The First American Officer to die in WW1.
You might not know it, but a Kansan has a major place in World War One history, and his hometown took time to honor him today.
Thanks to a dedication ceremony, this piece of history will always be remembered.
Lieutenant William T. Fitzsimons was the first American officer to die in World War One. The story had been lost over time, but through a little digging, it was finally uncovered.
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The FItzsimons Army Medical Center was renamed after him in 1920 by the U.S. Army. He also has a memorial and fountain in Kansas City, where his family moved during his late childhood.
The health system's Rehabilitation and Wellness Services facility was going through a renovation, and they decided the side of the building would be a perfect place for a mural of Fitzsimons.
"It was high time for Burlington to honor his memory," Campbell said.
Fitzsimons attended the University of Kansas School of Medicine and volunteered with the Army Medical Reserve Corps in Europe before the United States joined the Allies in the war. After the U.S. joined the war, he went back over to France.
He died in 1917 when a bomb struck his field hospital in France.
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