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Herbert A. RUTHENBERG
Corp., 332nd Inf., Machine Gun Company
submitted by his grandson, David Drabold
HERBERT A. RUTHENBERG was born Oct. 31, 1893 to Wilhelm F Ruthenberg and Frances Nolte in Akron, Ohio. He enlisted on 5 Nov 1917, and served in the Machine Gun Company 332 Infantry to Discharge and concluded his service with the rank of Corporal 27 June 1918. He was in the Vittorio-Veneto; Defensive Sector. American Expeditionary Forces 8 June 1918 to 14 Apr 1919. Honorable discharge 5 May 1919.
In 1927, he married Lillian C. Hofer. They had two daughters, Florence (1928-2004) and Marjorie (1930-1986) and lived in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He worked at B F Goodrich as a police Lieutenant. He died 14 Feb. 1953 in Akron.
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Raymond L. SHADE
Pvt., 332nd Inf., Co. "I"
Submitted by Kevin Shade, grandson of Raymond L. Shade
Raymond Leroy Shade's WWI diary 1917-19
Left Columbus April 29th for Camp Sherman arriving same date. Was assigned to Depot Brigade April 29th
Transferred to L. Co. May 6th 332nd Regiment 83thd Division Camp Sherman.
Left Camp Sherman for Camp Merritt May 25th, Arrived at Camp Merritt New Jersey May 26
Left Camp Merritt June 6th 1918.
Went on board Aquitania June 6th laid in port two days and the 8th day of June 1918 left U.S.A. for Liverpool Eng. from New York Harbor, Cunard Dock No. 18. Was escorted out about four hours from above port by 6 submarine destroyers after that was left to the protection of our own 6 inch guns on board on either end of our ship. feed bad.
We again come in submarine waters the 12th day of June mid-ocean, none sighted however but the crew was on guard every minute working in shifts.
On June 13th saw life belts floating in water.
On the night of June 1[4]th ship sailed around in circle waiting for convoys to pick us up and escort us into port. feed worse.
On Friday June 14th caught up with convoys three U.S destroyers who in turn took up their relative position one on either side of the boat and one in front. there was now very little chance of submarine attacks.
On the following day June 15th we arrived in Liverpool Eng. at 5:00 A.M. making the trip in 7 days flat. After unloading marched about half mile to railroad station where we entrained for Southampton Eng. arriving there same date by the England and Northwestern R.R. at 10:00 P.M. and then hiked to rest camp No.1.
On Sunday June 16th had the best meal since arriving in Europe, also first beer.
Austin P. STORY
Capt., 332nd Inf., Co. "I"
Submitted by Elizabeth M. Story, granddaughter of Austin P. Story
We called our grandfather “Faddy”, German for father. Born and raised, with a lifetime spent in Chillicothe, OH, he had not a speck of German heritage. Yet his World War I experience in Italy versus Austria influenced even this part of his life. A member of the 332nd Regiment, years later his black car’s license plate had 332 proudly displayed before AS, initials for Austin Story.
Reading the 50th Anniversary of World War I article he wrote for the Chillicothe Gazette we found his entertaining reminiscences of this most influential part of his life. A few of its facts are as follows. Austin trained at Ft. Benjamin Harrison in Indiana to become an officer, eventually captain. He returned to Chillicothe in August 1917, “where his Army adventures began in earnest.” The article talked about the 60,000 men at Camp Sherman, the organization of the infantry, its companies, battalions, and Regiments 331 and 332. Funny training experiences were recounted. Today we can still see Mt. Logan, which had been the location of their rifle range. Soldiers from Camp Sherman went to England, then France where the 332nd was chosen to go to Italy as part of the 31st Italian Division, British Army. Austin also met our grandmother Cordelia through the 332nd. She was the daughter of Col. William Wallace who had led the 332nd troops in their fight at the Piave River against the Austrians.
Often called “A.P.”, Faddy’s wartime patriotism colored his sense of duty and commitment to his hometown community throughout his life. He was part of the start of a paper mill, was charter member and first commander of the American Legion, active in the Elks, Rotary, and Hospital Board. He was a devout Episcopalian.
When the Vietnam War became so controversial in the late 60’s, as a young college student so opposed to it, we had many heated discussions on the subject. He always ended them with “My country, right or wrong, but always my country”.
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Marcell Benjamin THIRY
Pvt., 332nd Inf., Co. "M"
Submitted by grand-nephew Ed Wittkofski
MARCELL BENJAMIN THIRY was born on October 6, 1888 in Marion Township, Hancock County, Ohio to Nicholas and Julie Thiry. Like so many other Americans, Ben signed up for the Selective Service on June 5, 1917. He was 28 years old at the time putting him at the older age bracket of the first registration. When he was called into military service on April 26, 1918, he was working as an axle assembler for the Adam Axle Company. He was a loyal Roman Catholic serving as a Knight of Columbus in Leo Council 957. He entered service from Findlay, Ohio and reported to 30th Company, 8th Training Battalion, 158th Depot Brigade at Camp Sherman in Chillicothe, Ohio.
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William WALLACE
Colonel, 332nd Inf., Commanding
submitted by Elizabeth M. Story, great-granddaughter of William Wallace
ArmyRegister1922 p725 Col Wm Wallace
ArmyRegister1932 p939 Col Wm Wallace
Colonel Wallace was both philosophical and a little nostalgic in the way he concluded his summary of what the 332nd Infantry did and experienced during its assignment in Italy’s Zona di Guerra and along the Adriatic. “Incidents filled full the days, - incidents pathetic, even tragic, some irritating, a few contemptable, yet so very many satisfactory, even humorous, as to light the remembrance of the whole experience with a smile. Of course some errors were made. In prolonged tense action who does not make them occasionally? But none were vital nor that were not quickly remedied. To the open eyed and bright minded the campaign was an experience not to be purchase nor duplicated in a life time. Hard work! At times, - yes,- but none were the worse for it. And fun!- let anyone attend and annual Reunion of the Regiment, listen to the tales in the various Company Orderly Rooms and he will be convinced that no one died of melancholy on that tour of duty.”
Wallace, William. The United State 332nd Infantry's Italian Campaign. ca 1920, typescript, n.p. pp 21-2
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DeWitt YOUNG
Pvt., 332nd Inf., Co. "L"
Submitted by Beverly Goodman (great-grandniece)
DeWitt S. YOUNG was born in 1894 in Lebanon, Ohio, the son of George and Nancy Shaw Young. He entered the Army at Camp Sherman in April 1917 and assigned to Company “M” of the 331st Infantry Regiment, 83rd Division (National Army). Once in France with the AEF and soon after the 332nd Infantry had been chosen for duty in Italy, Private Young was one of the men selected by and transferred to the 332nd Infantry’s Company “L” from the 331st Infantry (the transfers between the two regiments were made in order to have the fittest and most qualified men in the ranks of the 332nd Infantry for its special assignment on the Italian Front). He received his Honorable Discharge from the Army on June 17, 1919 and wore the “Vittorio-Veneto” and “Defensive Sector” clasps on his Victory Medal. In 1926, along with the rest of the men who served in 332nd Infantry on the Italian Front during WWI, he received the Italian War Medal accompanied by the document of the awarding decree by the Italian Minister of War (IL MINISTRO DELLA GUERRA DECRETA).
After the war, DeWitt, lovingly called “DeeDee” by his immediate family, worked at the Raymond Bag Company (a manufacturer of heavy paper bags, such as flour and cement bags) in Middletown, Ohio while living with his parents. Later on, he lived with other family members. He never married nor had any children. DeWitt Young died of respiratory disease in 1973.
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