The Life of Quiren Groessl

“I must have been in a state of shock from the wound. I didn’t seem to be concerned about bleeding and I realized that I was beyond the aid of our troops which were at least a hundred or more yards behind me.” –Quiren Groessl May 27, 1918

Wisconsin has produced some great Americans throughout its history and some are better known than others. Wisconsin lays claim to architect Frank Lloyd Wright, actors Chris Farley and Willem Defoe, and even controversial individuals such as Robert Lafollette and Joseph McCarthy. Whether it be hero or villain, nearly everyone is familiar with prominent Wisconsinites. However, there are many remarkable people with incredible stories who slip under the radar of the media and small-town gossip. One of these individuals spent his entire life serving Northeast Wisconsin only after serving his country in France during the Great War. This man is Algoma resident Quiren Groessl.

Quiren was born on January 11, 1896 . His family was originally from Germany, as are many of the families in Wisconsin. He grew up in Algoma, just east of Green Bay. One of four brothers, Quiren had responsibilities at home, and school, albeit important, weighed lightly against the day to day tasks required by his family. Quiren was successful in his academics and achieved something rarely seen in turn of the century Wisconsin, an acceptance letter from the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh. He enrolled as a freshman with the desire to study electrical engineering.

He began school at a time when war was raging across Europe. There was much unrest in Washington D.C. as part of the country wanted to maintain neutrality and others wanted to enter the war on our own terms, not as a means of retaliation. Quiren was a great admirer of Floyd Gibbons, who was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. Gibbons published an article after he survived the sinking of the Lusitania which instilled in Quiren to desire to leave school, take up arms, and fight for his country.

On June 29, 1917, twenty one year old Quiren Groessl enlisted in the United States Army. He was assigned to Company F of the 5th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. He spent several weeks between Camp Douglas in Wisconsin and Camp MacArthur in Texas. He trained for the trench warfare to come and endured an intense drilling curriculum designed to imitate the stresses of war as accurately as possible. In February of 1918, Groessl moved to an embarkation camp called Camp Merritt. This camp was along the Hudson River and was greeted by Quiren as a large improvement over the quarters that he had previously inhabited. Camp Merritt had metal beds with mattresses and was housed in wooden barracks. From here, he would be ferried across the submarine infested Atlantic Ocean into a war torn France.

Quiren was boarded on the ship days before the rest of his unit. He and a few other selected soldiers were given the task of becoming familiar with the layout of the ship and it was their responsibility to lead their unit to safety in the event of a submarine attack. He left the United States with the 128th Infantry Regiment and headed to France. He described the sight of the Statue of Liberty fading over the horizon as one of the most sobering moments of his life. Like many other soldiers in the same situation, he wondered if he would ever see it again.

Corporal Quiren Groessl arrived in Brest, France early March of 1918. He and others were greeted with open arms by the appreciative French. They quickly boarded a train and headed near the western front. They began intensive training for weeks and used some of their off time at night to write home, gamble, sit around the campfire and talk of home, or check out the local nightlife. It wasn't until March 11 of 1918 that they received word that their Company would be broken up and they would be re-organized into the 28th Infantry Regiment of the First Division. This was done to replenish the ranks of the 28th Infantry after suffering many losses. This was a bittersweet moment for Quiren because he felt that his unit operated like a well oiled machine due to the intense training they endured, however many of the soldiers in his Company were from the same area and this way there wouldn't be large casualty reports flooding the small-town of Algoma, Wisconsin in the event of a defeat.

Due to this reassignment, Quiren was assigned to Company E, Second Battalion, 28th Infantry regiment. He was welcomed by the other men, much of whom had previous combat experience. His unit was deployed to the Beaumont area near the town of Toul. He was exposed to constant bombardment from German shellfire and it was at this point that he was able to view the horrors of war. He saw dead and wounded Americans being transported back and lived in fear, as many did, day and night. He quickly came to the realization and acceptance that "wars were started by old men, and fought by young men."

When Quiren had some free time, he would learn combat arms techniques from some very patient French instructors. The Americans came to fight with very little, so they relied for much of their weapons on the French. He was exploring a makeshift French workshop and came across a French soldier who was crafting a trench knife. These were common among frontline units, although they were not general issue. The French would make these by taking a standard field knife or bayonet and welding a steel hand guard around the knife and welding small, very sharp, metal studs to the guard, essentially fabricating spiked brass knuckles to the knife. Quiren, as did other American soldiers, bought one of these knives since it seemed like a simple and deadly weapon. He concealed it in his trousers and went back to his unit. This would be the most important purchase of his life.

After some training with French hand grenades and open warfare training, which signaled the end of trench warfare and the assumption of an upcoming offensive, Quiren and his comrades were then to endure a forced march back to the frontline. He became increasingly proficient in telling how far he was from the fighting by measuring the destruction a village endured from artillery attacks. Throughout the entire forced march, the soldiers had outrun the rolling kitchen which traveled behind them. This left them to consume their field rations which were not only unappetizing, but were reserved for emergencies. This also rationed their food, forcing them to skip dinner after a long day of marching. It wasn’t until they reached Raquencourt that the Army cooks finally caught up with them and Quiren and his unit were able to get a hot meal.

On May 27, 1918, Quiren Groessl’s life would be changed forever. His unit was back in the trenches trying to retake Cantigny. Just after first light, the German artillery opened up with a barrage which swept the American lines. Quiren surveyed the battlefield and saw no one. He then looked to his flanks and quickly noticed that all of his comrades were dead. It was then that he was tackled to the ground. A German soldier ripped the rifle from his hands and one of the Germans in charge ordered “Rouse mit em.” Quiren was released from his enemy’s tight hold and he found himself facing the business end of three German bayonets. He was ordered out of the trench and toward the German lines roughly one hundred yards away. It wasn’t until they were halfway there that he could see several German helmets moving back and forth. He hesitated slightly, but was quickly motivated by a bayonet point in the back. Soon after, he felt his warm blood run down his back and quickly made the decision to resist capture.

Before they departed the American lines, Quiren was relieved of any visible weapons, but was not searched. The Germans failed to find the trench knife he had purchased earlier from the French soldier at Beaumont. Thinking fast, he saw a shallow hole formed by shellfire and he pretended to fall into it. This allowed him to lower his arms and since they were so close to German lines, his captors had no reason to suspect anything. At that moment, American artillery screamed overhead. The Germans threw themselves to the ground in an attempt to find cover and before they could return to their feet, Quiren took action. He removed his trench knife from his waistband, spun around, and slashed the throat of one of his captors, killing him instantly. His knife was now lodged into the body of the dead German, so he grabbed the rifle of the dead German and rammed the butt of it into the face of the other German, knocking him to the ground.

Now facing an even match, Quiren made the near fatal mistake of dropping the rifle he had just used instead of using it to take out the remaining German, whom he hated for cutting him with the bayonet. As he spun around, the German came in with a bayonet thrust which should have killed him instantly. However, with the way Quiren was postured, they bayonet missed his vital organs, but he suffered a slash across his neck, shoulders, and spine. With his upper back split wide open and nerves exposed, Quiren fell to the ground in agonizing pain. Barely breathing and paralyzed, he lay there as the German attempts a finishing thrust to kill Quiren for good. At this lifesaving moment, an unknown rifleman from the American lines takes aim and shoots the German soldier dead. Letting out a grunt, he fell right next to Quiren.

He laid there for some time before he started to piece together what had happened to him. He found himself all alone with the important task of returning to his comrades, who didn’t even know he was alive. He spent the rest of the day drifting in and out of consciousness all the while trying to slide his way across the battlefield without the use of his arms. His back and shoulders were throbbing in pain. Pleading to God for help, he continued his path toward the American lines in the utmost silence to keep from alerting the Germans. The leg he had most use of was his right one and by pushing his right foot against the ground he was able to roll himself onto his back and then again onto his stomach. Yard by yard, inch by inch, he moved himself this way until he was just approaching the American lines. The Americans in charge of observation ordered covering fire and his comrades leaped out and quickly pulled the wounded Quiren into the safety of the American trenches.

Medics quickly came to his aid. They used every resource they had to stop the bleeding and get him in good enough shape so he could be moved to a Battalion First Aid Station. He was covered with blankets and quickly evacuated to the rear. Once he arrived at the Aid Station, which was located in the basement of a bombed out church, he was inspected by the doctor and once the doctor noticed how bad of shape he was in, prescribed a cigarette while he waited. They changed his dressing and he was again evacuated. After a brief stop at an American hospital, he was taken to a French field hospital where he would be operated on.

He was only at the hospital for thirty minutes when he was taken into the operating room. After being put under general anesthetic, the French doctors went to work, repairing everything they could with the resources they had. He awoke in the post-op ward surrounded by French soldiers. On May 29th, 1918, he was moved to a French hospital near Beauvaix. Although a French hospital, it was staffed by American doctors and nurses. He was placed in one of the wards so he could be examined and that’s where he heard a soldier screaming to a nurse about getting a shot. It was George Gulligan, a friend of his from Algoma who served in Company F. George asked to be moved next to Quiren since they were old pals from back home. While he was at the hospital, he received special attention from a nurse’s aid name Marjorie Talbot. She was always very kind to him, more so than to the other soldiers. She would sit at his bedside as he would dictate a letter to his family back in Wisconsin.

On June 7th, he was transported to the American Red Cross Hospital #1 at Neuilly, France which was near Paris. He was wheeled into Ward #160. He would soon develop some close friends and fond memories in the ward. Soon after arriving, Quiren experienced another life altering, although less serious event. The head nurse approached him and said, “Where are your medical records, Big Boy?” It was later discovered that the nurse called him Big Boy because she could not pronounce his name. Nevertheless, the other men in the ward found it to be hilarious and from then on, he would be referred to as Big Boy by those closest to him.

On June 25th, Big Boy was met by another soldier from his company. The man approached him and gave him the bayonet which was used to wound him earlier. The soldier had retrieved it from the dead German’s rifle when his unit went on the offensive the next morning to take Cantigny. The soldier explained that he was the one who killed the German and saved Quiren’s life. He was aiming for several seconds, but during the short fight which ensued, the man did not want to accidentally shoot Quiren. A few days later on June 28th, a familiar face entered Ward #160. It was one of Quiren’s biggest idol, Floyd Gibbons. Floyd was not there as a visitor, however, but as a patient. He was an embedded journalist attached to the 5th Marines who charged across the legendary wheat field at the Battle of Belleau Wood. He lost an eye during the fight and was shot through the elbow and shoulder.

Quiren experienced an unfamiliar feeling that day when a small group of women came in to visit the wounded. The group of four ladies purposefully denied Quiren any attention once they viewed on his chart that he was from Wisconsin, or as many called it then, “The Black Eye State.” Wisconsinites were under much suspicion of being German sympathizers since many residents of the state were either German immigrants or descendents from Germans. The event which knocked Wisconsin into a world of ridicule was when Senator Bob LaFollet gave a speech on the floor of Congress which strongly opposed war with Germany and even voted against going to war.

Quiren’s prognosis looked grim and the doctors were brutally honest when they told him that he would never regain the use of his arms again. It wasn’t until the next day that his medical records, which were lost on the train ride over, were found. The American doctors were able to see what operations were done and saw that the French doctor did an excellent job and they told Quiren that although he would be disabled, they were confident he would regain the use of his arms. He entered surgery once last time where his wound was cleaned up and closed. On July 24th, Quiren was told that nothing more could be done at that hospital and he would be shipped out. His friend Floyd Gibbons was sent back home the day before to start a lecture tour and now Quiren had to say goodbye to all of the friends he had made at Ward #160 American Red Cross Hospital #1.

He arrived at Base Hospital #20 for only a brief stint. The doctors decided to send him back to the United States since they needed every bed they had for soldiers who could return to the frontlines. On August 20th, Quiren would board a ship and say goodbye to Europe. He received exceptional quarters on the top deck for the voyage back. The ship zig zaged its way across the Atlantic and during the twelve day trip, there was only one submarine scare.

On September 2nd, Quiren experienced an emotional moment when he saw the Statue of Liberty as they approached American soil. He and the other troops on the ship endured a two week layover on Ellis Island and once any communicable diseases were ruled out, they were escorted to mainland America. Quiren was admitted to Hospital #11 on the Jersey shore at Cape May. He was allowed to be wheeled out onto the beach and watch the ocean for brief periods of time. He would look out over the Atlantic horizon and think about what he had gone through and what might be happening over there right now.

Then on one afternoon of sitting on the beach, he was cautiously approached by a young woman who began to ask him questions about his wound. He answered her and asked why the locals are so afraid to visit the wounded soldiers. Unlike the hospitals over in Europe, the locals in Cape May never came to visit the wounded and show their appreciation. She was surprised to know that the hospital was for wounded veterans, because everyone in Cape May was under the impression that it was for soldiers who contract venereal diseases. It was quickly sorted out with the townspeople and the wounded received regular visits from supportive Americans and Quiren and the young woman named Marion spent many afternoons going out on drives together and spending time with some of her friends. The doctors noticed a steep improvement in Quiren’s health due to the friendship he was receiving.

The color returned to his arm and he began to petition for a trip back to Algoma. His doctor had told him that he won’t be going home so soon and that the Army had other plans for him. He was to join the 4th Liberty Loan Drive; a touring group of veterans who will travel the United States and help promote the sale of war bonds. He was rather upset at this news because now that he was back in America, he wanted nothing more than to return to his family. He gathered up his belongings, said goodbye to Marion and left.

He arrived in Lexington, Kentucky on September 27th. He was to attend a rally in front of several thousand people. He was worried to find out that he would be the one to give a speech. Quite nervous he went to his hotel room to prepare some notes and indulged in a bottle of whiskey. At 7:00 pm he took the stage in front of thousands of patriotic Americans who came to support the military. Words started to spew out of him like the great orators of ancient times. He eventually grew tired and the next day he was greeted by many people who told him that his speech really touched them. The men at the Liberty Loan headquarters loved his speech and wanted him to give the same talk, but shortened down to 45 minutes. He confessed to being drunk while giving his speech and was then told that he spoke for an hour and fifteen minutes. He later explained that it felt like only a few minutes.

Quiren made several stops in every corner of the nation, giving speeches and meeting people along the way. He was never allowed the time he needed to visit his family in Wisconsin. On October 22nd, Quiren went A.W.O.L. (Absent without Leave). He was to report back to Cape May, but instead boarded a train bound for Green Bay, Wisconsin. His trip home grew even more important when he found out that his family received notice that he had been killed in combat. For every second Quiren was away from his family would grow more depressed. Quiren returned home only to be welcomed by a parade and cheering townspeople. He was then able to greet his parents and catch up on everything that had happened while he was gone.

On October 30th, the Liberty Loan Committee, who had heard Quiren was in town, quickly recruited him to help sell war bonds. Many of the townspeople were happy to contribute what little they had for the war effort. It wasn’t until he and the Committee ventured out into the countryside where many of the poorer farmers reside, that Quiren experienced first hand what had been happening on the home front. They approached a farmer in his driveway who happened to be of German heritage and he was introduced to Quiren. The Committee tried to sell the man war bonds, but he had no spare money to give. They quickly turned to threats, saying that his barn would be burned down and he would be run out of the country. Quiren, who you would never call shy, outright condemned the Committee for treating the farmer in that way. He later wrote that he was disgusted by the way Americans were treating their neighbors.

Realizing that he was in much trouble with the Army, Quiren returned to Cape May on November 21st. Armistice had been signed over in Europe while he was visiting family in Algoma. He was ordered to report to his Commanding Officer the next morning. He was screamed at by his C.O., not because he was absent for several weeks, which could have put him in jail, but they were simply worried about him. He had proven to them that he had convalesced enough to be discharged. On January 5th, 1919, Corporal Quiren Groessl received his discharge from the United States Army along with 100% disability and a Silver Star.

Soon after his discharge he wrote a letter to Marjorie, the nurse’s aid from Beauvaix. He thanked her for all of the help that she had given him while he was recovering. He was surprised to get a letter in return so quickly. Marjorie was delighted to hear that he was back in the United States and was doing well. She decided to tell him something that she couldn’t back in France. She was showing him extra special attention because the doctors there were almost positive that he wouldn’t leave the hospital alive. He was shocked because the greatest of his worries back then was the fear of amputation, not death.

Quiren returned home to Algoma that January and picked up life where he left off. He spent the remainder of the school year teaching the Eighth Grade in Algoma. The following September, he decided to go back to school and obtain his degree. He was always very strong in his academics, but this time, he was not the same man who was in school years ago. His physical strength was not like it was and he quickly found the fast paced lifestyle of a college student to be a little overwhelming. Quiren collapsed while at school and would spend the next year and a half in a hospital bed , all the while engaging in rigorous physical therapy.

Quiren spent the next several years in Algoma with his family. He became very active in the American Legion, as most Veterans were, eventually becoming a Life Member. He attended regular meetings and would travel annually to the American Legion Convention, which was hosted at various cities across the country. There he would reunite himself with his old friend, Floyd Gibbons. He and Floyd would write each other often, but would never have the chance to meet and share stories about Ward #160 except at the American Legion Convention.

It was then on September 19th, 1927, approximately ten years since American entered the Great War, Quiren made a trip across the Atlantic to France. The American Legion held its Ninth Annual Convention in Paris. He looked forward to seeing Floyd Gibbons, who was now the Foreign Director for the Chicago Tribune in Paris and Berlin. Quiren was given the chance to meet the French surgeon who saved his life and properly thank him. He was also able to re-visit the field where he was wounded. Quiren was happy that the Convention was being held in Paris of all places because when he was on the troop train and even when he was wounded, he was only taken along the outskirts of Paris, but was never introduced to the city itself.

He, his friends, and younger brother Joe made their rounds visiting cemeteries where fallen American soldiers rested. They would say a silent prayer and pay their respects. Floyd Gibbons was nice enough to provide Quiren with a map and list of the American cemeteries all around France. He spent the remainder of the trip showing those closest to him the places where he had been and telling them stories of his service days.

He had met with villagers who gave him a hero’s welcome once they discovered he was an American who fought for their freedom. They were greeted by all the locals and Quiren made his way to where the front line had been and made a reference that it was still as depressing as it was when he was there. After the Convention, he returned home to Algoma. Prior to his departure he was studying to be a Licensed Pharmacist. He studied through the months of May, June, and July and eventually passed his examination. He purchased the Rexall Drug Store in 1922 and spent four years training along side Ed Nesemann, a Registered Pharmacist. Once he received his credentials as a licensed Pharmacist, he would be able to become more active in the business he owned.

In 1928, he married Estelle Buettner of Kewaunee, Wisconsin. They would go on to have four children, Bill, Peter, Julie, and Jack and eventually eight grandchildren. Quiren and Estelle began their lives together while in Algoma. Quiren spent the next eight years running Rexall Drug Store. It was then in 1936, he decided to assume a new undertaking. He studied and took the exam for the position of Postmaster of Algoma. He took the exam with twelve other applicants and passed with the highest score. He was appointed to the position of Postmaster and he then sold half of his interest in Rexall Drug Store to Ed Nesemann. Quiren would retain the other half until 1960.

Quiren continued work as usual until September 23, 1939 when he received sobering news. His long time friend and idol Floyd Gibbons died of a heart attack. This was especially hard for Quiren to take because it was because of something as common as a heart attack. You see Floyd was not a soldier, yet he endured many of the most horrific experiences anyone can imagine. He was part of the most historic moments of American history such as the sinking of the Lusitania and the Fifth Marines charge across the wheat field near Soisson, France at the Battle of Belleau Wood. He lived through all of these moments in which he could have easily become one of the Americans killed and therefore a statistic, but he survived them all.

In 1948, Quiren received his license to operate an Amateur Radio, or more commonly called a Ham Radio. He would spend hours on end in the basement of his Cleveland Avenue home talking with people from all corners of the world. He had friends from the Army who owned one as well and they used this as a primary means of correspondence. Quiren had even made mention of a time that he was in a conversation with someone living in the South and they had talked for nearly an hour when he realized it was a man from the 128th Infantry, whom he served with in France.

In 1956, Quiren and his family were stricken with grief when they received word that their youngest child, Jack had drowned. He and a friend were on Lake Michigan fishing and their boat capsized. The pain that he and Estelle felt would never go away, but it did strengthen the bond between them and their children whom they already loved dearly. As with many parents in the same situation, Quiren decided the best thing to do would be to simply remain busy. He and his family were regular attendees to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Algoma. Quiren had also volunteered his time as the Grand Knight of the Chairman of Algoma Community Chest. This organization was the predecessor to United Way. Their main function was to collect donations from local businesses and channel it into public works projects.

He sold his remaining share of Rexall Drug Store in 1962 and on December 27th, 1965, Quiren Groessl entered retirement. Leaving his position as Algoma’s Postmaster, he would spend his hours volunteering with many local organizations and many evenings in the basement on his radio. He took on more civil service positions such as being President of the Board of Education. He was also very active in initiating the Algoma Savings and Loan Association. This was a Credit Union of sorts which specialized in savings deposits and mortgage loans. Quiren would remain very active in helping this organization grow until he retired as President in 1978.

Quiren would spend several years on the Board of Directors of the Algoma Memorial Hospital. This was a small government funded hospital which, although limited in its care capacity, could tend to the many needs of the residents of Algoma and the surrounding area. Quiren would leave his seat on the Board once his age progressed and his mobility became difficult. This would be the last service that he would give to his community. Quiren Groessl passed away on Monday August 8th, 1983 at the age of 87 at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay. His wife Estelle would survive him by just over twelve years, passing away on January 20, 1996.

Towards the end of a man’s life, one often asks himself whether or not they have made a difference in the world. They become concerned about the impact they made on their community and the welfare of their family. I don’t believe Quiren Groessl ever had this dilemma. This man remained humble throughout his entire life. Even after becoming wounded in service to his country, owning a successful business, and even raising a family anyone would be proud of, Quiren remained modest in his accomplishments. The idea which can be largely attributed to this is that he never stopped being that young adventurous “Doughboy” in the trenches near Cantigny. He carried his same virtues and work ethic with him throughout his entire life. This was a man who has held many titles; Husband, Father, Corporal, Postmaster, but I feel if you were to speak with him today, he would ask you to just call him Big Boy.

Sources:

Quiren Groessl, Big Boy, in the Library of Congress, http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.00296/pageturner?ID=pm0001001, (accessed March 3, 2008)

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wikewaun/newcemgl-gy.htm

Matt Groessl, e-mail message to author, April 29, 2008

Neville Public Museum Collection. Jacket File 2007.11

Library of Congress. Veteran’s History Project. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.00296/

Press Gazette Article by Rita Schlise, date unknown, Neville Public Museum Collection. Jacket File 2007.11

Quiren Groessl Obituary, date unknown, Neville Public Museum Collection, Jacket File 2007.11