As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of World
War I, it is time to take a moment to remember the soldiers from Erie County
who gave their lives for their country during the war.
Harold Blancke
Harold Blancke was born on January 10th, 1900 in
Perkins Township. He enlisted long before the United States entered the war. He
enlisted in the 6th Ohio, a National Guard unit, on July 7th, 1915.
Once the war started the 6th Ohio was stationed around the state guarding
railroad bridges and railroad yards. Harold was stationed outside of Port
Clinton guarding the New York Central Bridge. On the night of April 15th, when
Harold was relieving another soldier of guard duty, Harold was struck by a
train and killed instantly. He was buried in Oakland Cemetery Sandusky, Ohio on
April 17th. Harold Blancke was the first soldier from Erie County to die during
World War I.
Elmer Reese
Elmer Reese was born in Niles, Ohio on August
12th, 1896. He eventually moved to Sandusky to work for the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad. He enlisted in the Marines on May 19th, 1917 and was assigned to the
6th Regiment, Company A. He was promoted to Corporal on November 30th, 1917. He
was shipped to Europe with his units on February 20th, 1918. During the Battle
of Belleau Wood Elmer was killed in action on June 8th, 1918. He became the
first Erie County soldier killed in combat during the war. His family was
notified of the death on September 20th, 1918. Corporal Reese was originally buried in
France but in 1921 his body was returned to the United States to buried. His
body arrived in Sandusky on September 12th, 1921 with funeral services and
burial in Oakland Cemetery Sandusky, Ohio the next day.
John Risch
John Risch was born in Sandusky, Ohio on October
31st, 1891. John enlisted in the Coastal Artillery on November 21st, 1913
long before the war even started. He was stationed at several forts on the west
coast, but mainly in Washington state. On June 11th, 1918 he was discharged
with a 100% disability due to an illness. After discharged he returned to
Sandusky. In January of 1919 he was admitted to the Sandusky Soldiers' Home and
was discharged on March 1919. John was the first soldier to be admitted to the
Sandusky Soldiers' Home who served in World War I. He died May 12th, 1919 and was buried in Oakland Cemetery Sandusky, Ohio.
Edward Roth
Edward Roth was born in Sandusky, Ohio on May
24th, 1893. He enlisted in the regular army on October 5th, 1917. He was sent
to Camp Sheridan in Alabama and stayed there until his discharge on June 19th,
1918. Edward was discharged with 100% disability due to a chronic illness. After
discharge Edward returned to Sandusky and eventually died in Good Samaritan
Hospital on June 24th, 1919. This marks the last soldier to die from Erie
County whose cause of death was linked to his time in the service during the war.
Edward’s funeral was June 27th, 1919 and was buried in Oakland Cemetery
Sandusky, Ohio.
In total 56 soldiers died in the service of the
country during the war from Erie County. Twenty-three soldiers died due to combat related
injuries. The rest either died from illness (26), accident (3), or cause of
death is unknown (4). Exactly half of these soldiers died during the month of
October in 1918. There is no better way to honor these men than to remember
them. Below is a list of the soldiers who died during their service.
First Name
|
Last Name
|
Date of Death
|
Cause of Death
|
Harold E.
|
Blancke
|
4/14/1917
|
Killed by Train
|
John
|
Knupke
|
5/31/1917
|
Scarlet Fever
|
Harry J.
|
Colvin
|
1/21/1918
|
Pneumonia
|
Elmer A.
|
Reese
|
6/8/1918
|
KIA
|
Lowell C.
|
Hein
|
7/20/1918
|
KIA
|
Millard M.
|
Moore
|
7/28/1918
|
KIA
|
Charles W.
|
Scott
|
7/29/1918
|
Died of Wounds
|
Charles A.
|
McCormick
|
8/11/1918
|
Illness
|
Joe
|
Horvath
|
8/14/1918
|
Died of Wounds
|
John
|
Leaver
|
8/14/1918
|
Died of Wounds
|
Herbert Le Roy
|
Stanton
|
8/16/1918
|
Unknown
|
Rufus R. D.
|
Smith
|
8/30/1918
|
Illness
|
Thomas C.
|
Curtis
|
8/31/1918
|
Died of Wounds
|
Charles J.
|
Reilly
|
9/6/1918
|
KIA
|
J. Ralph
|
Cookson
|
9/18/1918
|
KIA
|
Archie
|
Birch (Burch)
|
9/29/1918
|
Unknown
|
Archie F.
|
Burch
|
9/29/1918
|
KIA
|
Anthony
|
Dantonio
|
9/29/1918
|
KIA
|
Fred
|
Ritz
|
10/3/1918
|
Pneumonia
|
Lee P.
|
Magill
|
10/4/1918
|
Bronchopneumonia
|
James H.
|
White
|
10/4/1918
|
KIA
|
Nelson C.
|
Geise
|
10/5/1918
|
Pneumonia
|
James H. (Hall)
|
Friday
|
10/6/1918
|
Influenza
|
Walter T. (Walter Theodore)
|
Hall
|
10/6/1918
|
Labor Pneumonia
|
Russell E.
|
Miller
|
10/6/1918
|
KIA
|
Edward O.
|
Miller
|
10/6/1918
|
Typhoid Fever
|
Morris J.
|
Platte
|
10/9/1918
|
Spanish Flu
|
Carl A.
|
Salzman
|
10/9/1918
|
Bronchopneumonia
|
George H.
|
Feiszli
|
10/10/1918
|
Died of Wounds
|
Ralph B.
|
Quackenboss
|
10/10/1918
|
Pneumonia
|
Chester P. (J)
|
Herb
|
10/11/1918
|
Pneumonia
|
Joseph
|
Orcutt
|
10/11/1918
|
KIA
|
Clarence A.
|
Popke
|
10/11/1918
|
Tetanus
|
Ralph T.
|
Saunders
|
10/11/1918
|
Unknown
|
Joseph F.
|
Baier
|
10/12/1918
|
Pneumonia
|
Clarence P.
|
Howard
|
10/12/1918
|
Accident Overseas
|
August W.
|
Meyer
|
10/12/1918
|
Influenza
|
John
|
Sattler
|
10/13/1918
|
Influenza
|
Joseph
|
Dewhirst
|
10/14/1918
|
Pneumonia
|
Fred
|
Dale
|
10/18/1918
|
pneumonia
|
Lester C. (Lester Conrad)
|
Kautz
|
10/20/1918
|
Labor Pneumonia
|
Carl A.
|
Link
|
10/21/1918
|
KIA
|
Max
|
Schnittker
|
10/21/1918
|
KIA
|
August H.
|
Speer
|
10/23/1918
|
KIA
|
Robert
|
Adkerson
|
10/27/1918
|
Unknown
|
Austin J.
|
Atwood
|
10/31/1918
|
Accidental Drowning
|
Carl F.
|
Fedderson
|
11/4/1918
|
KIA
|
John A.
|
Michel
|
11/8/1918
|
KIA
|
Emil
|
Strickler
|
11/11/1918
|
Died of Wounds
|
Albert F.
|
Schlett
|
11/21/1918
|
Influenza
|
George A.
|
Scheid
|
12/10/1918
|
Unknown
|
Charles H.
|
Parker
|
12/20/1918
|
Pneumonia
|
Gaius (Gains)
|
McDowell
|
1/19/1919
|
Flu
|
Ernest H.
|
Wankey
|
3/2/1919
|
Died of Wounds
|
John A.
|
Risch
|
5/12/1919
|
Illness
|
Edward Frank (F.)
|
Roth
|
6/24/1919
|
Illness
|
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