In memory to all those who didn't come home!
Posted on 05/30/2022 5:10:15 AM PDT by Sasparilla
Private John Klopfenstein was our family member killed by German fire in France in WWI. Born April 15, 1896 in Indiana. He was employed at the Brass Foundry in Sturgis, Michigan where he entered the US Army on 9/19/1917. He was sent to Camp Custer, Michigan & was assigned to Company D, 328th Machine Gun Battalion & transferred to Camp Merritt New Jersey.
He was subsequently sent overseas to Company C, 18th Infantry, 1st Division, "The Big Red One." John was killed while serving his country after being wounded on 09/13/1918, passing away 09/18/1918.
He was laid to rest at the The St. Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial, located at the west edge of Thiacourt (Muethe-et Moselle) along with 4,152 brothers in arms lost at the Battle of St. Mihiel, an offensive that resulted in the reduction of the St. Mihiel salient, a point where the German Army threatened Paris.
He was later moved back home to the family section in Huser Cemetery, near Berne, Indiana. It's been 104 years. Your family will never forget you.
Thank you for letting us honor his sacrifice
It is a day to do so
May his soul rest in peace!
There’s a memorial to these men at a place called Cantigny in Wheaton, IL. It was founded by Colonel Robert R McCormick and was the site of his estate until his death.
The First Army Division Museum is on the grounds along with a statue memorializing The Big Red One and their service during WWI. It’s called The Lion of Cantigny.
It’s worth a visit.
https://www.legion.org/memorials/249871/lion-cantigny
L
IMO that sums up our Armed Forces from this nation's founding to this very moment!
Wow - bad luck.
The war ended less than two months later.
Machine gun battalion - most likely hit by artillery or gas in a trench.
65% of soldiers in World War One died by artillery.
In several major offensives, the initial artillery blast and shell explosions were so powerful they could be heard and felt in London.
Thank you for this.
Eddie Grant was a NY Giants baseball player and a Harvard educated lawyer. He joined up for WWI was killed in action in France Oct 5, 1918 about 5 weeks before 11/11. If you see old pictures of the Polo Grounds in NY you can see his memorial in center field.
When the Giants moved to San Francisco they left the memorial behind. The Giants never won the series until they placed a memorial plaque to Grant at their new stadium in 2006, they won the World Series 4 years later (three times 2010, 2012, 2014).
I went to gradeschool in Springfield Mo with a John Klopfenstein but that was in the 70s.
Wow some of those are not all young guys there are a few 30 somethings in there.
Basically,the more a guy talks to people...other than fellow vets...about their experiences in the Armed Forces the less danger he experienced,the less ugliness he witnessed.
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