The draft registration card for Thomas Robert Savage (1892-1941). Approximately 24 million men registered for the draft between 1917-1918. The cards recorded name, age, date and place of birth, race, and occupation, and a corresponding registrar's card listed physical features.
Thomas Robert Savage was born on March 27, 1892 in Eastern Shore, Virginia. Though little is known about his childhood and early life, we do know he could read and write. On June 5, 1917, Savage, like many, registered for the draft in Portsmouth, Virginia. It is likely he married his wife, Della, before being inducted and serving in Europe. He was inducted into the United States Army on August 3, 1918 and served as a corporal in Company C of the 540th Engineers. From October 27, 1918 to May 21, 1919, Savage and his unit worked overseas in a behind-the-lines role, repairing roads and building barracks to keep the rest of the army moving. After returning to the United States, he resumed life with his wife. They eventually moved to Maryland, where Savage worked as a driver. He died on April 7, 1941. He is buried in the St. Augustine National Cemetery, Florida at Section D Grave 3.
In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s
Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing and fosters collaboration between students, faculty and local Central Florida schools to produce interactive curriculum for k-12 students. The corresponding website exhibit uses RICHES Mosaic Interface to create a digital archive of related data. The public can use the project-developed augmented-reality app at more than 100 gravesites at the Florida National Cemetery, where they can access the UCF student-authored biographies of veterans.