Harold F. Shutts
Early Life
Harold Forrest Shutts was born on January 13, 1895, in New York City, the son of Forrest Shutts and Ida Chaney. By the time of the First World War, he had established a connection to Rye, New York, where he was living and pursuing his education.
He attended the State College in Albany, reflecting a strong educational background at a time when higher education was less common. His draft registration describes him as a student, placing him among the cohort of young men whose academic careers were interrupted by the war.
World War I Service
Shutts entered military service on June 24, 1918, when he was inducted in Westchester County, New York, into the United States Army. He was initially assigned to the 152nd Depot Brigade, a training and processing unit responsible for organizing and preparing soldiers for further assignment.
He was subsequently transferred to the Field Artillery Central Officers Training School (FACOTS) at Camp Taylor, Kentucky, where candidates were trained for potential commissions as artillery officers. These training programs were part of the Army’s effort to rapidly expand its officer corps during the later stages of the war.
His service came during the final months of World War I, and there is no record of overseas deployment or combat engagement. Like many men inducted in 1918, his role was primarily within the United States as the war drew to a close.
He served in the rank of Private and was honorably discharged on November 25, 1918.
Life After Service
Following his military service, Shutts pursued a varied career that reflected both his education and the changing economic landscape of the twentieth century. He worked in the hospitality industry, including employment at the Irving House in Southampton, Long Island, and later held positions as a hotel manager.
By mid-century, he transitioned into accounting and government-related housing work, eventually relocating to Florida, where he lived in Key West and later Hollywood.
Throughout his life, he remained unmarried and maintained an independent lifestyle, moving between New York, Connecticut, and Florida as his career evolved.
Harold F. Shutts died on September 11, 1976, in Hollywood, Florida, at the age of 81.
At the time of his death, surviving family members are not clearly identified in available records.