Frank A. Uhlenkamp

World War I

Frank Uhlenkamp was born in Worthington, IA on April 1, 1890, to Joseph and Rosa (Bahlmann) Uhlenkamp. His parents were both German immigrants. The family moved to a farm near Templeton when Frank was a small child.

Frank was inducted into the US Army on May 27, 1918, and was assigned serial number 3226503. He was inducted with Ben Willenborg and he and Ben were to spend their time in the military together. He was sent to Camp Dodge near Des Moines for training. He was assigned to Company G, 349th Infantry Regiment of the 88th Infantry Division. This Division had been formed at Camp Dodge and, by August, 1918, was ready for transit to Europe.

Frank and his unit were transported to New York and they boarded the “Olympic” on August 9, 1918 in New York Harbor. They sailed to Southhampton, England landing on August 16. The Regiment continued on to Le Havre, France over the next three days and settled near Semur in the heart of Cote d’Or for additional training. The 349th Infantry was sent to Alsace in far northeastern France by early October even though they still lacked certain equipment. On October 12, the 350th and 351st Regiments went into the trenches while the 349th and 352nd were held in reserve immediately to the rear. That night the Germans attacked and the 88th Division experienced its first casualties.

There was little hostile action for the rest of October and the 349th Regiment went into the trenches on October 29 to relieve the 350th Regiment. Minor skirmishes were repulsed before the 88th Division was moved to the Toul sector. No further hostile actions were encountered by the 349th Regiment. After the Armistice was signed, the Division went to the Gondrecourt area where they provided security services and underwent additional training. When it became apparent that transport back to the US would not be immediate, the Division also organized numerous sporting events and schools for the men.

On May 19, 1919, the 349th Infantry sailed for the US from St. Nazaire, France aboard the “Ryndam.” Frank had been promoted to Private First Class. They arrived in Hoboken, NJ on May 30 and were sent to Camp Merritt, NJ for processing. They were then sent on to Camp Dodge and were part of a large parade in Des Moines upon their arrival. Frank was discharged from Camp Dodge on June 11, 1919.

He returned to farming and, on January 27, 1931, he married Mary Lohaus of Templeton. Frank and Mary farmed near Templeton until moving to Morgan, MN in 1935. Frank died in Sleepy Eye, MN on October 29, 1960 at age 70. He was buried in St. Michael Cemetery in Morgan, MN.