The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-06-24
OBITUARY

killed in action in France, in the Ar
come Forest, a Greene county boy
whose life was we'll lived and whose
death was heroic. This was Oscar
Byrd Harrison, the son of Mr.. and
Mrs. w. B. Harrison, of Greeneville
Route fifteen.
Byrd, as he was familiarly known
entered the preparatory department
at Tusculum in 1915 and established
at once a reputation as a hard work
ing, faithful student. When the call
came in the Spring of 1918 for him
to prepare to go to France, he was
ready to respond.
On May 18th he left Greeneville
and was sent to Camp Pike. whore h"
made the best of the ten weeks train
ing period in which his company was
! in continual quarantine. His good
humor and the interest he took in the
various phases of drill relieved the
exasperating circumstances of much
of this hardship and real monotony.
and for this good nature and fidelity
he was rewarded by an appointment
as squad leader.
Finally the time came when Burd's
company was given the overseas ex-
animation and in the usual transfers
he was assigned to a replacement
regiment which left Camp Pike on
August 9th and reached Camp Mer-
rift August 18th. The regiment sail
ed on the "Ameatha" two days later
and landed in England on August
goth, but was sent to France almost
Immediately, where it was used to
help fill various divisions. Byrd was
assigned to Company c of the l25th
Infantry (32nd Division) and was
with them during the remainder of
his service.
On the 26th of September the reg
iment went into the front line of the
Argonne Forest. The fighting was
intense, and Byrd went over the top
four times in three days 1t was
there that he was fatally wounded on
the 10th of October, falling face
forward into shell hole, according
| to a chum who was in the same com
pany and who applied first aid. So
far as is known he died in very
short time, before he could be remov-
ed from the field. His resting place
is somewhere in France, but his fam
lily and friends as yet do not know
where. In some spot, however, mark
ed by a simple cross, his body lies
buried, along with others of his com
rades-many others-who willingly
gave themselves for the great couse
of Freedom.
There are many things that might
be said in commentator of the char
acter and life of this brave young
man-as a boy at home, as stu
dent in school, and as a soldier on
the field of France.
But one thing must be said, and
this, perhaps, as great thing as can
be said of any man, namely, he never
failed to do his part and more in
any undertaking that was at hand
Always willing, always cheerful, al
ways brave and faithful, he was one
of that kind upon whom the world
depends to do its work and bring
forth results. With fine moral and
physical strength, unfinching in his
zeal for right, persistent at all times
and never weary, he was of Deepen
dable sort who are of the best that
the world has and without whom the
world would be poorer.
War has taken its heavy toll, as
war always has done, but this war
the world over has taken the heaviest
of all. And of all our own county
BOYS who fell in this unparalleled war
none is more deserving of special no
tice or will be missed more than this
faithful, patient, conscientious lad,
Oscar Byrd Harrison.