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Recollections of Milton Fairbetter

Milton Fairbetter recorded an account of his time serving in World War I. In World War I, Fairbetter was deployed to France where he served as a runner. His son, William Fairbetter, transcribed the tapes. This document includes the transcript of the tapes Milton Fairbetter recorded and William’s recollections of his father. 

  • Milton H. Fairbetter

    Army National Guard
    Served in: World War I 

    Milton Fairbetter joined the 36th Division of the Army National Guard in 1917. After training for a year, he shipped out of New York on a troop ship for France. In 1918, while marching across France, Fairbetter caught the flu, though he was unaware of its fatality at the time. While he was sick, his comrades carried his pack and rifle. On the front, Fairbetter acted as a runner–someone who runs messages between troops on the front. After his time in France, he traveled back home via ship.