Wilson High School World War I Memorial: Frank Peckens 1/14/1896 -10/2/1918

FRANK E. PECKENS
166 Plymouth Avenue, Rochester, N. Y.

Democrat_and_Chronicle_Sun__Oct_3__1920_

From the Democrat and Chronicle 10/3/1920

Frank E. Peckens was born in Rochester, N. Y January 14, 1896, son of Charles O. and Mae Peckens. He was a member of Corn Hill Methodist Church and Sunday School, and of the Windsor Lodge. He was graduated from Public School Number 3, and attended West High School for two years. Entered the service at Rochester, N. Y., in the National Guard of New York and saw service at the Mexican Border in 1916. Mustered into Federal service at Rochester, N. Y April 6, 1917, at the age of 21 years, in the National Guard of New York, Company H, 3rd Infantry; transferred to Machine Gun Company, 108th Infantry, 27th Division. Promoted to Corporal. He was trained at Pelham Bay, N. Y. ; and Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, S. C. Embarked overseas, May 11, 1918, arriving at Brest, France, May 26, 1918. Engaged in action at East Poperinghe Line, Belgium; and at the Hindenburg Line.

He died, October 2, 1918, at St. Emily British Hospital, from shrapnel wounds received in action, in the St. Quentin Drive. When the Lieutenants of his Company fell, he took command, and carried the men forward until he was struck himself. First buried at Tincourt, Somme; later, his body was brought back to America on the transport Somme, March 14, 1921, and reburied, with military honors, in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Rochester, N. Y, March 23, 1921,

Soldiers Plot, All 1, R-8, Grave 12. His body was one of the first five to be returned to Rochester, at which time a public funeral was held at the Armory. Various Legion Posts, a delegation from his Sunday School class, and former comrades, attended the services held at Corn Hill Methodist Church.

In his last letter, written September 14, 1918, Frank wrote of his pride in the fact that his Mother had received one of the Mother’s Medals, with two stars, at Rochester Exposition Park. He tells his Mother to take all the pleasure that she can and not to worry about
him and his brother Charles, as when they go into the fight they go with a smile, feeling that they are doing it for her and for the rest of their loved ones, and while there are many places they would rather be than in the front line, they would rather be there than to be at home while other boys are fighting. A letter written to Corporal Peckens’ Mother by Private Harold Baker, of the same company, said, in part: “There are very few of us left. We lost our two Lieutenants as soon as we went over the top. Lieutenant H. O. Sommer and Lieutenants Laughlin, Murray, Swartz, Houlahan and Frank Peckens were my dearest friends and they all went, with hundreds of others. I could not start to name them all, but such fighters the world never heard of. For every man that went down, ten Jerrys paid the toll. Frank Peckens was a brave fellow; he died a true blue American, and if they get me I want to go the same way. We went over the top and had crossed the canal and almost hit the Hindenburg Line when they got him right in the stomach. He died in the hospital a few hours later, a good soldier and a good friend.”