Frederick Withoft: A Soldiers Legacy
Sgt. John Frederick Withoft, Namesake of American Legion Post 76
Fort Valley, Georgia
Sgt. John Frederick Withoft was born July 9, 1895, and called Fort Valley, Georgia, his home. He enlisted in the United States Army during World War I, serving with the Headquarters Company, 103rd Field Signal Battalion, 28th Division — part of the Pennsylvania National Guard Signal Corps.
The First World War was marked not only by the horrors of battle but also by the deadly spread of the 1918–1920 Spanish influenza pandemic. This pandemic infected nearly 500 million people worldwide, about one-third of the global population. Crowded trenches, training camps, and military hospitals became fertile ground for the disease, taking the lives of thousands of soldiers who had already survived the battlefield.
Sgt. Withoft endured the hardships of war, only to fall victim to pneumonia — a deadly complication of the flu — just a few months after the armistice. He died on February 25, 1919, at Camp Hospital Number 6 in France. His death was recorded as "Died of Disease, pneumonia."
To honor his sacrifice, American Legion Post 76 was chartered in 1919 in Fort Valley, Georgia. The post stands as a living memorial to Sgt. Withoft and all the local men and women who have served their country, ensuring their memory continues through acts of community service and veteran support.