WALKER, Percy Clyde, serial number 2873285, Pvt. Co. G, 312th Infantry, inducted 26 May 1918 at Waynesboro, TN. He sailed from New York on 18 July 1918 for France and returned 9 Feb 1919. He was in the Argonne Forest 1 Aug 1918 until 24 Oct 1918. Honorably discharged at Fort Oglethorpe, GA on 7 March 1919. On his discharge he is described as 25 years old, by occupation a carpenter. He had blue eyes, brown hair, light complexion and was 5′ 7″ tall.
Percy Clyde WALKER was born March 1893 at Waynesboro, TN and died 1951. He is buried at Greenwood Cemetery West, Waynesboro, TN. He died at the VA hospital in Nashville, TN. His parents were John (b. Oct 1848) and Fanny C. (B. July 1860) WALKER. Siblings were Jossie E., b. Jan 1889; Carl E., b. Feb 1890; Harry N., b. Nov 1895, and Artie P., b. May 1898.
Percy Clyde WALKER married first to Mamie CANNON, b. 23 March 1891, d. 14 May 1934, buried in Greenwood Cemetery West. He married second to Nola TININ, b. 1903. His children were: Irma MITCHELL, Lois WALKER, and Clyde Jr. WALKER who married Shirley ARY.
Percy Clyde fought in the Argonne Forest. This was a difficult place to fight, described by some as an awful wilderness of shredded woods which coked up the rivers. This battle was known as the Meuse – Argonne Offensive, a great battle.
Clyde was in the force that advanced on the front of twenty-four miles but gradually it widened to nearly ninety miles. They spent 47 days here, but battled at intervals. The going was rough, meeting the enemy in unplanned encounters. Tanks were of no use; the infantry had to go it alone. They claimed there were traffic jams of men and trucks in the last few days.
Clyde was among the troops who finally cleared the Argonne Forest. He was wounded in this offensive. He received a shrapnel wound in his back and was in hospital in France for sometime.
After returning home in the Spring of 1919, he did carpentry work. He also attended a trade school, specializing in woodwork at Cookeville, Tennessee.
He was known as one of the best cabinet makers in the South. In his later years he lived on Highway 64 West of Waynesboro where he raised his family.