Harry Lea Meyer

(1895-1949)

Harry L. Meyer was born on May 12, 1895, in Sharpsburg, Allegheny County.  At the time of his enlistment, he was a plumber and resident of Vandergrift, Pennsylvania.  He served the country in World War I, and was a part of the 320th Infantry Regiment of the 80th Division.  Meyer was 22 years of age when deployed and he was first deployed in France. His rank was Private First Class. The Purple Heart is his only known military decoration, as Meyer was wounded in battle.

The 80th Division or Blue Ridge Division, organized at Camp Lee in Virginia in 1917, mostly consisted of residents of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia.  Within this division, the 320th Infantry Regiment was made up of people dominantly from the Pittsburgh area.  With 23,000 soldiers, the division first went into action in France the June of 1918, trained with the British Third Army, then later joined forces near the Artois sector.  The regiment is credited with participating in the Somme Offensive as well as at St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine (1918), and Picardy (1918).  Due to its ability to complete objectives with a lower casualty percentage than other National Army Divisions, the 80th was ranked first overall by the War Department.  In May 1919, the troops were returned home.  On June 26, 1919 they were released from duty.

Harry L. Meyer died at the age of 53 on April 11, 1949, in Tionesta, Forest County PA.  His wife, Bessie Freehling Meyer, surpassed him 37 years, passing away the March of 1986.  The couple are buried in the Saxonburg Memorial Church Cemetery in Saxonburg, Butler County, PA.  They are not recorded to have any children.