[1][2] In 1917, Middleton returned to Champaign County, and entered the United States Army Artillery during World War I.

He was honorably discharged in 1919 as a Captain, and moved to Toledo, Ohio, where he joined Brown, Geddes, Schemettau, & Williams.

Too little time remained for a primary nomination or for ballots to be printed, so Faught and his opponents had to run as write-in candidates.

[2] Middleton served the remaining four years of Turner's term, but was defeated for re-election by Democrat James F. Bell in 1954.

When Judge Middleton died March 28, 1975, he was the last surviving member of the Last Man's Club of World War I Veterans of Lucas County.