Acton, Grant M., 1st Sgt

Deceased

Photo In Uniform

Service Details

Last Rank
First Sergeant

Last Service Branch
Transportation Corps

Last MOS Group
Aviation (Enlisted)

Primary Unit
1919-1919, 474th Aero Squadron, First Pursuit Group

Service Years
1917 - 1919

Last Photo

Personal Details

Home State

Oklahoma

Year of Birth
1896

This Military Service Page was created/owned by SSG Jerry Dennis to remember Acton, Grant M., 1st Sgt.

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Contact Info

Home Town Blackwell	Last Address Blackwell, OK

Date of Passing Jul 15, 1967
Location of Interment Not Specified	Wall/Plot Coordinates Not Specified

Official Badges

Army Honorable Service Lapel Pin (1920-1939)

Unofficial Badges

Additional Information

Last Known Activity
SSDI Search: Shows Walter W. Acton; Date of Birth shown as 04 Jan 1896; SSN issued in Maryland. Shows date of death 15 Jul 1967, place unspecified, possibly Maryland.

Other Comments:
ACTON, Grant
First Class Sergeant
Enlisted Blackwell, Oklahoma
Born Jan 27,1896, Kay County, Oklahoma
Son of Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Acton
Entered Service August 4, 1917, Fort Logan, CO
Discharged Feb 25, 1919 at Garden City, Long Island (NY)
With 474th Aero Squadron/Attached to First Pursuit Group.
Twelve Months Overseas
At Eriz La Petite when armistice signed.

World War I/Champagne-Marne Campaign/World War I/Battle of Chateau-Thierry
From Month/Year July / 1918	To Month/Year July / 1918
Description SThe Battle of Château-Thierry was fought on July 18, 1918 and was one of the first actions of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) under General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing. It was a battle in World War I as part of the Second Battle of the Marne, initially prompted by a German offensive launched on 15 July against the AEF, an expeditionary force consisting of troops from both the Army and Marine Corps, and the newest troops on the front. On the morning of 18 July 1918, the French (some of them colonial) and American forces between Fontenoy and Château-Thierry launched a counter-assault under the overall direction of Allied généralissime Ferdinand Foch against the German positions. This assault on a 40 km (25 mi) wide front was the first in over a year. The American army played a role fighting for the regions around Soissons and Château-Thierry, in collaboration with predominantly French forces. The allied forces had managed to keep their plans a secret, and their attack at 04:45 took the Germans by surprise when the troops went "Over the Top" without a preparatory artillery bombardment, but instead followed closely behind a rolling barrage which began with great synchronized precision. Eventually, the two opposing assaults (lines) inter-penetrated and individual American units exercised initiative and continued fighting despite being nominally behind enemy lines.