Lester Cornell, born Nov 20 1889 in Amawalk, Westchester county, New York to Joshua Cornell and Alice Cornell. Inducted May 25 1918 in Westchester County, NY. Served overseas from June 1918 to June 1919. Co H 2nd Pioneer Infantry, Then HQ Company 2 Pioneer Infantry, then 207 MP until discharge.
The 2nd Pioneer Infantry went overseas to France prior to the 1st Pioneer Infantry.The 2nd landed at Bordeaux and from there went to Bassens, in the Gironde to become acclimated and readied for service at the front.
Some Companies were put into service acting as guards and military police from the time of their arrival in various French cities. In many cases, this MP service continued the entire time they were overseas.
Other companies of the 2nd Pioneer Infantry had the job of building roads through the thickly forested terrain, salvaging ammunition from burnt-out trucks and abandoned artillery positions and helping bring supplies forward.
Until we find Lester's full military record we do not know what service Lester actually did or what action he may have seen. Lester returned home in the summer of 1919, and returned to his life as a carpenter. In 1923, he married Florence Purdy and they raised a family in Yorktown Heights, NY. Lester was afflicted in later years with arthritis, and died in August of 1978. He is buried in Amawalk cemetery, not far from where he was born.
