Wallace H. Gakle and Raymond McGonigal: Remembered and Honored

By Christopher Miller
On April 2, 1917 the United States entered World War I. Then President Woodrow Wilson stood in front of a joint session of Congress, much like Franklin Delano Roosevelt nearly 24 years later, to request a declaration of war.

Clinton County, like counties in many other states in the country, sent their best and brightest boys to war. Three things were greatly assumed about World War I (at the onset), which it was aptly named after it appeared in Time magazine in 1939: it was the war to end all wars, it was known as the Great War, and that it would be over by Christmas of that same year.

Throughout Clinton County there are local “War Honor Rolls” detailing the names and era of service of those who were lost defending our country. As well, take a look down Main Street, and the Riverwalk later this summer – there will be banners proudly hung displaying the images of veterans, first responders, and those currently enlisted.

Digressing, among the war honor rolls you will see listed eras of service such as Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and others.

Below outlines 2 Clinton County boys who went off to war and paid the ultimate price some 100+ years ago.
Wallace H. Gakle was 25 years old when he left the confines of Earth to be with those who died before him. He is buried in what is known as the Keating (Gakle) Cemetery. What is known is that he is descended from another Wallace Gakle, most likely but not assuming, a relative, who was elected as Clinton County Commissioner according to genealogical records.

The trip to the Gakle Cemetery is not an easy one as directions outline driving clear past Renovo to an overlook where the Susquehanna River meets Sinnemahoning Creek down over a hill.
Little is known of Wallace’s time in the service except for the fact that he died of pneumonia while stateside in Virginia. His obituary is as follows:

“Gakle – Sergeant Wallace Gakle, formerly of Keating, died Sunday, October 6 at Camp Lee, Va. of pneumonia. The deceased was the son of Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Gakle, of Keating, and was born in 1892. He was a member of the Grand Division Railroad Telegraphers and was a former operator on the Renovo division, located at Keating, and previous to going into the army he was employed by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Co. at Philadelphia. He was sergeant of Company I, 9th Training Battalion, at Camp Lee. He is survived by his wife who resides at Philadelphia; also by his parents and two brothers, Glynn and Ray Gakle, and his grandmother, Mrs. Gakle, all of Keating.”

Further research of the Gakle family reveals that Wallace’s father, another Wallace, was Clinton County Treasurer from 1882 to 1885. When his term had ended as Treasurer, he may have taken up beer brewing (as a home he purchased on South Fairview Street in Lock Haven was formerly a brewery and contained all of the equipment needed to make lager-style beer).

Another Clinton County soul lost during the Great War was a gentleman by the name of Raymond McGonigal of Pottersdale. Now Pottersdale is generally accepted to be a municipality in neighboring Clearfield County, but his obituary appeared in local newspapers the Clinton County Times, Clinton Republican, and Clinton Democrat when he passed away overseas in 1918.

Raymond was 24 years old when he passed away in France, 1918. Born in 1894 (according to local genealogical records), he was reported being killed in battle in Argonne Wood, France (more commonly known as the Forest of Argonne, a long strip of mountainous and wild woodland in northeastern France).

What later became known as the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, was the last battle of World War 1 which began with a heavy artillery attack. In all, this last battle lasted a total of 47 days until the Armistice of November 11, 1918. An Armistice is when both sides agree to stop fighting, rather than a surrender. It ended fighting on land, sea, and air between the Allies and Germany.

The following information was reported in a late-1918 edition of the Clinton County Times:
“McGonigal – Raymond McGonigal, a son of Daniel McGonigal, of Pottersdale, and brother of this country’s soldiers to make the supreme sacrifice, he having died OCt. 6 from the effects of wounds received in action. Corporal McGonigal left here in April with the selective service contingent for Camp Meade and sailed for France in June. While his death has cast a gloom over the community in which he lived and to those near and dear, they are proud to think he gave his life for his country. He was a member of Co. B, 304th Field Signal Battalion.”

So far, what this writing assignment for the month of May has taught me is that even though there may be a great deal of information available for some, and little information available relating to others, all lives are sacred and worth telling of their stories.

Please remember and honor the fallen.