Buena Vista County, IA
IAGenWeb Project


 

Honor Roll of Buena Vista County
 

Gold Stars

 R–S1

 

 

REDENBAUGH, DANNIE
Storm Lake

Born July 7, 1894.  Enl. July 24, 1918.  Pvt. Co. A, 304th M. P.  Trained:  Camp Gordon; to Camp Merritt.  Sailed from New York August 30, on U. S. S. Plattsburg; landed Brest September 14.  To  Verdun sector October 23 to November 11, shell-shocked and sent to Base Hospital No. 25.  Died at 12:15 p. m. November 11, 1918.  Buried in American Military Cemetery, Allerey-Aone-et-Loire, France.

 

 

SCHAEFFER, HAROLD
Storm Lake

Born September 10, 1896.  Enl. June 30, 1916.  Corp. Co. M. 168th Inf. 42d Div.  Trained:  Cherokee, Iowa; to Mexican border winter of 1916-17 at Brownsville, Texas; at State Fair Grounds; to Camp Mills, September 10, 1917.  Sailed from New York on U. S. S. President Grant October 18; returned to port October 28; sailed again November 14 on Celtic; landed Liverpool.  To Southampton; to Le Havre.  To Rimacourt; to Langres; to Baccarat; into action February 22; cited for bravery March 9, "For penetrating the enemy line and destroying enemy shelter;" to Lorraine front in Luneville sector; to Champagne July 3 to 18; Chateau Thierry July 22.  Killed in action by machine-gun bullet July 31, 1918.  Buried in American Cemetery at Ainveile, after being removed from Sergy.

 

 

SMITH, FRED W.
Nokomis Township

Born October 30, 1893.  Enl. September 20, 1917.  Pvt. Co. H, 26th Inf. 1st Div.  Trained:  Camp Dodge in Co. A, 350th Inf. 88th Div.; to Camp Pike latter part of October; to Camp Merritt.  Sailed June 10; landed Liverpool July 1.  To Le Havre July 4; to Soissons, where he joined the 1st Div. July 19; at Soissons July 19 to 23; in St. Mihiel offensive September 12 to 13; at Verdun front September 21 to 30; to Argonne-Meuse offensive October 1 to 12; to Vavincourt Rest Area October 16 to November 2; to front lines at Romagne until November 5; November 6 in forced march on Sedan.  Killed in action November 6 near Chemery, France.
 

Pvt. Fred W. Smith, who served in Co. H. 26th Infantry and was killed in action in the Mowaz offensive in France on Nov. 6, 1918, has been cited.  His mother, Mrs. Christina Smith, has received the citation from the headquarters of the First Division in which her son was cited for gallantry in action and especially meritorious services  (Alta Advertiser,  April 22, 1920).

 

 

 

SMITH, GILBERT G.
Sioux Rapids

Born April 16, l889.  Enl. June 6, 1917.  Signalman, 1st-cl. Marines.  Trained at Mare Island until August 25; to Naval Station at San Diego until December 21; boarded U. S. S. Cincinnati December 21; did guard duty patrolling coast along Central America until February 8, 1918; through Panama Canal Zone to Bahia, Brazil; patrolled South American coast off Bahia until May 25; to Rio de Janeiro for month's patrol duty; returned to Virgin Islands July 3; to Key West to join American Patrol Detach.; to Charleston October 5; to Tampa, Florida; patrolling coast of Cuba and entered Havana Harbor February, 1919; to New Orleans March 22; transferred from ship to barracks at New Orleans March 23 to July 14, 1919.  Died in the Naval Hosp. at Ft. Lyons November 26. 1919.

 

 

SMITH, PETER
Coon Township

Born October 19, 1887.  Enl. July 24, 1918.  Pvt. Co. G, 313th Inf. 79th Div.  Trained:  Camp Gordon until August 25.  Sailed from Hoboken September 1 on U. S. S. Plattsburg; landed Brest September 12.  To St. Georges September 16 to 30; to Verdun October 28; in Meuse sector, Verdun front offensive November 4 to 9; wounded by high-explosive shell in hip November 9 in Argonne-Meuse offensive.  Died on way to hospital.  Buried in Grave No. 32, Row 90, Frech Cemetery at Glorieux, near Verdun, France.  John Blucker, Captain 313th Inf. Co. G, U. S. A. wrote:  "The taking of Hill 378 is considered one of the hardest that the 79th Div. was in."

 

 

SOMMER, HERBERT
Storm Lake

Born November 10, 1894.  Enl. July 25, 1918.  Pvt. Co. E, 316th Regt. 79th Div.  Trained:  Camp Gordon three weeks; to Camp Merritt.  Landed France September 12.  To St. Georges; to front lines October 20; wounded severely November 9. in Argonne battle.  Died November 10, 1918.  Widow: Mrs. Herbert Sommer, Webb, Iowa.

1Eilers, Tom D.  Buena Vista's Part in the World War.  Storm Lake, 1920, pp. 27-30.

Contributed Anonymously


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