Vonland, George Collection
George O. Vonland, of St. Louis served in Company H, 138th Infantry, 35th Division during World War I. Vonland saw heavy combat and was wounded on September 26, 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Vonland received a commission as a second lieutenant after recovering from his wounds and commanded the 55th Company, 324th Motor Train through the end of the war.
Vonland was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Croix de Guerre for his heroism during a raid at Hilsenfirst in July 1918. Vonland’s collection consists of a detailed journal he kept throughout his time in the military. The journal includes descriptions of a patrol into no man's land in search of a German sniper, trench systems near the lost village of Vauguois in the Argonne, interactions with African American soldiers, the raid at Hilsenfirst, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
