Highland soldiers survived gas attacks during World War I
The St. Mihiel offensive was in the plans and many were out scouting and planning the attacks. There were 500,000 U.S. troops combined on Sept. 12, 1918, and this was their first offensive drive — to liberate St. Mihiel, France.
St. Mihiel had been held by the German since 1914. The main attack began at 1 a.m., with two bombardments, which were followed by tank and infantry. The U.S. 2nd Division successfully reached St. Mihiel on the second day of battle. Many of our units contained men from the Highland area.
“It was while on a patrol mission on Oct. 8, 1918, where Pvt. Leroy Iten of Highland met his death fighting in Benny Woods, near St. Mihiel. Iten was later buried at Thiaucourt in the St. Mihiel American Cemetery. (Many others from the Highland area were also at St. Mihiel and will be listed with those brave veterans.)
Edward A. Klaus Jr., the son of Edward Klaus, was drafted April 29, 1918. He had basic training at Camp Lee, Va., and was in battle by Aug. 4 at Baccarat, then Meuse-Argonne, then St. Mihiel on Oct. 7. He was gassed on Oct. 15, 1918 while in action. He recovered and was discharged June 20, 1919. He later married Anna Espenschied of Alhambra, and they lived in Alhambra. (I cut their grass during my freshman and sophomore years of high school — wonderful couple.)
Edward W. Kustermann, son of Ambrose Kustermann, was called in August 1917 and was in battle by April 24. He was wounded on July 22, 1918, while at Chateau Thierry; flying shrapnel severed his right elbow.
Emil A. Landolt, the son of Adolph Landolt, was called to duty on Sept.19, 1917, and by May, he was in France training and in the Verdun sector. In October 1918, he was overcome by mustard gas. By March 24, 1919, he was able to be discharged.
Calvin J. Lee, son of William Lee, while at camp Zachery Taylor, contacted measles, then pneumonia. He died on Jan. 9, 1918. (Information from Pass in Review, a book by Allan C. Huber. More names to follow.)
The “Hello Girls”
“In 1917, Gen. John Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, put an advertisement in newspapers across the United States. It requested female volunteers to serve with the U.S. Signal Corps in France, which at that time, relied on French operators, with most of them having a poor command of English. Pershing added that the women had to be single, in excellent physical condition, be college educated, and able to speak fluent French.
“Some 7,000 applicants came forward, but just 450 were sent for training with the American Telephone and Telegraph Co. (AT&T), then they were taught military signaling procedures. The first 33 telephonists sailed for Europe in spring 1918.
“In service, the women usually answered the telephone with ‘Hello,’ and became widely known as the ‘Hello Girls.’
“Life near the front was very tough, with sometimes 48-hour shifts. Accommodations were often of poor quality. Despite their efforts, after the war, the women were considered to be civilians working for the U. S. Army and were denied veteran status, even though they had been sworn in, wore military uniforms and had to obey Army regulations. It wasn’t until 1978, that a bill was passed, that gave the telephonists veteran’s status and was signed by President Jimmy Carter.” (The Hello Girls, History of World War I by Marshall Cavendish, Page 427.)
By that time, many of the women who had served had already died.
This story was originally published August 25, 2016 at 7:59 AM with the headline "Highland soldiers survived gas attacks during World War I."