Pvt Ellis A. Lupton
21st Field Artillery Regiment
5th Div, US Army
March 15, 1892 - Sept 21, 1918
Private Ellis A. Lupton was born in Cimarron on March 15, 1892. He died in France on September 21, 1918. He was in the Cimarron High School Class of 1912. Although you can find a headstone for Pvt Lupton in the Cimarron Cemetery, he was buried in France.
Ellis A. Lupton military registration card indicates: he was born in Cimarron, Kansas; he worked as a farmer before joining the United States Army; and he was married and had one child.
Private Lupton served with the 21st Field Artillery Regiment, part of the U.S. Army during World War I, Field artillery units like his were crucial to the American Expeditionary Forces, especially during major offensives in France. These units provided heavy artillery support using guns and howitzers to suppress enemy positions and assist in advancing the front line.
The 21st Field Artillery saw action during key operations on the Western Front. Although specific details of Pvt Lupton’s individual actions may not be extensively documented, his unit was involved in engagements that were part of the final offensives in the war.
His final resting place is the St. Mihiel American Cemetery in France, a cemetery dedicated to American soldiers who fell during World War I. This detail links his sacrifice to the historic St. Mihiel offensive, a significant American-led operation during the war.
A Brief History of the US Army, 21st Field Artillery, in WW I
The 21st Field Artillery was activated as the nation prepared for WW I, becoming an integral part of the artillery formations that modernized battlefield tactics with improved communications and rapid-fire techniques.
In France, the unit engaged in several key operations. By delivering precise, coordinated artillery barrages, it helped to soften enemy positions ahead of infantry advances. These efforts were part of a broader evolution in artillery tactics that proved crucial in breaking entrenched lines and shaping modern field artillery doctrine.
The experiences of the 21st Field Artillery during World War I not only contributed to the immediate war effort but also informed later developments in artillery strategy and technology. Its performance set a precedent for the effective integration of artillery support in combined arms operations.
On September 21, 1918, the 21st Field Artillery’s main role was to support the American infantry by providing precise, pre‐registered artillery fire on German positions. In the days following the intense St. Mihiel offensive (September 12–15, 1918), the unit was busy repositioning its guns, calibrating target coordinates, and preparing its fire missions to interdict enemy counterattacks and help shape the battlefield for the forthcoming operations in the Meuse–Argonne region.