Clyde C. Handley

Submitted by: Benjamin Woodard

Clyde C. Handley born around 1894, Clyde Handley served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

Clyde C. Handley was born Mar 21, 1894, to Jefferson and Ella Handley. He lived and worked on a farm in the Culloden area. He was inducted into service on May 25, 1918. He trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, before being shipped overseas on Aug 6, 1918, on the MADAWASKA. He was transferred between several units but ended up as a Private in Company C, 131st Infantry Regiment, 33rd Division, American Expeditionary Force, US Army.

According to a Private in his company, “During the Meuse-Argonne offensive, in our action east of the Meuse, Company C was occupying a position on the bald hill about a kilometer north of the Bois de Plat-Chene. On October 11th at about 3:30 PM. I was returning with other stretcher bearers from the rear when, upon reaching a point in the ravine between Bois Plat-Chene and Bois de Chaume, the enemy began to shell the locality heavily and we entered a dug-out for protection. Before we emerged from the dug-out to continue, Pvt. Handley and Worden of our company passed along with a supply of water which they were carrying to the front.

"A moment later we left the dug-out and continued our way to the front. We had gone but about a hundred yards when a high explosive shell struck a short distance in front of us, but out of our view on account of the density of the woods. Upon reaching the point where this shell struck, we found that it had instantly killed Pvt. Handley and Worden and one machine gun man and seriously wounded a second machine gun man whose name I do not know.”

Handley was memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France. His mother was able to visit his grave later via the Gold Star pilgrimages offered to mothers and widows of soldiers buried overseas.