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HAL goes to war

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Mon, Oct 8th 2018 10:55 am
The Historical Association of Lewiston's October program is titled, "A Lewiston Hero and the 100th Anniversary of the 1918 Meuse-Argonne Battle." The event will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, at the Lutheran Church of the Messiah Fellowship Hall, 915 Oneida St., Lewiston.
Lewis Buttery will present the history of the battle and the Lewiston Nickerson brothers. World War I had been raging since August 1914 and the USA stayed out until April 1917. The American Expeditionary Force had been sent as soon as possible, but it wasn't until the spring of 1918 that the main army was ready to join the fight. By Sept. 29, Gen. Pershing was ready to make an all-out assault on the German lines in an attempt to end the war. The unit, under Capt. Whittlesey, followed its orders to push forward "regardless" - and did so, until cut off and surrounded. Members became the "Lost Battalion."
It was up to the other units and Alfred and Herbert Nickerson of Lewiston to help save them. The war ended Nov. 11, 1918, but what was the fate of the "Lost Battalion" and the Nickerson Brothers?
Buttery has a master's degree in American history, but spent 30-plus years as a systems analyst/programmer. Returning to Lockport in 2009 after retiring, he was reminded of his family's history in creating or participating in 18 sites and events on the Niagara Frontier during the 1800s. By 2014, he founded the BRI-NK Foundation and Museum (Buttery Research Initiative - Niagara Knowledge, which is located at the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center). Buttery has done many presentations on various topics concerning the intersection of family and Niagara history.
This community event is free and open to all, and refreshments will be served.

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