William Francis Pittenger was born 29 April 1895
in Hitchcock county, Nebraska, near Cook City and
died in France 30 July 1918
He came to Powell in March 1917 from Knob Noster
Missouri. Where his parent reside. After coming to
Powell he was in the employ of Dr. Clark and
Wallace Anderson and worked there until Company
C mobilized, 25 July 1917.
On 5 June 1917 he joined Company C and left
Powell August 3rd for Cheyenne, later going to
Camp Greene, North Carolina, then to Camp Mills
New York and then to Camp Merritt New Jersey.
He was taken sick while in camp in New Jersey
and was in the hospital 64 days at one time and
was in the hospital twice after that.
He was unable to sail with the local company but
was sent to France in April of 1918, where he was
attached to Battery D, 146 F.A., American Expeditionary Force
He was wounded 27 July 1918 by the backfiring of
a machine gun which he was operating with other
of his comrades, a piece of shrapnel wounding him
in the thigh. This wound was not a fatal wound but he
was gassed while in an ambulance which was taking
him back to the hospital together with some other wounded
men. Gas infection set in and he died three days afterwards
on 30 July 1918
He was on the front 18 or more days and was the first of
the Powell boys to have died. He was of sunny disposition
and always cheerful, with high hopes of coming back to the
U.S.A.
