Image and Bio courtesy of Andrew Pestle.

Lewis Alvin Cloyd was born near Cole Camp, Missouri, on September 22nd, 1899. The son of a rural blacksmith, I was surprised to learn that he finished high school and moved to Oklahoma in the 1910's. Lewis did not complete a 1917 draft card (likely because he was still underage) but enlisted in the US Army on July 24th, 1918.

Private Cloyd was assigned to Motor Truck Company #492 of Motor Supply Train #420. He sailed overseas on September 9th, 1918, and eventually completed 11 months of service with the American Expeditionary Forces. Although I was unable to locate any specific information regarding Lewis' unit in France, close inspection of this photograph reveals him to be wearing a WW1 victory ribbon with two campaign stars. This may represent service in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and an unknown campaign sector.

Lewis was promoted to Corporal while overseas and returned to the United States aboard the USS Pastores on August 30th, 1919. He received an honorable discharge on September 18th and his service number was 3912683. This post-war photograph depicts him in uniform in the F. L. Saunders studio of Woodward, OK.

Lewis married in 1921 and later had a daughter. He worked for a short time as a mechanic but eventually began a career working for the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad, eventually retiring in 1962. Lewis was also active in the Methodist Church, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Masonic Lodge. He died at the age of 78 years on May 6th, 1978, and is buried with a veteran's headstone beside his wife in the Riverside Cemetery of Mangum, Oklahoma.

https://www.findagrave.com/mem.../68824566/lewis-alvin-cloyd

Soft and safe, my brother, be they resting place. Bright and glorious be thy rising from it.

Lest we forget…