Hoschler, Albert E. 1898-1918

HOSCHLER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 10/16/2011 at 16:44:37

Akron Register-Tribune
March 14, 1918

This community was plunged into a deep sorrow Saturday evening when a
message was received conveying the word that Private Albert E. Hoschler, son
of Mrs. Bertha Hoschler of this city, had been killed in action with the
American forces in France on March 5th, 1918. Akron thus sustains its first
casualty shock of the great European war, and the true nature of the
terrible conflict waging across the sea is brought very close home to our
people. While the blow falls heaviest upon the mother, sisters and brothers
of this gallant soldier boy who gave his life so willingly and freely for
his country and the great cause of world democracy, yet there comes to each
of us a deep sense of personal loss in the knowledge that he will never
return to his home and friends. Definite details as to just how he met his
death are, of course, lacking at this time, but the press dispatches of
Saturday noted a strong German offensive upon the American sector in
Lurraine on the 5th. The German raid was repulsed, but it was given out
that quite a number of American soldiers were killed and wounded. The
casualty list later given out included the names of fifteen Iowa soldiers in
the 168th Infantry.

Albert E. Hoschler, third son of Mrs. Bertha Hoschler, was born near
Genesee, Idaho, July 20, 1898, and came to Akron vicinity with his parents
when he was about nine years of age. For a couple of years previous to his
enlistment, he was emplo9yed in Hitzeman Bros. Barber shop in this city and
became proficient at the trade. On March 29, 1917, Sergeant Bowers and
Corporal Eilers came over from LeMars to interest Akron young men in
enlisting in Co. K, Second Iowa infantry, of LeMars, and Albert Hoschler is
said to have been the first to sign their application here. He, with seven
other Akron men—Lester Stinton, Philip Maxson, Otto Post, Gilbert Mahood,
Carl Barr, Eric NyBlom and Albert E. Lipp—passed the examination and
enlisted in Co. K at LeMars on April 9, 1917. They went there for weekly
drills until the 1st of July, 1917, when Camp Faber was established at
LeMars and the soldiers went into training there. They remained there until
Camp Faber was discontinued and the men separated and sent to different
national cantonments. Private Hoschler was among those who left for Des
Moines on August 20, 1917, where he was assigned to the Third Iowa infantry
and soon went to Camp Mills, Hempstead, N.Y. The Third Iowa was there
consolidated with the 168th United States Infantry, 84th Brigade, 42nd
Division, which became known as the Rainbow Division—the first contingent of
the National army to leave this country and land in France for active war
service.

Private Hoschler was assigned to service in the telephone corps of
headquarters company of the 168th at Camp Mills. He was on the big U. S.
transport that left New York on October 18th and after being out two or
three days wads compelled to return to port because of trouble with the
ship’s machinery, rumored to have been the work of enemy spies. He made the
trip across to France shortly after that time and had since been in the
service of his country there. Private Hoschler was not quite 19 years of
age when he volunteered his services, but the true spirit of patriotism was
developed far beyond his years, and answered his country’s call in time of
greatest need.

Albert Hoschler was a young man of exceptionally fine characteristics and
was universally liked. He was quiet and reserved and his habits were most
exemplary. He was ambitious to make something of himself above the
ordinary. To show his thoughtful and generous nature, it is told of him
that after he enlisted he made it a point to accept all the tobacco
apportioned to him, although he did not use it in any form; but he stored it
away in his effects with the idea of parceling it out to his needy comrades
in the future.

To the grief-stricken mother, four sisters and three brothers, there goes
out the deepest sympathy of the community; yet there comes to all a degree
of consolation in the fact that Akron’s first soldier boy to make the
supreme sacrifice passed out while fighting the good fight for human
liberty, even though he may be one of the hundreds of thousands of uncrowned
heroes of the Great War for Humanity. The memory of Albert E. Hoschler will
ever be enshrined in the hearts of his friends and countrymen, and in
far-off France he realized a worthy boyhood ambition to make something of
himself above the ordinary in this life.

Due honor will be accorded Akron’s first soldier dead in this war, as
announced elsewhere in this issue, by a Requiem High Mass in Memoriam at the
Church of St. Patrick next Monday, March 18, at 10 a.m. By proclamation of
the Mayor and Council, all business places are requested to close from 10
a.m. until noon of that day as a mark of public respect.
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Another Plymouth County boy killed in action in France at the same time was
Private Edward Nash, of Kingsley. Sergeant Walter Porsch, of Fort Dodge,
also on the causality list, was a nephew of Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Stinton, of
this city. Both were members of the 168th Infantry. Corporal Albert E.
Behmer, of Sutherland, Ia., a former Morningside college athlete, was
reported killed in action in France in a later casualty list. He was also a
soldier in the Rainbow Division.