2nd Lieutenant Harold Hopkins Neff was born October 8, 1891 in Harrisonburg, Virginia, to Doctor John Henry Neff (a physician) and his wife Brownie Morrison.  After graduating from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville he studied at the universities of Berlin, Marburg and Caen in Europe.  When the United States entered World War I in April 1917 Harold was a lawyer practicing in New York City.  He enlisted in the Army and was assigned as a Private First Class to the United States Army Ambulance Service (USAAS).  The USAAS was established to provide medical services to the French, British and Italian armies, with each section composed of 45 men and 20 Ford ambulances.  Howard sailed to France with USAAS Section 516 in December 1917 to join the American Expeditionary Force (AEF).  He participated in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel (September 12-15, 1918) and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (September 26 - November 11, 1918), earning a Purple Heart for being gassed on October 2.  Following the November 11 armistice Harold was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Tank Corps, tanks being one of the new military technologies pioneered during the war.  One of the Tank Corps officers Harold may have encountered was Captain George S. Patton, Jr., who would go on to much greater fame during World War II.  Following his March 1919 return to the United States Harold was discharged from the Army.  Over the next 30 years he practiced law, joined the faculty of the University of Virginia’s Law School and worked for several government agencies.  During World War II he served in senior positions within the War Department and was recognized with an Exceptional Civilian Services Award in 1946.  Harold met his first wife in France during World War I and his son Philippe Neff (born 1922) followed him into government service as a lawyer after graduating from Georgetown University.  Harold died in Washington, D.C., April 15, 1971 and now rests in Section F of Culpeper National Cemetery.

This is a photo of ambulance drivers in training.

This a photo of Harold H. Neff in the 1920s.

This a photo of FT17 light tanks in France in 1918.

Culpeper National Cemetery

2nd Lieutenant Harold Hopkins Neff was born October 8, 1891 in Harrisonburg, Virginia, to Doctor John Henry Neff (a physician) and his wife Brownie Morrison.  After graduating from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville he studied at the universities of Berlin, Marburg and Caen in Europe.  When the United States entered World War I in April 1917 Harold was a lawyer practicing in New York City.  He enlisted in the Army and was assigned as a Private First Class to the United States Army Ambulance Service (USAAS).  The USAAS was established to provide medical services to the French, British and Italian armies, with each section composed of 45 men and 20 Ford ambulances.  Howard sailed to France with USAAS Section 516 in December 1917 to join the American Expeditionary Force (AEF).  He participated in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel (September 12-15, 1918) and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (September 26 - November 11, 1918), earning a Purple Heart for being gassed on October 2.  Following the November 11 armistice Harold was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Tank Corps, tanks being one of the new military technologies pioneered during the war.  One of the Tank Corps officers Harold may have encountered was Captain George S. Patton, Jr., who would go on to much greater fame during World War II.  Following his March 1919 return to the United States Harold was discharged from the Army.  Over the next 30 years he practiced law, joined the faculty of the University of Virginia’s Law School and worked for several government agencies.  During World War II he served in senior positions within the War Department and was recognized with an Exceptional Civilian Services Award in 1946.  Harold met his first wife in France during World War I and his son Philippe Neff (born 1922) followed him into government service as a lawyer after graduating from Georgetown University.  Har.old died in Washington, D.C., April 15, 1971 and now rests in Section F of Culpeper National Cemetery.

HAROLD HOPKINS NEFF

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