Harold DeBona’s WWI Duffel Bag
An Eagle Pass soldier packs his duffel bag for Europe
On June 14, 1918, Harold Joseph DeBona (1892–1948) shouldered his duffel bag in New York City and boarded the Olympic for the voyage to Europe.
A native of Eagle Pass, Texas, DeBona had enlisted in the United States Army at the age of 25. At the time, DeBona had been working at the grocery store his family owned in Eagle Pass, but the entry of the United States into WWI changed all that. He set out for San Antonio where he spent one year training at Camp Travis. His denim duffel bag is marked with his military assignment—Company G of the 360th Infantry, 90th Division. DeBona spent nine months in Europe before returning to Texas.
DeBona returned to Europe in 1942 to fight again in WWII. This time he was joined by his son, Harold Rocco DeBona. Father and son both made it home safely to Eagle Pass where Harold Joseph DeBona died of a heart attack in February 1948.
Lender
Courtesy Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M University, College Station
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Clothing and Accessories
Time Period: 1866 - 1936
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