John E. Noonan
Private, New York Army National Guard
World War I

John E. Noonan was born in 1898 in Kingston, Ulster County, NY, to Irish immigrants.

Military Service

Shortly after the U.S. declaration of war, John joined the 107th Infantry Regiment, NY National Guard, 27th Infantry Division. Supposedly he had lied about his age to join the military. If this is true, he would have been only sixteen when he enlisted, thus the youngest causality of WWI to be buried at Flanders Field.

On 15 June he wrote a letter to his Aunt Mary Noonan Brennan in which he stated that he was doing fine and that there was no reason to worry: "I am as safe here as I ever was."

He also mentioned the nightly "air raids" and his friends in Company M.

Death and Burial

Private John E. Noonan was killed in action on 13 August 1918. He was initially buried at Abeele Aerodrome Military Cemetery in Belgium. He was later moved and re-interred at the Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial in Waregem, West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen), Belgium, in Plot B, Row 1, Grave 23.