Wooster's Doughboys
Charles Lepold, military historian at the Wayne County Historican Society, discusses the 146th Regiment's engagements on the Western Front during WWI.
This Wooster Daily Republican describes the emotional scene as families waved farewell to the first contingent of Wayne County soldiers departing for the war.
Company D, led by Captain Redick, parades down High Street in Columbus
Portrait of Captain Redick, visible are his American Distinguished Service Cross, French Croix de Geurre, and French Legion of Honor Medal.
Captain Redick won the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism at the capture of Montfaucon. He was wounded in the battle, but remained at the front to command his men.
Portrait of Colonel Frank Gerlach, commander of the 146th and 145th Regiments, and Wooster’s most celebrated military officer.
This Wooster Daily Republican article announced Company D’s involvement in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
A crowd gathered at the Wooster railway depot on the morning of August 15, 1917. As the first company of Wooster soldiers departed for the war, the townspeople shouted their farewells. President Wilson had called on the 8th Regiment of the Ohio National Guard, which included the Wooster volunteers of Company D, to serve in the American Expeditionary Forces in France. They were led by Major Frank C. Gerlach and Captain Marcus R. Limb. Gerlach, who would later be promoted to Colonel and preside over the 145th Ohio Regiment, became Wooster’s most celebrated WWI officer. A year after their departure from Wooster, Company D, commanded by Captain Fred Redick, participated in one of the final drives to end the war – the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.1
Company D became the pride of Wooster. Each week, Wooster families eagerly waited for news of “the boys” from Company D in the local paper. The Wooster Daily Republican painted a romantic picture of Company D’s heroism on the front, and frequently printed letters that the men of the Company wrote home. These news stories fueled the town’s enthusiasm for homefront efforts, from buying Liberty Bonds to planting war gardens.
Click HERE to read a selection of letters that Wayne County soldiers wrote home during WWI.