Stories of Service

You can search for the name or unit and you will get a list of the stories that contain them.

Dick W. Bakker

Submitted by: D. Kent Decker {nephew}

Dick W Bakker

Dick W Bakker born around 1896. Dick Bakker served in World War 1 with the United States Army . The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

Private First Class Dick W. Bakker, Company E, 308th Infantry. In just four months, Dick Bakker went from managing a grain elevator in Renville, Minnesota, to deadly battle in the Argonne Forest as part of the Lost Battalion.

He wrote thirty-two descriptive and heart wrenching letters home that are woven into The Journey: An American Soldier in World War I. The letters provide a unique insight into life in the training camps and along the train routes as America rushed troops and equipment to the Western Front.

The Journey, an American Soldier in World War 1, commemorates Dick's service amidst the turmoil that gripped the country during that hurried summer of 1918. The story includes heart-breaking letters from Dick’s mother as the Bakker family struggled to cope with the tragedy of war .

Maurice C Laven

Submitted by: Robert Laven {Great Nephew}

Maurice Laven image

Maurice C Laven born around 1897. Maurice Laven served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

Drafted in December 1917. Assigned to 13th Infantry Brigade part of 7th Infantry. Served in 20th Machine Gun Battalion.

Arrived in France in Summer 1918 and moved to rear area part of first Army !V Corps September 1918. In line when Second Army was created in October 1918 and participated in engagement at Preny Ridge (Lorraine) November 9-11 1918 as part of Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

November 12 to January 9 engaged in enforcement of Armistice terms.

Final pay Voucher indicates he was mustered out June 27th 1919 at Camp Dodge Iowa

John Joseph Buhr

Submitted by: Timothy A. Kensinger {grand nephew}

John Buhr image

John Joseph Buhr born around 1891. John Buhr served in World War 1 with the United States Army The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

John Joseph Buhr (Joseph, Antone M., John Peter)
b. 14 April, 1891 Stacyville, Iowa
d. 20 July, 1918 Belleau, Aisne Picardie, France. Aisne-Marne Cemetery Plot B Row 4 grave 24
m, never married

Joseph enlisted in Wyoming in 1917 and was sent to France in 1918 where he was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division, Company M, 23rd Infantry Regiment. The 2nd infantry Division was founded in 1917 as part of the 8th Army.

Several days before the Germans launched their abortive Champagne-Marne drive, the French high command had made plans for a general converging offensive against the Marne salient. Petain issued orders on 12 July for the attack to begin on the 18th, with five French armies – the Tenth, Sixth, Ninth, Fifth, and Fourth, placed around the salient from left to right – taking part. Spearheading the attack were the five divisions of the French XX Corps (Tenth Army), including the American 1st and 2d Divisions.

Joseph Prephan

Submitted by: Jeffrey Prephan Great Grandson

Joseph Prephan mug

Joseph Prephan born around May 15, 1893. Joseph Prephan served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

At the age of 19 or 20 years old, Joseph immigrated to the United States from Syria around 1912 or 1913 and settled down in Toledo, Ohio working as a merchant selling candy and produce on street corners.

On June 4, 1917 he was drafted into the US Army’s 147th Infantry, Company B, 37th Division (“Buckeye Division”); based out of Camp Lee, Virginia during WW1. While stationed as a soldier at Camp Lee, he was naturalized as a US Citizen on May 9, 1918.

Shortly afterwards on June 22, 1918, he left from Newport News, Virginia on the ship “Pocahontas” bound for France and the war front. While in France, he fought at St. Mihiel; Ypres-Lys; and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

Walter Clarence Henning

Submitted by: Debbie Reveles {Granddaughter}

Walter Clarence Henning mug

Walter Clarence Henning born around 1899. Walter Henning served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

Walter was the oldest of 6 children born to Julius and Martha Henning. He enlisted in the Army 4 months after his 18th birthday. His basic training was at Camp MacArthur in Waco, Texas. He was a Private 1st Class In Headquarters Company 128th Infantry of the 32nd Division.

He arrived in France in March of 1918. He was in the Aisne Marne offensive, the Oise-Aisne offensive, the Meuse-Argonne offensive and the Army of Occupation. He was gassed 3 months before Armistice.

One year after he discharged from the Army he married Lillian Kapok. He never spoke about his service except to tell his granddaughter that he never had any desire to see Europe. And he never went on a boat, even a simple row boat on a lake.

Samuel J. Condren

Submitted by: Lt. Col Debra Conley {granddaughter}

Samuel Condren image

Samuel J. Condren born around 1891, Samuel Condren served in World War 1 with the the United States Army . The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

Purple Heart Recipient

Francisco P Lucero

Submitted by: Paul Moreno {Great Grandson}

Francisco Lucero image

Francisco P Lucero born around 1880. Francisco Lucero served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1917.

Story of Service

Francisco Lucero of San Miguel New Mexico was a Captain in World War 1.

He was shot by a wooden bullet overseas and died later on due to complications form that wound.

Morris Henry Stadler

Submitted by: James P. Axtell {Grand nephew of his spouse}

Morris Stadler image

Morris Henry Stadler born around 1896. Morris Stadler served in World War 1 with the United States Army . The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

Morris Henry Stadler and Irene Derse

Morris Henry Stadler was born in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin 26 March 1896. He married Irene Genevieve Derse in Racine, Wisconsin 27 May 1925. My grand Aunt Irene Derse is one of the five sisters of my grandfather, Alexander Anthony Derse.

He was the son of Morris Christopher Stadler and Rosa Schantik. Morris and Rosa married in 1893 in Milwaukee. The elder Morris, a teamster, was born in Manitowoc, Wisconsin 3 Jan 1871 and died in Milwaukee 19 Aug 1904. Rosa, a native of Germany, died in Wauwatosa 8 April 1905. Both parents died of tuberculosis-type diseases, and their children were forced into orphanages.
Morris had an older sister, Alma, and a younger brother, William. (A brother, Edward, died at age two months in 1895.) After their mother’s death, Morris and William were placed in a Wauwatosa boys’ home.

At his June 1917 draft registration, Morris was living in Lake Forest, Illinois and worked as a brakeman on the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee (CNSM) Railroad. CNSM was an interurban railway operating between the south side of Chicago and downtown Milwaukee. It began service in 1895 in Waukegan, Illinois and extended gradually. Samuel Insull, organizer of Commonwealth Edison, purchased the line in 1916 and it was a financial success. After World War II, ridership fell off, and it ceased operations in 1963.

James F. Munley Jr.

Submitted by: Peg Munley {niece}

James_F_Munley_Jr.

James F. Munley, Jr. was born around 1895. James Munley served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

James F. Munley, from 229 Brooklyn St., Carbondale, PA, was born 1895, entered the service of the Army, October 13, 1917, and trained for overseas service during WWI as a member of the 79th Division, A.E.F., 311th Machine Gun Batttalion, with the rank of Wagoner. He was assigned to the Headquarters Company, led by Major Stephen G. Henry and Major Charles H. May.

James left Hoboken, NJ, July 8, 1918 aboard the Leviathan, landing at Brest, France, July 15, 1918. His battalion trained at Occey, Haute-Marne until September 9, 1918 when they moved toward Montfaucon and joined battle September 26-30 as part of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, capturing Montfaucon. The 79th continued battle right up to the armistice on November 11. They remained on the battlefront with such duties as police, patrol, and guarding property.

By January, the division assembled in the Souilly area and in the last days of March, moved to the area northeast of Chaumont around Andelot and Rimaucourt. Here the division was reviewed by General Pershing on April 12, who presented distinguished service crosses, and decorated the regimental colors. The 79th Division selected as its emblem the ancient symbol of victory, the Lorraine Cross. Movement toward Nantes and St. Nazaire began April 19.

Ray Keegan

Submitted by: Rev. Lin McGee {Grand Niece}

Ray Keegan image

Ray Keegan born around April 9, 1895, Ray Keegan served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1917 and the service was completed in 1918.

Story of Service

Ray Keegan was born in Mikado, Mi, on April 9, 1895. He lived in New Hartford, CT, with his family when he was a child. He was living in Harrisville, MI, when he went to Flint on June 5, 1917 to join the Army to fight in the first World War. He was sent to Ft. McArthur in Waco, TX, for his mi training – and then off to Hoboken, NJ, to leave the United States for combat in France on the Army Transport Service # 51 on February 9, 1918.

Private Ray Keegan was serving with the 125th Infantry Regiment, Company F, 32 Infantry Division = Red Arrow when he was KIA on July 31, 1918 fighting in The Battle of Château-Thierry which was part of the Second Battle of the Marne. He was 23 years of age at the time of his death. He is buried at the Oise-Asine American Cemetery – Burial Plot B, Row 18, Grave 10 – in Fere-en-Tardenois, France. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

John Simon Hilgenhold

Submitted by: John Levi Hilgenhold {Great-Grandson}

John Simon Hilgenhold image

John Simon Hilgenhold was born in 1892. John Hilgenhold served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The enlistment was in 1918 and the service was completed in 1919.

Story of Service

My great-grandfather, John Simon Hilgenhold, was born on March 24, 1892 in a rural community, known as St. Marks, in Perry County Indiana. The grandson of Dutch-German immigrants, he was the seventh of eleven children. As a young man he completed his education after the eighth grade, as was customary for the time, and worked on the family farm with his father and three brothers.

John registered for the draft on June 5, 1917 at the age of 25. Just under a year later, on May 28, 1918 he was drafted into service of the U.S. National Army and reported to Camp Zachary Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky along with forty-eight other Perry County men. One of whom, Carl Goelzer, would eventually become his brother-in-law. He trained as an infantryman with the 44th Company, 11th Battalion, 159th Depot Brigade and completed basic training on June 16th.

He was then transferred to Company M, 153rd Infantry Regiment, 39th National Guard Division that was stationed at Camp Beauregard near Alexandria, Louisiana. This influx of new recruits brought the division up to full strength and they set sail from Newport News, Virginia a little over a month later on August 6th aboard the S.S. Kursk, a converted British troop transport. Upon arrival in Brest, France, the 153rd traveled to the St. Florent region, southwest of Bourges, until it was dismantled and its personnel sent to replace battlefield losses in existing combat divisions.