Martin W. O’brien, sr.

united states army 1917-1919

world war i

corporal

82nd division, american expeditionary forces

Martin William O’Brien was born on July 15, 1895, the tenth child to Michael F. O’Brien and Mary (McBrearty) in Enfield, CT. He was raised in the Thompsonville section of Enfield, and graduated from Enfield High School. Martin was a gifted athlete and a star player on local baseball and basketball teams sponsored by the Hartford Carpet Company, which later became the Bigelow-Sanford Carpet Company, where he worked as a carpet weaver.

Martin was drafted into the “National Army” and reported to the Thompsonville Hotel on the morning of October 3, 1917, there he boarded a special train to Camp Devens in Ayer, MA. Private O’Brien completed basic training and was quickly promoted to corporal on December 1, 1917. Corporal O’Brien was assigned to the 326th Regiment as part of the 82nd Division, “The All American Division” and arrived in France in June 1918 as part of the American Expeditionary Force, serving in the Toule, France. Soon, he participated in the largest US Army offensive to date in the Meuse-Argonne Forest from September 29, 1918, until November 11, 1918, Armistice Day. Corporal O’Brien would remain in the Prauthoy area of France after the Armistice was signed, returning to the United States in April 1919, when the 326th Regiment was demobilized at Camp Mills, NY.

Martin returned to the carpet mill, then eventually became a salesman for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and was also involved in Enfield town government. Martin married the former Hilda T. Obram in 1922 and had three children: Martin W. Jr.(Corporal, USAAC, KIA), Jean T. (Edward J. Duda), and Marie A. (William J. Mills). Martin passed away on September 6, 1946, at the age of 51.