BRIEFING DOCUMENT: William Bryan Cooper - A Life and Service in WWI

Date: October 26, 2023

Subject: Summary of the life and military service of William Bryan Cooper, based on provided excerpts.

1. Introduction:

This document summarizes key biographical information and military service details of William Bryan Cooper, a young American man who served in World War I. The information is based on a provided text excerpt.

2. Biographical Information:

Name: William Bryan Cooper

Date of Birth: October 15, 1895

Place of Birth: Liberty Hill, Williamson County, Texas

Family: Son of John B. and Callie Donia (Gray) Cooper. His mother passed away on March 25, 1903. He had a step-mother (not named) with whom he lived along with his father by 1910.

Description: Single, white male. Medium height, slender build, brown hair, gray eyes, likely tanned.

Occupation (Pre-War): Farm laborer on his parent's farm in Bangs, Texas.

Location (Pre-War): Resided in Bangs, Texas as of June 5, 1917.

3. Military Service:

Drafted: February 23, 1918, in Brownwood, Texas.

Initial Training: Sent to Camp Travis in San Antonio on February 24, 1918.

Unit Assignment: Assigned to Company F, 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division on March 24, 1918.

Movement:Transferred to Camp Mills, New York.

Embarked for England from Hoboken, New Jersey on June 20, 1918, completing an 11-day voyage.

Moved to France shortly after arriving in England.

Spent six weeks training near Rouvres, France, with eight hours of training per day.

Moved to the vicinity of Toul on August 19, 1918.

Relieved the 1st Division in the Villers-en-Haye sector north of Toul on August 24, 1918.

Combat: Participated in the 90th Division's St. Mihiel operation (September 12-16, 1918).

Death: Killed in action during the division’s initial attack in the Meuse-Argonne operations on September 26, 1918.

"William was killed in action during the division's initial attack in the Meuse-Argonne operations and died on September 26, 1918."

Initial Burial: Temporarily buried in France.

Reinterment: Reinterred on August 1, 1922, in the St. Mihiel American Cemetery at Thiaucourt-Regnieville, France. The Army Graves Registration Service (GRS) facilitated the reinterment.

"The Graves Registration Service of the US Army was William's new unit. The GRS did an awesome job during and after the battles of WW1."

4. Key Themes and Facts:

Rapid Deployment: The text highlights the rapid movement of American troops from their arrival at Camp Travis to being in active combat in Europe within a relatively short time (February to September 1918). The text shows his rapid transit from Brownwood, Texas, to training in the US to overseas training, and then combat in less than 7 months.

The Reality of War: The excerpts provide a stark illustration of the tragic loss of young lives in WWI. William Cooper went from farm life in Texas to combat and death in less than 7 months.

The GRS: The text acknowledges the crucial role of the Army Graves Registration Service in identifying, burying, and reinterring the fallen, showing care was taken after the fighting had ended.

Family Impact: The text mentions the notification of William’s father, John, of his death, highlighting the personal tragedy for families back home.

"His father John was notified."

Geographic Progression: The excerpt clearly maps the various locations William Cooper moved through during his deployment, highlighting the vast distances and different environments he encountered.

5. Conclusion:

The provided excerpt offers a snapshot of the life and tragic death of William Bryan Cooper, a young man whose life was dramatically impacted by World War I. It serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of war and the dedication and sacrifices made by individuals like him, and the systems put in place to honor their lives and sacrifice after their death.