Montgomery County History Center | Dave McFarland
The fountain in the center of Fountain Square Park is dedicated to the men from Montgomery County who fell in World War I. It might seem strange to say, but it is not a public monument. Rather, it is a private one, built by the families of the men lost in that horrific war. Time seems to have made it somewhat abstract; few will remember the names and faces. Time has taken it toll, but every once in a while, something will ring it back into the present.
A few days ago, Lynn Adams came to the History Center and donated an item that brings the past back to the present. Thanks to Lynn and his late wife, this item has been saved. It is a bronze plaque that hung on the wall of the Thomas D. Murphy Company building in Red Oak. It honors two of Murphy’s employees who gave their all in the First World War.
Pardon the history lesson, but it is relevant and demands repeating.
First is Henry H. Fall, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Fall of Red Oak. Henry was 24 and a press feeder at Murphy’s making $600 a year. He was a member of Company M, 168th Infantry Regiment, 42nd Division, American Expeditionary Force. The 168th was first stationed in the Lorraine Sector of France in March of 1918. It was to be a training period for the new American soldiers. The first few days were quiet, but all knew that would change.
On March 9, Henry was part of a raid on the German trenches. It was a success, but Henry was struck and killed by a machine gun bullet as he returned to American lines. The official record states he is buried in Baccarat Cemetery in France. Actually, he is not. The Americans were under orders to not leave anyone behind. Several of Henry’s comrades picked him up and began carrying him back to the American lines, when they came across a wounded soldier. They put Henry down and proceeded to carry the wounded man back to an aid station. When they went back to retrieve Henry’s body, he was not to be found. Only one glove and his helmet remained. Repeated efforts were made to find his remains, but his whereabouts were to remain a mystery.
The 168th fought through the Lorraine and Champagne and other places not familiar to memory or an Anglo tongue. In July of 1918, it moved across the Marne to a place call Chateau Thierry to help push the Germans out of France.
The terrifying fight was waged through soggy, shell-torn woods, with the Germans slowly giving ground. It became some of the bloodiest fighting seen by the boys from Iowa. It was apparent that it would be a turning point in the war. Soon, a contest formed for a hill called 212; the Americans would win the hill, but at great cost to both sides.
Maurice Stephenson, 22, was there giving a good account of himself. Maurice was born in Red Oak in 1895 and went to work for Murphy’s as a dye stamper, making $500 a year. He became a member of Company M. On July 28, 1918, Maurice’s struggle ended with a machine gun bullet, while attempting to capture the very machine gun that would end his life.
By the end of the battle, 227 Iowa men would be sleeping eternally on the slopes of Hill 212, twice the number lost in any other battle in that war. A French general at the cemetery dedication remarked that, for him, the colors on the American flag grew brighter than ever before.
Dave McFarland is director of the Montgomery County History Center. Contact him at mchsociet@qwestoffice.net