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- "Shell Shattered City Hall in Fismes, France after Being Showered with German Shells for Three Weeks," 1918 - Andrew Purnell Jr. (1898-1975) was born in Selma, Alabama. He joined the all-Black 303rd Stevedore Regiment (with later unit designations) in December 1917. Private Purnell was stationed in Bordeaux, France. He returned to the U.S. in 1919, married, and worked as a railroad freight handler. Like many service members, Purnell kept cards, letters, photographs, and souvenirs from his time in the military.

- 1918
- Collections - Artifact
"Shell Shattered City Hall in Fismes, France after Being Showered with German Shells for Three Weeks," 1918
Andrew Purnell Jr. (1898-1975) was born in Selma, Alabama. He joined the all-Black 303rd Stevedore Regiment (with later unit designations) in December 1917. Private Purnell was stationed in Bordeaux, France. He returned to the U.S. in 1919, married, and worked as a railroad freight handler. Like many service members, Purnell kept cards, letters, photographs, and souvenirs from his time in the military.