued to honorably serve. To all the Walton's who answered their counties call to arms...
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
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Footnotes
1) 1915 New York, State Census; New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1915; Election District: 01; Assembly District: 03; City: Greenburgh; County: Westchester; Page: 03; 135 Main street
resources:
Family Search:United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwarone/
Ancestry.com is a subscription Genealogy sevice that has a variety of WWI records available
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