In the quiet hamlet of Bedford Hills, Westchester County, New York, three brothers came of age in the early 20th century: Ralph, William, and James Yerks. Their lives—like those of countless young men—were forever altered by the outbreak of World War I. Two would don the uniform of the United States Army and be shipped to the trenches of France. One would never return.

Private Ralph Yerks (1894–1918): Sacrifice at Saint-Mihiel

Born April 6, 1894, in Bedford Hills, Ralph Yerks was the son of William and Annie Yerks. As a young man, he worked as a plumber’s helper in Yonkers. On June 6, 1917, shortly after the United States entered the war, Ralph enlisted at Fort Slocum, a key Army recruitment and processing center on Davids Island in New Rochelle, New York.

His military journey took him first to the 4th Recruit Company, General Service Infantry at Fort Slocum, then to Company K of the 47th Infantry Regiment, and by mid-August 1917, he was transferred to Company K, 9th Infantry Regiment, part of the 2nd Division of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF).

Ralph shipped out to Europe on September 18, 1917, and served continuously on the Western Front for nearly a year. He participated in several significant engagements:

• The Verdun sector, where American troops took over from the French in late 1917 and early 1918.

• The Marne, likely during the Second Battle of the Marne in July 1918, when American forces helped stop the last major German offensive.

• Soissons, a hard-fought battle in July 1918 that marked the beginning of a decisive Allied counteroffensive.

• Saint-Mihiel, the first major operation planned and led solely by American forces under General Pershing.

It was in this final engagement that Ralph’s story ended. On September 13, 1918, the second day of the Saint-Mihiel Offensive, Ralph was killed in action near Bois de la Marie-Louise, a forest northeast of Verdun, France. He was 24 years old.

Today, Private Ralph Yerks rests in honored glory at the Saint Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial in Thiaucourt-Regniéville, France. Though his burial record incorrectly lists his birth as May 10, 1896, his service and sacrifice remain enduring truths. His name is etched into the Rye, New York, War Memorial, a gold star beside it to mark his ultimate sacrifice.

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Private William Benjamin Yerks (1891–1960s?): Wounded and Presumed Dead

The eldest of the three brothers, William Benjamin Yerks, was born on August 12, 1891. Like his younger brother Ralph, William enlisted on June 6, 1917, also at Fort Slocum. He was assigned to Company L, 47th Infantry, and then to Company L, 9th Infantry, serving alongside Ralph in the same regiment and division.

William embarked for Europe on September 13, 1917, just five days before his brother. He fought in the same engagements—Verdun, the Marne, Soissons—and was wounded in action on July 18, 1918, most likely during the Second Battle of the Marne. His wound, recorded only as of “degree undetermined,” was consistent with gas exposure, a devastating and all-too-common injury during trench warfare.

For a time, William’s fate was uncertain. In a July 18, 1919, article published in The Millerton News, it was reported that Mrs. Annie Yerks—believing her son William had died in France—was stunned and overjoyed to receive word that he was in fact alive and recovering in a French hospital. The article suggests a months-long period during which William was presumed dead.

“Nearly heartbroken, but proud that her son had died for such a good cause, Mrs. Yerks tried to forget. A few days ago, word was received that her son was in a base hospital in France injured.”

Whether the article was a delayed or erroneous reprint, or based on outdated thirdhand information, is unclear. By that time, William had already married his sweetheart Myritannia (“Myrtie”) on January 30, 1919, in Somers, New York. Their first son, Clarence, was born on November 26, 1919, suggesting William had returned stateside by early March.

William was officially discharged on March 13, 1919, with a 25% disability rating, likely due to his exposure to gas and prolonged recovery. A family story holds that William may have married the nurse who cared for him during his convalescence—though documentation for this remains elusive.

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James Leroy Yerks (1892–1970s?): A Civilian Contribution

The third brother, James Leroy Yerks, born November 6, 1892, was married young and by 1917 had three children. When the draft was instituted during World War I, James filed for an exemption, citing family dependency as his reason. His draft card noted his occupation as a laborer and provider for his growing household.

Though he did not serve in uniform, James’ role as a family man during wartime was no less important. With two brothers on the battlefield and uncertain fates looming, he represented the civilian burden of war: holding the family together at home, supporting his aging parents, and keeping a fragile domestic world intact.

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Questions That Remain

The story of the Yerks brothers leaves us with several unresolved questions and tantalizing possibilities:

1. Was William hospitalized in France until early 1919, or was he repatriated to the U.S. hospital system before discharge?

2. Why was the initial report to the family that William had been killed?

3. Did their mother, Annie Yerks, know of Ralph’s death at the time she learned William was alive?

4. Was the newspaper article in Millerton a reprint or a reporting error? Millerton, located over 50 miles north of Golden’s Bridge, seems an odd origin.

5. Did William indeed marry a nurse who cared for him during his recovery, as family lore suggests?

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A Family of Service and Sacrifice

The service of the Yerks brothers stands as a testament to the complexities of wartime America. One gave his life. Another endured wounds, loss, and confusion—but survived. A third stayed home, raising a family under the shadow of global conflict.

Each played a role in the American experience of World War I, and their stories—of courage, miscommunication, tragedy, and resilience—continue to echo more than a century later.

Their memory lives on through the Saint Mihiel cemetery, the Rye War Memorial, the preserved documents of the National Archives, and, most importantly, in the hearts and stories passed down by their descendants.