NOWLIN, Lester, service number 3496754, Private Co. B, 137^th Infantry, US Army, was inducted on 25 June 1918 at Waynesboro, Tennessee. He served in the American Expeditionary Force from 23 Aug 1918 until 23 June 1919, and received to commendations for his service. He was discharged at Fort Oglethorpe, GA on 12 May 1919. On his discharge he is described as 5’9½” tall with brown eyes, dark hair and fair complexion.

Private Lester NOWLIN was the son of James Stephen and Mary E. SIMS NOWLIN from the upper Indian Creek community in Wayne County. His niece, Mrs. Frankie NOWLIN BARNETTE, who was about eight or nine years old at the time of his service wrote “I don’t remember the date he left but the family was very upset and I got the idea he would never come back across the ocean. I know he didn’t get back to the State until the Spring or Summer of 1919”. She continues “Uncle Lester was gassed, I believe in Germany. They said he probably wouldn’t have lived more than two or three years. It affected his lungs.”

On 15 June 1922, Lester and his brother Clyde NOWLIN, along with four or five other men were moving a small sawmill boiler in the woods around a steep hill. The men put poles on the side of the boiler and stood on them in an effort to keep it from overturning. The hill was too steep and the boiler overturned. All the men managed to jump off except Lester who was wearing overalls and his suspenders caught on the pole and held him, causing the boiled to roll over him and crush him.

Lester never married but was engaged to Clara CRAIG of the Topsy Community near Waynesboro. She died soon after his death.