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 Their
divisional citation sums up the achievements
of the Rainbows:
Fresh
from the battlefront before Chalons,
you were thrown against the picked
troops of Germany. For eight consecutive
days you attacked skillfully prepared
positions. You captured great stores
of arms and ammunitions. You forced
the crossings of the Ourcq. You
took Hill No. 212, Sergy, Meurcy,
Germe and Seringes by assault. You
drove the enemy, including an Imperial
Guard Division before you for a
depth of 15 kilometers. When your
infantry was relieved it was in
full pursuit of the retreating Germans
and your artillery continued to
progress and support another American
division in the advance of the Vesle.
For your
services in Lorraine, your division was formally commended in General
Orders by the French Army Corps under which you served. For your services
in Champagne, your assembled officers received thanks and commendation
from General Gouraud himself. For your services on the Ourcq, your division
was officially complimented in a letter from the Commanding General,
First Army Corps, of July 28, 1918. To your success, all ranks and all
services have contributed.
Cooke
tells of the horrendous conditions
under which medics attempted to treat
the wounded casualties.
There were 48 medics to serve a regiment of nearly 4,000 soldiers...issued
white arm bands with red crosses...serial number filed with Red Cross
of Geneva... trenches were narrow and twisted...mud up to their knees...
Near the trenches was an aid station where the wounded received their
first treatment. Walking wounded were usually sent to a dressing station
about a mile to the rear.
[One doctor wrote home} "Shrapnel wounds are queer things.
When you see the men undressed, you would think that they had been hit
by a charge from a shotgun. Just small holes here and there, but you
see they have great powers of penetration, and go way down deep and
are apt to carry lots of clothing and gas forming bacillus. You have
to cut way down deep and open them wide taking out all of the damaged
tissue."
Shrapnel and gas took a daily
toll of the troops in the trenches...[One
victim of mustard gas] was blinded
and his knees were badly burned
by the deadly vapor; [he described]
"The pain in my eyes and head
had grown intolerable... The water
flowed in such a stream down my
cheeks that I began to fear that
my eyes themselves were running
out." Sightless, he was led
back to the dressing station, where
the painful process of healing began...
[The doctors sometimes] had to wear
a gas mask while cutting on wounded
soldiers whose clothes and skin
were permeated with gas fumes.
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As
part of the Aisne-Marne offensive,
that took place from July 15 to August
3, Joseph received very serious gunshot
wounds. His sister Luella remembered
that he was also gassed. Joseph was
brought to Base Hospital 3 on the
third of August where his leg was
amputated at the knee.We have two
letters that were written to Joseph
during his time in the hospital. One
is from Fred J. Youngerman, a former
coworker at Kuhn Brothers Foundry,
and one is from his sister Rose. We
have one letter that Joseph wrote
home that was printed in the Dayton
Daily News on Saturday, August 25,
1918. It is written to his mother.
The
newspaper headline was DAYTON
SOLDIER IN FRANCE HAS LEG AMPUTATED.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lorenz, living on Rural Route No. 13, received
word Saturday from their son, Joseph, who is a member of Co. C, A.P.O.,
with the armies in France, to the effect that he had suffered the amputation
of one of his legs as the result of an injury. He said that he had also
been shot in his side.
Mr. and Mrs. Lorenz have another son, Anthony Lorenz, engaged in
his country's service. He has not yet sailed, but is expected to go
overseas within the near future. Lieutenant William A. Bertsch, a son-in-law
of Mr. and Mrs. Lorenz, is also in France. He was wounded several months
ago, but has fully recovered from his wounds, it is said.
The letter written by young Lorenz to his mother is as follows:
Base Haspital No.3, France Dear Mother, Well,
I had bad luck. About a week ago, I got hit in the leg and had to have
it taken off. I also was shot in my side, but I am getting along fine
now. By the time you get this, I will be able to get up and hop around
a little
I hope you folks don't take this accident very serously, as I
will be all right in a short time. With love and kisses,
Joseph Lorenz, Co. C, A.P.O., 715
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Joseph
Lorenz
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Ministerol,
France
This
is the first resting place
for Joseph Francis Lorenz.
It was possibly the first
snapshot taken, as the cross
has not been placed yet.
At a later time the bodies
of all the American soldiers
buried here were moved to
Suresnes
American Cemetery near
Paris.
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Joseph
Lorenz died in Base Hospital
3 on November 21, 1918, ten
days after the armistice was
signed. A letter written to
his mother arrived shortly
after his death. It was written
by Mrs. Agatha Wexler who
was the hospital visitor appointed
by the Red Cross. This letter
as well as Joseph's picture
[shown on the right].
The
headline stated: WRITES LETTER
TO MOTHER OF SOLDIER BURIED
IN FRANCE
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Mrs. Rosa Lorenz, R.F.D. No.13, Dayton, whose son, Private
Joseph Lorenz, 150th Machine Gun battalion, was recently reported
as having died in France, is in receipt of the following letter
from Mrs. Agatha Wexler, home communication bureau of the American
Red Cross:
My Dear Mrs. Lorenz: By this time you have been notified
by the are department of the death of your son, Joseph, on November
21, at 7 o'clock in the morning. I am the hospital visitor appointed
by the American Red Cross, at this place (Base Hospital No.3),
and Joseph and I were the best of friends; I visited with him
each day, and dearly loved the brave lad. I am sure you will
be relieved to know, Mrs. Lorenz, that he never thought he would
die, and believed to the very last that he would get back home.
He was brought here
with very serious gunshot
wounds on August 3, and
everything possible was
done to save him, but it
was hopeless and he passed
away without suffering.
Everybody loved him, doctors,
nurses and patients, and
I want you to know that
he had every care that even
you could have wished for.
He was buried with full military honors in the military
cemetery at Ministerol, and his grave number 167 has been properly
registered by the Graves Registration Bureau of the Army. Please
believe in my deep sympathy and if there is anything I can do
for you, I hope you will let me know.
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An
AWARD OF COMPENSATION
from the Treasury
Department, Bureau of War
Risk Insurance, dated "This
26th day of September, 1919"
notifies "the dependent
mother of Joseph Lorenz,
1/c, Co.G, 150th M.G.Bn.
who died Nov. 21, 1918 as
a result of disease
received in he line of duty
in the military service
of the United States...awarded
compensation in the amount
of fifteen dollars per month
from the 22 day of November,
1918."
We
do not know how long Joseph
was sick or what disease
resulted in his death. The
term "disease",
stated here, caused speculation
from family members as to
the real cause of Joseph's
death. His sister Josephine
stated that he "probably
died of Spanish
flu." Joseph's
Army records are not available
to fill in some of the blanks
in his story; on July 12,
1973 there was a massive
fire in the St. Louis Repository
and almost fifty year of
military records (including
his) were totally destroyed.
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