George J. Wittrock
World War I
George Wittrock was born on November 27, 1894 near Halbur to Claus and Maria (Hausmann) Wittrock. Both his parents were immigrants from Germany who arrived in Carroll County in 1874. Claus Wittrock died in 1907 leaving his wife and 14 children.
George was inducted into the US Army with the large group of Templeton and Carroll County boys on July 26, 1918. He was assigned serial number 4006934. George and this group were sent to Camp Gordon near Atlanta, GA for training. When their training was complete, he was assigned to the “September Automatic Replacement Draft #5” along with several Templeton boys. These troops were to join units in Europe that were in need of replacements.
George and his unit were transported to Camp Merritt, NJ in early September in anticipation of transit to Europe. On September 9, 1918, he boarded the USS Mercury for its fateful journey. This ship experienced numerous cases of Spanish flu while enroute to France. It also dealt with several U-boat sightings. The Spanish flu ultimately claimed the life of a number of soldiers aboard including two Templeton boys.
The USS Mercury arrived at Brest, France on September 21, 1918. George was assigned to Company D, 60th Infantry Regiment of the 5th Infantry Division. This unit had already been involved in three major battles. George would have arrived in time to be involved in the Meuse-Argonne offensive which started in October, 1918. Historians feel this was the 60th Infantry’s finest hour when it captured the French village of Cuncel after repeated failures by other units. One of the 60th Infantry’s officers won the Medal of Honor during this action. Later, the Regiment conducted a daring crossing of the Meuse River resulting in the awarding of another Medal of Honor. This unit appears to have been a favorite of General John “Black Jack” Pershing.
With the German defeat and signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, the 60th Infantry was assigned Occupation duty. George and his unit served in Belgium and Luxembourg before being ordered back to the US. On September 1, 1919, the 60th Infantry sailed from Brest, France aboard the USS Leviathan arriving in Hoboken, NJ only seven days later. The unit was processed through Camp Mills, NY on Long Island. He was discharged and finally arrived in Halbur on October 19, 1919.
He married Bernadine Eischeid on February 10, 1920, and they farmed southwest of Templeton until retiring in 1960 and moving to Manning. George died on September 14, 1975, at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, CO near the home of one of his daughters. He was age 80.