Govan Bert Reagan was born on his parents' farm near Spearsville during the devastating drought and famine of 1896-1897. His parents were farmers who were sharecropping at the time of his birth.

Govan Reagan volunteered for the military service in the spring of 1917. After basic training, he sailed to Europe in early June, and "has been serving his country as best he could since then."

Reagan became a Private First Class in Company B, 28th Infantry, First Division, United States Army. His company bore the brunt of the German attack at the Battle of Cantigny, May 28-30, 1918, the first American battle and offensive of World War I. The Germans spent much of May, 1918 pounding the Americans with artillery and gas. The Division's 28th Infantry, in which PFC Reagan served, led the American offensive against the Town of Cantigny as the assault began on May 28. After their success, the 28th Infantry successfully withstood and turned back several German counterattacks.

At 5:30 a.m. on 30 May 1918, the Germans launched their final counterattack to retake Cantigny. The unit's history described this final, desperate attempt by the Germans to retake the town:

"Not yet reconciled to his defeat, at 5:30 a.m., May 30th, the enemy made his final effort to retake the coveted ground. Again, his artillery concentrated all its fury against the tenacious Americans. Two well-formed waves of infantry, preceded by the rolling barrage, advanced determinedly from the Bois de Laval, but the sleepless American artillery, the machine gunners and the brave defenders of the conquered ground swept the Germans back before the position was reached. In all these trying days, the French air service rendered the most valuable help in locating the advanced American lines, doscovering enemy movements, adjusting fire on enemy batteries, and preventing serious hostile air raids."

The 28th Infantry was relieved by other forces on the night of May 30-31. Since the operation began, the unit had lost 45 officers and 1022 men.

PFC Govan Bert Reagan suffered a severe wound while defending the American line from the final German counterattack to retake Cantigny. He died from his wounds later that day.

On Friday afternoon, June 15th, two weeks after PFC Reagan's death on the battlefield in France, a telegram reached his parents' home near Spearsville informing them that their son had died from wounds received in battle. Govan's cousin wrote:

''Of course, it is sad to know he is gone and that we didn't have the privilege of burying him at home, but that, of course, could not be. So let's feel that he has died for a grand and noble cause. To his parents, I would say be proud of your boy and thank our heavenly Father that you had a son to fight for such a grand cause...I feel proud of him for being such a man and the fine little soldier I know he was. May we all try harder to live right and meet him some day in a better world."

At some point during or after the war, military officials brought the body of Govan Bert Reagan back to the United States and buried him in Arlington National Cemetery, Section 18, Site 1439.