Porter County in the Mexican ExpeditionVeterans of the Mexican Expedition from Porter County . . . .

The following enumeration information concerning Porter County residents in the Mexican Expedition comes from the following sources:

       The Porter County Vidette
, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana; June
        21, 1916; Page 3, Columns 3 and 4.

        The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana; August
        18, 1936; Volume 10, Section 4, Page 12.

Additional information concerning soldiers has been obtained through federal government archives and burial data from Find A Grave.

Background Information
The Pancho Villa Expedition, officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Francisco "Pancho" Villa from 1916 to 1917. The expedition was in retaliation for Villa's illegal incursion into the United States and attack on the village of Columbus, Luna County, New Mexico, during the Mexican Revolution. The United States Army Center of Military History officially refers to the campaign as "the Mexican Expedition;" the official beginning and ending dates of this expedition are March 14, 1916, and February 7, 1917, respectively. Porter County citizens participating in the Mexican Expedition were members of Company L, Third Indiana Regiment, Indiana National Guard, and were stationed along the border of Mexico at Camp Llano Grande in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas. Company L was initially formed through the efforts of Ernest Washington Thrall in 1908, while Thrall was a student at Valparaiso University. Initially, Company L was exclusively comprised of students attending Valparaiso University. When mobilized for active service with the federal government, however, enlistments included individuals that were not associated with the university. Approximately 75 percent of Company L was comprised of Porter County residents, the majority from Valparaiso and a few enlistments from Chesterton and Hebron. Company L was later reorganized and mustered into service during The Great War (World War I).

You can read more about the formation and service of Company L in this article: "It Was 20 Years Ago that Company L Joined Uncle Sam's Hunt For Pancho Villa," published in The Vidette-Messenger in 1936.


Porter County Mexican Expedition Veterans

OFFICERS OF COMPANY L, THIRD INDIANA REGIMENT

Heineman, Edward Theodore

Captain
Born August 16, 1888, in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Died May 15, 1965, in Cook County, Illinois
Married June 29, 1921, to Madaleine Fearis in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Thralls, Ernest Washington
First Lieutenant
Born March 10, 1885
Died April 13, 1956, in Waynesburg, Greene County, Pennsylvania
Buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia
Note: First Lieutenant Thralls assisted in the formation of Company L while registered as a student at Valparaiso University in 1908. He was later promoted to the rank of Major in the United States Army and served during World War I in France and Germany.

Merriman, Hale America
Second Lieutenant
Born June 13, 1888, in Porter Township, Porter County, Indiana
Died November 14, 1966, in Brewster, Okanogan County, Washington
Married October 27, 1910, to Grace Rigg

Pierce, Roy L.
First Sergeant
Born April 14, 1876, in Kouts, Porter County, Indiana
Died December 26, 1953, in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Married September 27, 1898 to Maggie L. Williamson in Porter County, Indiana

Ward, Ray H.
First Duty Sergeant

McNiece, Floyd Robert
Second Duty Sergeant
Born May 25, 1892, in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Died September 24, 1947, in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana
Buried at Leo Memorial Park in Leo, Allen County, Indiana
Married June 20, 1917, to Minerva M. Pierce in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I as a First Lieutenant in the Balloon Observation Corps. Served two terms as the Porter County Surveyor.

Sherwood, Earl W.
Third Duty Sergeant
Born April 10, 1896, in Center Township, Porter County, Indiana
Died February 17, 1922
Buried at Graceland Memorial Park in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Note: Graduated from Purdue University in 1923, after his death, with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. Served in United States Army during World War I as a Private First Class.

Bailey, P. J.
Fourth Duty Sergeant

Lentz, J. M.
Color Sergeant

Deardorff, John Hudson
Corporal
Born 1897
Died 1954
Buried at Maplewood Cemetery in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Note: Served in the United States Army during World War I.

Jones, John Robert
Corporal
Note: Served in the United States Army during World War I.

Mayes, H. G.
Corporal

Oxley, Morton Elsworth
Corporal
Born March 12, 1891, in Sarpy County, Nebraska
Died July 31, 1946, in New York, New York County, New York
Buried at Arlington Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia
Married Ruth F. McMeen

Pratt, C. A. (C. H.?)
Corporal
Note: A resident of Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana. Served in the United States Army during World War I.

Swartz, Herbert G.
Corporal

Themanson, Earl
Corporal
Born February 14, 1899
Died 1918
Buried at Graceland Memorial Cemetery in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Note: Served in the United States Army during World War I.


PRIVATES OF COMPANY L, THIRD INDIANA REGIMENT

Anderson, Morton E.

Bagby, Roy

Beach, D. Wayne

Beasley, Noble Silas
Born February 12, 1895, Illinois
Died October 1970
Buried at Floral Hill Cemetery in Iroquois County, Illinois
Note: Served as a private in Company M, 104th Infantry, United States Army during World War I. Involved in the defensive sector in battles at St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. Honorably discharged on April 22, 1919. 

Beem, Delbert
Born November 27, 1889
Died March 1, 1964
Buried at Indiana Soldiers Home Cemetery in West Lafayette, Tippecanoe County Indiana
Note: Served in Company D, 16th Infantry, United States Army during World War I.

Blackburn, Donald W.

Blade, John W.

Bryant, Donald R.

Bullock, Winfield Ennis
Born December 5, 1896, in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Died March 28, 1929, at Longcliff Hospital in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana
Buried at Graceland Memorial Park in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Married August 6, 1923, to Hazel Ludington
Note: Served in 137th Field Artillery, United States Army during World War I. Bullock later owned a lunch counter and confectionary on Monroe Street in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana.

Burrus, Franklin J.
Born December 7, 1891
Died December 19, 1963
Buried at Graceland Memorial Park in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Married Alma Elvaretta Welch

Carling, John A.
Born February 10, 1891
Died January 13, 1952
Buried at Grand Lawn Cemetery in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
Note: Served as a private in the 3rd Infantry of the Indiana National Guard during World War I.

Connelly, Arthur J.
Private First Class
Born December 7, 1893
Died March 12, 1970
Buried at Graceland Memorial Park in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Married Emma F.
Note: Served in Battery F, 137th Field Artillery, United States Army during World War I.

Cooper, Benjamin H.
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I.

Craig, William E.

DeWitt, Leslie L.
Born February 10, 1898, in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Died January 8, 1975, at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, Lake County, Indiana
Married March 26, 1929, to Ethel Denman in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Buried at Graceland Memorial Park in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I. DeWitt was later employed as an engineer with the Elgin Joliet & Erie Railroad.

Donahue, Florence Thomas "Copper"
Born February 2, 1879, in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Died October 30, 1954, in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana

Doughton, John J. (Doughten?)

Eschleman, Ford Powell Sr.
Born April 22, 1898
Died December 1973

Farrell, Chauncey

Forney, William B.
Born November 1, 1884, in White County, Indiana
Died February 13, 1946, at home on Brown Street, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Buried at Maplewood Cemetery in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Married Mina S. Fromader
Note: Forney played professional baseball in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (Three-Eye) and Texas leagues. He returned to Porter County and served as Sheriff (1916-1920, 1924-1928) and County Recorder (1938-1946) of Porter County, Indiana. Committed suicide at home with a .38 caliber revolver after being despondent over long term health issues.

Ganyard, Lloyd E.

Gardner, Clarence J.
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I.

Gay, Frank M.
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I.

Gibbs, Charles J.
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I.

Graham, Edward N. (Edward Ray Graham?)
Born December 9, 1885, in Paw Paw, Van Buren County, Michigan
Died October 26, 1959, at 253 Valparaiso Street in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Buried at St. Paul Cemetery in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Married 1918 to Catherine Murphy in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Note: A Union Township, Porter County, Indiana, farmer. Also employed by the Indiana State Highway Department for during the 1950s.

Hayworth, Raymond Clifford
Born August 25, 1892, in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Died December 14, 1963, at Miller Laboratories in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Buried at Graceland Memorial Park in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Married Alice H. Wohlenberg
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I. Employed by McGill Manufacturing Company in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana.

Heisler, Walter Louis
Born October 25, 1879, in Cook County, Illinois
Died December 22, 1951, in Los Angeles County, California
Married October 30, 1901, to Margaret Greta Briest in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Jackson, Laban B.
Born June 20, 1896, in Ashland, Upshur County, Texas
Died November 7, 1964, in Massapequa Park, Nassau County, New York
Married Florence
Note: Employed as a motion picture operator at the McKinley Square Theatre in New York City in 1918. Was a member of the Moving Picture Machine Operators Union, Local No. 306.

Jenkins, Joseph H.

Jeschke, Walter P.

Keene, Arthur Davidson
Born February 5, 1896, in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Died April 1990
Buried at Graceland Memorial Park in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Married Genevieve L. Marvin
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I. Owned and operated Keene Tire Service in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana.

Keliher, James Leroy
Born December 4, 1892, in Liberty Township, Porter County, Indiana
Died January 2, 1951, at Porter Memorial Hospital in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Buried at St. Paul Cemetery in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Married July 3, 1919, to Rosalie J. Delworth in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri
Note: Served in 35th Infantry, 18th Division, United States Army during World War I, enlisting on May 3, 1918, and discharged on November 30, 1918.

Kitchens, Jesse A.
Born November 18, 1889, in Alabama
Died April 1971 in Cordova, Walker County, Alabama

Koons, Lloyd Oberheltzer
Born March 26, 1897, in Souderton, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Labrecque, Wilfred Joseph
Born September 8, 1884, in Canada
Died October 22, 1959, at Hines Vetean's Hospital in Hines, Cook County, Illinois
Buried at St. Paul Cemetery in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Married April 22, 1918, to Elizabeth Papineau in Shelby, Bolivar County, Mississippi
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I as an interpreter in France. After the war, Labreque was employed as a plasterer and later worked as a guard at the Continental-Diamond Fibre Corporation in Valparaiso.

Maudlin, Lauren Franklin
Note: Served in United States Navy during World War I.

McNulty, Dominick J.

Miller, Ebb H.
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I.

Morrow, Harold H.

Nutter, Warren M.

Nybladh, Thor E.
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I.

Olson, Charles

Parker, Erwin S.

Parker, Orion Ellis
Born November 28, 1892
Died November 2, 1966, in Michigan City, LaPorte County, Indiana
Buried at Springville Cemetery in LaPorte, LaPorte County, Indiana
Married Mayme Ann Danielson

Phillips, George C.

Phillips, Ruskin B.

Pratt, Leroy
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I.

Read, George R.

Reams, Jarrell R.

Reingold, Maurice

Robinette, Elmer I.

Robinson, Byron B.

Scheirer, Charles H.

Sells, Jacob E.

Smith, Augustus

Smith, Cecil J.

Steward, Harrison B.
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I.

Stewart, Elam L.

Stoddard, John S.
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I.

Treiber, Harold O.

Trumbower, William C.

Varner, Harvey C.

White, David L.
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I.

White, Minor E.

Williams, Charles D.

Wolfe, Maurice M.

Woolsey, Clifton Fisk
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I. After World War I, Woolsey served in the United States Aviation Service as a captain.

Wuolle, Onni August
Born November 11, 1888, in Parkano, Finland
Married Hanna

Zarth, Edward George
Born March 2, 1890, in Illinois
Died January 26, 1967
Buried at Graceland Memorial Park in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Married Mabel Florence Bundy
Note: Served in United States Army during World War I.

Biographical information researched and abstracted by Steven R. Shook, 2013

 

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