Military | World War I
James C. McGhee
The names of the three soldiers killed in action were placed in a hat for no Legion Post can be named for a living member. It was decided to choose the name in this manner and the name of McGhee was drawn, and now he represents his comrades who gave their lives for their country.
McGhee entered the service in 1916, serving in the Mexican border conflict. He remained in the service and was on duty at the time the World War began. He is buried in South Oak Grove cemetery.
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Stuart has laid another sacrifice upon the altar of liberty and one more of our boys sleeps overseas, "where the poppies grow between the courses, row on row." His memory will live among us and a star stands for him on the service flag of the Congregational church, in whose Sunday school he grew up.
James C. McGhee, third son of Mr. and Mrs. John F. McGhee, was born in Stuart, March 7th, 1897, and died in France, October 25th, 1918, "from wounds received in action," (so the message read), at the age of twenty-one years, seven months and seventeen days.
He grew up in Stuart and continued in the public schools until the third year in high school. Then for a year and a half he worked in the printing office of the Stuart Herald, later going to McGregor, Iowa, where he had employment in a job printing office.
When war was declared, Jim did not wait for the draft but went to Dubuque to enlist, in April 1917. He was placed in Co. C., 35th infantry, of the regular army. For a time he was at Jefferson Barracks and from there went to Nogalas, Ariz., where he was in camp from May until after Christmas, 1917.
Going to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, he volunteered for the 15th Machine Gun Battalion as a wagoner. Leaving Fort Sam Houston early in April this year, they went from Camp Merritt the last of April, for overseas service.
It was active service, that left little time or opportunity even for writing home. In his last letter to his father, he said he had written several letters which he had no chance to mail.
The business of their lives was driving the Hun, and we know how well they did it. Our brave bright, merry clean lad did his part to make the world fit to live in . With his old job ready for him, a mechanical invention awaiting completion to patent, with life and all that it holds for him, he "left his business and his play when democracy called for men, and now, so far from home and those who lived him, he is with the gallant host 'over there' who are 'sleeping' the years of their manhood away."
In our hearts we are laying a shining wreath upon his grave.
~Source: North Iowa Times, McGregor, Clayton county, Iowa, Thursday, January 9, 1919
~Transcribed by S. Ferrall for Guthrie co. IAGenWeb, July 2019