Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1918-04-12
-~------~- Ia. -. u ------~--~~-~---~~
TWENTY-SEVEN OFFICERS
KILLED FIRST YEAR OF WAR

Americas Roll or Honor, with the
first year OF war, contains the names
OF twenty-seven officers killed In ac-
tion or lost in the naval war 3one,"l
says the New York Times magazine
of last Sunday.
The Times article includes the
name of First Lieutenant Stewart
w. Hoover, United States Infantry,
formerly a Montpelier boy and the
i SON of DIR, G. A. Hoover, with the fol-
lowing comment:
/ THE first West Point graduate
killed was First Lieutenant Stewart
w. Hoover OF the United States In
] fantry. Lieutenant Hoover was q
member OF the class OF 1917 at the
military academy-the class that was
graduated six months ahead OF time
or war service. He was from Black
foot, Idaho. A characteristic story La
tol OF Lieutenant Hoover in his West
Point days, that he risked, and almost
lost his life by diving through hole
in the Ice on Lusk reservoir to rescue
the young son of Major G. G. Gee, En-
gIneer corps, U. 8. A., who had fallen
in. There was no one in sight to help
the young cadet, but he did not heat-
tate an instant, and succeeded in saw
ing the drowning boy. He was killed
in action March l."
The Major Gee referred to is Cleve
Gee, the son OF Mr.. and Mrs. Robert
Gee OF Montpelier. He is now a lieu
tenant colonel.
Extracts from the remainder OF the
article follows:
''The ffrst American officer, In any
branch of the service, killed in our
war was Lieutenant Clarence G.
Thomas, who was in command OF the
-
uum, and who died in an open boat
from exposure, after his boat was
J torpedoed and sunk by German sub
marine, April rs, 1917.
J THE first commissioned member
OF the U. 8. army to be killed by the
enemy In France was not q SOLDIER
! fighting the Germans, but a physi.
, clan. On Sept. /, Lieut.. William r.
Fitzsimmons OF the medical corps
with the Harvard unit in France, was
killed in an air raid on the Harvard
: unit hospital"
Other officers killed In the war tht
first year were:
Lieut.. @. P. Howe of Boston
r killed in action Sept %, and Lieut.
: Orlando Gochnaur of Freeport, I'll.
I killed in action Nov. 5. Both be
1 longed to the medical corps.
4 Lieut.. Wiley II. Burford of Deco
j, la. Fla, was the first artillery Officer
j killed. Four American army officers
: were lost when the Tuscania wen
s down-Captain Philip v. Sherman o
] Northfe1d, VT. Captain Philip K
q Lighthall of Syracuse, N. Y. Captain
0 Leo P. LIE Bron of Guthrie, Okla.
n and Lieut. William Binnie of Fallon
: Mont
: IN an unsuccessful German rail-
i on the trenches north OF Toui, Lieut.
n Harold r Eadie of Tilton, N. H, wa
= killed March /. Lieut.. Edward NJ
Q Peters of Brooklyn. ". r., kiile,
I March IL. Captain John ID. Holtzen
i dorff, Brunswick. Ca, was killed nea
o Toul, March s. Lieut. John Flen
: niken OF Lynn, Mass, was killed II
= action Feb. 27, and Lieut.. David K
Q Sumner of Jonesboro. Ga, was kgiles
7 In action March |.
+ Recent reports giving merely tn
y names In the casualty lists. state tina
d Captain Harry C. McHenry. AM
y Lleutenants Louie j. Jordan. Johl
v Norman and John H. David have beoi
!. killed In action in March"