Willie Brannen
Willie Brannen was born in Oliver, Screven County, GA on October 27, 1895. He lived on 20
Elm Street in Statesboro, GA with his mother Rosa A. Brannen. Willie Brannen was inducted into service at the age of 22 on April 1, 1918. According to his draft card, he registered with the 1209 precinct on June 5, 1917 and trained at Camp Gordon. He departed from Hoboken, New Jersey on June 30, 1918, aboard the SS President Grant. Brannen served with the Camp Gordon Automatic Replacement Draft Infantry and was part of the 93rd Division, 371st Infantry Regiment, which would eventually fight under French command. Brannen was an African American male of medium build with black hair and dark brown eyes. Brannen is listed as single, which was true for most of them men who were drafted in World War I. His draft card is filled out with a signature, indicating he was literate.
The Georgia Southern Special Collections archives contain several documents including Willie Brannen’s name, including a newspaper article that lists the men who have registered for the war. Brannen’s name is under the title “Men of Bulloch Who Will Fight For US”. According to another document, on Monday, April 1st, 1918, Brannen was dispatched to Camp Gordon, where he joined the initial contingent comprising of 83 Black men out of a total of 209. Brannen was employed by J. Mitchell of Statesboro, and he was likely taken from a farm to contribute to the war effort, as there were no exceptions granted for those engaged in agricultural work. The third document discovered within this collection is a list of African-American men from Statesboro who are deceased.
Brannen served overseas from June 30, 1918, to September 30, 1918, when he was killed in action at Ardeuil-et-Montfauxelles, Departement des Ardennes, Champagne-Ardenne, France. He received recognition for his service in WWI, earning a Purple Heart for his bravery in the field. His mother Rosa was notified of Willie's death by a letter sent to RFDL box 46 in Halcyondale, Georgia. After being first buried in an isolated grave in the Ardennes, Brannen was disinterred and buried at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Departement de la Meuse, Lorraine, France on plot E, row 33, grave 8. The inscription on the white cross headstone states PVT. 371 INF. 93 DIV. GEORGIA.
African American soldiers of Brannen's 371st Infantry Regiment.
Works Cited
Ancestry.com. "Global, Find a Grave® Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current." Database on-line. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
Ancestry Library. "View Record for WWI Statement of Service Summary Cards, CLM-431." Accessed April 21, 2024. URL: https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/42655:3129
Ancestry Library. "Willie Brannen in the U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918." Accessed April 21, 2024. URL:
https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/11794978:6482
American Legion Auxiliary. Dexter Allen Unit No. 90 records, Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections, Statesboro, Georgia. Box 1, Folder 7: "Non-military Patriots."
American Legion Auxiliary. Dexter Allen Unit No. 90 records. Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections, Statesboro, Georgia. Box 1, Folder 7: "Non-Military Patriots: Men ofBulloch Who Will Fight for Us."
The National Archives at College Park. College Park, Maryland. Record Group 92: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985. Roll or Box Number: 535.
Ancestry.com. "American Soldiers of World War I." Database on-line. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2003. Accessed [April 21, 2024].
Ancestry.com. "1920 United States Federal Census." Database on-line. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Accessed [April 21, 2024].
Soilsister. "Image of Willie Brannen's Headstone." Find a Grave, 13 Sep 2013.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55990873/willie-brannen/photo.