Veterans' Day Tribute to my Father-in-Law

Last year on Veterans' Day, I wrote a post to this blog honoring the service of my ancestors in wars throughout American history from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War to my father's service in WWII and the Korean War at http://jaxonnews.blogspot.com/2010/11/salute-to-my-familys-veterans-on.html.

This year I want to honor my father-in-law, Howard S. Payne, pictured above in his Army uniform during WWI. Yes, that was in the FIRST World War when it was generally referred to as the 'Great War" since no one ever expected there to be another global conflict of such scope.

It is fitting that the DC War Memorial in honor of WWI veterans is having an official re-opening today after recent restoration work. A Washington Post story on this ceremony can be found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-memorial-to-world-war-i-reopens/2011/11/10/gIQAh9zM9M_story.html.

Howard S. Payne (1897 - 1982) joined the Regimental Band for a Virginia unit that was sent to the Texas border (at Brownsville, Texas) in 1916 to protect the American border during the Mexican Revolution led by Pancho Villa. The US military commander during that border assignment was General John J. Pershing (also known as "Black Jack" Pershing), who became the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe after America declared war on Germany in 1917.

When the US entered the Great War, Howard Payne entered the Army infantry and joined the 116th Infantry of the 29th Division. He served in France from June 1918 to May 1919. During that time, he took part in the defense of Alsace-Lorraine from July to September 1918.

Howard Payne left his military service with the rank of Sergeant and returned to the US to work for the US Printing Office in DC for 45 years. He married my mother-in-law (Elizabeth Thomas) in 1940 and raised five children (three girls and two boys). My wife, Margaret Byrd Payne, is the middle child - between two older sisters and two younger brothers.

Veterans' Day was originated by what was once called Armistice Day based on the fact that at 11 a.m. on 11 November 1918; "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month"; a ceasefire that ended WWI came into effect. It is, therefore, fitting that on 11/11/11, I honor my father-in-law who helped bring about that successful result in 1918.
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