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Lawrence Zielinski
armistice and the return home!
| Nov 11, 1918 | At 5:10 a.m. representatives of the German High Command signed the armistice dictated to them by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, officially ending the Great War. |
| Nov 17, 1918 | 32nd Division crossed what had been its front line on Nov 11th, and started the long march towards the Rhine, averaging 20 km per day. The first villages encountered were almost uninhabited. In Marville, a modest ceremony was prepared for the arrival of the Division Commander. The countryside was desolate and shot up by the artillery fire of previous engagements. |
| Nov 18, 1918 | 32nd Division reached Longwy, a sizable manufacturing town in the iron and steel district of Lorraine. The entire population of the town was in attendance for a ceremony welcoming the Americans. |
| Nov 20, 1918 | The march resumed and the division crossed the border into Luxembourg. They marched through the suburbs of the town until reaching it's billeting areas in the vicinity of the Capital. |
| Nov 23, 1918 | 32nd Division reached the German border on the Saar River near Echternach, Luxembourg. There, the movement would halt until December 1st, as required in the terms of the armistice. |
| Dec 1, 1918 | The march resumed with the 32nd Division using 3 bridges to cross into German territory. At first the German citizens were restrained, even fearful, of the Americans. After they learned the Americans would not harm persons or property, they became more affable and did all possible to make the soldiers comfortable. |
| Dec 5, 1918 | As march continued, 32nd billeted for the night in Daun. This was a fairly large city, and it was thought that the attitude of the civilians might be somewhat different from those of the smaller towns. Such was not the case, however, and Daun proved to be well provisioned. |
| Dec 11, 1918 | The long march continued each day until reaching the Rhine at the confluence with the Moselle, opposite the city of Koblenz. |
| Dec 13, 1918 | Friday the 13th! 32nd Division began crossing the Rhine into Germany over Engers Bridge. |
| Dec 14, 1918 | 32nd Division finished crossing the Rhine, and began to occupy its sector of the Koblenz bridgehead. |
| Dec 18, 1918 | Occupation of the Koblenz bridgehead completed. The sector covered a front of 30 km wide by a depth of 20 km. Life in the Koblenz bridgehead was better than most billets the division had "enjoyed" in France. Most of the men had beds to sleep in, and the food was excellent. The hated training continued, however. The troops either were billeted in, or occupied as outposts, 63 towns. Here they would stay for 4 months. |
| Mar 15, 1919 | General Pershing reviewed the 32nd Division near Dierdorf, Germany, and bestowed compliments upon the men. |
| Apr 18, 1919 | 32nd Division started moving back from the Rhine, across France to Brest, on the first leg of the homeward journey. |
| May 1, 1919 | 32nd Division begins the sail across the Atlantic towards home. By May 15th, the entire division was enroute. The troops sailed to New York, where, upon arriving back in the U.S., a great reception was accorded "Les Terribles". Delegations from Wisconsin and Michigan met the incoming steamers in the harbor. From New York, the 121st Field Artillery were transferred to Camp Grant, Illinois. |
| May 17, 1919 | 121st Field Artillery Regiment demobilized at Camp Grant. |
| May 19, 1919 | Lawrence Zielinski honorably discharged from the Army
at Camp Grant. Battles engaged included: Rougemont 2nd June 11 - July
23, 1918; 2nd Battle of the Marne July 21 - August 23, 1918; Soissons
Front August 28 - September 7, 1918; Argonne 2nd September 23 - November
8, 1918. Lawrence was blessed in that he received no wounds during the
war, and was discharged with "excellent" character.
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| Jun 5, 1919 | Red Arrow Day in Wisconsin. The returning Wisconsin warriors were given an enthusiastic formal welcome with parade through the streets of Milwaukee. |
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excerpts from "The 32nd Division in the World War", copyright 1920 by Wisconsin War History Commission
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