Van Dyke Buffett, son of Henry Buffett and Cornelia Eldert Van Dyke, was born on 11 April 1892 at Flatlands, New York.^2,1

     Due to a need for men to serve during World War I, the United States instituted a draft. The first registration was for men between the ages of 21 and 31. As a result, this first registration included men born between June 5, 1886 and June 5, 1896. As World War I continued to escalate, the United States instituted a second draft registration. The second registration was for men who had turned 21 since June 5, 1917, so it added men born between June 5, 1896 and June 5, 1897. Two months later, a supplemental registration was held on August 24, 1918 for men who had become 21 years of age since June 5, 1918, adding the names of men who were born between June 5, 1897 and August 24, 1897. With no end in sight for World War I, the United States instituted it's third and final registration. It included all men who were between the ages of 18 and 21, and 31 to 45 years of age. This added younger men than the previous registrations, those who were born between September 12, 1897 and September 12, 1900; and added an older group of men, born between September 12, 1873 and September 12, 1888. Van filled out a draft card for World War I on 5 June 1917 (at age 25), while living at Mill Lane & East 57th Street, Brooklyn, Kings, New York. He was employed as a farmer, working for his brother, Eliphaz and described as height, short and medium build with brown eyes and brown hair..³

     Van married Mabel Louise Smith on 11 February 1922, at Flushing, Queens, New York.

BUFFETT - SMITH
Miss Mabel L. Smith, daughter of Lewis H. Smith of Queensboro Hill, Flushing, was married at home Saturday night to Van Dyke Buffett of Brooklyn, the ceremony being performed by the Rev. Thomas Hanna MacKenzie of the Reformed Dutch Church, Flushing. The bride was attended by her sister, Miss Sarah Smith, as bridesmaid. The bestman was Eliphaz Buffett, a brother of the bridegroom. The ushers were George Miller and Lawrence Bennett.⁴

     The U.S. officially entered World War II on 8 December 1941 following an attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Just about a year before that, in October 1940, President Roosevelt had signed into law the first peacetime selective service draft in U.S. history, due to rising world conflicts. After the U.S. entered WWII a new selective service act required that all men between ages 18 and 65 register for the draft. Between November 1940 and October 1946, over 10 million American men were registered. The Fourth Registration, often referred to as the "old man's registration", was conducted on 27 April 1942 and registered men who born on or between 28 April 1877 and 16 February 1897 - men who were between 45 and 64 years old - and who were not already in the military. Van filled out a draft card for World War II on 25 April 1942 (at age 50), while living at 1136 East 37th Street, Brooklyn, Kings, New York. He was working for the Breeze Corporation, Newark, New Jersey.⁵

     Van died on 13 October 1977, at age 85,⁶ and was buried at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, Kings, New York.⁷

     Charles married Hester G. Storm, daughter of Thomas Storm and Elizabeth Graham.¹

     Adelita married Captian Harry B. Jordan U S Army.¹

     Chester married Eleanor Rellis.²