Louis Sorrow

Louis Sorrow was born on 5 July 1896 in New York, New York County, New York, to Jack Sorrow (?-?) and an unknown mother. Sorrow had at least one sibling, Minnie (?-?). By the late 1910s, Sorrow had moved to Bridgeport, Fairfield, Connecticut, where he worked as an electrician for Western Electric Company.

He had at least three addresses in Bridgeport pre- and post-War, including 61 Vine Street, 527 State Street, 188 Fairfield Street. No other information is known on his early life, family, and education.

Sorrow was inducted in the U.S. Army on 3 October 1917, initially assigned as a Private to Co. L, 304^th Infantry Regiment, 76^th Division, then assigned to14^th Co., 157^th Depot Brigade, 82^nd Division until 26 December. He was reassigned to Co. B, 307^th Field Signal Battalion, 82^nd Division, and finally, Co. F, 307^th Field Signal Battalion, 82^nd Division. Sorrow was made Private First Class on 22 January 1918, Corporal, 5 February, and finally Sergeant, 15 November.

Cpl Sorrow and the 307^th FS Battalion left Brooklyn, New York aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship Virginian on 19 May 1918. Sorrow listed the below embarkation information on his Connecticut Military Questionnaire,

Sorrow also stated, “First went into action June 18, Toul. Participated in the following engagements, Toul, Marbache, St. Michel, Muese Argonne”.

Cpl Sorrow received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions near Fleville, France on 13-21 October, 1918,

“The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Corporal Louis Sorrow (ASN: 1919060), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company B, 307th Field Signal Battalion, 82d Division, A.E.F., near Fleville, France, October 13 – 21, 1918. After being on duty continuously for 36 hours, on 13 October 1918, Corporal Sorrow volunteered to repair telephone lines which had been cut by shell fire. Under extremely heavy bombardment he worked all night repairing breaks in lines and thereby making possible constant communication with one of the advanced regiments. On 21 October 1918, after one of his helpers had been killed and the other wounded by heavy shell fire, he continued on alone and repaired the telephone lines, displaying unusual bravery and devotion to duty.”

Then-Sgt Sorrow and Co. B left France on 7 May 1919 aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship Martha Washington and arrived in Newport News, Virginia on 19 May. Sgt Sorrow was Honorably Discharged at Camp Upton, New York on 27 May 1919.

It is unknown where Sorrow lived upon his discharge, including whether or not he remained in Connecticut or moved to New York- his next of kin, Minnie Sorrow Lonow, had at least two different addresses on his paperwork, 835 Beck Street and 871 Fox Street. Sorrow married Pearl Levy (1902-1989) either on 17 February 1925 or 14 April 1926 in New York County, New York; they had one child, Joan Gail (1948-2013), who was born in Tarrant, Texas.

In the early 1930s, the couple lived on Tiffany Street in the Bronx with Pearl Levy Sorrow’s father, Morris Levy (1865-?), sister, and brother-in-law, then, 1104 Carroll Street. In the 1940s, the couple lived at 329 W 35^th Street in New York; the 1950s, 4025 Hampton Street, where Sorrow worked for a commercial telephone company.

Little else is known of Sorrow’s adult life, at some point in the 1960s, he and his wife moved to Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, where he died, on 21 August 1969. Sorrow is buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles County, California.