Briefing Document: William Edward Guyger

Date: October 26, 2023

Subject: Summary of the life and military service of William Edward Guyger

Source: Excerpts from "Pasted Text"

Purpose: To provide a concise overview of the life and military service of William Edward Guyger based on the provided source material.

Key Themes & Information:

Early Life & Family:

William Edward Guyger was born on June 13, 1886, in Proctor, Comanche County, Texas.

He was the son of William A. and Olivia P. Guyger.

He grew up in Comanche County, Texas, and was found on the 1900 census living in JP4 Comanche with his parents and siblings.

His father died in 1914.

His mother, Olivia P. Guyger, was his next of kin and resided in Proctor, Texas.

Civilian Life:

As of June 5, 1917, William was employed as a salesman at the Proctor Merchantile Company in Proctor, Texas.

He was described as "a single white male" of "medium height and medium build with black hair and brown eyes."

Military Service:

Drafted: William was drafted into the U.S. Army on April 27, 1918, in Comanche, Texas.

Training: He received infantry training at Camp Travis, San Antonio, Texas, assigned to the 58th Company 15th Training Battalion 165th Depot Brigade.

Assignment: On June 25, 1918, he was assigned to Company F, 34th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division.

Promotions: William was promoted to Private 1st Class on July 20, 1918, and then to Corporal just two days later.

Deployment to France: His regiment moved to Hoboken, New Jersey, and embarked on a transport ship to France on August 17, 1918. The voyage took 11 days.

Training and Deployment to the Front Lines: After reaching France, Guyger's company initially entered a training area near Ancy-le-Franc. Later, the division moved to the vicinity of Toul for more training and equipping.

Front Line Service: The 7th Division relieved the 90th Division in the Puvenelle sector north of Toul, where they remained in defensive occupation from October 10, 1918 to November 9, 1918.

Death:

Corporal William E. Guyger was killed in action on November 3, 1918, near Lorraine, France, during the defensive occupation in the Puvenelle sector.

His mother was notified of his death.

Post-Mortem:

Initially buried in a temporary grave in France.

His remains were later repatriated to the United States by the Graves Registration Service (GRS) of the US Army.

The GRS is noted as having done an "awesome job during and after the battles of WW1".

His remains were transported on the USAT Wheaton on June 19, 1921, from Antwerp, Belgium, and arrived in Hoboken, New Jersey, on July 2, 1921.

Shipped by train on July 29, 1921, and arrived in Proctor, Texas, on August 3, 1921.

William Guyger was finally laid to rest in the Proctor Cemetery, Proctor, Comanche County, Texas.

Key Quotes from the Source:

"Mr. William Edward Guyger, a single white male living in Proctor, Comanche County, Texas and being employed at the Proctor Merchantile Company as a salesman as of June 5, 1917. William was of medium height and medium build with black hair and brown eyes."

"William was drafted into active federal service for the US Army on April 27, 1918 at Comanche, Texas."

"On September 30, 1918, the division moved to the vicinity of Toul, more training and equipping."

"Corporal Guyger was killed in action on November 3, 1918 near Lorraine, France."

"The GRS did an awesome job during and after the battles of WW1."

Conclusion:

The source provides a detailed timeline of William Edward Guyger's life, particularly highlighting his military service and the tragic circumstances of his death in World War I. It emphasizes the efforts of the Graves Registration Service in ensuring his eventual return home for burial. The document provides a good picture of his life before, during, and after the war and shows the steps taken to ensure that those killed in action would be repatriated.

This document should provide a sufficient summary of the key points outlined in the provided text.