Martin Jacob Lineman: Military Records

During the First World War, when the need for able bodied men exceeded the number of volunteers, the United States Government instituted a draft. This was done in three stages as the war progressed. The first was done on 5 June 1917 for men between the ages of 21 and 31 years of age. The second stage was done in two parts, on 5 June and 24 August 1918 for men who reached the age of 21 during that year. With the need for recruits growing, the final stage was done on 12 September 1918, widening the age span to include men between the ages of 18 and 45 - and this would have included Marie's future first husband, Martin Jacob Lineman.

The following are the details recorded on the Draft Registration Card on 12 September 1918:

REGISTRATION CARD

	SERIAL NUMBER: 381
	ORDER NUMBER: 340

	First, Middle and Family Name: Martin Jacob Lineman
	Permanent Address: Cranberry, Stark, Pa.
	Age by Years: 18
	Date of Birth: Sept 23rd 1899
	Race: White
	U.S. CITIZEN: Native Born
	PRESENT OCCUPATION: Teamster
	EMPLOYER'S NAME: S.W. Lineman
	Place of Employment or Business: Cranberry, Stark, Pa.

	NEAREST RELATIVE:
		Name:	S.W. Lineman
		Address:	Cranberry, Stark, Pa.

	I AFFIRM THAT I HAVE VERIFIED THE ABOVE ANSWERS AND THAT THEY ARE TRUE

			(Signed) Martin Jacob Lineman

The reverse of the card gave the further information that William was of a medium height and build, had brown eyes and brown hair, and had no physical disabilities.

The card was signed by the Registrar and was dated 12 September 1918.

As the war ended almost exactly two months later, on 11 November 1918, it is unlikely that Martin was never called up to fight.

By the time of the outbreak of the Second World War, Martin Jacob Lineman had died and Marie had married her second husband, William Messiah Greenfield.

In October 1940 - a little more than a year before the attack on Pearl Harbor - the first peacetime draft in U.S. history was signed into law by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

When the U.S. declared war on Japan on 8 December 1941, all men between the ages of 18 and 65 were required to register for the draft. The forth round of registrations, sometimes called 'the old man's draft' as it was for men between the ages of 45 and 64, was conducted on 27 April 1942.

This would have included Marie's second husband, who was by then 57 years old:

REGISTRATION CARD (Men born on or after April 28, 1877 and on or before February 16, 1897)

	SERIAL NUMBER: U 642
	ORDER NUMBER: (blank)

	First, Middle and Family Name: William Messiah Greenfield
	Permanent Address: 107 N. Second St., Greenville, Mercer County, Pa.
	Mailing Address: Same
	Telephone; Exchange and Number: Bell 1340 - J
	Age in Years: 57
	Date of Birth: Dec 16th 1885
	Place of Birth: Jackson Center, Mercer County, Pa.
	Name and Address of Person Who Will Always Know Your Address:
		Mrs Pearl Redman, Mercer, Pa.
	Employer's Name and Address: Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Company, Greenville, Pa.
	Place of Employment of Business: Greenville, Mercer, Pa.

	I AFFIRM THAT I HAVE VERIFIED THE ABOVE ANSWERS AND THAT THEY ARE TRUE

		(Signed) Wm Greenfield

The reverse of the card gave the further information that William was white, 5 foot 10 inches tall, weighed 187 pounds, had brown eyes and gray hair, and a ruddy complexion. He had no physical disabilities.

The card was signed by Isobel England, the Registrar for Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on 27 April 1942.

According to the 1930 Census, William was not a veteran at that time, so did not serve in the First World War. At this time, I do not know if he was ever called upon to serve in the military.

NOTES:
1:	By the date of this draft registration William was married to his second wife, Marie, but he put his sister down as a person who would always know his address.
2:	William's four sons by his first marriage would have been of draft age when war was declared in 1942 but these records are not yet publicly available.
3:	The above information was taken from scanned images of the original draft cards at www.ancestry.co.uk.

Marriage Page	Baptism Records	Census Returns	Burial Records
			Surname Index	Home