Royal "Roy" Thurber

Cpl. Royal Thurber

Royal (Roy) Thurber was a charter member of the Reedsburg Veterans of Foreign Wars, Thurber-Greenwood Post 1916. He is one of the veterans honored by having his name attached to the Post title.

Thurber was inducted into service on June 3, 1916 as a member of Company A, 128^th Infantry of the Wisconsin National Guard. His unit was sent to the Mexican border where they served with General Pershing to chase Pancho Villa along the Texas border and into northern Mexico.

The Wisconsin troops were again activated in 1917 as the U.S. declared war on Germany. After a period of intensive training, the Wisconsin Guardsmen were redesignated as the 128th Infantry, assigned to the 32nd Division and sent to France. In the closing months of the war, the 128th Infantry participated in several major campaigns including Alsace, Aisne-Marne, Oise-Aisne and Meuse-Argonne. For their fury in combat, the nickname "Les Terribles" or "The Terrible Ones" was given to them by the French. As they pierced the famed Hindenburg Line, the 32^nd Infantry Division became known as the "Red Arrow" Division - a name that has remained to the present day and is reflected in the shoulder patch.

Corporal Thurber was wounded in action during the Third Battle of Aisne on August 31, 1918, when a bullet struck his pocket watch which in turn is credited with saving his life. The Third Battle of Aisne was the Spring offensive staged by the Germans in an attempt to capture the Chemin Des Dames Ridge before the American forces completely arrived in France. The Battle began on May 27, 1918 and while the Germans were able to advance to the Marne River by mid summer, the arrival of the American forces put an end to the advancement.

Corporal Thurber convalesced from his wound and finally sailed for home on April 20, 1919 and was discharged on May 6, 1919.

THURBER MURDERED!

Arnold "Ted" Finnegan

Petty Officer 2nd Class Arnold "Ted" Finnegan

Petty Officer 2nd Class Arnold "Ted" Finnegan died from wounds received following action at sea somewhere in the South Pacific during the late summer of 1942. Ted was 24 years old.

His mother, Mrs. Nellie Finnegan had received 2 letters from her son that summer. The first one was date June 18 in which he stated that he was doing well. She received another letter from him that was dated August 17, just a month before she received notice from the War Department, advising her of his death. He was the first known casualty of World War Two from the local area. His name was also added to the name of the VFW Post which is now known as the Fuhrman-Finnegan post. 

Charles P. Fuhrman

Sgt. Charles P. Fuhrman

Sgt. Charles P. Fuhrman died in a base hospital on November 18, 1918 as a result of wounds received during battle on August 30, 1918.

Sgt. Fuhrman was a part of the Second Battle of Marne that began on July 15, 1918 and finished on September 16, 1918. This was considered to be the turning point of the war as the battle became the Allies first victorious offensive of 1918. Sgt. Fuhrman was a member of Company A, 128th Infantry of the 32nd Infantry Division of Wisconsin and Michigan. The 32nd was the first division to pierce the German's Hindenburg Line. The division adopted the Red Arrow shoulder patch with a line through the middle to signify the division's tenacity in crossing through enemy lines, thus becoming known as the Red Arrow Division. The French gave them the nickname Les Terribles in regard for their fortitude in advancing over terrain previous units could not get through.