HD Quarters Co. 102 Inf, 26th Div., Sig. Bat. - WWI

Le Verne graduated with honors from public school in Waucoma in 1917. He was among the first six to enlist in World War I from Fayette County on 04/06/1917. He was placed in radio service in England. He later entered France and died from wounds received on October 21st, 1918. He was the first serviceman from Waucoma, Iowa to be killed in action in World War I. He was involved in the battles of St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne.

He was originally buried in France in the Glorieux Cemetery near Verdun (Oct. 22nd, 1918) and later disinterred and returned to the U.S. for burial in July 1921.

There is a World War I memorial plaque in the Waucoma cemetery that honors Le Verne and two other Waucoma soldiers who lost their lives in World War I.

The local American Legion in Waucoma is named in honor of these 3 soldiers - the Belding-Fox-Slagle post.

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source: Fayette County Leader, August 4, 1921

LeVerne A. Belding was born in Waucoma, Iowa, December 21, 1898, and died of wounds received in battle, in France, October 21, 1918, aged 19 years, 10 months.
LeVerne was admired by his boy friends and schoolmates for his happy disposition and sunny outlook on life. He went through his school life when the days were all too short for the fun he put into them. He was a member of the class of 1917, and was awarded his diploma at the time of his enlistment, April 30, 1917. He spent six weeks in training at Ft. Des Moines, then was transferred to Camp Dodge, where he remained until September 28, when he was sent to Camp Cody at Deming, New Mexico. Here he remained until June 15, 1918, when the Sand Storm Division of which he was a member, went east, and embarked for service overseas.
Upon arrival in France he was placed in a radio school; when his work there was finished he was transferred to the 26th Division, and was upon the firing line for several weeks. Upon that fateful day when his company consisting of 128 men, went over the top at 5 o'clock in the morning, only 25 of them were alive at the close of the battle at 3 p.m. Only 3 returned without the scars of conflict, the others, dead or wounded, lay upon the field of battle. To the ambulance carriers who were gathering the wounded for the hospital he said, "Never mind me, go on, attend to the others who have to finish the work so many other lives are depending upon."
Attendance at the funeral Sunday is estimated at from 1,200 or 1,500 to as high as 3,000.

HD Quarters Co. 102 Inf, 26th Div., Sig. Bat. - WWI

Le Verne graduated with honors from public school in Waucoma in 1917. He was among the first six to enlist in World War I from Fayette County on 04/06/1917. He was placed in radio service in England. He later entered France and died from wounds received on October 21st, 1918. He was the first serviceman from Waucoma, Iowa to be killed in action in World War I. He was involved in the battles of St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne.

He was originally buried in France in the Glorieux Cemetery near Verdun (Oct. 22nd, 1918) and later disinterred and returned to the U.S. for burial in July 1921.

There is a World War I memorial plaque in the Waucoma cemetery that honors Le Verne and two other Waucoma soldiers who lost their lives in World War I.

The local American Legion in Waucoma is named in honor of these 3 soldiers - the Belding-Fox-Slagle post.

------
source: Fayette County Leader, August 4, 1921

LeVerne A. Belding was born in Waucoma, Iowa, December 21, 1898, and died of wounds received in battle, in France, October 21, 1918, aged 19 years, 10 months.
LeVerne was admired by his boy friends and schoolmates for his happy disposition and sunny outlook on life. He went through his school life when the days were all too short for the fun he put into them. He was a member of the class of 1917, and was awarded his diploma at the time of his enlistment, April 30, 1917. He spent six weeks in training at Ft. Des Moines, then was transferred to Camp Dodge, where he remained until September 28, when he was sent to Camp Cody at Deming, New Mexico. Here he remained until June 15, 1918, when the Sand Storm Division of which he was a member, went east, and embarked for service overseas.
Upon arrival in France he was placed in a radio school; when his work there was finished he was transferred to the 26th Division, and was upon the firing line for several weeks. Upon that fateful day when his company consisting of 128 men, went over the top at 5 o'clock in the morning, only 25 of them were alive at the close of the battle at 3 p.m. Only 3 returned without the scars of conflict, the others, dead or wounded, lay upon the field of battle. To the ambulance carriers who were gathering the wounded for the hospital he said, "Never mind me, go on, attend to the others who have to finish the work so many other lives are depending upon."
Attendance at the funeral Sunday is estimated at from 1,200 or 1,500 to as high as 3,000.