William Rafert joined the army on May 1st, 1886 in St. Louis, Missouri. At the time he listed his occupation as Yard Clerk. He stood 5' 10" tall , with blue eyes and brown hair. He never married, concentrating instead on his duties as a soldier. He spent five years in the Hospital Corps and then was discharged from the Army. Records are incomplete, but it appears he went back to Indianapolis to find work. Six months after his discharge he enlisted once more in the Army, this time in the Artillery serving on Angel Island, California. In 1899 halfway through his third 5 year enlistment he was transferred from the 3rd Artillery to the Casual Detachment, 27th Coast Artillery Corps. William spent the next 15 years with the Coast Artillery Corps, serving primarily at Fort Rosecrans, California. He retired on Christmas day 1914 after serving 28 years in the Army. He served in China as part of the Chinese Relief Expedition and in the Phillipines during he Spanish American War. He spent the remainder of his life in San Diego, California. Per his instructions, his ashes were spread over the ocean.
William Rafert joined the army on May 1st, 1886 in St. Louis, Missouri. At the time he listed his occupation as Yard Clerk. He stood 5' 10" tall , with blue eyes and brown hair. He never married, concentrating instead on his duties as a soldier. He spent five years in the Hospital Corps and then was discharged from the Army. Records are incomplete, but it appears he went back to Indianapolis to find work. Six months after his discharge he enlisted once more in the Army, this time in the Artillery serving on Angel Island, California. In 1899 halfway through his third 5 year enlistment he was transferred from the 3rd Artillery to the Casual Detachment, 27th Coast Artillery Corps. William spent the next 15 years with the Coast Artillery Corps, serving primarily at Fort Rosecrans, California. He retired on Christmas day 1914 after serving 28 years in the Army. He served in China as part of the Chinese Relief Expedition and in the Phillipines during he Spanish American War. He spent the remainder of his life in San Diego, California. Per his instructions, his ashes were spread over the ocean.
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