Comments on: Guest Post: “Died in the Service of Their Fatherland”: Latter-day Saints in Germany, World War I — part 1

By: Amy T

Amy T — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:02:00 +0000

Thanks for bringing up the topic of the Iron Cross, Steve.

I was surprised at my reaction to it for a couple of reasons: first, that I had a name for it in some dusty recess of my brain, and second, that I identified it as an enemy symbol. As you know, the Iron Cross actually had a swastika on it during the Second World War, but that was only a few years of its long history, and I agree that the Iron Cross itself is not a symbol of anything sinister.

Although they may have been firing at my great grandfather and others, I do not find it inappropriate to honor the memory of these men as patriotic Germans and dutiful members of the Church. They found themselves on the wrong side of history, but they did their duty to their country.

Wilhelm Kessler, formerly a missionary and editor of Der Stern as well as a recipient of the Iron Cross, wrote to President Valentine before his death:

Before I leave as a German soldier, I want to say good-bye to you….I want to thank you for your fatherly guidance….I hope that I might not hurt you in any way and please don’t argue with yourself that I did wrong in joining the German Army. Consider my patriotism.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 02:08:49 +0000

This isn't the first time that the iron cross has appeared at Keepa. It decorated the invitation to the German National Day of Mourning in 2009. Also, Charles Henry Wilcken was wearing his iron cross when he left the American army and crossed over to the Mormon lines during the Utah War of 1857-58. (Don't let the title of that post bother you -- it wasn't meant to demean either Wilcken or Romney, but to mock the national press and its breathless discovery of 19th century Mormon polygamy -- quelle horreur!)

By: Steve C.

Steve C. — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 01:47:22 +0000

One other comment on this post–I don’t equate the German Iron Cross with a swastika. The Iron Cross was a military symbol dating back to the Prussian era and is still currently used by the German military as a designation (aircraft markings, for example). The swastika was a Nazi party symbol and is specific to the party (It should be noted that swastikas have been used as symbols in other contexts for thousands of years). So the use of the Iron Cross in honoring fallen soldiers in Der Stern is, imo, simply a matter of being patriotic.

By: Steve C.

Steve C. — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 01:40:36 +0000

Mark B.: That was my thinking on the Verdun bit. Given how little the lines actually changed anyway, I imagine that Jakob Bauer died somewhere close by.

By: Amy T

Amy T — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 01:00:38 +0000

I’ve also looked up a few of them. The answer so far is “yes and no.” Some of the work was done as early as 1917, much of it was done in the 1920s and 1970s, and someone in Salt Lake City tied up a few loose ends in 1996. At least two of the men (that I’ve seen so far) have not been sealed to their parents, and much of the genealogical data in New Family Search is incomplete.

Interesting about Jacob Bauer. I wonder if his dates were incorrect, or if the note about Verdun was, or if he died at or somewhere near Verdun, but not during the battle.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:27:28 +0000

Though the “Battle of Verdun” is considered to have begun in February 1916 and to have ended in December of that year, the French and German lines remained close to Verdun, and there were continuing casualties–from the regular artillery barrages or from small arms fire (when soldiers left their trenches). Thus it’s all too likely that additional thousands of men died at Verdun after the “Battle” ended.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:15:32 +0000

I haven’t checked them all (yet) but I did see this morning that the work has been done for at least some of them. I’ll finish checking and report back, if no one beats me to the punch first.

By: Coffinberry

Coffinberry — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:03:08 +0000

Has the temple work been done for these Saints?

By: Steve C.

Steve C. — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 22:29:26 +0000

The Battle of Verdun was one of the greatest and costliest battles not only of World War I but of all recorded wars. Looking at the date that Jakob Bauer died (September 1917) that would have been nearly a year after the tragic battle ended.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:48:24 +0000

You are probably our elder statesman, Curt, and the only one who might have a direct memory of that. I knew that we did just call it “The World War” or “The Great War” but don’t have any personal memory there. Oh, those were the days, before we had to start numbering our world-wide wars …