Charles Melsa of Swisher Killed in Action in France
From Family of Patriots

Charles Melsa is mentioned on the following pages on the GW site:
http://iagenweb.org/greatwar/mispub/SOGW/L-N.htm
photo, bottom row, left: http://iagenweb.org/greatwar/mispub/SOGW/images/330.jpg
http://iagenweb.org/greatwar/cemeteries/Oise-Aisne_Cemetery.htm
and this 'might' be him, but all of the information doesn't quite 'fit' may be another man w/same name:
http://iagenweb.org/greatwar/cemeteries/MP1930-L-Z.htm

[Note: Additional links add by Sharyl Ferrall]

Charles Melsa, a young man who is known to a great many people in Cedar Rapids, is the first from the little town of Swisher to make the supreme sacrifice for the flag of his native land and to right some of the wrongs imposed by the Prussians on the native land of his ancestors. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Melsa of Swisher, received a letter from the war department yesterday announcing that their son was killed in action July 31. The letter was sent in confirmation of a telegram sent by the war department, but which had not been received by his parents up to today.

Private Melsa was a member of Company F, 165th Infantry. He enlisted in the early spring in 1917 at Iowa City, but was not called to the colors until September of the same year when he was sent to Camp Cody, Deming, N.M., for training. He sailed for France June 29 and up to the time of his death his parents had received only one letter from him, which announced that he had arrived safely.

He lived with his parents on a farm two and one-half miles southeast of Swisher, and was 27 years of age. Private Melsa was a member of a family which is doing its full part in the great war. His brother, Frank W. Melsa, is in the navy; another brother, Edward, is a member of Battery E, 49th Artillery, and sailed for France a few days ago. His brother-in-law, Robert F. Sweet, is a lieutenant in the army and is at present an instructor in machine gunnery at Camp Hancock, Augusta, Ga.

Other surviving relatives are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Melsa of Swisher; Lewis and Otto, two younger brothers who are at home; Mrs. Robert F. Sweet of Cedar Rapids and a younger sister, Angeline, who is attending school in this city.

~Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, September 26, 1918