John S. Kasperbauer

World War I

John Kasperbauer was born on a farm near Templeton on March 28, 1896, to Frank X. and Franziska Kasperbauer, both German immigrants. The family had moved to the Templeton area in the early 1890’s. Some of John’s older siblings had been born in Germany.

John was inducted into the US Army on May 13, 1918, a few months before his older brother Sylvester. He was assigned serial number 490158. He was assigned to the 34th Infantry Regiment, a unit that had been formed at Camp Baker near El Paso, TX in late 1917. The regiment had been conducting border patrol activities as well as training missions. The 34th Regiment became part of the 7th Infantry Division in early 1918. By the summer of 1918, the 7th Division (including the 34th Regiment) had assembled at Camp Wheeler, GA in anticipation of moving to Europe.

On August 18, 1918, John was a part of Company B, 34th Infantry Regiment and boarded the “America” in Hoboken, NJ for transit across the Atlantic. By the end of August, they had landed at Brest, France. During September and early October, the regiment conducted final training near Ancy-le-Franc. The unit was put into the line and came under German shell fire. Later, at St. Mihiel, they experienced a chemical attack. It was during this time that John’s brother Sylvester died at Brest from the effects of the Spanish flu.

In October, John and his unit were part of the forces that moved toward Preny near the Moselle River and drove the German forces out of that area. They then moved to the Puvenelle sector in Lorraine where they were involved in various actions with opposing forces.

In early November, the 7th Division began preparing for an assault on the Hindenburg Line. Reconnaissance was conducted but the attack itself never happened as hostilities ended on November 11, 1918. At the end of the war, the 7th Division including the 34th Regiment had been on the front lines for 33 days.

John and his unit served on occupation duties in Germany as it prepared to return to the United States. On June 9, 1919, the 34th Regiment boarded the “New Amsterdam” in Brest, France for the trip home. They arrived in Hoboken, NJ on June 19, 1919, and were processed through Camp Merritt. He returned to Camp Dodge, IA and was discharged on June 27, 1919. He arrived back in Templeton on June 28 and resumed farming with his father one-half mile south of Templeton.

On January 10, 1928, John married Clara Balk in Willey. In March of 1928 they moved to a farm north of Manning. They resided there until John’s death on November 26, 1976 at age 80. He is buried in the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Manning, Iowa.