ADDISON - One of Winston County’s fallen heroes from over a century ago is still being remembered, and the public’s help is being sought to “put a face” to his sacrifice.
Haley-Wade Post 106 of the American Legion in Addison is seeking a photo of one of the post’s namesakes, Charles Cee Haley, who was killed in action during World War I, according to Post 106 Commander Eddie Sivils.
“We have a photo and articles on Russell Wade,” Sivils said, referring to the post’s other namesake, who was the first Winston County solider to be killed in action in World War II.
“Our post was named after these two men. We want to represent the memories and the families of these two individuals. We want to honor them. The founders of this post chose these two to name the post after. We would like to have documentation on it so we can put it up for public display,” Sivils said.
Sivils has been working with Juanita Culler, of Arley, to learn more about Haley. Together, they have been able to find out quite a bit of information about him, but a photo has remained elusive.
Haley was born on March 14, 1895, in Holly Pond to J. Oliver Haley (1864-1923) and Jenetta C. Graves Haley, according to records found on ancestry.com. Jenetta had passed away by 1900, because Charles’s father is listed as widowed, on the 1900 census, with father and son living in the Pocahontas community of Blount County. Later in 1900, Oliver remarried to Rosa Lee Rainwater (1875-1946.)
By the 1910 census, the Haleys had moved to Winston County, living on Posey Mill Road near Haleyville. The family had grown to include sisters Nora, born in 1901; Zona, born in 1904 and brother Ernest, born in 1907. The family would continue to grow, adding sisters Mary Ida Haley, born in 1911 and Ada Lee Haley, born in 1913.
Charles’ World War I draft registration card, dated June 5, 1917, shows him as living in Haleyville, working as a farmer employed by A.E. Pettus. He is described as being of medium height and build, with dark hair and light gray eyes. Interestingly, he was unable to sign his name to the card, but had to make an “X”, also known as “his mark.”
Charles was called into military service later in 1917. According to an article in the Winston County Herald, he was to assemble with other local soldiers at the Winston County Courthouse October 23, 1917, to answer the first roll call and make preparations to leave October 24, for Camp Pike in Arkansas. He was to board the train in Haleyville, along with Lucian C. West, of Natural Bridge; Robert Lee Comeens, of Delmar; Luther L. Andrews, of Addison and John Whitman, of Haleyville, according to the article. He was inducted into the Army on October 25, 1917.
Charles was at Camp Wheeler in Macon, Georgia - a mobilization center - before arriving in Hoboken, New Jersey to depart for Europe on July 20, 1918, according to a passenger list found on Fold3. He sailed to Europe on the SS Walmer Castle. Charles served in Company M of the 38th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, a part of the American Expeditionary Force.
Charles most likely was killed in action during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which was fought from September 26, 1918, until the Armistice of November 11, 1918. It was the largest operation of the AEF in WWI, with over one million American soldiers participating, according to the National Archives. It was also the deadliest campaign in American history, with 26,277 American soldiers dying and over 120,000 total casualties over the approximate five-week timeframe.
The Third Infantry Division came in for the second phase of the offensive, which began on October 4, according to military records. According to Charles’ WWI burial card, he was killed in action at the age of 23 on October 9, 1918. Other sources list his date of death as October 8, 1918. The casualty list including his name was not released to media until after the war was over, on December 2, 1918, according to Associated Press reports from the time.
Charles was originally buried in Grave No. 2, at American B/A Cemetery, Clerges, Meuse, France, according to his burial card. On June 9, 1919, his remains were disinterred and reburied in Grave No. 137, Section 47, Plot 3, at the Argonne American Cemetery in Romagne-sou-Montfaucon, Meuse, France. On November 18, 1921, Charles’ remains were disinterred once more and reburied in their current location, the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France.
The Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery is the final resting place for the largest number of American military dead in Europe, with a total of 14,246 buried there, the vast majority dying during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, according to the American Battle Monuments Commission.
If anyone has a photo of Charles Haley, they are welcome to email Culler at jculler682@aol.com or come by the Alabamian at (205) 486-9461 or send an email to the Alabamian at news@mynwapaper.com.
Haley-Wade Post 106 of the American Legion meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the former Addison Rescue Squad building on County Road 41 North in Addison. All eligible persons are more than welcome to come out and attend.
See complete story in the Northwest Alabamian.
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