Private First Class Vivian Halbert Lawson
United States Army, World War I
Ambulance Company 141
December 19, 2022 - Vivian Halbert Lawson was born in the far east Texas town of Center during the usually sweltering month of August. It was a Monday, the 30th day of 1892 that he joined three older siblings; sister Leona and brothers Ernest and Erastus. His father William Wilson born in Alabama was a farmer like many of that time and Mother Theodosia Holbert, a native Texan was a housewife, again like most women. Two more sons would complete the family by 1897. For unexplained reasons, Vivian along with brothers Ernest and Lawson were living with their Aunt Rebecca Palmer in 1910 when he was 17.(1)
1915 saw his graduation from Baylor University with an Associate Bachelor’s Degree in Modern Language. He was also a member of the Debate (Philomathesian) Team and Literary Staff.
The World War had been raging in Europe since 1914 and the Germans with their relentless attacks on civilian ocean liners and the killing of innocent civilians left President Wilson no choice but to declare war on April 6, 1917. The Selective Service Act of 1917 required all men between the ages of 21 and 30 to register on June 5, 1917. At age 24 Vivian did so at home in Precinct 1, Shelby County. He listed his occupation as a self-employed chauffeur.(2) Vivian did not wait to be drafted and voluntarily enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard in Waco, Texas the very next month, July 8, 1917. After basic training he is assigned to Ambulance Company, 141 of the 111 Sanitary Train, 36 Infantry Division. The 36th was made up of soldiers from both Oklahoma and Texas. The role of the Sanitary Train was to provide medical care for the entire division through its ambulance and field hospital sections and Camp Infirmaries. All training was carried out at Camp Bowie, Fort Worth, Texas. Less than a month after enlisting he was promoted to Private First Class.(3)
With a one year of military service under his belt he moved with his unit to the ports of embarkation of Hoboken New Jersey and Newport News, Virginia via Camp Mills, New York. His ambulance company departed Hoboken on July 18, 1918 aboard the USS George Washington. He listed his father, William as the next of kin.(4) The sanitary train arrived in France July 31, 1918 and joined the division at Bar-sur-Aube on August 24. Here the train underwent training, and Field Hospital No. 141 established a temporary hospital for class C men and Field Hospital No. 143 opened for skin and venereal cases. All other casualties were cared for by Camp Hospital No. 42, at Bar-sur-Aube. On September 27, the train proceeded to Plivot a commune in the Marne department, where Field Hospital No. 143 established a skin and venereal hospital and Field Hospital No. 141 opened a convalescent hospital at Aulnay. Here the train received 29 additional G. M. C. ambulances, 24 large trucks, and 1 motor cycle.
On October 10, the 36 Division relieved the 2 Division in the in the Blanc-Mont Sector and participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. At the end of the offensive, October 28, the 36 Division suffered 2,601 total casualties of which 564 were killed in action or died of wounds later. Shortly after the armistice, November 11, 1918 the division moved to the 16 Training Area around Tonnerre and established headquarters at Cheney. It remained there during the occupation until orders were received to return home to the United States.(5) Having been hurt (unspecified but believed to have been his right hand), PFC Lawson departed Brest, France on July 17, 1919 with Brest Casual Company 2728 aboard the Army Transport USS Martha Washington arriving at the port of Hoboken, New Jersey with 2,734 other soldiers ten days later.(6) After debarkation they were transported to Camp Mills, New York for discharge processing. Five days later and after two years in the service of his country Vivian Halbert Lawson was once again a civilian.(3)
Making his way home to Shelby County, Vivian returned to his father’s farm on Wilson Crossing Road in Precinct 1. He remained there for an unknown amount of time before moving to Dallas, Texas where he gained employment with the US Postal Service. He married a young lady named Zetah Tarrant, age 24, on May 9, 1924 in Dallas. Two years later October 30, 1927, now age 35, his father William passed away.
He continued to work at the US Postal Service until approximately 1954 when he retired. Before that he and Zetah had two children, son Wilfred (1930) and daughter Rosalind (1934) and his mother Theodosia passed in 1948. After retirement Vivian and Zetah moved to Lindale, Smith County, Texas where they lived for 20 years before his passing May 19, 1974. He had been a patient at Doctors Hospital, Tyler for three days and died of a cerebral hemorrhage.(7) (8)
Funeral services were held at Laurel Land Memorial Cemetery in Dallas with Rev. Marjorie Kaas officiating. He was buried in Laurel Land Memorial Park under direction of Ed Caudle Funeral Home of Lindale. Survivors included; wife, Mrs. Zetah Lawson of Lindale; son, Wilfred N. Lawson of Fort Worth; daughter Mrs. David Olson of Grand Junction, Colorado; three brothers, Dewey, Hobson and Hearne Lawson all of Center, Texas. Day is done, God is nigh.(9)
EPILOGE: Wife Zetah passed almost eleven years later, March 13, 1985 in Grand Junction Colorado at the age of 84. His niece, Mildred Lawson Partlow, daughter of brother Hobson served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and was one of the first women marines of that time.
Sources:
(1): Year: 1910; Census Place: Justice Precinct 1, Shelby, Texas; Roll: T624_1588; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0146; FHL microfilm: 1375601
(2): Registration State: Texas; Registration County: Shelby County
(3): "Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89MN-HGBY?cc=2202707&wc=3342-HZ9%3A1560656702%2C1561084201 : 26 March 2015), Enlisted men > Lawrence, Roscoe G-Lewis, Richard L, 1917-1920 > image 206 of 3830; Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.
(4): The National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985; Record Group Number: 92; Roll or Box Number: 443
(5): Brief Histories of Divisions, US Army 1917-1918. Historical Branch, War Plans Division, General Staff. June 1921
(6): The National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985; Record Group Number: 92; Roll or Box Number: 191
(7): The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War Ii Draft Cards (4th Registration) For the State of Texas; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147
(8): Texas Department of State Health Services; Austin Texas, USA
(9): Tyler Morning Telegraph, Tyler, Texas, May 21, 1974 Tue
