| Grave marker for Arthur L.
Baptiste in Section 1, Block 8, Lot 6, Space WC of the Summit View
Cemetery, Guthrie (Logan county), Oklahoma.
 Born
in Consort (Alberta), Canada first entered the U.S. at age 5 with his
uncle John at Eastport ID on 11 May 1931. The pair was to visit a
friend, John Williamson, in Wahpeton, North Dakota for a period of six
months.
Following the initial visit, Arthur, still just 5
years o f
age, again left Canada for the U.S. on 8 August 1931. It was to be
his last visit to Canada as a youth. Crossing at Sweetgrass,
Montana, he and unnamed family members took up residence at Guthrie,
Oklahoma. |
Arthur enlisted in the Army at Ft Sill,
OK on 7 March 1944 and was assigned to Hq 2nd, 508th PIR.
Pfc Baptiste was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge for
his role in the Rhineland Campaign, from 4 January 1945,
 Discharged
on 8 May 1945, Arthur began seeking a U.S. citizenship and submitted a
petition for naturalization on 11 September 1946. It is
interesting to note that his army enlistment record two years earlier
mistakenly carried him as a citizen, this petition would make it
official.
Arthur's tour of duty in Frankfurt had n ot apparently
been just focused on the requirements of soldering. On June 1952
he returned to the U.S. aboard the Ile de France (see lines 11 & 12) accompanied by his new
bride, Sylvia (nee Parsons) of Germany. |
