Alexander Silva was a son of John and Marie N. Silva, since deceased, of Faja dos Vimes, San Jorge, Azores, where Alexander was born on the 22d of September, 1888. At the age of seventeen he came to the United States and settled in California. Thereafter he moved to Fallon, Churchill County, Nevada, where he engaged himself in the dairy business. On September 5th, 1917, he entrained for Camp Lewis, Washington, to serve in the army of his adopted country. He was assigned to Company L, 362 Infantry, a now-famous company and regiment of the 91st Division. On the 25th of February, 1918, he was transferred to Company F, 58th Infantry, of the 4th Division. With this division he left for France, May 7th, 1918. The division went at once into reserve in the British area, but, owing to the violent offensive of the Germans on the Aisne, the 4th was withdrawn with the 28th and sent into reserve on the Chateau-Thierrry front. This was during the first few days in June. From that time on the Germans made desperate efforts to break the Allied defensive on the Marne, but were everywhere withheld by our wall-like regiments. Then came the 18th of July when the Allies in their turn assumed the offensive and started the enemy on his last hopeless retreat. For this counter-offensive, the 4th Division was one of our American divisions placed in the line.

One of its brigades, the 7th Infantry Brigade, was brigaded with the II French Corps just south of the Oureq and west of the Neuilly-St.-Front. The rest of the division, including the 8th Infantry Brigade, in which was the 58th Infantry Regiment took their position with the VII French Corps next in line to the southward. On the 18th of July the Allied forces attacked all along the line, closing in on the Marne pocket. The Germans were everywhere overwhelmed and, although resisting fiercely, were driven from their positions in the Marne Valley toward the valley of the Aisne. On the first day of the offensive (July 18, 1918), Private Silva fell fighting on the battlefield. He died at a little place called Gengoulth, and was buried in the American Cemetery No. 593 at Ploisy, Aisne.

The deceased soldier is survived by five brothers and three sisters: John, Manuel, Antonio, Frank, Maria, Elvira, Silvana, and Joseph Silva, all of Ignacio, California.