JAMES HENRY GIBBAR SR. was born on February 14, 1888 near Brewer, Perry County, Missouri, the son of Pius Alfred Gibbar and Mary Ambrosia (nee Kline) Gibbar.​

In 1917, James Henry lived in St. Louis County, Missouri and worked at the Scullin Steel foundry. At the time, he had a wife, Mary Eleanor (nee Belsha) Gibbar, and two children, Jerome James and Harold Pius Logan Gibbar. He was documented as being of medium height, medium build, having brown eyes and light brown hair.

Due to his family obligations, James would have been classified as Class IV - Exempt Due to Extreme Hardship - which included married registrants with dependent spouse and/or dependent children with insufficient family income if drafted.

Although he registered for the draft, James Henry Gibbar did NOT serve in the military during World War I.