Doherty, Lionel H.

Lionel M. Doherty

Corporal – United States Army World War I

Early Life

Lionel M. Doherty was born on September 16, 1890, in Clifton, Staten Island, New York, the son of John S. W. Doherty and Marie Alexanderine Martin. He spent his early years in the New York metropolitan area, residing in Manhattan by 1910 before later establishing residence in Rye, New York.

By the years leading up to World War I, Doherty was part of a mobile and working population connected to both urban and suburban life. A passport application issued in early 1917 places him in Rye, reflecting both established residence and a degree of mobility during a period of increasing international travel just prior to American entry into the war.

World War I Service

Doherty enlisted in the New York National Guard on July 20, 1917, in New York City, responding to the national call to service following the United States’ entry into World War I.

He was assigned to a police unit that was reorganized for federal service as part of the 27th Division, eventually serving in Company A of the 102nd Military Police Corps. Military police units were responsible for maintaining discipline among troops, regulating movement, guarding prisoners, and supporting logistical operations behind the front lines.

During his service, Doherty was promoted to Private First Class on November 12, 1917, and to Corporal on April 25, 1918, reflecting increased responsibility within his unit.

He served overseas with the American Expeditionary Forces from May 18, 1918, to March 11, 1919, participating in the final phase of the war and the subsequent occupation period. During this time, he supported the large-scale logistical and security operations required by the expanding American Army in France.

His official service record indicates that he sustained no wounds in action.

He returned to the United States on March 11, 1919, and was honorably discharged on April 1, 1919, upon demobilization, with no recorded disability.

Life After Service

Following the war, Doherty returned to Rye, New York, where he resumed civilian life and became part of the community’s postwar growth. By 1920, he was living in Rye and working as a hotel manager, reflecting a position of responsibility within the expanding hospitality industry serving Westchester County.

Later in life, he entered federal service in a law enforcement capacity, continuing the type of work he had performed during the war and maintaining a connection to public service.

Lionel M. Doherty died on November 3, 1953.

At the time of his death, he was survived by members of his family and remained remembered as part of the generation of men from Rye who served during the First World War.

He was buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in White Plains, New York.