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Biography

Willis Lewis Burnworth was born June 6th, 1891 at Bremen, Fairfield County, Ohio as son of Alderman Burnworth and Lavina Householder.

Sgt Willis Burnworth

He was 5'7" tall (=1,70m), had light brown hair and had four brothers and four sisters. Goldie May and Charles Elliot were older than him. The others: Ira Newton, Edgar Wayne, Nellie, Margaret, Viola and Teddy were younger.

After he finished his education at the public schools of Rushcreek Township and Bremen High School, he became a farmer.

Map of Bremen Ohio

Bremen, Ohio

Willis entered service (ASN: 1518883) at Bremen on May 30th, 1917 with the Ohio National Guard. He got his basic training with Company D of the 7th Infantry Regiment at Pleasantville, Ohio. On July 15, 1917 this regiment was recalled to federal service. It was now redesignated the 145th Infantry Regiment, and assigned as one of the components of the 37th Division. Willis became a member of Company H.

From September 29th, 1917 till end of May 1918 he trained at Camp Sheridan, five miles outside Montgomery, Alabama. During that time he attained the rank of Corporal (October 10th, 1917). At Camp Lee, Virginia he stayed from May 24th till June 11th. Before embarking the USS Leviathan he received his final overseas physical examination. The ship left the harbor on Saturday June 15th and landed at Brest, France, June 22nd.

Willis saw action in:

Baccarat sector (Aug. 4 - Sept. 16, 1918)

Avocourt sector (Sept. 21 - Sept. 25, 1918)

Meuse-Argonne ofensive (Sept. 26 - Oct. 1, 1918)

Pannes sector - St Mihiel (Oct. 7 - Oct. 16, 1918)

Ypres-Lys offensive (Oct. 31 - Nov. 1, 1918)

On October 25th, 1918 he was promoted to Sergeant.

For one of his actions during the Ypres-Lys offensive he got a Citation for Gallantry:

By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, Sergeant Willis L. Burnworth (ASN: 1518883), United States Army, is cited for gallantry in action and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the Victory Medals awarded him. Sergeant Burnworth distinguished himself by gallantry in action while serving with Company H, 145th Infantry Regiment, 37th Division, A.E.F., in action near Olsene, Belgium, on 31 October 1918. Sergeant Burnworth displayed exceptional coolness and courage in charging and capturing a strong machine gun nest.

World War Victory Medal with Silver Star and Combat Clasps
Testemony Sgt Gariepy of KIA Sgt Willis Burnworth

Sergeant Francis Gariepy, Company H, 145th Infantry Regiment testified that Sergeant Willis Burnworth was killed by the concussion of a large caliber shell that bursted ten feet from him and that there was not a mark on his body where anything had hit him.

Testemony Sgt Gariepy

Sergeant Willis L. Burnworth was buried on November 1st on a field in the Houtstraat, Olsene  together with:

​

  • PVT Marshall Thomas, Co D, 145th Inf

  • PVT Crangle Charles, Med Det, 145th Inf

  • PVT Kicka Paul, Co I, 145th Inf

  • PVT Steffy Harvey, Co G, 145th Inf

  • PFC Hyde Clarence, Co D, 145th Inf

  • CPL Niles Frederick, Co E, 145th Inf

 

On June 7th, 1919 he was disinterred and reburied in Grave 79, Plot D at the American Military Cemetery, Waregem, Belgium.

Burial Registration Card

Burial Registration Card

Burial Registration Card

Memorial service

Memorial service

A memorial service for Sgt Willis Burnworth was held at the Methodist Church in Bremen, OH on January 5 1919. The house was filled to his fullest capacity. The center section of the church was reserved for the immediate friends and the Boy Scouts. The entire service was most appropriate. A letter of Sgt Russell Householder, his nephew, was read by Rev. Holcombe

His parents did not want his remains to be ship to the United States. They wrote on July 24th, 1920:

Dear Sir, 
     We were requested early last winter as to the disposition of the remains of our son killed in action somewhere in Belgium.
     We wrote at once expressing our wishes in the matter, telling you to let his remains be over there as we are informed that they will be taken care of and remembered by a grateful nation for what they done.

After the remains of the soldiers who's family wanted an interment in a Cemetery of their choise, were shipped to the U.S.A., the Flanders Field American Cemetery had to be reorganized. Sergeant Willis Lewis Burnworth was disinterred on June 22nd, 1922 and reburied in Grave 8, Row 1, Plot C.

10 December 2018

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