Mabry Lunceford on the left, was sent to Camp Gordon in Chamblee, Georgia in August of 1918. George Shevenock, above, was sent to Camp Dix in New Jersey in August of 1917, then to Camp Gordon in March 1918.
Men between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-one across the United States registered at their local draft board on June 5, 1917 and those who turned twenty-one after the first draft registered on June 5, 1918. Mabry Lunceford, a farmer from Camp Hill, Alabama turned twenty-one December 8, 1917.
Bill Lunceford, son of Mabry, has lived in Dunwoody since 1972 and has researched his father’s service. On August 28, 1918, Mabry Lunceford, along with thirty-nine other men in his area of Alabama were assigned to Camp Gordon. Before going overseas, Lunceford had his photograph taken in uniform in the town of Chamblee.
Lunceford began his journey to England and then France on October 20, 1918 along with the 1st Replacement Division, Company I. Five to six thousand replacements were sent over as part of the 82nd Division. According to the “Official History of the 82nd Division: American Expeditionary Forces,” the replacements were stationed in camps near Clermont. Mabry Lunceford told his son that he contracted the measles on his journey, ending up in a hospital in France.
The war came to an end soon, but like so many soldiers, Lunceford had to wait a long time to return home. He received an invitation to have dinner at the home of a local farmer. This was a memorable event for a soldier far from home. Mabry Lunceford was discharged on February 13, 1919.
George Shevenock, age 22 from Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, was called to duty on August 9, 1917 and reported first to Camp Dix in New Jersey. The Notice of Call and to Appear for a Physical Examination form included the specific instructions “Take a Bath,” an addition made to the standard form. The instruction may be related to the coal mines in the county.
Shevenock’s grandson, Edward Shevenock, has been researching his service record and the service record of his other grandfather, Alton Meloy, who was in the 79th Regiment and reported to Camp Meade in Maryland. Edward Shevenock found valuable information at the U. S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, PA. There is a WWI museum and a WWI trench as part of an outdoor exhibit.
George Shevenock was part of Company C, 326th Infantry, 82nd Division. From Camp Dix he was sent to Camp Gordon and on March 15, 1918 he was promoted to Corporal. He departed the U. S. along with the 326th on April 29, 1918 from New York headed to Southampton, England and then to LeHavre, France and eventually Toul, France on June 25, 1918.
Shevenock engaged in battles at Flirey, the Marbache sector, St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne. His grandson has a copy of the Honorable Discharge that includes a stamped notation of all the battles in which George Shevenock and the 326th fought. After November 11, 1918, Shevenock had his rank of Corporal reaffirmed while in Cadillac, France by official Army document.
The 326th was quarantined for a time in France and were the last soldiers to return to the United States, leaving on May 16, 1919. George Shevenock came home and worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad for forty-one years.
The family recalls that he only went to the movie theater a couple of times in his life and one of those was to see Sergeant York, the 1941 movie starring Gary Cooper. Sergeant York also went to Camp Gordon and was part of the 82nd Division. He received the Medal of Honor for his WWI service.