Wilkie LaTrobe Harper

Wilkie was born 1887. His mother died when he was 8 years old and as his father was a traveling salesman, he then lived with his Aunt Mary or Uncle Charles. While in Michigan, he went to school with & sat behind the daughter of Mr Post who founded the Post cereal company. His father's travels took him 'out west' where he met some of the legendary men of the old west era. Once when Buffalo Bill Cody was traveling through their town with his Wild West Show, his father told him to go down to the side track where Buffalo Bill had his privte railroad car & introduce himself to "Col. Cody" as Asa Harpe's son. Wilkie did this & Buffalo Bill treated him to a free pass to his show. He was very militarily minded as evidenced by his long association with the Army.' 1908-1911 served as Private in Co C, 4th Illinois Infantry, ING, Newton, Il 1912-1918 - 1st Sgt. - Iowa Field Hospital #1, Iowa National Guard 1914-1918 - Instructor of Military Science/Tactics Iowa State College, Ames Iowa 1916 - his unit saw duty on the Mexican border in the hunt for Pancho Villa. 1918-1919 - World War I - Field Hospital 1, AEF Contagious Hospital, Justice Group, Toul, France & Base Hospital, Justice Group Toul, France. 1919 - Discharged at Camp Dodge, Iowa as Hospital Sgt, Medical Dept 1942 - World War II - - Commissioned Captain, 2nd Regiment, Iowa State Guard. Assigned to Regimental HDQS as Regimental Adjutant. 1943 - Promoted Major - Assistant Plans & Training Officer 1945 - Lt Colonel - Plans & Training Officer 1947 - Transferred to inactive duty 950 - Korean War - received appointment in Reserve Officers Corps. Wilkie Harper ... He passed away about 1968. He is buried with his wife, Clarice, in the National Cemetery in Springfield, MO. [1]