ELERY CORNELIUS HOGAN (one of I believe 13 children)
 
BORN: 1 MAR 1894 on a farm near Dacula, Gwinett County, GA
 
MARRIED:  BEULAH MARLOW on 27 December, 1919 in Gwinett County, GA
 
CHILDREN;  Florence Elvira born 15 Oct 23 in Talladega AL
 
                   Flora Mae   Jan 26 in Birmingham, AL
 
                   Elery C., Jr   13 Jan 29 in St. Petersburg, FL
 
OCCUPATION;  As a Lineman for Western Union Telegraph he was transferred from the Atlanta District to the 
Birmingham AL district (which included Talledga) after returning home from WWI. He subsequently was 
transferred to the Tampa District in Florida.
 
MILITARY SERVICE:  He was inducted into the National Army on 20 November 1917 at Lawrenceville, GA.  
His serial number was: 1919215
 
He was sent to Camp Gordon in Atlanta (now the Peachtree Dekalb Airport). As he was a trained Lineman for 
Western Union he was assigned to Company C, 307th Field Signal Battalion of the 82d Infantry Division.  On 
19 May 1918 he sailed for France (from New York) on the British ship "Virginian".  Arriving in Liverpool, England, 
they then took the train to South Hampton to sail to La Havre, France.
 
In France his primary duty was to maintain signal wires from the front line to headquarters and the supporting 
artillery battalion.  He was promoted to Corporal on 16 Sep 1918. On Oct 18,1918, near St.Juvin, France, while 
repairing signal wire he came under fire from German Artillery and was wounded in the back by shrapnel. He 
completed his mission but before he could climb down a shell exploded beneath him and blew him off the pole. 
He was subsequently gassed. He was evacuated for medical treatment ultimately ending up at a base hospital 
in Bordeau, France.
 
On 13 Jan 1919, he was cited for gallantry by Major General Duncan (commander of the 82d Division).
 
He returned home in May, 1919 and was discharged from the Army at Camp Gordon, Ga on 27 May 1919.
 
POST WAR LIFE:  As stated above he married in December of 1919.  Due to the effects of the shrapnel near 
his spine and the gas upon his lungs he was in and out of VB (the VA was originally the Veterans Bureau) 
hospitals from 1919 until 1931.  During these years he had three children and continued working as a lineman 
for Western Union.  By 1931 his pain had become so intense that it could only be controlled with massive doses 
of morphine.  In 1931 he was permanently admitted to the VA hospital in Augusta.  He lived the remaining 51 
years of his life in either the VA hospital or a VA nursing home.  For all practical purposes he was a casualty of WWI.
 
In 1981 he received from the Army a Purple Heart for his wounds and a Silver Star for his conduct and bravery under fire.