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The Oelwein Register
Wednesday, April 1, 1936 Three Aged Iowa
Veterans of World War Now at State Soldiers' Home
Marshalltown - Oldest world war veteran in Iowa? Fort Dodge, which
recently entered a claim for that honor in behalf of William S.
Norton, 68, can have no better than fourth place because the Iowa
Soldiers' Home here has three veterans who top that mark.
One of them, who not only is the oldest world war veteran in Iowa,
but who has a letter from Maj. Gen. Charles P. Summerall certifying
that he was the oldest enlisted man in the A.E.F., is Frank "Kokomo"
Jones, 75. The others are Jim Parker, and Albert Watson, both of
whom are 69. All three are also veterans of the Spanish-American
war.
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Jones, or "Kokomo" as veterans of the 168th infantry known him,
served in the Spanish-American war in Company K, 51st Iowa Infantry,
enlisting May 30, 1898, and being discharged Oct. 26, 1898. In the
world war he served as a cook in the same company in the same
regiment, which was mustered into federal service as the 168th
infantry. After enlisting on July 29, 1915, he served on the border
and overseas and was discharged Jan. 28, 1919. "Kokomo" has a son in
Council Bluffs who served in the same outfit in the world war.
"Kokomo" was born May 3, 1860.
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Parker, 69, lives at the Iowa Soldiers' home
as does his father, Silas Parker, 97. The elder Parker, served
in Company D, 6th Iowa, in the war between the states. The son,
Jim, served in Company E [or F], 50th Iowa, in the
Spanish-American war and in the quartermaster corps in the world
war. He too was overseas, being stationed in the ammunition base
at Brest for fourteen months. He was born Oct. 12, 1866. Silas
Parker has also two grandsons, Clarence S. Armentrout of Des
Moines and Ray A. Parker of East St. Louis, Ill., who were in
the army of occupation in Germany after the war ended. He was
too young to get in service while the war was in progress.
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Albert Watson was born Oct. 28, 1866. He served in the 6th Ohio
regiment in the Spanish-American war and with the 34th division in
the world war.
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