McLoughlin, Thomas J.

Description

Thomas Francis McLoughlin was born on February 13, 1894, in Kilkerrin, County Galway, Ireland, the son of James McLoughlin and Catherine Diskin. He grew up in Ireland in a large family that included four brothers and five sisters, reflecting the structure of rural Irish households in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

He lived in Galway in 1901 and later in Shankill, Dublin, by 1911. Around 1914, he immigrated to the United States, part of a broader wave of Irish migration driven by economic opportunity and changing social conditions in Ireland. By 1917, he was living in Westchester County, New York, and working as a waiter at the American Yacht Club in Rye, while maintaining a permanent address at 54 East 88th Street in New York City.

World War I Service

McLoughlin entered military service on December 5, 1917, in New York City, New York. He was initially assigned to Company B of the 305th Infantry Regiment, part of the 77th Infantry Division, a division composed largely of New York City draftees that saw extensive combat in France.

He was later transferred to Company E of the 103rd Infantry Regiment, part of the 26th Infantry Division, known as the “Yankee Division,” which participated in major engagements on the Western Front.

He served overseas from February 17, 1918, to March 23, 1919, during which time American forces were engaged in major campaigns including the Somme operations and subsequent offensives that contributed to the final defeat of German forces.

During his service, he sustained a slight wound in action on June 16, 1918. He served in the rank of Private and received formal recognition for his wartime service, including a certificate issued under the authority of President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 in acknowledgment of his contribution to the war effort.

He was honorably discharged on April 1, 1919, following his return from overseas service.

Life After Service

Following his return from military service, McLoughlin remained in the New York metropolitan area, living in Manhattan in 1920 and later relocating to Essex County, New Jersey. His life reflected that of many Irish-American veterans who continued working in service and labor roles while maintaining strong family connections.

He never married and had no known children. His later years included the loss of several close family members, including his brother Patrick in 1931, his sister Honoria (Norah) in 1932, his brother William J. in 1945, and his sister Winifred in 1956.

Thomas Francis McLoughlin died on October 7, 1956, in East Orange, New Jersey, at the age of 63, and was buried in East Orange.

At the time of his death, surviving family members are not fully identified in available records.