Weld, Joseph Garneau

Joseph Garneau Weld, referred to as “Garneau,” was born on March 30, 1897, in St. Louis, Missouri, to William George Weld and Clemence Louise Withington.  In late October 1916 Weld became an ambulance driver with Section Sanitaire [Etats-] Unis (SSU) 1 of the American Field Service (AFS), a volunteer ambulance corps serving with the French army during World War I.  Weld was with SSU 1 for nine months, until AFS was absorbed by the United States Army and ceased to exist as an independent organization when the U.S. entered the war in 1917.  At that time, Weld enlisted as a Private First Class in the United States Army Ambulance Service (USAAS), along with other members of his AFS section, which was renamed SSU 625.  He served until the demobilization of the USAAS in 1919.

After the war, Weld married Mary Etta Randolph.  The couple had three children, Joseph Garneau Weld, Jr. (b. December 30, 1924), Henry Garneau Weld (b. July 25, 1926), and Ada Weld (b. May 15, 1930).  Henry followed in his father’s footsteps and volunteered with AFS unit IB 60 in World War II.  Joseph G. Weld also continued his association with AFS in World War II, serving as a Missouri representative.

Joseph Garneau Weld passed away July 12, 1970, in St. Louis, Missouri.