Members of the Jasper American Legion Post will honor a fallen veteran from World War I at the Smith Cemetery in Vendor at 9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 22.
Private Garrett Campbell was born in Mt. Judea, Dec. 23, 1895. His parents were Jeremiah M. and Martha Isabell (Smith) Campbell. He grew up at Vendor where he worked on the family's farm. However, on June 5, 1917, at 21 years of age, he registered for military service. He reported to Camp Beauregard in Alexandria, Louisiana, for training on July 18, 1917. Upon reaching Camp Beauregard, all units were stripped of state designations and assigned new ones, with the 1st Arkansas becoming the 153rd Infantry.
In October of 1917, measles struck the Camp and the men were kept from drilling. They were transferred to the 'active' list in January of 1918. By March of 1918, the men had received new Enfield rifles.
Due to losses at the front, around 5,000 men were offered the chance to deploy early. Campbell apparently was among the men who accepted. He would be assigned to the 7th Infantry of the 3rd Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Force (AEF). The 7th was activated on Nov. 21, 1917, just seven months after the declaration of war on April 6, 1917.
Campbell's time as a soldier would be eventful, but tragically short. He departed from New York on June 12, 1918, on the ship Nevasa. He was an 'automatic replacement draft,' which means he was scheduled to replace a loss at the front due to battle casualties.
By May of 1918, the French had been pushed back to within 50 miles of Paris. However, the German casualties had been great, and the Allies were receiving American units in ever increasing numbers. The American units included Garrett's Division, which shortly after it's arrival would take part in an event that would earn the Division it's famed nickname.
The Germans were bloodied and bruised, but had made much headway. They still had plenty of fight, and planned a two-pronged offensive around Rheims, in an effort to capture that place and finally defeat the Allies, capturing as much ground as possible in the process. When this assault was launched on July 15, 1918, it was a massive and desperate effort.
The Allies knew that something was coming, and they had prepared. To the east of Rheims, the German offensive fell far short of its objective due to heavy fighting, but on the west side it succeeded in pushing across the Marne River near Chateau-Thierry, where it was halted by French and American units, including the Third Division. Though some French units were flanked and began retreating, General Joseph Dickman, commanding the Third, sent a message to his French counterparts: "Nous resterons la." This translates to "We shall remain here." (some sources say it translates to "We stand here!") Here, under heavy fighting that stalled the German attack, the Third gained its nickname 'The Rock of the Marne,' and the quote from General Dickman is still the motto of the Division to this day.
By the 17th of July, the German offensive had been stopped, but still the fighting continued on. Garrett, far from his home, had fought courageously
However, Garrett would not see the successful end of this battle. On July 15, 1918 Garrett was killed in action. Death claimed him at the onset of the three-day combat.
The Daily Arkansas Gazette of September 28 had a sadly recurring news item: the casualty lists as reported by the AEF. In this issue the heading featured a small box which read: 'ARKANSAS IN LIST: Killed in action: B. Carpenter, Barber; Garrett Campbell, Vendor; George W. Looney, Augusta.' Further down Garrett was again listed, this just stating he was a private in the army, simply reading 'Garrett Campbell, Vendor, Ark.'
