Kentucky National Guard adds WWI soldier’s name to memorial

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) - More than a century after his death, a Kentucky soldier killed in World War I has been honored with a place on the state’s National Guard memorial.

Members of the Kentucky National Guard recognized fallen soldiers from the Commonwealth on Monday morning who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“A celebration of the liberty our heroes paid for with their lives,” Lt. Col. Brian Stoops said.

Private Frank James

Private James was born in Hancock County in 1882, according to the National Guard. They said he enlisted in the National Guard in 1917 and was deployed the next year.

Just days after arriving in France during World War I, his unit was involved in a railroad collision, and the National Guard said all 12 members died, including Private James.

“His death occurring only weeks before the armistice stands as a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by Kentucky citizen soldiers during the First World War,” Brig. Gen. David Graetz said.

Private James’s body is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, but now his name is etched into the wall with 317 other Kentuckians who died in the line of duty.

Remembering the fallen

Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman says it’s essential to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, past, present, and future.

“Truly, it’s the least we can do to ensure that the people who made the sacrifices and their families are remembered and honored in the same way that others were,” Coleman said.

The wall ensures their names will never be forgotten.