Military History
Over time we will attempt to provide a brief history of every person that served in one of our American wars. Here we begin with World War I. If you have details regarding someone that served in your family, we would welcome this information.
The Great War - World War I
JOHN ACHATZ - GOLD STAR SOLDIER
John Achatz was born on January 8, 1881, in Austria. He immigrated with this family to the United States in 1891. He was the oldest of eight children of John (1861-1906) and Johanna Achartz (1862-1941). The family came immediately to St. Paul Minnesota from New York and they settled in New Trier. John became a naturalized citizen in Hastings, Minnesota on June 30, 1902. By 1910, John had enlisted in the US Navy, where he held the rank of Water Tender, a crewman aboard the USS New Hampshire, a stem-powered ship who was responsible for tending to the fires and boilers in the ship's engine room.
He re-enlisted on February 27, 1917, to fight in World War I. He was assigned to the USS Siboney, which was previously a civilian ship that was repurposed as a troopship during the war. According to Wikipedia, the Siboney made 17 transatlantic voyages for the navy carrying troops to and from Europe. During her maiden voyage, her steering gear malfunctioned which resulted in a collision between two other troopships in the convoy. Wikipedia also tells us that on September 4, 1918, the Siboney sailed from New York on her fifth crossing and arrived at Saint-Nazaire nine days later. On September 15, she embarked a number of wounded troops and left Saint-Nazaire the same day, but, due to heavy submarine activity, swung at anchor for several days before her convoy sailed. She arrived in New York on September 29. John Achatz died on the journey, on September 24, 1918, from Acute Gastroenteritis and he is therefore considered a Gold Start soldier. He is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, and he shares a grave marker with his wife Rose Achatz (1875-1930). The couple did not have children.
HERBERT AUGUST EHLERS
At some point, he was transferred to the 7th Company Development, Battalion #2. He also spent about a month in the Base Hospital at camp, most likely due to the Spanish Flu Epidemic. The war ended and he did not go overseas. He was released from Camp Wadsworth on November 14, 1918.
He returned home to help his father on the farm until he married Doris Massing Huntington on April 6, 1922 in Montana, where she lived. They moved to Portland, Oregon by 1930 and lived there for the rest of their lives. Herbert was a home builder in Portland. He died in Vancouver, Washington at age 68. He is buried in the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.
There is a souvenir pillow case from Camp Wadsworth that was donated to the Dakota County Historical Society. The attached card says “Left to Emma Ehlers Staph from her brother Herbert Ehlers from WWI”. DCHS Acc#2345.1
