Henry G. Kerkhoff

World War I

Henry Kerkhoff was born on February 14, 1895 near Templeton. His parents were Frank and Josephine (Stallman) Kerkhoff. Both his parents were German immigrants. His father Frank died in 1916 prior to the US entry into World War I.

Henry grew up on the family farm and was one of a large group of Templeton boys to be inducted into the US Army on July 26, 1918. This group was transported via Camp Dodge to Camp Gordon near Atlanta, GA for training. He was assigned serial number 4006967. In early September, Henry was transported to Camp Merritt, NJ as a part of the “September Automatic Replacement Draft #5.”

This unit consisted of about 240 newly-trained soldiers and they boarded the USS Mercury on September 9, 1918 for transit to Europe. However, for reasons unknown, Henry was one of about 40 individuals who did not board this ship and were returned to Camp Merritt. The USS Mercury was one of the ships that suffered a severe Spanish flu outbreak while enroute. Many soldiers died during the voyage or shortly thereafter including two Templeton boys.

Sometime in September, Henry was moved to Camp Mills on Long Island and assigned to the 150th Infantry Regiment, 38th Infantry Division. This unit was made up of National Guard soldiers primarily from Indiana. This unit boarded the USS Adriatic in New York, NY on October 6, 1918 for their voyage to Europe. The ship arrived in Brest, France in the middle of October and the 38th Division was largely disbanded. Its soldiers and officers were assigned to other units as replacements.

In Henry’s case, he was transferred to Company I (Squad 4) of the 4th Infantry Regiment. At this time, the 4th Infantry Regiment was actively involved in the Meuse-Argonne offensive near Brieulles. The regiment was withdrawn for a rest on October 19, 1918. The regiment then regrouped and was prepared to attack near Metz when the fighting ended November 11, 1918.

US forces transitioned to occupation duties and Henry was a part of Demolition Detachment 1325 of the 4th Infantry Regiment and served in the western sections of Germany. It is likely that the aftermath of the war included dealing with a significant amount of unexploded ordnance and his detachment may have been involved in this activity. Training for this activity may have been conducted during his time at Camp Mills. The regiment’s occupation duties were concluded in August, 1919 and they left Brest, France on August 13, 1919 aboard the USS Kaiserin Augusta Victoria. The ship arrived in Brooklyn, NY on August 22, 1919 and the unit was sent back to Camp Merritt. Henry was discharged from the US Army on August 28, 1919.

Henry returned to Templeton and farming. On September 5, 1922, he married Pauline Sextro. Customs records indicate that he arrived in New York on an Air France flight from Paris on November 20, 1961 suggesting he may have returned to the scene of his wartime experiences. He farmed until 1969 when he and his wife moved into Templeton. He died at the Manilla Manor on May 31, 1978 at age 83. He is buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery.