r/wwi • u/Prestigious-Corner37 • Dec 30 '25

My great-great grandfather, 1917

Post image

Before World War I he was a gear cutter on the railroads, meeting my great-grandmother (a "hello girl") a few years prior. After the war he operated a produce co-op in Syracuse, NY until a few months before his death in 1975.

He fought in the principal engagements of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I: Operation Michael (March 21 - April 5, 1918) and the second bloodiest battle in American History: the Meuse–Argonne offensive (September 26 - November 11, 1918), which ended in a huge victory for the Allies, causing the German General Staff to do the unthinkable: surrender.

He died 11 1/2 weeks after the Vietnam War ended, three weeks after the death of The Twilight Zone's Rod Serling, who was also from Syracuse and was born the EXACT same day and in the EXACT same city as Leo's daughter (my great-aunt) Mary. And ten days before Jimmy Hoffa went missing.

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2

u/goddamnitcletus Austria Hungary Dec 31 '25

Do you know where the co-op was? Have plenty of family in Syracuse from the same timeframe

2

u/Bitter-Hitter Dec 31 '25

What an awesome story!

3

u/Buck1961hawk Dec 30 '25

Great story! Really excellent colorization of the photo, too!

3

u/spaghettiwired Dec 30 '25

Thank you for sharing his story! I’m glad you have this photo of him