I am hoping to solve a mystery about a distant relative and hope there are a few WWI buffs out there who can help me-- I have a distant relative who was in WWI-- he was from Indianapolis. Part of his service and obit reads: After passing through the bitter fighting which took place at Chateau-Thierry and the Argonne forest and after he had been assigned to that part of the Army of Occupation stationed near Coblenz, Germany, Elmer M. Cox, 628 North Temple Avenue, died of broncho-pneumonia on Feb. 28, 1919. Notification of Private Cox's death has been received from the War Department by his mother, Mrs. Blanch Cox. Private Cox enlisted at Canton, O., and was assigned to Company G, 332d Infantry, at Camp Cherman, O. He sailed for France on June 11, 1918, where he was assigned to Company G, 308th Field Signal Battalion. He was born in Indianapolis, Dec. 19, 1894. Crown Hill online records have: Cox, Elmer M, d. 02/02/1920, PVT 1/CL C 308TH BATTY US FLD SIG BAT, Plot: 9 1486, * The family story circulating is that this soldier flew with Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker. Being a retired US History teacher-- something tells me this is not quite right. I think the soldier was on the ground, in the signal corps-- he may have known Rickenbacker or even flown on a mission with him, but I don't think he was actually in the air. Where would I go to get a war record on him? Would Indy have it since he was a resident of Indy? He is buried at Crown Hill, but the year of off, so I don't know if the year is the actual burial or if it is just an error. Any info on how to untwist the mystery will be appreciated. Thanks. Helen Zuber Keusch forever searching the EAKINS, FORD/FOARD, MELTON, WALCUP, SANDEFUR, EZELL, HANDLEY, THOMASSON, BIGGERSTAFF, ZUBER, GUTEKUNST/GOODART, ANTHIS, BANGERT, LAND, CRABTREE, BENNETT, EDWARDS, REEVES, WOFFORD families--my lines; and on hubby's side the families of MEHRINGER, SCHITTER/SCHUETTER, HOCHGESANG, SCHMITT, HURST, BECHER, KEUSCH, ZIMMERMAN, ACKERMAN, BURGER, and HOPF (and some side-lines).

Hi Helen, The 308th Field Signal Battalion was originally part of the 83rd Division of the AEF. They had initially been formed as a line division on the western front. But there was a dire need for Depot Divisions to support the AEF. They began to stage via Camp Merritt in New Jersey, and sailed to France during the late spring of 1918. Most of the division arrived in France by June 28th, 1918. However the previous day the 83rd was re-designated the 2nd Depot division and the division was stripped of some units. Among these was the 308th Field Signal Battalion. I'm not sure what unit they were assigned to after that, but I believe they were sent on to Cherbourg. You might be interested in this picture: http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/preservation/dav2/pg243.htm Aviation was originally assigned to the Signal Corps and remained a part of the Signal Corps until May 1918 when it became the Air Service. Eddie Rickenbacker joined the Army in April 1917 and was assigned as a driver with General Pershings Staff in France. He met Billy Mitchell who helped him get into Aviation and he was assigned to the 94th Aero Pursuit Squadron in March 1918. I find it quite doubtful that they men flew together, especially since Elmer M. Cox was a Private. They may have met somewhere along the line or been in units with close proximity to each other, but I suspect that is it. Run some Google searches and you can find plenty of info on Eddie Rickenbacker. Joel http://www.mindspring.com/~jsruss/ At 08:20 AM 2/7/2006, gkeusch@psci.net wrote: >I am hoping to solve a mystery about a distant relative and hope there are >a few WWI buffs out there who can help me-- > >I have a distant relative who was in WWI-- he was from >Indianapolis. Part of his service and obit reads: > >After passing through the bitter fighting which took place at >Chateau-Thierry and the Argonne forest and after he had been assigned to >that part of the Army of Occupation stationed near Coblenz, Germany, Elmer >M. Cox, 628 North Temple Avenue, died of broncho-pneumonia on Feb. 28, >1919. Notification of Private Cox's death has been received from the War >Department by his mother, Mrs. Blanch Cox. > >Private Cox enlisted at Canton, O., and was assigned to Company G, 332d >Infantry, at Camp Cherman, O. He sailed for France on June 11, 1918, >where he was assigned to Company G, 308th Field Signal Battalion. He was >born in Indianapolis, Dec. 19, 1894. > >Crown Hill online records have: Cox, Elmer M, d. 02/02/1920, PVT 1/CL C >308TH BATTY US FLD SIG BAT, Plot: 9 1486, * > >The family story circulating is that this soldier flew with Capt. Eddie >Rickenbacker. Being a retired US History teacher-- something tells >me this is not quite right. I think the soldier was on the ground, in >the signal corps-- he may have known Rickenbacker or even flown on a >mission with him, but I don't think he was actually in the air. >Where would I go to get a war record on him? Would Indy have it since >he was a resident of Indy? He is buried at Crown Hill, but the year >of off, so I don't know if the year is the actual burial or if it is just >an error. > >Any info on how to untwist the mystery will be >appreciated. Thanks. Helen Zuber Keusch > >forever searching the EAKINS, FORD/FOARD, MELTON, WALCUP, SANDEFUR, EZELL, >HANDLEY, THOMASSON, BIGGERSTAFF, ZUBER, GUTEKUNST/GOODART, ANTHIS, >BANGERT, LAND, CRABTREE, BENNETT, EDWARDS, REEVES, WOFFORD families--my >lines; and on hubby's side the families of MEHRINGER, SCHITTER/SCHUETTER, >HOCHGESANG, SCHMITT, HURST, BECHER, KEUSCH, ZIMMERMAN, ACKERMAN, BURGER, >and HOPF (and some side-lines). > > > >==== INMARION Mailing List ==== >Check out the Marion County InGenWeb site at <a >href="http://www.rootsweb.com/~inmarion/index.html"> Marion County, >Indiana GenWeb</a>

Helen and others, Records for U.S. Army officers who separated after June 30, 1917, and enlisted personnel who separated after October 31, 1912 are held at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. However due to a fire in 1973 around 80% of the records between 1917 (Officers) or 1912 (Enlisted) up to 1956 were destroyed. So most of all WWI and WWII service records were destroyed. You might get lucky and find your ancestor's records survived, but the odds are against you. Joel