Genealogy > Military Service
This page is summary of ancestors and close relatives that served in the military. I will add links to documents I have and make updates as time permits. On the initial description of each individual I use the name the parents would have indicated at birth, otherwise the name will appear as they commonly provided. If you would like to submit any updates, or report any issues, you can use the "contact me" option on the menu or email this website at webmaster@mezerkor.com.
Joe Mezerkor (WWII: 1941-1945)
Jozef Mižigár Magdoš was born in 1914 in the abandoned mining town of Trail Run, Ohio to Rusyn/Slovak immigrants Andrej Mižigár Magdoš and Katarína Stašková. Andrew was one of many Slavic miners from Slovinky that came to America around the turn of the 20th century. He initially immigrated to Fayette County, Pennsylvania in 1906 to live with his parents and extended family before moving to Guernsey County, Ohio in 1910 to find work in the newly opened coal mines. Andrew died in 1918 during the Spanish Flu epidemic and Joe's mother, Katie, was able to support herself and three children with odd jobs and the production of moonshine during Prohibition. Katie remarried to Michal Ivančo in 1924 and the family moved to Pleasant City, Ohio.
Joe enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1941 and after basic training was assigned as Technician Fourth Grade (T/4) to the 121st Ordnance with duties as an artillery mechanic. Saw active duty overseas in the Pacific Theater from March 1942 until August 1944, including the battles at Attu and Kiska Islands during the Aleutian Islands Campaign. He was reassigned in July 1943 to duties of a Supply Clerk. Upon completion of 30 months of overseas service he was transferred to ASFTC Ordnance with the 4th Training Group, Company C and was stationed at the Mississippi Ordnance Plant in Flora, Mississippi. Received honorable discharge October 8, 1945. Joe died in 1985 and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg, Ohio.
Sam A. Gaeto (WWII: 1942-1945)
Sabatino Antonio Gaeta was born in 1915 in Chicago, Illinois to Italian immigrants Domenico Gaeta and Annamaria Terlizzi. Domenik was a rail car craftsman and mechanic from Solofra, Italy and he initially immigrated in 1904 to Lima, Ohio - which at the time was a major American rail hub and one of the world's largest producers of locomotives. He would later move to Chicago when his parents and extended family arrived around 1907. The family eventually settled in Cleveland, Ohio in 1924 and Domenik accepted a job with the Newburgh & South Shore Railway. Upon the move to Cleveland the family began to use the surname "Gaeto".
Sam enlisted in the U.S. Army in March 1942 and after basic training was assigned as Technician Fifth Grade (T/5) to Third Army, Headquarters with duties as a cook to the General Staff of George S. Patton. Saw active duty overseas in the European Theater from March 1944 until November 1945, including the battles of Normandy, Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) and Rhineland. Completed service with occupation forces in Austria and Germany. Received honorable discharge November 24, 1945. Sam died in 1981 and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg, Ohio.
Martin Joseph Voyteck, Jr. (WWII: 1942-1945)
Martin Joseph Vojtek was born in 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio to Martin Joseph Vojtek, Sr. and Elizabeth McCall Leese.
Martin, Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Marines Corps Reserve in November 1942 and was assigned as Private to the 4th Marine Division, 24th Regiment. Saw active duty overseas in the Pacific Theater, with combat in the Marianas Islands and Iwo Jima. Was killed in action March 2, 1945 during the battle for Iwo Jima. Martin was initially buried in the 4th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima before reburial in 1948 in Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg, Ohio.
Andy Mezekar (WWI: 1918-1919)
Andrej Mižigár Magdoš was born in Slovinky, Slovakia in 1889 to Andrej Mižigár Magdoš and Katarína Ivančová Homolová. Andy was one of many Slavic immigrants to make his way to Trail Run in Guernsey County, Ohio to work in the newly opened coal mines.
Andy enlisted in the U.S. Army in March 1918 and was assigned as a Private to the 158th Depot Brigade at Camp Sherman near Chillicothe, Ohio. Saw active duty overseas as part of the American Expeditionary Force from June 1918 until March 1919, serving first with the 330th Infantry Division, Company B until August 1918 and then completing his service with the 16th Infantry Division, Company A. Saw combat at the battles of St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. Wounded in action on November 6, 1918 during the final phase of the Meuse-Argonne and was awarded the Silver Star for meritorious conduct during the battle. Received honorable discharge April 14, 1919. Andy died in 1956 and is buried in Danville National Cemetery in Danville, Illinois.
Martin Joseph Voyteck, Sr. (WWI: 1917-1919)
Martin Joseph Vojtek was born in 1898 in Cleveland, Ohio to Slovak immigrants Jozef Vojtek and Katarína Krajňáková.
Martin, Sr. enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 1917. Saw active duty overseas as part of the American Expeditionary Force in the 59th Infantry Division, Company E from May 1918 until January 1919. Saw combat at the battles of Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. Wounded in action during a mustard gas attack on July 19, 1918 during the Second Battle of the Marne. Promoted to Corporal September 9, 1918. Received honorable discharge August 8, 1919. Martin died in 1977 and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg, Ohio.
Frederick Neilsen (Philippine Insurrection: 1905-1908; American Indian Wars: 1908-1911)
Frederick Nielsen was born in 1883 in Briton Ferry, Wales to William Nielsen and Mary Taylor. William was a Danish sailor who served on ships transporting coal across the North Sea and North Atlantic. Between trips he found employment in the Vernon Tin Works in Briton Ferry, which is where one of his co-workers introduced William to his sister, Mary Taylor. They were married in 1874 and the family immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio in 1887. Note: Sometime during the period in Wales the letters "ie" were flipped to "ei" in the last name.
Frederick first enlisted in the U.S. Cavalry in February 1905 and was assigned as Private to the 7th Cavalry Regiment, Troop M. He saw active duty overseas during the Philippine Insurrection from July 1905 until June 1907, during the period of ongoing hostilities after the completion of the Philippine-American War. He was primarily stationed at Camp Gregg in Pangasinan. Upon his transfer back to the United States he was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. Received honorable discharge February 26, 1908.
Frederick next enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1908 and was assigned as Private to the 29th Infantry Regiment, Company C and posted to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on the American Plains for service during the later stages of the American Indian Wars. He was promoted to Corporal November 20, 1910 and finished his service as a recruiter at Fort Jay and Fort Porter in New York. Received honorable discharge November 22, 1911. Frederick died in 1963 and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg, Ohio.
Joseph Martin Harbaugh (U.S. Civil War: 1865)
Joseph Martin Harbaugh was born in 1848 in Alum Bank, Pennsylvania to George Harbaugh and Nancy Edwards. The Harbaughs were German Mennonites, descended from Johan Peter Herbach, who immigrated to the Pennsylvania Colony in 1741. The Edwards were from Maryland and are documented as a mixture of Welsh, English and Irish descent.
Joseph enlisted in the Pennsylvania militia just before his 17th birthday in March 1865 - which was about a year after the death of his Union elisted older brother Wilson. He was assigned as a private to the 79th Regiment, Company I for the final months of the U.S. Civil War. Received honorable discharge June 27, 1865. Joseph Martin died in 1924 and is buried in Mummasburg Mennonite Cemetery near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Wilson Nelson Harbaugh (U.S. Civil War: 1864)
Wilson Nelson Harbaugh was born in 1842 in Alum Bank, Pennsylvania to George Harbaugh and Nancy Edwards.
Wilson enlisted in the Pennsylvania militia in February 1864, at the same time as his cousin Robert, and was assigned as a private to the 55th Regiment, Company K. He died less than a month after starting active duty, on March 28, 1864 during the ongoing Union occupation of Beaufort, South Carolina and is buried in the nearby Beaufort National Cemetery.
Robert Harbaugh (U.S. Civil War: 1864)
Robert Harbaugh was born in 1841 in Alum Bank, Pennsylvania to Nathan Allen Harbaugh and Mary Susannah Smith.
Robert enlisted in the Pennsylvania militia in February 1864, at the same time as his cousin Wilson, and was assigned as a private to the 55th Regiment, Company K. Saw action during the battles of Swift Creek and Drewry's Bluff before the regiment was stationed at the White House in May 1864. The unit was then attached to the Army of the Potomac, under General Ulysses S. Grant, for the continuation of his Overland Campaign and the battle of Cold Harbor and the siege of Petersburg, Virginia. Was killed in action at Petersburg, Virginia on June 18, 1864 and is buried on the battlefield in an unmarked grave.
George W. Harbaugh (U.S. Civil War: 1861-1864)
George W. Harbaugh was born in 1841 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania to John Harbaugh and Elizabeth Callihan.
George enlisted in the Pennsylvania militia in September 1861 and was assigned as a private to the 55th Regiment, Company H. Was stationed in South Carolina for most of 1861 and 1862 during the Union occupation of Port Royal, Hilton Head and Edisto Island. Saw action during the battle of Pocotaligo in October 1862 before the regiment resumed occupation duties in Port Royal near Beaufort, South Carolina through March 1864. Saw action during the battles of Swift Creek and Drewry's Bluff before the regiment was stationed at the White House in May 1864. The unit was then attached to the Army of the Potomac, under General Ulysses S. Grant, for the continuation of his Overland Campaign and the battle of Cold Harbor and the siege of Petersburg, Virginia. Was wounded in action at Petersburg, Virginia on June 16, 1864. Died of his wounds on July 11, 1864 and is buried near the battlefield in an unmarked grave.
Eli Harbaugh (U.S. Civil War: 1861-1862)
Eli Harbaugh was born in 1845 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania to John Harbaugh and Barbara Rebecca Beisel.
Eli enlisted in the Pennsylvania militia in October 1861 and was assigned as a private to the 55th Regiment, Company K. Was stationed at Fortress Monroe in Virginia before the regiment assumed occupation duties in Port Royal and Hilton Head in South Carolina. He contracted smallpox while at Camp Wells and died of the infection on January 27, 1862. He is buried in the nearby Beaufort National Cemetery.
Emanuel Harbaugh (U.S. Civil War: 1862-1865)
Emanuel Harbaugh was born in 1843 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania to John Harbaugh and Barbara Rebecca Beisel.
Emanuel enlisted in the Pennsylvania militia in August 1862 and was assigned as a private to the 138th Regiment, Company D. The regiment was assigned to the defense of areas around Baltimore, Maryland through June 1863. In July, the unit was attached to the Army of the Potomac, under General Ulysses S. Grant, for the pursuit of Robert E. Lee through Virginia during the conclusion of the Gettysburg Campaign. Saw combat for the remainder of 1863 in the Battle of Wapping Heights, the Bristoe Campaign, the Battle of Kelly's Ford and Brandy Station and the Mine Run Campaign. The regiment then assumed light duty near Brandy Station for recuperation and refit through April 1864. Resumed combat in May 1864 during the Battle of the Wilderness and was captured May 6, 1864. He spent the remainder of the war as a Confederate prisoner-of-war at Andersonville Prison in Georgia. In May 1865, after the prison was captured by Union forces, he was transferred to the Union hospital in Annapolis, Maryland. Received honorable discharge June 23, 1865. Emanuel died in 1905 and is buried in Mount Union Cemetery near Alum Bank, Pennsylvania.
William Henry Ling (U.S. Civil War: 1862-1865)
William Henry Ling was born in 1841 in Alum Bank, Pennsylvania to Christian Ling and Elizabeth Imler. Both families’ ancestries are of European Mennonites - German, Bavarian and Swiss lineage - that sought religious tolerance in the Province of Pennsylvania.
William enlisted in the Pennsylvania militia in August 1862 and was assigned as a private to the 138th Regiment, Company D - along with his brother Isaac and his cousin Emanuel Harbaugh. The regiment was assigned to the defense of areas around Baltimore, Maryland through June 1863. In July, the unit was attached to the Army of the Potomac, under General Ulysses S. Grant, for the pursuit of Robert E. Lee through Virginia during the conclusion of the Gettysburg Campaign. Saw combat for the remainder of 1863 in the Battle of Wapping Heights, the Bristoe Campaign, the Battle of Kelly's Ford and Brandy Station and the Mine Run Campaign. The regiment then assumed light duty near Brandy Station for recuperation and refit through April 1864.
The regiment resumed near continuous combat starting in May 1864 as Grant sought to out-maneuver Lee through the Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Battle of North Anna, Battle of Totopotomoy Creek, Battle of Cold Harbor and the First and Second Battles of Petersburg. In early July 1864, during the Siege of Petersburg, the regiment was detached and sent under General James Ricketts to engage the force under Confederate General Jubal Early and defend Washington. William was captured during the Battle of Monocacy on July 9, 1864 and spent the remainder of the war as a Confederate prisoner-of-war at Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. William died in 1907 and is buried in Pleasantville Cemetery in Alum Bank.
Isaac Neil Ling (U.S. Civil War: 1862-1865)
Isaac Neil Ling was born in 1832 in Alum Bank, Pennsylvania to Christian Ling and Elizabeth Imler. Both families’ ancestries are of European Mennonites - German, Bavarian and Swiss lineage - that sought religious tolerance in the Province of Pennsylvania.
Isaac enlisted in the Pennsylvania militia in August 1862 and was assigned as a private to the 138th Regiment, Company D - along with his brother William and his cousin Emanuel Harbaugh. The regiment was assigned to the defense of areas around Baltimore, Maryland through June 1863. In July, the unit was attached to the Army of the Potomac, under General Ulysses S. Grant, for the pursuit of Robert E. Lee through Virginia during the conclusion of the Gettysburg Campaign. Saw combat for the remainder of 1863 in the Battle of Wapping Heights, the Bristoe Campaign, the Battle of Kelly's Ford and Brandy Station and the Mine Run Campaign. The regiment then assumed light duty near Brandy Station for recuperation and refit through April 1864.
The regiment resumed near continuous combat starting in May 1864 as Grant sought to out-maneuver Lee through the Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Battle of North Anna, Battle of Totopotomoy Creek, Battle of Cold Harbor and the First and Second Battles of Petersburg. In early July 1864, during the Siege of Petersburg, the regiment was detached and sent under General James Ricketts to engage the force under Confederate General Jubal Early and defend Washington. After the Union defeat at the Battle of Monocacy the unit retreated to Baltimore and prepared to aid in the defense of the Capital.
Following Early’s decision to withdrawal to Virginia, the unit resumed their pursuit of the Confederate General. In August 1864, the regiment was transferred to the Army of the Shenandoah under the control of General Philip Sheridan with orders to pursue and defeat Early and destroy the Valley’s agricultural and industrial capability. The campaign lasted through October 1864 and resulted in the Battle of Opequon, the Battle of Fisher's Hill, the Battle of Tom's Brook and the Battle of Cedar Creek. The unit then encamped at Kernstown, Virgina until December 1864 before returning to continue the Siege of Petersburg. On February 4, 1865, Isaac was promoted to the rank of Corporal.
On April 2, 1865, Isaac was wounded during the Third Battle of Petersburg - but continued on for the Battle of Sayler's Creek and was present for Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. The regiment next moved south to Danville, Virgina - before heading back north to Richmond and finally Washington in June 1865. The unit was discharged on July 2, 1865. Isaac died in 1898 and is buried in Mount Union Cemetery near Alum Bank, Pennsylvania.
Robert Park (Napoleonic Wars: 1803-1815; British Overseas Service: 1816-1823)
Robert Park was born in 1786 near the Parish of Old Monkland, Scotland to David Park and Ann Coates. It is believed that the family was involved in the textile industry. Unfortunately, the course of the Industrial Revolution and the rise of Napoleon would greatly impact Robert's future. Limited opportunity as a weaver would lead first to coal mining and then the military.
Robert enlisted in the Lanarkshire Regiment of the Scottish Militia in 1803. His initial enlistments were for six month periods, with service in coastal areas for defense against a possible French invasion. His first identified date of attestation in a Scottish Regiment of the British Military is August 24, 1807 - as part of an intake of approximately 300 militia into the 75th Foot. However, for at least a portion of the period between April 1809 and March 1811, Robert was attached to a regiment stationed in Canada as the British attempted to balance their forces between Europe and North America.
Upon his return to Scotland, Robert would rejoin the 75th Foot and while stationed in Stirling - on April 28, 1811 - he married Mary McPherson from St. Ninian's Parish. Shortly thereafter, the regiment embarked for the Isle of Jersey. In October, the regiment then departed for service in the Mediterranean - first in Sicily and then, in 1814, the Ionian Islands. In 1821, the regiment was transferred to Gibraltar and would finally return to Scotland in August 1823. Robert and Mary's first of five children, Andrew, would be born in 1824. Robert returned to coal mining after his military service and died in 1852 - he is buried in an unmarked grave near Chapelton, Scotland.
George Michael Imler (U.S. Revolutionary War: 1777-1789)
George Michael Imler was born in 1739 in Adams County, Pennsylvania to George Mark Imler and Esther Schaber. The Imlers were colonial farmers from Germany that arrived in 1733.
George Michael served in the Pennsylvania Militia, York County intermittently throughout the U.S. Revolutionary War and in a reserve capacity for the period immediately after. He appears on various muster rolls up until 1789. George Michael died in 1816 and is buried in a private cemetery on the historical family farm near Bedford, Pennsylvania.
Michael Sill (U.S. Revolutionary War: 1777-1783)
Michael Sill was born in 1735 in Germany to Michael and Katherine Sill. Michael immigrated to the Pennsylvania Colony in 1766.
Michael served in the Pennsylvania Militia, Bedford County intermittently during the U.S. Revolutionary War. Michael died in 1814 and is buried in a private cemetery near Bedford, Pennsylvania.
Philip Barnett (U.S. Revolutionary War: 1780-1783)
Philip Barnett was born in 1746 in Germany and immigrated to the Virginia Colony sometime before 1770. After his marriage to Barbara Heeter, the family moved to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Philip served in the Pennsylvania Militia, Lancaster County complying with the Militia Act of 1780. He was registered in the 7th Class and for active duty was assigned as a Private to the 1st Battalion, 6th Company. He was discharged in 1783 upon the expiration of the act and around 1790 the family moved to Huntingdon County. Philip died in 1846 and is buried in a private cemetery located on the historical family farm near Dudley, Pennsylvania.
Henry Rhoads, Jr. (U.S. Revolutionary War: 1771-1783)
Henry Rhoads was born in 1739 in Germantown, Pennsylvania to Henry Rhoads, Sr. and Catherine Rhinehardt. Henry, Sr. and Catherine were German Anabaptists/Mennonites that were granted warrants by the William Penn family in the Pennsylvania Colony. They arrived in 1737 and initially setlled near Germantown. As with many of my other ancestors, they gradually moved westward along the expanding edge of the colony and eventually settled in Bedford County.
Henry, Jr. first appears as a member of the Bedford County Militia in 1771. In 1776, he was selected as a county delegate to the Pennsylvania State Convention. The convention, which established the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was chaired by Benjamin Franklin and was concluded at the end of September 1776. After the convention Henry returned to Bedford County. During this time he was appointed as Justice of the Peace and continued his service in the milita. As the war progressed, reinforcements were requested from the states and Pennsylvania proceeded to pass the "Act to Regulate the Militia of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" in March 1777. In December, Henry was made Captain of the newly formed 1st Battalion, 3rd Company of the Bedford County Militia. The unit was assigned with the defense of a wide area of the frontier. In August 1779, he was asked to resume his political service and he represented Bedford County in the Pennsylvania Genereal Assembly.
After the end of the war, Henry, Jr. was granted a claim in the newly opened Kentucky lands and with his brother would proceed to found the town of Rhoadsville in 1784. At the time, there were many overlapping claims in the new territories and Henry would eventually lose his land when a duplicate claim was settled against him. In 1793, Henry was asked to survey land to the south of his original claim and in 1797 was granted 2,000 acres as compensation for his service. In 1798, he was elected as a representative to the Kentucky State legislature for the new county. Upon his reccomendation, the new county was named after General John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg. Henry died in 1814 and was buried in the family cemetery near present day Browder in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.
John Blackburn (French and Indian War: 1755-1756)
John Blackburn was born around 1720 in Loughgall Parish, County Armagh, Ireland to John Blackburn and Rachel Morton. The Blackburns were most likely Protestant settlers from England or Scotland that arrived in northern Ireland during the reign of King James I. By the middle of the 1600s they had become members of the Religious Society of Friends.
John Blackburn immigrated with his parents to the Pennsylvania Colony in 1736 and they made their way to Menallen Township, in what was then York County (currently Adams County). John married Rebecca Harlan around 1740. In 1749, John was appointed Township Assessor and in 1751 he was commissioned by King George II as a Justice for the York County Court of Common Pleas. He would continue to serve as a Judge for the court for the remainder of his life.
In response to the outbreak of the French and Indian War, on November 19, 1755, Benjamin Franklin introduced a bill to the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly to organize for the defense of the colony. The final bill - titled "An act for the better Ordering and Regulating such as are willing and desirous to be united for Military Purposes within this Province" - was passed and then formally enacted on November 25th. The notations and timeline of the minutes of the Warrington Meeting imply that John Blackburn volunteered - contrary to the tenets of the Quaker doctrine - for a term of at least six months with the York County militia sometime between November 1755 and August 1756. Unfortunately, no known official records of the militia - which would confirm his enlistment - have survived.
In late 1759, John Blackburn was appointed Treasurer of York County and would serve in that post until 1764, before being reappointed in 1766. In October 1760, he was elected as a representative of York County for the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly - he would be re-elected as Assemblyman until his death. Rebecca Harlan Blackburn died on March 30, 1766 as a result of complications of the birth of their 13th child, daughter Elinor. John Blackburn died on August 3, 1767. Both are buried in Friends Grove Cemetery in Center Mills (Butler Township) in Adams County, Pennsylvania.