Website project will honor WWI veterans

WARREN - He shares a name with the man but knows little of his hobbies, habits and tendencies. He knows little about his personality or candor — even his military rank remains an enigma. Nevertheless, Charlie Mogayzel will pen a biography in honor of his uncle's life and hopes to inspire other Warren residents to do the same.

Mr. Mogayzel is a member of The Descendants and Friends of the 314th, a national organization dedicated to honoring the men who served during World War I in the 79th Division, 314th Infantry, the only infantry from the war that remains active today.

The 84-year-old group's website lists the infantry's soldiers and plans to launch online biographies of each one, with help from their descendants.

"I knew very little about him. He died when I was 14. I knew he used to have a little variety and candy store in East Providence," Mr. Mogayzel said. "But I'm still looking for more information."

His uncle, Bechara (a Lebanese name which translates to Charlie) Kalify, came to Warren in the early 1900s. A member of the Army National Guard, he was activated to serve in World War I from June 1918 to May 1919, fighting in battles at Meuse River and Argonne Forest in France.

Since embarking on the research more than five years ago, Mr. Mogayzel has unearthed his uncle's death certificate, photographs from the war, his 79th Division insignia, his draft card, marriage certificate, application for a state bonus and application for US citizenship dated 1910. He also discovered that Mr. Kalify was gassed (but later died of a heart attack long after the war) just one week before the war ended — a fact his family was unaware of.

"I've been into genealogy since retirement and I was curious as to how my uncle came here," said Mr. Mogayzel, who began retracing his roots more than 15 years ago by first researching his grandmother.

Mr. Mogayzel gathered the documents through trips to town hall, the George Hail Public Library and Congressman Patrick Kennedy's office. Internet searches and national archives have also made the project possible. And, he says, the Freedom of Information Act has made government documents easier to obtain.

Mr. Mogayzel, a retired machinist, also served two years in the Army (1951-53) during the Korean War and comes from a family rich with a history of service to the United States. Besides his uncle, his father was also a World War I veteran. Four other uncles, a brother and brother-in-law served in World War II, and the family has amassed four purple hearts among the men.

Mr. Mogayzel will travel, with his wife, to Washington, D.C. to meet the men he has befriended through the online project. There, a cabin at Valley Forge honors soldiers of the 314th Infantry and a memorial service is held in an adjacent chapel annually. The group also plans to hold a reunion later this year in Charleston, S.C.

"We've done Gettysburg and Bull Run but never Valley Forge," he said.

One of those friendships forged was with Pennsylvania resident John Shetler (whom Mr. Mogayzel has yet to meet). Mr. Shetler is one of the men overseeing the organization's website.

In Warren, the group seeks information on 13 members of the Infantry and they hope the national database will, one day, include the biographies of each soldier who served.

How to get involved

* To donate documents: Charlie Mogayzel, 182 Greeley St., Pawtucket, RI 02861 or e-mail charlsjen@aol.com; John Shetler, 137 House Rock Road, Pequea, PA 17565 or e-mail john16158@aol.com

* To learn more: www.314th.org

Warren's 314th members

Project organizers are looking for photographs, artifacts and awards documenting the lives of members of the 79th Division, 314th Infantry — the only World War I infantry still active today. Friends and relatives with any information on the following Warren men are invited to share them with the organization.

* Gerard Bernatchey

* Joseph Bernatchey

* Charles Calefy

* John Corey

* Fred Cote

* Donat Fortier

* Arthur Fortin

* Alfred Larhance

* William Pearce

* Richard Page

* Roy Sawin

* Wilfred Simmonds

* Dominic Tatora

BY JASON TURCOTTE

jturcotte@eastbaynewspapers.com

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