Our Arklahoma Heritage: A son of Sequoyah County fell to the ravages of WWI on April 30, 1918

In the quiet solitudee of Akins Cemetery, where the infamous outlaw and folk hero Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd also rests, lies a far quieter hero whose sacrifice helped shape the soul of a community.

Private Willis Boothe, born June 6, 1896, in Stevenson, Alabama, lived a brief but courageous life that continues to echo through the hills of eastern Oklahoma.

The son of Eli R. Boothe and Mary Ann Hays, Willis was raised in a large Southern family that eventually settled in the Hanson community of their adopted county.

With the U.S. entry into World War I, Willis and his friend Walter Rogers volunteered for service. He enlisted on April 17, 1917, at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, trained at Camp Harry J. Jones in Arizona, and sailed for France on June 14, 1917, as part of the 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Forces (AEF).

Boothe was among the first American troops to arrive in France. He served in key engagements including Cambrai, Somme, Lys, and the Defensive Sector, earning the World War I Victory Medal, a Purple Heart, and a Silver Star, awarded posthumously under General Order No. 1, dated January 1, 1920.

On the day of his death, the 18th Infantry Regiment was stationed in the Ansauville sector, north of Toul, France. The unit was engaged in defensive operations and training, enduring intermittent German bombardments and trench warfare4.

No major offensive occurred that day, but the dangers of the front were ever-present.

Boothe succumbed to wounds sustained in action, becoming the first soldier from Sequoyah County to die in battle during the war.

Initially buried in Bouveillers, France, Willis’s remains were returned aboard the S.S. Somme, arriving in Hoboken, NJ, on March 14, 1921. His funeral on April 10, 1921, was one of the largest in county history, led by the Carnie Welch Post No. 27 of the American Legion. The ceremony included a eulogy by Dr. F.W. Harvey, a three-volley salute, and “Taps” played by Sgt. Slater.

  Boothe’s final resting place in Akins Cemetery, beside his mother, is marked by a Woodmen of the World tombstone inscribed:

“Fell in France for Democracy. Faithful to his trust even unto death.”

Plans for a monument in his honor were initiated by the American Legion, recognizing Boothe as a symbol of courage and patriotism. His story stands in contrast to the more notorious figures buried nearby, reminding visitors that true heroism often lies in quiet sacrifice.