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| James E. Rieger, Courtesy of the National WWI Museum |
This summer, project staff visited Kirksville, Missouri, where they learned the story of
James E. Rieger - the Missouri soldier whose valor in France during the First World War was commended with a Distinguished Service Cross, a Purple Heart, Croix de Guerre, a piece of Reims Cathedral, a German howitzer, and an armory named in his honor.
James E. Rieger was born in Peoria, Illinois in 1874 to German immigrant parents. In 1880, Rieger's family moved to Kirksville, Missouri. Rieger graduated from Truman State University and went on to earn a law degree from the University of Missouri in 1897. In 1898 he returned to Kirksville where he established a law practice. Throughout his life he held several notable Adair County positions, such as Prosecuting Attorney, City Clerk, deacon of the First Baptist Church, chairman of the county Democratic committee, and vice-president of the school board. However, he is remembered most for the deeds that earned him the nickname "the Hero of the Argonne."
After establishing his law practice in Kirksville, Rieger's enthusiasm for military service led to him joining the Missouri National Guard. He was soon Captain of the local Company and spent his evenings drilling nights at the armory and around the public square. Despite having to sometimes pay militia expenses from their own pockets, Rieger's Company C was credited with being one of the most efficient commands in the state. When friends confronted him about spending too much time with the militia, Rieger's reply was "I'll study law all right, but I've got to be ready for war...there's sure to be a war in every generation - it always happens. And we're going to get ours some day." In 1916 war did come, and Rieger aptly commanded Company C of the 4th Regiment in pursuit of Pancho Villa on the Mexican Border.
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| James E. Rieger. Courtesy of the National WWI Museum |
After the United States' entry into World War I, Rieger rose to command the 2nd Battalion, 139th Infantry Regiment of the 35th Division. During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Rieger's valor earned him his iconic nickname. General Orders No. 83 states: "The Division Commander takes great
pleasure in citing General Orders the following named officers and
Enlisted men for gallantry in action during the six days' battle from
September 26 to October 1st, 1918. Major James E. Rieger, Commanding the
Second Battalion, 139th Infantry. Ascertaining that the attacking
battalion of the -- Infantry was temporarily checked in the advance,
immediately collected about eighty men and pushed forward two or three
hundred meters in advance of said battalion, there by driving a wedge in
the defensive fortifications of the enemy (September 26th.) Personally
led the two leading companies of his battalion in an attack on
Charpentry, which attack resulted in the capture of that town and the
taking of many prisoners, machine guns and material of different kinds
(September 27th.) Personally led a detachment of mixed elements in an
attack on Exermont, assisted in the capture of that town and pushed
beyond said town several hundred meters, until told to retire
(September 29th.) Took charge of re-organization of the right half of
our defensive line, after the withdrawal, and prevented the withdrawal
beyond the defensive line as chosen. (September 29th.)"
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| Rieger's German Howitzer, captured at Charpentry |
Rieger's Distinguished Service Cross citation goes into further detail about his actions in France: "General Orders No. 59, W.D., 1919. The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to James E. Rieger, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Charpentry, France, September 27, 1918. Lieutenant Colonel Rieger commanded the battalion which had, with conspicuous gallantry, captured Vauquois Hill and the Bois-de-Rosignel, and which was later held up for some hours in front of Charpentry by severe artillery and machine-gun fire. He placed himself in front of all his men, and thus starting them forward led them to the attack with such speed and dash that a large number of the enemy were cut off and captured."
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| Courtesy of Museum of Missouri Military History |
Rieger wrote home that "Company C did heroic service and should be remembered. Nothing too much can be said of our old home town company and its gallant officers...They were all there, there in the thick of it, and did their full duty as soldiers." Rieger's soldiers and fellow officers likewise spoke highly of him: "Unexcelled in soldierly qualities, admired and respected by his fellow officers and loved by the men with whom he fought, this officer has set a high example of leadership." Upon his return from France, Rieger was encouraged to run for Governor of Missouri, but he preferred the quiet life of a small-town lawyer. However, he was appointed by the adjutant general to reorganize the Missouri National Guard. Additionally, in 1938, he served on the Missouri Monument Commission and traveled to France to inspect grave sites of fallen Missouri soldiers. Rieger died on July 30, 1951 and is buried in Kirksville. He left behind a wife and four children.
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Stained glass from Reims Cathedral
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Kirksville has several remaining relics of Rieger's service. In 1938, an armory was constructed in Kirksville and was named Rieger Armory in his honor. While overseas Rieger obtained pieces of stained glass from the nearly-destroyed
Reims Cathedral. These were shipped to Kirksville and fashioned into a window
for the First Baptist Church. Underneath the stained glass is a plaque that reads "This window is installed in memory of Col JE Rieger, 1868-1951. Long time member and leader of the First Baptist Church. The glass from the great window of the Rheims Cathedral near Verdun, and the wood for the window frame, taken from the trenches of World War I were brought to Kirksville by Col Rieger following his distinguished service in the war."
The War Department granted Rieger a German howitzer that had been
captured by the 35th Division during battle near Charpentry, France.
Today, the howitzer resides in Kirksville alongside a memorial to
servicemen and women from Adair County. Rieger's name is listed under WWI veterans. His two sons followed in his military footsteps, and are listed as Korean War and WWII veterans.
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| Monument to Adair County Servicemen |
Bibliography and recommendations for further research
The Evening Missourian. (Columbia, Mo.),
24 June 1919. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
The Evening Missourian. (Columbia, Mo.),
12 May 1919. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
Home of Heroes. 2013.
"Full Text Citations for Award of The Distinguished Service Cross." Web.
James E. Rieger Photographs. National World War I Museum, Kansas City, MO.
Kenamore, Clair. 1920.
The Story of the 139th Infantry. Guard Publishing Company.
Kirksville Daily Express. James E. Rieger Obituary. (Kirksville, Mo.), 31 July 1951.
Missouri Monument Commission Report, 1938. Museum of Missouri Military History, Jefferson City, MO.
Stevens, Walter. 1921.
Centennial History of Missouri. S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., St. Louis, MO.
Wikipedia contributors. 21 Jun. 2013.
"James E. Rieger." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Web.
Williams, Scott K. 2001.
"Noted Missourians of the First World War." Web.
