Born the son of Daniel Blackburn & Frances Willis "Fannie" Tubbs Payne described on his WWI draft registration card as "medium height, medium build with blue eyes and red hair, is not bald". Listed on death records as from "Ackron" in Alabama {correct spelling is Akron, Hale County}. Served in the US Army in WWI. Cause of death listed as "DD" (died of disease). Sylvester never married.

American Battle Monuments Commission lists his burial place as:

Plot A, Row 30, Grave 6 at Oise-Aisne American Cemetery near Fere-en-Tardenois, France.

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Note: Though his draft registration lists middle initial as "H" and thus his interment records (taken from military record) is "H", his name was Joseph Sylvester ( "S" ) Payne.

On a few records his name is listed as Joseph H Payne. This originated from his draft registration where the initial "S" looks like an "H" but when you look at the signature line at the bottom of the card where Sylvester signed his name the " S" is very clearly an "S". Sadly, many documents picked up the erroneous transcription.

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When Joseph Sylvester Payne was born on March 25, 1896, in Perry, Alabama, his father, Daniel, was 32 and his mother, Frances, was 31. He had eight brothers and five sisters. He died on October 10, 1918, at the age of 22 of "lobar pneumonia" according to American Battlefield Commission burial records. He was bound for France aboard ship as part of the September Troop replacement and died aboard ship according to family lore. However, according to burial records, he died and was buried the same day, 10 October 1918, in the American Cemetery in Saint Nazaire, plot 604, Plot B, Square 3. (See picture of Burial Registry Card - front.) Note also that his family was apparently notified Jan 3 1919.

On 19 September 1922, he was re-buried at the present location in the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery about 70 miles outside Paris. Location of grave is "Grave 6, Row 35, Block A". (See back side of Removal Project Information card). Note also that the family was not notified until April 7 1924.

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Summer 2015:

97 years later! What an awesome organization--- Purple Hearts Reunited INC. Zach Fikes found me through Uncle Sylvester Payne's memorial on Find a Grave. It's great to know that social media can be used to share!

(Zach) On e-bay he found the French Governments version of the Lady of Columbia certificate for Sylvester. He paid $40 for it from Alexandria, VA.

The translation on the certificate reads:

To the memory of Sylvester S. Payne

United States of America

Died for Freedom

During the Great War

Tribute of France

NOTE: The Lady of Columbia certificate is the early equivalent of the Purple Heart. This one was issued by France in memory of a fallen soldier.

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