George Bernard Preston
The Dover, Massachusetts American Legion Post 209 was named after a town resident named George Bernard Preston (born December 29, 1897) who was killed inToul-Bourcq, France on April 20, 1918.
Preston enlisted in the Massachusetts National Guard and was sent to the 102nd Infantry in Connecticut when the Yankee Division was formed up for training.
During the first major battle of the division Preston was killed by enemy fire at the Battle of Seicheprey. The Germans used a rolling barrage and waved the 102nd Regiment and the attached 102nd Machine Gun Battalion. The fighting broke down to hand to hand and one of the 102nd regimental cooks had to kill two Germans with meat cleavers.
When he was returned to Dover he was buried with military honors at Highland Cemetery.
The Dover American Legion, founded in 1919, was named the George Bernard Preston Post in his honor.
More about the Battle of Seicheprey: