Francis Griffin was born in 1896. After his parents disallowed his enlistment in the Massachusetts National Guard during the Mexican Border Expedition (1916), he eventually enlisted in the US Army in May 1917. Griffin was assigned to the 12th Field Artillery and trained at Fort Meyer, Virginia. He saw combat action at Belleau Wood near Bouresches, France in June 1918. Wounded by a captured German horse, Griffin was briefly evacuated from the front, but rejoined his unit in time for combat at Soissons in July 1918. After the war, Griffin worked at the Government Printing Office in Washington, DC, beginning in 1931 as a bookbinder and retiring in 1958 as a binding superintendent. Griffin later lived in Indianapolis and Mount Vernon, Indiana. He was active in many veteran organizations, serving as Vice President of the 2nd Division Association and Editor for its national newsletter, The Indian Head. Francis Griffin died in 1980 and is buried in Mount Vernon, Indiana.
From the description of [Francis E. Griffin collection]. (Pritzker Military Library). WorldCat record id: 316065697
