John Tom Campbell Gravesite

John Tom Campbell was born August 10, 1897 to Thomas M. and Julia Chance Campbell. The Campbells were farmers and according to a 1940s census, John Tom Campbell’s highest level of education was 7th grade. In 1900, when John Tom Campbell was just 3 years old, his mother Julia Chance Campbell died. Campbell’s father remarried Cora Elizabeth Campbell, who is listed as the father's next of kin on his own World War I draft registration card, although it unclear whether or not he ever served overseas during this period. 

On September 30, 1917 Private John Tom Campbell entered into the US Army. Campbell was sent to train at Camp Lee, where he wrote that he experienced “two spells" of an unidentified "sickness.” This was not uncommon in camps, where typically men were housed in close quarters. These sicknesses were not debilitating and Campbell estimates that he gained about 40lbs while in the camp. In May 1918, Campbell left for war from Hoboken, New Jersey and landed in Brest, France on May 30. He saw combat at St. Mihiel – Verdun and Meuse sector and Argonne Forest. While in Verdun, Campbell was “slightly gassed” and was tended to in a French hospital. 

Private Campbell wrote, on a small piece of paper, a story of combat that explains the mindset of some of the fighting me. Selected for the “Intelligence Section,” commonly referred to as the “S.O.S.”, on October 5, 1918 he had “the privilege of trying my marksman with a Springfield riffle on three Germans.” Campbell wrote that he “dropped the first two” but that a shell dropped between the third and himself and that he had no chance at. He was proud to be selected and have served with the S.O.S.

Campbell was discharged from the service in June of 1919 and returned to life as a farmer. In October 1922, he married Mary Custis Belote. Writing about his experiences in 1922, Campbell reflected that while he was grateful for his experiences as it made him appreciate what he had and made him turn towards Christianity, he would never like to face dangers like that again. Campbell would face the possibility of combat once again, when he registered for the World War II draft, although there is no indication he ever saw combat in World War II. On September 22, 1985 John Tom Campbell passed away after a five year long battle with dementia.  

1940; Census Place: Pungoteague, Accomack, Virginia; Roll: m-t0627-04241; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 1-28

U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current . Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Virginia, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 117

Campbell, John Tom. War History Commission State of Virginia Military Service Record. Library of Virginia, Virginia War History Commission.