John Watkins was born on February 22, 1889 to James and Sarah Watkins in Ocala, Florida. Little is known about his life before the war. At age 29, he was inducted into the United States Army in Tampa, Florida on June 21, 1918. He was then sent to train at Camp Dix in New Jersey, as a Private in the 807th Pioneer Infantry, an all-black segregated unit. On September 4, 1918, the 807th departed from Hoboken, New Jersey to France aboard the USS Siboney. Soon after arrival in Europe, Watkins was promoted to the rank of Corporal, likely because he could read, write, and drive. Though the 807th served in a non-combatant role, they were often in the thick of battles, such as the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the last major engagement of the war, building and repairing infrastructure. Watkins survived the war and remained in France, continuing to repair roads and bury the dead. Within a month, on December 8, 1918, Watkins died of pneumonia, likely caused by the influenza epidemic. He is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery at Plot H Row 6 Grave 23.

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.]]> Veterans Legacy Program Collection]]>
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Joseph Williams (1895-1942) is listed with order number 147, serial number 1377, call number 642, and his primary industry as cook. The form also lists him as Classification I, meaning he was immediately eligible for service. He originally reported for induction at the St. Johns County Board in Florida, but he was transferred to Ithaca, New York for induction and Camp Dix in New Jersey for training.

Joseph Williams was born on March 4, 1895 and lived in St. Augustine, Florida for much of his life. Before World War I, he worked as a cook. He registered for the draft on May 29, 1917 and was selected for serice on June 20, 1918. He was sent to train at Camp Dix in New Jersey. From September 4, 1918 to July 3, 1919 he served overseas as part of Compan M of the 807th Pioneer Infantry. This unit was responsible for technical assistance such as repairing and constructing roads, bridges, and railways. After the war ended, Williams was discharged on July 9, 1919 and returned home to St. Augustine. There, he resumed life as a cook, and married his wife, Pauline. Williams died on December 23, 1942. He is buried in the St. Augustine National Cemetery at Section D, Grave 18.

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.]]> Veterans Legacy Program Collection]]> ]]>
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This resource is provided here by RICHES for educational purposes only. For more information on copyright, please refer to Section 5 of Copyright Law of the United States of America and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code.]]>
Elijah "Eddie" L. Landrum was born on July 3, 1899, in Sandersville, Georgia. Like his father, Landrum was a farmer before the war. As he was under the age of twenty-one, Landrum listed his birth year as 1895 in order to register for the draft when the United States entered World War I. On August 22, 1918, Landrum was drafted for service and sent to train at Camp Gordon, Georgia. He served as part of the 157th Depot Brigade, which remained in the United States to receive, train and uniform new recruits who would be sent to fight on the front lines in France. After the war, Landrum was discharged and returned to his work as a farmer. He married and eventually settled in St. Augustine, Florida. On March 24, 1937, Eddie Landrum passed away and was buried in the St. Augustine National Cemetery in Section A Grave 208.

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.]]> Veterans Legacy Program Collection]]> ]]> ]]>
• reproduce the work in print or digital form
• create derivative works
• perform the work publicly
• display the work
• distribute copies or digitally transfer the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending.

This resource is provided here by RICHES for educational purposes only. For more information on copyright, please refer to Section 5 of Copyright Law of the United States of America and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code.]]>