George O. Vonland: My Days in France

Courtesy of the Missouri History Museum

George O. Vonland lived in St. Louis, Missouri before he enlisted to fight in World War I. Vonland was a sergeant in Company H, 138th Infantry, 35th Division, and kept a detailed journal, later titled My Days in France, of his experiences throughout the war. The diary spans the entirety of Vonland's service and includes vivid descriptions of life in the trenches, patrols in no man's land, and accounts of the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The journal is scheduled to be digitized in the coming year. Read below for more information about Vonland and his distinguished military service.



As part of the 35th Division, Vonland trained through the winter at Camp Doniphan, Oklahoma and left for Europe in the spring of 1918. Once they arrived in France, the 35th Division spent some time in the trenches, were a reserve force in the reduction of the St. Mihiel salient, and fought during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in September and October of 1918.

Vonland kept a detailed diary of his experiences in France. Some of the more interesting parts of his journal include 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.

Vonland was awarded several medals for actions in battle. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism in action during a raid at Hilsenfirst, France in July of 1918. Vonland was also injured during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and spent some time recovering in a base hospital before returning for occupation duty.

Vonland’s citation reads: “Just as a raid was about to be launched, Sergeant Vonland assumed command of a section almost demoralized by being deprived of its only officer, led it to its objective, and protected the left flank of the company. Having accomplished this mission he then assisted the wounded back from the enemy trenches despite heavy machine-gun and shell fire. Sergeant Vonland's instant acceptance of the responsibility and gallant conduct in this action demanded exceptional courage and leadership, and were an inspiration to his comrades.” His full citation can be found online.

Below is Vonland's first hand account of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

George Vonland's 114 page journal is scheduled to be digitized in full in the coming year as part of the Missouri Over There project.

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All images are courtesy of the Missouri History Museum. Please contact the museum for more information regarding this collection.