SURFACE, Henry Oscar

WHITE RIVER TOWN‐
SHIP BOY MAKES
SUPREME SACRIFICE

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Henry Oscar Surface Dies From
Wounds Received While Fight‐
ing in France, Nov. 7th.

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The first White River township boy has made the supreme sacrifice for his country while serving under the Stars and Stripes in France. Henry Oscar Surface, son of Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Surface, of White River township, died November 7th from wounds received while fighting with the American forces on the French front. Announcement of his death was received by the family last Saturday morning in a telegram from Washington.

Private Surface entered the service in September of 1917 and went to Camp Taylor with the first quota of Johnson county regis­trants. Later he was transferred to Camp Shelby and sent overseas in June of this year. His family had only received two or three letters from him since his arrival in France.

Henry Oscar Surface was a splendid young man. He was twenty-six years old and was regarded as an industrious, upright boy. He had attended the Center Grove high school and was employed on his father’s farm when the war broke out. He was a member of the Mt. Auburn Methodist church and was one of the most regular attendants of the Mt. Auburn Sunday school.

In March of 1918, he was united in marriage to Miss Murial Hamilton, of Indianapolis, who has been living with her parents in Indianapolis while Mr. Surface was away. Besides his widow, and parents, Private Surface is also survived by four brothers, Alva, Albert, Elza and Floyd, and one sister, Mrs. Raymond Dorrell. Elza Surface just recently returned from Camp Taylor where he has been in service for several months.

The news of Private Surface’s death came as a terrific shock to the family and his large circle of friends because they had supposed that he was safe and were rejoicing over the declar­ation of peace. The deepest sympathy is ex­tended to the sorrowing wife and parents, who have been expecting word from their boy that he would soon return, now that the war has ended.

Private Surface is the second Johnson county registrant to give his life for his country while serving on foreign soil and is the first to die of wounds received while in action. Carroll Shuck of Franklin, was the first Johnson county boy to make the supreme sacrifice while serving overseas.

Mrs. Surface, accompanied by her brother, went to Franklin last Saturday to see Prof. Thomas Rust, father of Delmar Rust, with whom Private Surface chummed in France.

At the request of the Johnson County Council of Defense, the flag on the court house in Franklin was lowered at half-mast Saturday as a token of respect for the sacrifice made by Private Surface.

Link to Henry Oscar Surface’s grave

Submitted by Mark McCrady and Cathea Curry