--- title: "Honoring Alabama Veterans" date: 2018-10-23 author: "Birmingham Christian Family" featured_image: "https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/William-McCaig.jpg" categories: - name: "Entertainment" url: "/category/news/entertainment.md" - name: "Family" url: "/category/news/family.md" - name: "Outdoors" url: "/category/news/entertainment/outdoors.md" tags: - name: "Featured" url: "/tag/featured.md" --- # Honoring Alabama Veterans **Special Feature** **Brought to you by: Community Partner Tom Douglass, [TomDouglassRealtor.com![](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Community-Partner-LOGO-COLOR-300x300.jpg "Community Partner LOGO COLOR")](http://TomDouglassRealtor.com)** **Honoring Alabama Veterans, World War I.** In honor of the 100th Anniversary of the end of World War I (WWI), we recognize some of the Alabama Veterans who served us during WWI. Details of their service are a part of the Register of Honor at the Veterans Shrine at The American Village. “These veterans are representative of the hundreds of thousands of Alabamians who have risked it all for the sake of our country and its freedom,” said American Village founder and CEO Tom Walker. “To all veterans we owe a debt we can never fully repay.” **Marine Private Claude Talmage Abbott** of Cullman; killed in action at the Battle of Belleau in France June 11, 1918; posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre with gilt star by the government of France. **Army First Lieutenant Roland Lee Adams** of Auburn; died in 1918 on the front line in France; received the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism. ![Hugh Bagley](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Hugh-Bagley-200x300.jpg "Hugh Bagley")Hugh Bagley**Army Private Hugh Bagley** of Talladega County; died on Armistice Day, November 11, 1918, of methane gas that penetrated his gas mask. **Army Private First Class Charlie M. Bonnell** of La Pine; an orphan who died of wounds while serving in France in 1919. **Army Private Marion Andrew Brackin** of Hedley; member of Co. L, 149thand Co. H 163rdInfantry. **Army Corporal Edgar Hubbard Freeman** of Montevallo; member of the 187thU.S. Infantry, the Rainbow Division; survived being shot in the back by a German sniper. **Army Sergeant Merida M. Gilbert** of Oak Grove; died in the great influenza pandemic of 1919 after serving four years in Panama. **Navy Fireman Third Class Henry Curtis Godwin** of Ozark; died February 19, 1918 of pneumonia at the Naval hospital in Norfolk. **Army Corporal James C. Hendrick** of Montevallo; killed in action July 26, 1918. **Navy Seaman Osmond Kelley Ingram** of Pratt City; killed on Oct. 15. 1917 aboard the U.S.S. Cassin when it came under submarine attack; posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and Purple Heart for bravery in saving his crew at the loss of his own life. **Navy Commander Samuel E. Johnson** of Clanton; served in WWI and WWII. **Army Corporal William C. Jones** of Six Mile; served in Battery E, 117thField Artillery in WWI. His three children also served in the U.S. Armed Forces. ![James Hendrick](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/James-Hendrick-188x300.jpg "James Hendrick")James Hendrick**Navy Seaman Forman Austin Maze** of Odenville; killed along with 305 other crewmen aboard the U.S.S. Cyclops on March 4, 1918 during a voyage to refuel British ships. **Army Corporal William Manuel McCaig** of Russellville. **Navy Lieutenant John Tillman Melvin** of Selma; first Naval officer killed in WWI. His ship, the U.S.S. Alcedo, was torpedoed and sank off the coast of France in 1917. **Marine Corporal Gordon M. Mercer** of Demopolis; killed in action at the Battle of Belleau in France June 6, 1918. **Army Captain Harry G. Mouat** of Birmingham; served in the 341stInfantry stateside and the 36thDivision in France; continued in the Army Reserve over 20 years. **Navy Seaman Joseph Mott Reynolds** of Birmingham; served a year before being called home following his father’s death. **Army Private First Class James Joel Riley** of Guin; died of disease November 7, 1918, while traveling to the front lines in France. ![Ezra Sessamen](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ezra-Sessamen-200x300.jpg "Ezra Sessamen")Ezra Sessamen**Navy Chief Petty Officer Ezra Hennigan Sessamen** of Birmingham; served on a submarine chaser between Miami, Key West and the Bahamas during WWI. **Army Private Horace “Happy” Usry** of Ohatchee. **Army Sergeant Ernest F. Walker** of Fayette; sailed for France on June 10, 1918; assigned to the casualty division and reported the dead and wounded of the Battle of Bourges. His father died while he was at sea. **Army Private First Class Michael Assad Zataney,** born in Syria; an optometrist in Birmingham who was mortally wounded on November 11, 1918 – just 13 hours before the signing of the armistice that ended WWI. Help us honor, recognize, respect and remember our country’s veterans. Visit [www.veteransregisterofhonor.com](http://www.veteransregisterofhonor.com/) today and add your loved ones to the Register of Honor. † [![Tom Douglass wishes to express his appreciation for those persons that have fought for our freedom and is thankful to be related to several veterans including both hisgrandfathers who served in WWII, his father in Vietnam and his brother who was deployed to Iraq as a member of the Marine Reserves.](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/William-McCaig-300x224.jpg)](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/William-McCaig.jpg)Tom Douglass wishes to express his appreciation for those persons that have fought for our freedom and is thankful to be related to several veterans including both his grandfathers who served in WWII, his father in Vietnam and his brother who was deployed to Iraq as a member of the Marine Reserves.![](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Tom-Douglass-Logo-for-Home-Page-and-Community-Partner-print-ad-0418-bcf-300x180.jpg) *-Brought to you by: Community Partner, Tom Douglass, Brik Realty* [*www.TomDouglassRealtor.com*](http://www.TomDouglassRealtor.com) *205-999-2780, [tdoug@tdrepro.com](tdoug@tdrepro.com)* *Member [www.Convenenow.com![](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/community-partner-convene-logo-300x86.jpg "community partner convene logo")](http://www.Convenenow.com)*