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American WW1 cemeteries in France


Vincennes
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Some time back I bought a small collection of 8 2"x4" snapshots of American WW1 cemeteries in France with notes written on the back of unused checks from Longton, Kansas. There is no name or date on the collection, but the unused checks have the printed date of 193_.

 

The photographed cemeteries are at Oise Aisne, Quentin Roosevelt's grave and Belleau Woods. There is no comments on the 1 Belleau Woods photo and duplicate photos of one of the Oise Aisne shots.

 

Below I reproduce the 3 Oise Aisne photos and the photographers comments, followed by the 3 Quentin Roosevelt photos with the comments.

 

Paul

 

"Memorial Chapel in Oise Aisne Cemetery.

These endured all and gave all
that honor and justice might
prevail and that the world might
enjoy freedom and inherit peace
------------------------------------------
Inscription on marble cross of unknown soldier

Here rests in honored glory an American
soldier known but to God
----- ----- ----- -----
10% buried in France - 68% to USA
------------------------------------------
On hill Chateau Thereny - 1st - 2d - 3d + 26th
Div. - 1st Corps -
28th - 32d - 42d + 77th-93d of 3d Corps
---------------------------------------------
Mercy farm to Right and
back of this Bld is where
42d Division (Rainbow) suffered
their severe loss"

post-2319-0-30550700-1584901869_thumb.jpg

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Here is the Roosevelt comments and photos.

 

Paul

 

"Lieut Quentin Roosevelt
AEFAF - XX Air Service
(Age 20)
Fell in Battle Chenery July 14 -
MCMXVIII - (1918)
--------------------------------------------
Only those are fit to live
who are not afraid to die
(Theodore Roosevelt)
----------------------------------------------
Lieut Quentin Roosevelt (On his Monument)
Born Nov 19 - 1899
Fell July 14 - 1918
---------------------------------------------
He has outsoared the
Shadow of our Night
-------------------------------------------
12 steps diagonally from my left is
a marble slab marking exact spot
where he fell + on it ;
Placed in memory of Lt. Quintin Roosevelt
by Quintin Roosevelt Post No. 1, Dept
of Mo - St. Louis Mo - the first Post
organized in the American Legion -"

post-2319-0-51139000-1584902083_thumb.jpg

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everforward

I am thinking Quentin is now buried next to BG Teddy Roosevelt Jr. at the Normandy-American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer.

 

We tried to find the Quentin Roosevelt cenotaph out in the Champagne country, but ran out of time and had to move on......

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The Rooster

Charles Robertson was a friend of my Grandfather.

I think the link above has the total number of AEF graveyards.

Before they were moved and consolidated.

I believe its over 100 seperate graveyards.

These photos were taken about 1920 and come from one of

my grandfathers photo albums..

Notice all the crosses are made of wood.

post-181333-0-66598800-1584939664_thumb.jpg

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The Rooster

And where is the grave of Quentin Roosevelt now? His remains still lie in France, though in 1955, they were moved to be with his brother Theodore, Jr., a World War II casualty, in Normandy American Cemetery. The original German cross is at the

, in Dayton, Ohio. The National Air and Space Museum collection includes a cartridge and a bullet originally given to Mother Tusch "from the belt of Quintin [sic] Roosevelt's machine gun after his crash."

 

 

https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/grave-quentin-roosevelt

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The Rooster
AustinO
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Posted 12 February 2019 - 09:30 PM

Coincidentally, I was just (a moment ago) researching a KIA fellow and was looking for his temporary cemetery (his plot isn't indexed unfortunately, he's currently in the M-A Cemetery though).

 

Per NARA, Cemetery #86 was located at Mesves, Nievre, France (which is SSE of Paris right on the Loire River).

 

There were 1,637 numbered temporary AEF Cemeteries (many are letter sequenced after the numbers, and some only had one AEF burial).

 

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Old Crow 1986

Thank you Vincennes and Rooster for sharing these amazing artifacts.

 

Regarding the quote/epitaph for Quentin Roosevelt - "He has outsoared the Shadow of our Night"...

 

...I have no idea who wrote that, but they were gifted beyond genius.

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Old Crow 1986

Took the two seconds to Google ""He has outsoared the Shadow of our Night."

 

It's Shelly....

 

​...so, yeah, gifted beyond genius.

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The Rooster

I'm sure probably most have seen it, but there is a photograph the Germans took of Mr, Roosevelt lying next to his crashed plane.

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The Rooster

Here is a link to the photo of Quentin Roosevelt lying dead next to his crashed aircraft.

They buried him on the spot. I wont put the picture on here so as not to offend sensative viewers because its

well.... He crashed a plane...... Nuff Said.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/drakegoodman/34117125516

 

And heres a good article

 

https://www.army.mil/article/208225/ny_national_guardsman_quentin_roosevelt_son_of_a_president_was_famous_ww_i_casualty

 

 

And attached is a picture of the original grave. Very humble with parts of the plane.

 

At his funeral after the Americans took back the territory containing his grave.

 

New York National Guard Chaplain (Cpt.) Father Francis P. Duffy, the chaplain of New York's famed "Fighting 69th" reads a service as a cross is placed on the grave of Lt. Quentin Roosevelt in August 1918. Duffy's commander, Col. Robert McCoy, had bee... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army

post-181333-0-20903900-1585148194_thumb.jpg

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The Rooster

2

The picture in post # 6 above I believe now to be located where the huge AEF hospital was between Bulcy

and Mesves

 

Thanks to Austin O for figuring it out.

 

AustinO

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Posted 13 February 2019 - 05:51 PM

Possible, but it could also just be the commune's regular cemetery - they would have had one too. I think the only way to be sure would be to pull the cemetery plans from College Park: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/642000

 

Mesves had 9 different Base and Unit Hospitals called "Mesves Hospital Center" located between Mesves and Bulcy (right off the rail line, with about 20 thousand beds combined), so only makes sense that they would have a fairly large cemetery nearby (by March of 1919 there were 650 total burials in #86).

post-5941-0-09117200-1550097901.jpg

 

I honestly think that this may be the remains of #86's walls:

post-5941-0-63552400-1550098271.jpg

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