Cogbill, William Louis
Title
Cogbill, William Louis
Last Name
Cogbill
First and Middle Name
William Louis
Biographical Text
"Bravery in my opinion, depends principally, if not wholly, on one's physical condition. A desire to do one's duty, coupled up with self control and physical endurance makes a good soldier. Shall fire will, if continued, eventually break the best nervous system."
-William Louis Cogbill
-William Louis Cogbill
Nicknames or Other Names
"Billy"
Hometown
Richmond, Virginia
County and/or State
Henrico
Birth Date
August 28th, 1893
Birthplace
Richmond, VA
Death Date
November 4th, 1943
Cause of Death
Automobile Accident (fractured skull)
Place of Death
Topsail, Pender, North Carolina
Parents
William L Cogbill, Ada Golden
Siblings
Minnie M Cogbill
Spouse(s)
Single
VPI Graduating Class
1916
Undergraduate Major
Mechanical Engineering
Graduated
Yes
Service Branch
Army
Unit
324th Infantry
Rank
Captain
Retired Rank
Captain
Postwar Life
Worked as a mechanical engineer and a salesman.
Additional Notes
William filled out a survey on March 18th, 1921 relaying his experiences from the war. He stated that he "Found it very difficult to think in civilian terms..". He also noted that he was very "nervous and restless at times". He said that he didn't know how to understand how he felt that way, and continued to ask himself why his state of mind was like that after his experiences. This statement can allude to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which was not recognized as a disease until 1980, making this an early account of traumatic caused stress recorded.
Contributing Researchers
Hannah Dunfee, 2020
Files
Collection
Citation
“Cogbill, William Louis,” VPI in World War I, accessed April 24, 2024, http://vpiworldwarone.lib.vt.edu/items/show/13.
Comments (if you have information about a veteran or would like to talk about a veteran, also email the project director Daniel Newcomb at danieln1@vt.edu with your information or question)