Earl N. Neu

World War I

Earl Neu was born in Templeton on January 2, 1894, to Peter and Cecilia (known as Mollie) (Jackley) Neu. Peter Neu was born in Luxembourg and came to America in 1868. He was married in Illinois and the couple came to Carroll County in 1880. He would become vice-president of Farmers Savings Bank in Templeton, was president of the school board and had extensive land holdings. He died in 1910.

Earl Neu received his early education in Templeton and attended a business school in Sac City, IA. When he registered for the military draft in June, 1917, he was an employee of First National Bank in Lake City, IA. Earl was inducted into the US Army on July 26, 1918, with a large number of Carroll County boys. Iowa records indicate he entered the service from Templeton. He was assigned serial number 4005582.

This group of soldiers was taken via Camp Dodge, near Des Moines, to Camp Gordon, GA near Atlanta. There they received basic training. His unit was the August Autormatic Replacement Draft #27. They were prepared to be assigned to units needing replacements when they arrived in Europe. Earl and his unit were then transported to New York harbor for transit across the Atlantic. On September 1, 1918, they boarded the “Belcig” in New York. They arrived in France by mid-September.

Once in France, Earl was assigned to the Headquarters Company, 163rd Infantry Regiment of the 41st Infantry Division. That unit never saw combat and its troops were again transferred. Earl joined Company C, 28th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red One). Earl arrived in October to participate in the final offensive of the war, the Meuse-Argonne. During that action, the 1st Division advanced seven kilometers and defeated eight German divisions. After a short relief, they advanced on the city of Sedan and were in position to capture the city when the Armistice was declared.

After the fighting ceased, Earl and his unit marched through Luxembourg and were the first unit to cross the Rhine River in Germany. They then took up positions east of Koblenz for security duty. By August, 1919, the 28th Infantry had moved back to Brest, France and Earl had been promoted to Private First Class. On August 22, 1919, they boarded the “Orizaba” for return to the US. They arrived in New York on August 30, 1919, and participated in the 1st Division parade in New York City on September 10 and the parade in Washington, DC on September 17. The troops were then transported to Camp Zachary, KY. Earl was discharged on September 24, 1919.

Earl returned to a career in business in Carroll. He owned and operated one of the first moving picture theatres in Carroll (called The Earle), was involved in real estate development as well as the City Club. On October 16, 1928, he was married in Carroll to Harriet Allen. He died in Carroll on November 17, 1980, at age 86. He was buried in Carroll City Cemetery.