Stuart Carkener, II was born on June 24, 1897 in Colorado to George S. and Nell Evans Carkener. He was educated in the grade schools and Country Day School, Kansas City, and Princeton University, Class of 1919. In May, 1917, he sailed for France in the American Field Service where he served for six months in the camion branch, driving in one of the trains of trucks that delivered shells from the railroads to the batteries before and during the great battle of the Chemin des Dames.

In December, 1917, he returned to the United States and made plans to enter service in our Army. It was his determination to return to France immediately, and he declined to make any effort to enter officers' training camps in this country, for which, by his education and experience, he was well fitted. After looking the situation over he enlisted in the 76th Field Artillery, being advised that this regiment was to be among the next to sail.

In April, 1918, he embarked for France a second time. After three weeks of training, his regiment, on the night of July 14th, found itself in a little village not far from Château-Thierry with the German barrage roaring and crackling about their heads. The casualties were great that night owing to the lack of shelter, and Corporal Carkener, for he had received his promotion during the period of training, was obliged to work "as stretcher bearer, trench and grave digger" for twenty hours, during eight of which he wore a gas mask. Then came the Allied advances, of which he wrote, "They mean all sorts of work for us, but as long as they are in the right direction you can bet we don't mind the extra hardship," and at that point we must piece on the story of that heroic sacrifice in the cornfield.

CPL Carkener was Killed in Action on July 30, 1918 by a shell near Ronchères, northeast of Château-Thierry, France. He is now buried in the Forest Hill Cemetery, Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com