Lieutenant Kirby Pelot Stewart was born in Lake City, Florida, on September 1, 1891. He joined the Florida National Guard, 2nd Infantry, as a private when U.S. troops were ordered to the Mexican border and was later promoted to Sergeant while on duty. After the United States entered World War I, he was appointed to the First Officers Training Camp at Fort McPherson, Georgia, where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army on August 13, 1917, upon completing his training.
He was assigned to the 328th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Division, and sent overseas with his regiment in May 1918. In the last week of June, he was sent to the front and later cited for bravery and recommended for promotion for his gallantry under fire. During the St. Mihiel Offensive, the 328th Infantry went into action. The 2nd Battalion was the first ordered forward. The 3rd Platoon, Company G, led by Lieutenant Stewart, was in the lead and reached their objective in three hours instead of the expected three days.
Lieutenant Stewart was killed on the morning of October 8, 1918, while leading the attack against a German machine-gun nest near Chateau Thierry west of Hill 223. He had been twice wounded in an earlier battle, but volunteered for the mission, pleading with his superior officers that he was best fitted for the task and had no dependents at home. His request was granted due to his past performance under fire. He drew enemy fire without hesitation, allowing his men to reach the objective, which became his finest hour. He died as he threw a hand grenade into the German machine-gun position. Lieutenant Kirby Stewart was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously.
Sargeant Alvin C. York, the most celebrated American hero of World War I, Visited Lieutenant Stewart's Mother in Bradenton, Florida. He praised his courage and let her know that it was Lieutenant Stewart who had made it possible for him to become a hero. Lieutenant Stewart had died advancing upon German soldiers who were the same German soldiers that Sergeant York captured that day in October of 1918.
American Legion Kirby Pelot Stewart Post 24, in Bradenton, Florida, honors his memory and commends his spirit to God who gave it. Let us always be mindful of the fact that our Creator moves in many strange and wondrous ways, for in Him we live, move, and have our being.