Departure August 15, 1918, at New York, New York, on the Saxon (IV)
Unit Company D, 351st Infantry
Rank Private
Service Number 3680437
Departure May 20, 1919 at Saint Nazaire, France
Arrival at Newport News, Virginia on the U.S.S. Mercury (ID 3012)
Unit Compnay D, 351st Infantry
Rank Corporal
Service Number 3680437
Military honors will be accorded Mr. Free with Emil Ewoldt Post directing. The following "Buddies" will act as pall bearers: Ernest Dee Sutherland, Emil Kuhl, August Ross, Henry Meyers, Herman Wooster, Arnold Foster, and Harry Hoffmann.
The post firing squad of eight members, three color bearers and bugler will assist in the services. Burial will be in the Manning Cemetery.
Born In Manning
Mr. Free was born in Manning September 25, 1891, the youngest son of Horace
Martin and Sarah Free. He was educated in the Manning Schools and grew to manhood
in this community. During the boom days of 1914, Russell went to Casper,
Wyoming. He lived there until he enlisted for service in the World War in 1917
and returned there in 1919 after being discharged from the Army.
He saw a year's service in France with the 351st Infantry. He was stationed in the Alsace-Lorraine Sector at the same time as his brother, Ledger, served in the Machine Gun Division.
Unusual Story
The story is told that when Ledger met several new men in a new camp, one
of them said: "We have fellow from Iowa in the hospital here whose name is
Free. Relative of yours?" "No," Ledger replied, "I'm the only one in
the service." "Well, let's go over and see this fellow, anyway."
So they went and found that Russell had been wounded. Then it was that Ledger first learned that his brother had enlisted. For many years Russell had been afflicted with asthma. He was gassed in action, a fact, he never told his family.
He was unmarried. An infant brother, Norman, and his mother preceded him in death. His mother passed away March 31, 1935.
He is survived by his father, two brothers, Harry of Dodge City, Kansas; Ledger of Manning; and a sister, Nina (Mrs. James Wilson) of Lorimor, Iowa.