By Dr James R. Armitage, Post Chaplain 2013-2016
On July 25, 1932 the members voted to change the name of the post to Towry Post no. 42, in honor of Private Wiley Smith Towry (May 6, 1895 – Sept. 29, 1918).
Towry was the only son of John Hosea and Lou Pinney Wheeler Towry, and the grandson of Wiley Smith and Nancy Jane Warren Towry. Wiley S. Towry’s father john died when Wiley was three months old.
Private Wiley Smith Towry was the first casualty from Lincoln County during World War I. Towry was assigned to Company E, 119th Infantry. He was killed Sept. 29, 1918 during the Battle of the Argonne Forest in France, and is buried in the Argonne National Cemetery.
One of Wiley’s best friends stood by his side and saw him fall. This man was Fletcher Williamson, and this is what he said: “We were moving forward when I saw Wiley fall. He fell face forward and then rolled onto his back. A bullet hole was in the center of his forehead. He never spoke and I had to keep moving forward, never to see him again.”
In a letter dated Dec. 5, 1918, from 2Lt. James T. Burns, 113th Machine Gun Battalion, 30th Infantry Division to Mr. Jesse Towry, Burns said, “The last time I saw Pvt. Wiley Smith Towry was in Roisell, France. He was looking fine. I have talked with a number of boys in his company and made a special effort to see his commanding officer who told me that Towry made a good soldier that he could not ask for better and that he was always ready to do and did his part. That he went over the top on the second when zero hour came, and made the supreme sacrifice as only a good soldier can do. Though he gave his all and transfused his life’s’ blood to the heart of France, and lies yonder in that silent city of the dead among heroes, we are proud that he died like a man, and in the years to come his memory will be to his comrades a divine inspiration for better and nobler deeds.”
In the last known letter from Pvt. Wiley Smith Towry, sent to his Uncle Jim Towry on Sept. 1, 1918, he said, “well Jim, I have seen a few air battles since I have been here and have seen a number of them brought down blazing. I have heard that Willie Mullins and Roy have left for the training camp. Let me know if this is true. What is Horace Hopkins doing these times? Tell him hello for me. He ought to be over here with me to drink a beer and wine. Tell all the folks I would like to hear from them. When a fellow is so far from home, a letter does cheer him up lots. Before closing I will give you my oath; I will not take a German’s word, he’ll break it if he can, there is no love in a German heart, or faith in a German man. This is my oath, when war is done, I swear I will keep it true, and since I know you feel the same, I’ll pass it on to you. Your Nephew – Wiley S. Towry.”
