Happy Birthday, Sgt. Guess

John Guess, Jr.

Born August 23, 1891

Savannah Ranch

El Monte, California

Read his story:

A Hundred Years Of Tears

One Soldier's Story From the Savannah To The Somme

By: Anna Guess Pick

Savannah Ranch

Richard Guess, father, Emma Guess, mother

John Jr., Frank Guess, brother

Thelma Guess, sister, Charlie Guess, brother

Sgt. John Guess, Jr.

Company H, 364th Inf.

Distinguished Service Cross 

See more recipients of this award

Awarded for actions during the World War I

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Sergeant John Guess, Jr. (ASN: 2367259), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company H, 364th Infantry Regiment, 91st Division, A.E.F., near Eclisfontaine, France, 28 September 1918. Assisted by another sergeant, and leading a combat group across an open valley under constant hostile fire, Sergeant Guess completed the capture of four machine-gun nests and three prisoners. He was seriously wounded in the encounter and died soon afterwards.

Service: Army

Rank: Sergeant

War Department, General Orders No. 21 (1919)

Time Flies

I can't believe that it has been a year since I have posted a blog. I have been spending too much time ranting and raving, well, more ranting, on social media. I am in the weaning process now and terribly needy so read and handle with care.

The exciting news is that I did publish my book, A Hundred Years Of Tears, One Soldier's Story From The Savannah To The Somme. It made it to the booksellers the past February.

The book is about my uncle, Sgt. John Guess, Jr. and based upon letters he wrote home to his mother during the summer and fall of 1918. John was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, posthumously, for his bravery in capturing a German machine gun nest.

John died in France in a military hospital on November 7, 1918, just a few days before the end of World War I.

In the upcoming months, I will be sharing some of John's writings as they dovetail into actual historical events. Along with some family history that is not covered in the book.

I hope you will buy a copy of my book, it was indeed a labor of love to honor my uncle along with all the many other fallen soldiers one hundred years ago.

The book can be purchased online through Amazon, Barnes and Nobel and other traditional booksellers throughout the world. Here is a link to preview book on Amazon.com.

S.S. Olympic - Arriving Southampton July 18, 1918

Here are some excerpts from my soon to be publish novel, A Hundred Year of Tears - One Soldier's Story from the Savannah to the Somme. It would be White Star Line's ship, S.S. Olympic, that would carry Sgt. John Guess from his home in America to England, to begin his final journey in France with Company H, 364th Infantry Regiment, 91 Division, American Expeditionary Forces.

~  ~  ~

Leaving New York

It’s hard to describe the buzz that was taking place along the Hoboken piers, where a constant stream of ferry boats were making their way to the well-camouflaged ships that we were about to board.

   As we neared the ship that would take us over the Atlantic we could barely make out the name — S.S. Olympic — painted on the side of the hull of the White Star Line. No longer the stately floating palace from the days before the war, she now looked rather tacky in her camouflaged coat of brown, black and yellow paint. Her glorious name had been exchanged for a mere identifying number.

   It took most of the day for all the men to board, find their assigned bunks and get their gear stowed away. On each bunk a life jacket awaited the recruits. This new gear would become a vital part of our daily lives as we made the ocean crossing.

On English Soil

It was the morning of July 18^th that we awakened with five U.S. destroyers surrounding the Olympic as it made its way on this last leg of the trip. By evening and under the soft light of the moon, we could make out Land’s End on the port side as the ship worked its way through this maritime graveyard. Morning found us at the entrance to Southampton where we waited silently for the rise in tide that would take us up the channel and to the piers.

A Soldier's Letters

It is hard to put a value on the packet of letters I found in an old tin box that belonged to my grandmother. It turns out that these handwritten pages hold the last four months of thoughts my Uncle John wrote to his mother before his death in France during World War I. He died on November 7, 1918 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his extraordinary heroism. I never had a chance to meet my Uncle John, as he died almost twenty years before my birth, but I am getting to know him through my research on his short life. I wish I could travel back in time and ask my grandmother to tell me all about him. I never remember her talking about him but the sorrow to lose a first-born son must have been very deep. I have this idea to write a little book based upon these letters as a tribute to my uncle. The research process is taking a discipline that on some days I find I am hopelessly lacking. But I will try to stay focused.