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He worked as a street car conductor, and as a driver for Milwaukee Western Fuel for 6 years. He served in WWI (PFC 319 INF 80 DIV US ARMY) in France. He lost his job during the depression & went on County relief . He worked on the WPA, he helped build a part of Milwakee Co. airport. During this time he had his first & only airpla ne ride,Dr. Landotook him up in a small plane.He talked of it fondly. He had cancer surgery in 1942 & had 2/3 of his st omach removed. He lived long enough to see his first grandson, Richard Sajdak. Military Service. THE BLUE RIDGE DOUGHBOY OF WORLD WAR I Largely composed of men from the "Blue Ridge States" of Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, the 80th Division wa s originally activated at Camp Lee, Virginia in September of 1917. The unit's distinctive insignia was adopted in 1918 and consists of three blue mountain peaks representing the Blue Rid ge Mountains in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The Division also adopted the Latin Motto, "Vis Montium" or " Strength of the Mountains." After training at Camp Lee for nine months, the leading elements sailed from Newport News and landed in France on May 9 , 1918. The rest of the Division disembarked at the ports of Brest, Bordeaux and St. Nazaire May 30-51 and June 8-9, 19 18. The Division moved to the Samer training area where British experts trained the recently arrived Blue Ridge Doughboys i n the latest developments of trench warfare. On August 8, 1918, the British began their Somme Offensive. Side by side with the British Tommies, the Blue Ridgers str uck their first blow against the Hun. The Division joined the newly created American First Army on August 25, 1918 and participated as Army reserve in the re duction of the St. Mihiel Salient. BATTERING RAM IN THE ARGONNE The outstanding accomplishment of the 80th in World War I occurred during the final overthrow of the German Imperial Ar my in the Battle of the Meuse-Argonne. Marshal Foch, Commander in Ghief of the Allied Armies, had ordered an American-French attack to cut the vital German li ne of supply, the Carignaw-Sedan-Mezeres Railroad. The severing of this supply artery would render the entire German se ctor to the westand northwest of Sedan untenable. So important was this railroad to the German High Command that four d istinct systems of field fortifications had been built during the years of 1914-1918 to protect it. This offensive, which was destined to break the back of the Kaiser's Armies, began on the morning of Sept. 26, 1918. Th e Germans resisted strongly from their thoroughly prepared positions. Three times the spearheading 80th Division was called upon and three times it responded by taking its objective. Nigh t attacks coupled with strong daylight assaults made the German lines to our front buckle, then collapse. Prior to th e relief of the 80thDivision bg the Ist Division on Novemb 1- 8, 1918, the Blue Ridge Infantrymen along with other Alli ed divisions had shattered the whole German defense system. The Division could rightfully boast of having captured two Germans and one machine gun for each man wounded. Excellen t leadership and thorough training had paid off. BEST NATIONAL ARMY DIVISION Little wonder that the 80th was rated the best National Army Division of World War I! Numbered among the many distinguished veterans from the 80th of the First World War are General Joseph W. Stilwell, Com mander of the Army Ground Forces, and Major General Patrick S. Hurley, Ambassador to China. In World War I, the Blue Ridge Infantrymen were formed into two regiments in each of the Division's brigades. Today's s treamlined organization numbers three of the former regiments (517, 318 and 3l9) and no brigades. The 320th Infantry, t he fourth of theWorld War I regiments, is now part of the 35th Division. One thing remains unchanged. The courage and undaunted spirit of the "Blue Ridge" was 27 years ago. The 80th returned to the States in May 1919 and was inactivated at Camp Lee on June 26, 1919. (Office of Information and Education Officer, Headquarters 80th Infantry Division, History Report, March 10, 1945 http ://www.80thdivision.com/MiscReports/80th_Historyof80th_OfficeofInformationandEducationOfficer_10MAR45.pdf)