William N. Bruggeman
World War I
William Bruggeman was born on February 28, 1892 at St. Mary’s, Iowa. His parents were Herman and Amelia (Roth) Bruggeman. His mother was a German immigrant. The family moved to the Templeton area in 1900. William attended school in Templeton and worked in farming until the family moved to the Larchwood area in far northwestern Iowa in 1917. William registered for the military draft in 1917 in Lyon County.
William was inducted into the US Army on July 23, 1918, and, although he was inducted from Lyon County, state records indicate his home was Templeton. He was assigned serial number 4000189. He was initially sent to Camp Gordon near Atlanta, GA for training by the 157th Depot Brigade. After completion, he was sent to Camp Devens, MA and became part of Company B, 301st Infantry Regiment of the 76th Infantry Division. Records have not been found to document his transit to Europe but it is likely he and his unit sailed across the Atlantic sometime in September, 1918. Records indicate he remained with the 301st Infantry until October 26, 1918, when he was transferred to Detachment Company G, 328th Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Infantry Division.
When William joined this unit, they were involved in fighting near the town of Sommerance. On November 1 and 2, they moved into Camp de Bouzon near Varennes and then onto a French camp near Sainte-Menehould. On November 4, the regiment moved back onto the front lines but maintained a defensive position. As the war ended on November 11, they were moving to new positions near Dijon.
Prior to William’s transfer to Detachment Company G, the unit had been involved in one of the signature actions of the war. On October 8, 1918, Detachment Company G attempted to infiltrate German lines when nine of the seventeen soldiers were hit by German fire. Corporal Alvin York individually attacked the machine gun position killing over a dozen German soldiers and capturing 132 more. For this action, he received the Medal of Honor.
By February, 1919, the 328th Infantry was moving to western France to prepare for the trip back to the US. William and his unit set sail for home from Bordeaux on May 10, 1919, aboard the USS Ohioan. The manifest includes both William and Alvin York (now a Sergeant). They arrived in Hoboken, NJ on May 22, 1919, to much fanfare including an on-board press conference for Sergeant York. William was discharged on May 29, 1919.
He returned to Larchwood and to farming. On February 10, 1920, he married Catherine Roeman in Larchwood. The couple was engaged in farming until retiring and moving into Larchwood in 1962. William died on December 15, 1983, in Larchwood at age 91. He was buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Larchwood.