Sgt. William E. Dunn, Battery E

The photos of Sgt. Dunn were contributed by Michael Lacy () who is Sgt Dunn's grandson. This photo is of William Edgar Dunn (far left) with a French hunting party in France. I would guess that this is near Angers, France where the regiment was based while in France.

Above is Cpl. William E. Dunn in the center standing at attention. The other two men are not identified. The caption reads: "The Three Sammies". The two photos on the right shows the innocent and carefree mood of the doughboys at the time, while the bottom photo shows the serious nature of what they were going to have to do when they got "over there". William Dunn is on the right in both photos. The other man is the same in both photos and is not identified.

On the left is William Dunn's Induction note. It shows that he was ordered for inducted into the US Army at Noblesville, Indiana on March 28, 1918. There is a handwritten note at the bottom that reads: "You will be held as fifth alternate in case someone else drops out". Above four buddies embarking on an adventure of a life time. William Dunn is on the right end.

Above are William Dunn's promotion documents. On May 16, 1918 Pvt Dunn was promoted to the rank of Corporal while a member of the 15th Company, Coast Defenses of Southern New York. He was stationed at Ft. Hamilton, NY in the 15th Co. that was formed there in March of 1918. The 15th Company was part of the 40th Company stationed at Ft. Hamilton. On October 11, 1918 Cpl. Dunn was promoted to the rank of Supply Sergeant in Battery E of the 70th Artillery and was stationed at O&T Center No. 4 in Angers, France. This was APO 733 (Army Post Office) and the promotion document was signed by Lt. Col James D. Watson who was then Commanding Officer of the 70th Artillery.

Above is Sgt. Dunn's Discharge document. It tells us that Sgt Dunn was Honorably discharged from the Army at Camp Sherman, Ohio on March 12, 1919. Sgt Dunn was 26 1/2 years old at enlistment and was born in Hamilton County, Indiana and was a clerk before he entered the Army. Sgt. Dunn first day in the Army was on 3 April, 1918 and became a member of the 70th Artillery on 1 June, 1918, sailed for France on 15 July, 1918, returned to the States on 22 February, 1919, Discharged from the Army on 12 March, 1919. The back side of the document is signed by 1st Lt. Archibald M. Aiken who is listed above with the officers of the 70th Artillery. It is interesting that on the back side you see two round stamps. These are from the Hamilton County, Indiana Clerks Office giving Mr. Dunn the right to hunt, fish and trap. It reads:" A Free Permit to Hunt, Fish and Trap. Issued Here On:" One is stamped with the date 6/23/28 and the second is stamped 11/16/43

Sgt. Dunn's Final Resting Place

William is buried in the Arcadia Brethren Cemetery, about a mile east of Arcadia, Hamilton County, Indiana.

2nd Lt. Stanley M. Orser, Battery A

Stanley M. Orser was born on January 30th of 1893 in New York. He was the second eldest child of Fred A. Orser (b. September 1869, NY) and Nora M. Page (b. February 1871, NY). On June 5, 1900 the Fred Orser family lived in Onondaga County New York in a little village named Jordan. There in Jordan Fred Orser was a grocer and at the time he and Nora had been married for 10 years and at the time they had 5 children. They were Leon S. born February 1891, Stanley M. born 1893, Wayne P. born March 1894, Hazel S. born December 1895 and Gladys M. born in November 1896.

Living next to the Fred Orser household was another Orser. Her name was Carolina A. Orser born in June of 1843. She was a nurse and was divorced and was likely Fred Orser’s older sister. Living in the same home as Carolina was her younger sister, Francis A. Clerk who was widowed and she was born in May of 1850. Francis had a 19-year old single son named Arthur who was born in July of 1880 also living with them.

By 1910 the Fred Orser family still lived in Jordan, New York but now lived at 107 Mechanic Street and had added three more children to the family. They were Freda born 1902, son Blaine born 1905 and Thelma born in 1907. All eight children were still living in the home in April of 1910 and Fred was still working as a grocer to support the family.

Stanley Orser was like any other young 17-year old boy of the day, adventurous and daring. It was reported in the Jordan News section of the Sunday morning, January 30, 1910 edition of the The Syracuse Herald, that Stanley and 3 other boys were injured in an accident. It seems that Harold Cox, Bert Wood, Jack Vandusem and Stanley Orser were coasting down a hill, probably on a homemade coaster of some sort and were all knocked out when they crashed. The accident happened on Tuesday night on the Hamilton Street hill but by Saturday they were all going to be ok.

As the war clouds began to form over America and we were finally pulled into the growing conflict in Europe, Stanley in the spring of 1917 Registered for the Draft, as he was required to do. At the time he was single and worked for the New York State Highway department as a Civil Engineer. Stanley was a tall medium built 24-year old man with blue eyes and brown hair. At the time America was ill prepared for war and was going to be short of Army Officers to lead the million man army she need to raise to take to Europe. Being that Stanley was an educated man he was selected to become an officer and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. serving with Battery A, of the 70th Artillery, C.A.C.

Lt. Orser served with the 70th Artillery Regiment and went to France, but the 70th did not see any action on the front lines. While in France as the 70th Artillery was undergoing its training many of its officers were away at various schools across France. Lt. Orser was among the officers who took classes in the many arts of war. During August of 1918 Lt. Orser was away from the Regiment attending school in Vincennes, France.

After his return from France in 1919 Lt. Orser was discharged from the Army and returned to civilian life and in 1924 Stanley Orser married and settled down. His wife’s name was Crystal and in 1930 they lived in Jamestown, New York. Crystal was born about 1899 in New York and they had at least one son named Robert S. born about December of 1929. On April 3, 1930 when the Federal Census was taken the Orser’s lived in a home located at 1092 North Main Street in Jamestown, where Stanley was still working as a civil engineer for the State of New York.

On November 15, 1947 Stanley’s father Fred A. Orser passed away. Fred Orser still lived in the same house on Mechanic Street in Jordan, NY when he died. Fred Orser owned and operated a general store in Jordan for 55 years retiring in 1945. At the time of Fred Orser’s death he was survived by his wife and two daughters, Gladys M. Orser of Cortland, NY, and Freda O. Furman of Wellsboro, PA and five sons Leon S. of Jordan, NY, Stanley M. of Mayville, NY, Wayne P. of Weedsport, NY, Blaine W. of Cleveland, OH and Keith L. of Auburn, NY. Fred Orser had 12 grandchildren and one Great-grandchild when he died. Only his daughter Thelma preceded him in death. He was buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Jordan.

On January 28, 1952 Stanley Orser buried his brother, Blaine W. Orser. Blaine had lived in a Cleveland suburb for the past 15 years and owned a restaurant there in Fair View Park, Ohio. Two youth’s ages 18 and 20 held up the restaurant and Blaine Orser was hit with several bullets and died about 4 days later. Blaine’s body was returned to Jordan, NY where he was buried in the family plot there in Maple Grove Cemetery.

Stanley and his wife Crystal lived most of their live in Mayville, New York and was still living there when he passed away. Stanley M. Orser died in Boone, Kentucky at the age of 81 on May 1st, 1974.

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