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203. Four Bagdad Brothers Go to War 1918 (Part IV)

Updated: Mar 30, 2022


The fourth and last brother to leave for World War I, was Peter "Pietro" Tomasello Jr., born on January 6, 1900 in Pinewood, Florida. He enlisted in Bagdad with the Florida National Guard on March 15, 1916 before any of his brothers and was assigned to the sanitary detachment of the First Florida Regiment. When his regiment was activated on or about September 1, 1917, they proceeded to Black Point and then on to Camp Wheeler. There, he was appointed to the position of a dental surgeon assistant. He was assigned to the 118th Machine Gun Battalion on November 17th as a private first class. His unit was sent overseas on October 28, 1918, however never saw any combat because the "Armistice" ending all hostilities was signed on November 11, 1918. Later, he was transferred to the Medical Detachment of the 106th Ammunition Train. Sergeant Tomasello and his unit would board the SS Kentuckian at St. Nazaire, France on June 26, 1919 and sail for America and home. There, young Peter was honorably discharged on July 8, 1919. He would marry Elizabeth Carter on May 21, 1921 in Bay County, Florida as he followed his father in the lumber mill business. By 1930, he was a "bank litigator" in Okeechobee, Florida and five years later he owned his own consultant business. By 1940, his father had retired and was living with he and Elizabeth and their son Peter III. By 1950, he was a buyer in Art Supplies in Atlanta and living in Forest Park, Georgia. He would pass away on November 17, 1960 and was buried in the Forest Park Memorial Gardens where Elizabeth would join him in 1976.


Sergeant Peter "Pietro" Tomasello Jr., WWI


Pensacola News Journal April 14, 1917


SS Kentuckian bringing Sergeant Peter Tomasello Jr. home from WWI. The ship was later sunk to create a "breakwater" off the Normandy beachhead two months after the famous D-Day landing


Grave of Peter Tomasello Jr., Forest Park Memorial

Gardens, Clayton County, GA with is wife Elizabeth




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