Merle David Hay was born on July 20, 1896. According to our records Iowa was Hay's home or enlistment state. Furthermore, we have Glidden listed as the city and Carroll County included within the archival record.
Merle David Hay had enlisted in the Army. Served during World War I. Hay had the rank of Private served with Company F, 16th Infantry Regiment, and 1st Infantry Division.
Hay experienced a traumatic event which resulted in loss of life on November 3, 1917. Recorded circumstances attributed to: "Killed in Action". Incident location: Artois, France.
Merle David Hay is buried or memorialized at West Lawn Cemetery, Glidden, Carroll County, Iowa.
Merle David Hay was a farm boy and store clerk from Glidden Iowa. He signed up to fight in World War I just weeks after the US congress declared war on Germany. Within three weeks of enlisting he was sailing overseas. He was one of the first three Americans to be killed in action. Soon after he arrived in France, in the pre-dawn hours of November 3, 1917, German soldiers attacked the Americans in their trenches near Artois, France. The Americans were vastly outnumbered, and engaged in hand-to-hand battle with the enemy. At the end of the encounter, three American soldiers were dead. Private Merle Hay, along with Private Thomas Enright and Corporal James Gresham were buried on the battlefield where they fell. Over 100 thousand Americans would follow them in death in a span of less than one year.
