US Army
Sergeant Roy H. Sedwick
(Lebanon)
Roy H. Sedwick enlisted into the 2nd Indiana Infantry on February 14th, 1914 and rose through the ranks to sergeant by the time the Guard was mobilized to meet the threat posed by Pancho Villa. Sedwick's unit was mobilized in June of 1916, forming at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis. They arrived in Llano Grande, Texas in July 1916 and remained through Feb 1917. The 2nd was once again mobilized in 1918, sent to Camp Shelby, MS and then shipped overseas serving as replacements. In November of 1918 Sedwick was assigned to Company F, 327th Infantry, 82nd Division. He remained with the 327th Inf until his discharge on May 28th, 1919.
Letters of
Corporal Roy E. Burden
(Spartenburg)
CPL Burden was an automobile tester before the war. He enlisted in July 1917, and served in France as part of Company L, 365th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Division. Like so many others, CPL Burden contracted pneumonia and died in France. The letter shown to the left is one of a series of letters sent to him by his wife Pearl.
Uniform and Mexican Service Medal of
Second Lieutenant
Peter Vandebunt
(Fort Wayne)
In 1916, he enlisted into the Army, and was assigned to Battery C, 6th Field Artillery. He was part of General Pershing's pursuit into Mexico of Pancho Villa.
During World War One, he served overseas with Battery C as part of the First Division.
Memorial Pitcher
Bugler Earl R. Barcus
(Indianapolis)
This pitcher was presented to Edna Barcus, mother of Earl R. Barcus by the Mothers Home Circle, a patriotic organization in which Mrs. Barcus was a member. Bugler Barcus was killed when the hospital he was recovering in, was bombed by German aircraft Barcus served with Battery A, 150th Field Artillery, which had been a part of the Indiana National Guard..
Wristwatch
Corporal John J. Lallak
(Fort Wayne)
This wristwatch was worn by CPL Lallak who served with Company E, 113th Engineers. Arriving in France on 28 September 1918, the engineers saw duty in construction missions, chiefly in the building of a large base camp near Brest. The engineers served in the Army of Occupation at Konz, Germany and returned to the United States in the spring of 1919.
Identification Bracelet
Private Frank E. Sparks
(Ockley)
This identification bracelet is made from a French 1918 dated, two Franc coin. PVT Sparks was born in Buckcreek, Indiana and enlisted in June 1918. In July 1918, he was assigned to Company A, 309th Train Headquarters, 84th Division. He returned to the United States in January 1919 and was honorably discharged in February 1919.
Medals and Insignia
Private Harold R. McDonald
(Elkhart)
Harold McDonald was born in Elkhart, Indiana and in 1917, shortly after he graduated from high school, he enlisted in the Canadian Army. He was assigned to the 4th Canadian Machine Gun Battalion, arriving in France in August 1918. He participated in Canada’s Hundred Days. Canada’s Hundred Days is the name given to the series of attacks made by the Canadian Corps between 8 August and 11 November 1918, during the Hundred Days Offensive of World War I.
