Allen Elmo Strain

Corporal, Headquarters Company, 16th Infantry, 1st Division -- "The Big Red One"

Allen E. Strain volunteered for the Armed Forces as soon as it became obvious the United States would enter the conflict.  At that time, he was in his 5th year of teaching, having moved that year to Eupora, MS, as a hall teacher.  The school board refused to let him break his contract, and required him to wait 6 weeks, until the session was over.  As a result he joined the army on May 14, 1917, served the entire duration of the war and as part of the occupation force in Germany, arriving home just days before the Victory Parades in New York City, and then Washington, DC led by General Pershing.  He was 21 1/2 years old at the time of his enlistment, and would turn 24 five weeks after he returned to his hometown, Pittsboro, Mississippi.

Below is his "service card" from the MS Dept. of Archives and History.

Notice that his card states that he was "Severely" wounded on Oct 3, 1918.  This was the eve of the major offensive of the Argonne, and by chance, the only letter I have found from him during his service overseas is one published in his hometown county paper, which describes the battle and circumstances surrounding this gassing.

The letter home describing when he was wounded:

Transcription or Scan (large file)

To my knowledge, there are only two pictures that survive of him during the war.  The first is him standing in a field, apparently having just returned from the war.  I surmise this due to the statement of a cousin, as well as the fact that he has corporal stripes on his sleeve.  The second picture is him relaxing with a group of soldiers, somewhat clowning as they pose for a picture.  My best guess is that this is a picture of him at Ft. Bliss, near El Paso, TX, just after he has joined the service.  None of the soldiers look battle fatigued, and most seem healthy with new, ill-fitting uniforms.  Allen Strain is in the center, front row, lying back with no hat.

Although a detailed chronology of his service record in WW I is possible, there is a short paragraph detailing his record in the “Source Materials for Calhoun County” compiled by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938.  Located in the Mississippi Dept. of Archives and History, on page 107, under the heading of WWI Soldier Biographies, Allen E. Strain, with an obvious reversal of his initials has the following entry:

 E. A. Strain, Bruce, enlisted in 1916; left in April, being sent to Fort Bliss; was transferred to Hoboken and sent to Europe.  Three days out, he contracted a case of measles; was taken off the ship, sent back to the United States, and put into a Catholic Hospital; was seriously ill about two months, then was sent to Europe; upon arriving, after two submarine battles, he was sent to the Sixteenth Infantry; was in Cantigny fight; served in the Army of the Occupation in Coblens, Germany; was wounded twice and in a hospital six weeks each time; returned to Pittsboro about the last of September, 1919.

 A footnote credits E. A. Strain, Bruce, Miss. as the source for this information.

Allen E. Strain was cited for "Gallantry in Action (but not warranting any decoration)" in General Orders No. 5 dated 1 June 1919, as can be seen from his Decorations and Citations Card below.

General Order No. 5 for the 1st Infantry Brigade is a citation for service in the four major battles fought by the 1st Division.  The men listed in Headquarters Company for this citation are those men that A. E. Strain served with for most of his entire enlistment period, and a list of them can be seen here. GENERAL ORDER NO. 5

[As it is important to have a soldier's serial number to obtain service records or medical records from the Veteran's Administration, I have transcribed a Muster Roll, which includes all of the men from the Headquarter's Company, 16th Infantry, 1st Division, with which A. E. Strain served.  Click HERE to see this information. I found extensive records on my grandfather, A. E. Strain, by knowing his service/serial number, and calling the Veteran's Administration, and would suggest this avenue to all who research WWI soldiers.]

CLICK HERE FOR A DETAILED CHRONICLE AND MEMOIRS OF CORPORAL ALLEN ELMO STRAIN DURING WW I.