William Emry McConnell
William Emry McConnell was born July 21, 1891, in Cullman County to William H. and Martha A. McConnell. He registered for the draft and was called to serve during World War I in 1918. He was in Company C, 323rd Infantry Regiment, 81st Division- The Wildcats.
He was not the only young man from Cullman County in Co. C, 323rd Infantry. He would serve alongside several others including Rudolphus McCain, Clyde Brazil and William C. Reighley. All would deploy for France aboard the Impress of India on July 31, 1918.
The 323rd Infantry, Charlie Co. was assigned to the St. Die sector of France’s Vosges Mountains. Once there, they were ordered to join the fighting in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. By early November, the Wildcat Division was moved to the front lines near Verdun where they attacked the German lines.
On November 11, the Armistice was signed. Brazil and McCain had died of pneumonia/Spanish flu. McConnell, Reighley and the others in the 323rd Infantry were ordered to march 175 miles back to the area where they would prepare to return home. Neither of them would survive the march. Reighley died of pneumonia on November 18 and McConnell passed away on November 23.
William Emry McConnell is now buried in the Cullman City Cemetery and memorialized at Cullman’s Veterans Memorial Park.
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