Putnam, Arthur James
- Who
- WWI driver
- When
- WWI
- Where
- France
- Education
- Cornell '14
Courtesy of the Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs.
Arthur James Putnam was born on June 19, 1893, in Deposit, NY. Putnam worked as an instructor in romance languages at Cornell University, after having graduated from there in 1915.
Putnam volunteered with the American Field Service (AFS) on April 14, 1917, and became a member of Section Sanitaire [États-] Unis (SSU) 19 on May 5, 1917. Putnam became Commandant Adjoint of the newly formed SSU 70 in July, making him responsible for theenforcement of orders and the maintenance of discipline within his section while they served throughout France.
The United States entered the war in the summer of 1917, and the AFS units were slowly absorbed into the U.S. military in the following months. SSU 70 took over the cars of SSU 18 in November and became SSU 636 of the United States Army Ambulance Service (USAAS.) Putnam became a 1st Lieutenant of the newly-formed SSU 636, having signed up for the USAAS sometime between the end of October and the beginning of November. He was awarded the American Field Service Medal on January 3, 1919, for his service with AFS during the war.
Arthur James Putnam passed away on February 3, 1966.
[Bio courtesy of AFS Archives, New York]
WWI File
- Rank
- Cdt. Adjt. / Section Commander
- Months of service
- 6, 1917
- Section(s)
- S.S.U. 19, S.S.U. 70
- Home at time of enlistment
- Deposit, N.Y., USA
- Subsequent Service
- Capt. U.S.A.A.S.
Decoration(s) received while volunteer of the Field Service
- Croix de Guerre WW1
