Bernard Kalkhoff

World War I

Bernard Kalkhoff was born on a farm near Templeton on November 30, 1894 to Louis and Elizabeth (Lohaus) Kalkhoff, both German immigrants. Two brothers, Henry and Louis, also served in World War 1.

When the US joined the fighting in World War 1 in 1917, Bernard was unmarried and he was designated as a group A inductee. He enlisted in the US Army in Carroll on July 26, 1918. He, along with other Carroll County boys, were transported through Camp Dodge near Des Moines to Camp Gordon near Atlanta, Georgia. He was assigned serial number 4006885.

After receiving limited basic training, Bernard was assigned to the “September Automatic Replacement Draft #5” along with at least three other Templeton boys. These troops were to be transferred to other units already in Europe to replace killed or wounded soldiers. Bernard’s unit was then transported to Camp Merritt, New Jersey to prepare for their voyage to Europe. Groups of one to two thousand troops would be marched for an hour from Camp Merritt to the ferry to Hoboken where the ships would be boarded.

Based on a review of ship’s logs, Bernard and his unit boarded the USS Mercury for their transit across the Atlantic Ocean. This ship was a passenger liner that had previously been owned by a German company and called the “Barbarossa.” It was seized by the US government when war was declared. It needed several repairs to fix damage done by its German crew before the seizure. It was refitted as a troop ship and all enlisted men were berthed in third class accommodations.

The ship left Hoboken, NJ on September 9, 1918 in a convoy with destroyer escort. Course changes and evasive maneuvers were made as a result of numerous U-boat sightings. During this time, the Spanish flu pandemic was beginning and it affected many troops that fought in World War 1. The virus found the packed troop ships to be a very fertile environment. Bernard contracted the virus during this voyage. The ship docked at Brest, France on September 21, 1918. Bernard was hospitalized but died of lobar pneumonia on October 4, 1918 at age 24. His brother, Henry, was wounded the next day in France.

Bernard was buried October 8, 1918 in the American cemetery at Lambezellec, France near Brest. He was located in Plot A, Row 2, Grave 30. His body was disinterred and was put aboard the same ship, USS Mercury, at Brest on June 6, 1920. The ship arrived back at Hoboken, New Jersey on June 29, 1920. He then made his last trip to Templeton for burial in Sacred Heart Cemetery.