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Lieut John Dempsey McKay

Birth	:	23 Jul 1889 Florence, Marion County, Kansas, USA
Death	:	29 Sep 1918 France
Burial	:	Hillcrest Cemetery, Florence, Marion County, USA
Coordinate	:	38.2532997, -96.9282990
Description	:	KILLED IN ACTION OF BELLECOURS FRANCE 2nd LT CO C 301 TANK CORPS Lieutenant John Dempsey McKay commanded a Mk V tank in Capt. Ralph de P. Clarke's C Company, 301st Tank Battalion, the only American heavy tank unit to see combat in the First World War. Like many of the junior officers in the Tank Corps, McKay had been commissioned from the Corps of Engineers while training at Camp Lee, Virginia, in January 1918, formally transferring to the tanks in March. A native of Florence, Kansas, McKay had joined the Navy in 1906 while still a teenager, eventually becoming a Chief... Read More	KILLED IN ACTION OF BELLECOURS FRANCE 2nd LT CO C 301 TANK CORPS Lieutenant John Dempsey McKay commanded a Mk V tank in Capt. Ralph de P. Clarke's C Company, 301st Tank Battalion, the only American heavy tank unit to see combat in the First World War. Like many of the junior officers in the Tank Corps, McKay had been commissioned from the Corps of Engineers while training at Camp Lee, Virginia, in January 1918, formally transferring to the tanks in March. A native of Florence, Kansas, McKay had joined the Navy in 1906 while still a teenager, eventually becoming a Chief Gunner's Mate. In 1915, he purchased his own discharge to join the Army, serving in Company I, 1st Engineers, at Fort Shafter in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was in Hawaii when he was sent to Camp Lee. Clarke's company operated in support of 107th Infantry Regiment, part of the 27th Infantry Division (New York National Guard) during the great assault on the Hindenburg Line on September 29, 1918. Like a number of the American-manned tanks, McKay's was crippled by a German artillery round. Captain Clarke reported McKay, having been wounded by the initial strike, ordered his crew to dismount their machine guns and exit the tank. They also helped McKay out, placing him underneath the tank for some measure of protection, but he died shortly thereafter. McKay's crewmen remained at their posts, blazing away with their weapons until the tank suffered a direct hit. Several of the men, some severely wounded, managed to make their way to a nearby shell crater where they were subjected to continual enemy fire. One private made several trips back to the wrecked machine "to get things for the wounded, once more for dressings, again for a coat and finally for [McKay's] gas-mask," the latter to exchange one worn by a corporal whose respirator had been "destroyed by the shot that wounded him." Major Ralph Sasse, who had spoken to McKay shortly before zero hour, wrote that he was very close to the lieutenant, a "cheerful, willing and most excellent tank officer." "Above all, Sasse continued, "he was a soldier, he died as a soldier— fighting." In 1921, his remains were removed from Bony Cemetery in northern France for burial in Florence. His father, now residing in Marion, shakily signed the form turning over custody of the coffin. His funeral service was a major event for Florence: "Nearly one hundred cars and possibly no less than a thousand people paid tribute to his last advance." Lieutenant McKay was the only native of Florence to be killed during the First World War. (World War Roll of Honor, 1917-1920, Marion County, Kansas; also "How Lt. McKay Fell," Feb. 27, 1919, "Intern Remains of Lieut. McKay Today," April 21, 1921, and "Tribute to Lieut. John D. McKay," April 28, 1921, Florence Bulletin; McKay burial file in RG 92, National Archives, College Park, MD.) INFO BY: Patrick Osborn

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Lieut John Dempsey McKay's memorial?
Lieut John Dempsey McKay's memorial is located at: Hillcrest Cemetery, Florence, Marion County, USA.
When did Lieut John Dempsey McKay death?
Lieut John Dempsey McKay death on 29 Sep 1918 in France
Where are the coordinates of the Lieut John Dempsey McKay's memorial?
Latitude: 38.2532997
Longitude: -96.9282990

Family Members:

Parent

James McKay

(1844 - 1927)

Mary Pruda Goodwin McKay

(1853 - 1932)

Siblings

George Lane McKay

(1883 - 1920)

Percy E McKay

(1887 - 1906)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Hillcrest Cemetery
Florence, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2532997, -96.9282990

2. Allison Cemetery
Florence, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2238998, -96.9328003

3. Mount Calvary Cemetery
Florence, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2303009, -96.9589005

4. Cedar Point Cemetery
Cedar Point, Chase County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2397003, -96.8253021

5. Drinkwater Cemetery
Cedar Point, Chase County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2619019, -96.8236008

6. Claney Cemetery
Marion, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2905998, -97.0361023

7. Montgomery Cemetery
Chase County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3196983, -96.8364029

8. Griffith Cemetery
Chase County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1913986, -96.8118973

9. Grant Cemetery
Marion, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3619003, -96.8843994

10. Marion Cemetery
Marion, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3514800, -97.0060900

11. Harter Cemetery
Marion, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3699989, -96.9483032

12. Summit Cemetery
Burns, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1291940, -96.9684720

13. Ice Cemetery
Chase County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2924800, -96.7594600

14. Marion County Poor Farm Cemetery
Aulne, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3095860, -97.0956100

15. Wonsevu Cemetery
Chase County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1547012, -96.7863998

16. Prairie Lawn Cemetery
Peabody, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1800003, -97.0943985

17. Spring Branch Catholic Cemetery
Marion, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2908300, -97.1132400

18. First Mennonite Church Cemetery
Burns, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1008880, -96.9130270

19. Clements Cemetery
Clements, Chase County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3040900, -96.7438800

20. Whitewater Center Cemetery
Burns, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1012220, -97.0053610

21. Catlin Community Cemetery
Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2249985, -97.1339035

22. Burns Cemetery
Burns, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0921380, -96.8775270

23. Burns Catholic Cemetery
Burns, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0909600, -96.8775300

24. Gard Cemetery
Peabody, Marion County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2902985, -97.1508026