When John Marcus Craig was born on September 23, 1873, in Louisa, Iowa, his father, Samuel, was 39 and his mother, Sarah, was 30. Lieutenant Colonel Craig was widely known among officers in the western department. He enlisted at the time of the Spanish-American war, and went to the Philippines with the late General Funston and the 20th Kansas Infantry. While there he also served with General J. Franklin Bell, making altogether four tours in Philippines service before returning to America.

In 1911 he was assigned to duty at the Presidio, but was there only a short time, leaving for Jefferson Barracks, Mo., where he was adjutant for two years to General Kenly. At various times in his army career he was attached to the personal staffs of General Graves, the new commander, at Camp Fremont, and General Morrison head of the western department that time. He accompanied General Pershing on the Mexican punitive expedition with the 16th Infantry, and went with that regiment to France in the 1st Division. The 16th won the distinction of being the first American troops to reach France.

He was Killed in Action on July 21, 1918, at the age of 44 in Picardie, France and is now buried in San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.ancestry.com, Berkeley Daily Gazette (Berkeley, CA), Monday, August 5, 1918, page 8, column 7.