Richard Akkerman

Born OJune 8, 1890 to parents Egge Akkerman (1844) and Johanna Aeilts (Jennie (Lutterman)) (1852) Grundy County, Iowa. He joined 10 older siblings and his father supported his family Farm Labor (per 1900 census). The family eventually found their way to the White, South Dakota area where they also engaged in Farming.

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On April 27,1918 he entered the service where he became part of the 89th division for Co. K of the 355th Infantry. While unable to find exact documentation on when he went overseas, documentation was found that he was wounded in the St. Mihiel Salient between September 12th and October 8th of 1918.

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Upon his return to the states, he lived with his parents in the White, SD area and worked as a Farm Laborer. He married Sadie Kor on December 22, 1928 and they lived in White until l1939. They then moved to Brookings, SD until 1941 when they moved to Vancouver, Washington. In 1943, they moved back to Brookings. Richard died on May 11, 1971 and is interred in Fairview Cemetery, White, SD.

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Battle of Saint Mihiel, WWI

The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The U.S. Army Air Service played a significant role in this action.[5][6]

This battle marked the first use of the terms "D-Day" and "H-Hour" by the Americans.

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The attack at the Saint-Mihiel salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the Americans would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was the first large offensive launched mainly by the United States Army in World War I, and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating. This meant that their artillery was out of place and the American attack, coming up against disorganized German forces, proved more successful than expected. The Saint-Mihiel attack established the stature of the U.S. Army in the eyes of the French and British forces, and again demonstrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying such massive armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered as artillery and food supplies were left behind on the muddy roads.[7] The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Supreme Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch ordered the American troops to march towards Sedan and Mézières, which would lead to the Meuse–Argonne offensive.

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_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Saint-Mihiel
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