Aaron was also Known As Aharon-Yacov-b-Avraham-Oppenheim. His Veteran's Bureau index card indicates he was born 12/28/1893 while [incorrect] family memories recall 11/28/1886. He was born in December 1893, the son of Abe and brother of Joseph B. and Harold A. J. of Roxbury, Massachusetts. Also, Aaron was employed as a miner in Arizona for two years. Aaron died in World War I, as a sergeant, in Europe on October 21, 1918. He never married. The grave site is unknown for his brother Joseph Benjamin Oppenheim 1889–1970 [BIRTH 01 FEB 1889 DEATH ABT. 1970 • Tucson, Az}. 1900 Census indicates a February 1899 birth date.
Acknowledgment - Michael Belis (Find A Grave ID 48478211) provided the following information:
Aaron left the U.S. to fight in WWI on the U.S.S. Northern Pacific ship, which left Hoboken, New Jersey on May 22, 1918. It should have taken the ship 8-14 days to reach France, most likely landing at Brest. Aaron's name is a little more than halfway down the page, on Line 10 of the passenger list. The page is signed by his Company Commander, Captain Leonard K. Hart, in the bottom right (see https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59574365/leonard-k-hart). Hart would have been Aaron's Commanding Officer from January 8, 1918 until his death after landing in France at the beginning of June.
In the Report of the Commission on Massachusetts' Part in the World War The Gold Star Record Vol 2 1929, the entry indicates Aaron died on October 21, 1918, of wounds he received on October 4, 1918. This was during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The location given is "north of Cuisy." On October 4, the day Aaron was wounded, the 4th Division front lines were about 4-5 miles north of the village of Cuisy, France, only a couple of miles from the Meuse River.
The line in the entry: "Enl. 16 May, 1917, R.A., Btry. E, 5th Field Arty." indicates that Aaron did not wait to be drafted, but instead volunteered for service in the Army, a little over a month after the United States declared war against Germany and the Central Powers. It shows that Aaron enlisted (Enl.) in the Regular Army (R.A.) on May 16, 1917 in Battery E of the 5th Field Artillery.
The entry then indicates he was transferred to Company G, 4th Ammunition Train, 4th Division on January 8, 1918. (At that time the 4th Division was at Camp Greene, North Carolina. The 4th Ammunition Train does not refer to a "railroad train" but instead refers to the trucks or horse drawn wagons of the logistical apparatus that transported ammunition for the Division. The 4th Ammunition Train consisted mostly of horse drawn wagons.
The entry indicates Aaron was assigned the rank/position of Bugler on August 16, 1917 and promoted to the rank of Corporal on October 20, 1917. Both of these occurred while he was with Battery E 5th Field Artillery. He was promoted to Sergeant on April 8, 1918, after he was transferred to the 4th Ammunition Train. He sailed overseas with his unit on May 22, 1918. Of special importance is the copy of the citation for him at the bottom of the entry, indicating he was cited for gallantry in General Orders Number 40 (G.O. No. 40).
The official history of the 4th Division in World War One, published in 1920, states that Aaron was killed in action and died of wounds, of a few units in the Division. An asterisk before a name indicated died of wounds, as opposed to being outright killed in action. The 4th Ammunition Train only had a few soldiers to die as a result of enemy action, Aaron being one of those few.
On the burial card for Aaron, from the Card Register of Burials of Deceased American Soldiers, 1917 – 1922, Record Group 92: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774 - 1985, on the front of the card his cause of death is indicated as DWRIA (Died of Wounds Received In Action). Also indicated on the front of the card is his original burial location. This was in grave number 184, in the temporary American Cemetery Number 84 at Allery, in the Saône-et-Loire Department of France. That location was a good bit south of the area in which he was wounded.
When a soldier died in an Army hospital during the war, he was immediately buried in a cemetery adjacent to the hospital. There was an American hospital complex at Allerey, with six Base Hospitals there, Base Hospitals number 25, 26, 49, 56, 70 and 97. So while it is not possible pinpoint which of the hospitals he died in, it is clear that the hospital he died in was one of those at the complex at Allerey.
In the purple stamp on the front of the card at the bottom, of "Certified Jewish By J.W.B." J.W.B. means Jewish Welfare Board, a service organization which was later incorporated with other organizations into what became the U.S.O.
On the reverse side of the card near the bottom it is indicated that Aaron's remains were reinterred on June 19, 1922 in the permanent cemetery, the St. Mihiel American Cemetery, in Block A, Row 24, Grave 24. This is where he lies in his final rest today.
On Aaron's index card from the 1920's, from the Veterans Bureau (forerunner of the Veterans Administration), his birth date given as December 28, 1893. On that Veterans Bureau card, the numbers on the right are: The top number is his Veterans Bureau file number of C 55 764. The "X" in front of it indicates he is deceased. T 1 046 245 is his War Risk Insurance number. I 60 474 is the claim number for the death benefit payment of his War Risk Insurance, paid to his beneficiary.
Article on Sgt. Aaaron J. Oppenheim
(by Michael Belis, 4th Infantry Division Association - permission granted to include here)
"A 4th (Infantry) Division soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War One.
Aaron Jacob Oppenheim (Aharon-Yacov-b-Avraham-Oppenheim) was born in New York City on December 28, 1893, the son of Abe Oppenheim. At some time after his birth he and his family moved to Roxbury, Massachusetts. Prior to entering military service Aaron was employed for two years as a miner in Arizona.
A little over a month after the United States declared war on Germany and the Central Powers Aaron enlisted in the Regular Army. He entered the Army as a Private on May 16, 1917 in Battery E, 5th Field Artillery. He was assigned the rank/position of Bugler on August 16, 1917. On October 20, 1917 he was promoted to Corporal.
Aaron was transferred to Company G, 4th Ammunition Train, 4th Division at Camp Greene, North Carolina on January 8, 1918. On April 8, 1918 he was promoted to Sergeant. He sailed to France with Company G aboard the troopship U.S.S. Northern Pacific on May 22, 1918. During the voyage his Company Commander, Captain Leland K. Hart contracted pneumonia. Upon the ship's arrival at Brest, France, Captain Hart was admitted to a hospital at Brest, where he soon died.
Aaron and the 4th Ammunition Train moved to Camp de Souge, near Bordeaux, where they trained under French supervision during the month of June. On July 18, 1918 in the Aisne-Marne Offensive they entered combat for the first time. Though Company A and Company C were fully motorized with trucks, the rest of the 4th Ammunition Train was mostly equipped with horse and mule drawn wagons.
Aaron and his Company kept the soldiers of the 4th Division supplied with rifle, machine gun and artillery ammunition, making the journey from the rear area to the front lines over and over, often while under fire from German artillery. Aaron and Company G also served in the Vesle Sector, the Toulon Sector and the St. Mihiel Offensive.
During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, on October 4, 1918 the 4th Division conducted a strong attack from its positions near the Bois de Fays and Bois de Brieulles, and advanced northward toward the Meuse River. The large supply and ammunition dump for the Division was situated a few miles to the south, just north of the village of Cuisy, well within range of the enemy's artillery.
Aaron and his Company were at the dump on October 4, loading up ammunition to take to the front, when the dump came under heavy fire from German artillery. He was cited for gallantry that day, in General Orders number 40. His citation describes what happened:
"While the ration and ammunition dump in the valley north of Cuisy was undergoing an intense bombardment, and every one else was seeking shelter, he went to an abandoned four-line team which was circling about some barbed wire entanglements and endeavored to lead them to a place of safety. Before they could be gotten under control a fragment from a near-by exploding shell struck Sergeant Oppenheim in the leg, from the results of which he died several weeks later in the hospital."
Upon being wounded Aaron was removed from the battlefield, and transported to the American military hospital complex further south at Allerey, in the Saône-et-Loire Department of France. His condition worsened, and he died of his wounds at the hospital on October 21, 1918. He was buried in the nearby cemetery, the temporary American Cemetery Number 84 at Allery, in Grave number 184. On June 19, 1922 his remains were reinterred in the permanent cemetery, the St. Mihiel American Cemetery, Thiaucourt-Regnieville, Departement de Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France, in Block A, Row 24, Grave 24, where he lies in his final rest today.
During World War One three officers and eight enlisted men of the 4th Ammunition Train died of non-battle causes. However, only five soldiers of the 4th Ammunition Train, all of them enlisted men, died as a result of enemy action. Sergeant Aaron J. Oppenheim was one of those five soldiers.
The illustration shows Aaron J. Oppenheim at the top left. At the top right is a shoulder sleeve insignia for the 4th Division as worn in World War One. At the bottom is a four-line team pulling an ammunition wagon during the St. Mihiel Offensive."
Acknowledgment - Michael Belis (Find A Grave ID 48478211) provided the following information:
Aaron left the U.S. to fight in WWI on the U.S.S. Northern Pacific ship, which left Hoboken, New Jersey on May 22, 1918. It should have taken the ship 8-14 days to reach France, most likely landing at Brest. Aaron's name is a little more than halfway down the page, on Line 10 of the passenger list. The page is signed by his Company Commander, Captain Leonard K. Hart, in the bottom right (see https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59574365/leonard-k-hart). Hart would have been Aaron's Commanding Officer from January 8, 1918 until his death after landing in France at the beginning of June.
In the Report of the Commission on Massachusetts' Part in the World War The Gold Star Record Vol 2 1929, the entry indicates Aaron died on October 21, 1918, of wounds he received on October 4, 1918. This was during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The location given is "north of Cuisy." On October 4, the day Aaron was wounded, the 4th Division front lines were about 4-5 miles north of the village of Cuisy, France, only a couple of miles from the Meuse River.
The line in the entry: "Enl. 16 May, 1917, R.A., Btry. E, 5th Field Arty." indicates that Aaron did not wait to be drafted, but instead volunteered for service in the Army, a little over a month after the United States declared war against Germany and the Central Powers. It shows that Aaron enlisted (Enl.) in the Regular Army (R.A.) on May 16, 1917 in Battery E of the 5th Field Artillery.
The entry then indicates he was transferred to Company G, 4th Ammunition Train, 4th Division on January 8, 1918. (At that time the 4th Division was at Camp Greene, North Carolina. The 4th Ammunition Train does not refer to a "railroad train" but instead refers to the trucks or horse drawn wagons of the logistical apparatus that transported ammunition for the Division. The 4th Ammunition Train consisted mostly of horse drawn wagons.
The entry indicates Aaron was assigned the rank/position of Bugler on August 16, 1917 and promoted to the rank of Corporal on October 20, 1917. Both of these occurred while he was with Battery E 5th Field Artillery. He was promoted to Sergeant on April 8, 1918, after he was transferred to the 4th Ammunition Train. He sailed overseas with his unit on May 22, 1918. Of special importance is the copy of the citation for him at the bottom of the entry, indicating he was cited for gallantry in General Orders Number 40 (G.O. No. 40).
The official history of the 4th Division in World War One, published in 1920, states that Aaron was killed in action and died of wounds, of a few units in the Division. An asterisk before a name indicated died of wounds, as opposed to being outright killed in action. The 4th Ammunition Train only had a few soldiers to die as a result of enemy action, Aaron being one of those few.
On the burial card for Aaron, from the Card Register of Burials of Deceased American Soldiers, 1917 – 1922, Record Group 92: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774 - 1985, on the front of the card his cause of death is indicated as DWRIA (Died of Wounds Received In Action). Also indicated on the front of the card is his original burial location. This was in grave number 184, in the temporary American Cemetery Number 84 at Allery, in the Saône-et-Loire Department of France. That location was a good bit south of the area in which he was wounded.
When a soldier died in an Army hospital during the war, he was immediately buried in a cemetery adjacent to the hospital. There was an American hospital complex at Allerey, with six Base Hospitals there, Base Hospitals number 25, 26, 49, 56, 70 and 97. So while it is not possible pinpoint which of the hospitals he died in, it is clear that the hospital he died in was one of those at the complex at Allerey.
In the purple stamp on the front of the card at the bottom, of "Certified Jewish By J.W.B." J.W.B. means Jewish Welfare Board, a service organization which was later incorporated with other organizations into what became the U.S.O.
On the reverse side of the card near the bottom it is indicated that Aaron's remains were reinterred on June 19, 1922 in the permanent cemetery, the St. Mihiel American Cemetery, in Block A, Row 24, Grave 24. This is where he lies in his final rest today.
On Aaron's index card from the 1920's, from the Veterans Bureau (forerunner of the Veterans Administration), his birth date given as December 28, 1893. On that Veterans Bureau card, the numbers on the right are: The top number is his Veterans Bureau file number of C 55 764. The "X" in front of it indicates he is deceased. T 1 046 245 is his War Risk Insurance number. I 60 474 is the claim number for the death benefit payment of his War Risk Insurance, paid to his beneficiary.
Article on Sgt. Aaaron J. Oppenheim
(by Michael Belis, 4th Infantry Division Association - permission granted to include here)
"A 4th (Infantry) Division soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War One.
Aaron Jacob Oppenheim (Aharon-Yacov-b-Avraham-Oppenheim) was born in New York City on December 28, 1893, the son of Abe Oppenheim. At some time after his birth he and his family moved to Roxbury, Massachusetts. Prior to entering military service Aaron was employed for two years as a miner in Arizona.
A little over a month after the United States declared war on Germany and the Central Powers Aaron enlisted in the Regular Army. He entered the Army as a Private on May 16, 1917 in Battery E, 5th Field Artillery. He was assigned the rank/position of Bugler on August 16, 1917. On October 20, 1917 he was promoted to Corporal.
Aaron was transferred to Company G, 4th Ammunition Train, 4th Division at Camp Greene, North Carolina on January 8, 1918. On April 8, 1918 he was promoted to Sergeant. He sailed to France with Company G aboard the troopship U.S.S. Northern Pacific on May 22, 1918. During the voyage his Company Commander, Captain Leland K. Hart contracted pneumonia. Upon the ship's arrival at Brest, France, Captain Hart was admitted to a hospital at Brest, where he soon died.
Aaron and the 4th Ammunition Train moved to Camp de Souge, near Bordeaux, where they trained under French supervision during the month of June. On July 18, 1918 in the Aisne-Marne Offensive they entered combat for the first time. Though Company A and Company C were fully motorized with trucks, the rest of the 4th Ammunition Train was mostly equipped with horse and mule drawn wagons.
Aaron and his Company kept the soldiers of the 4th Division supplied with rifle, machine gun and artillery ammunition, making the journey from the rear area to the front lines over and over, often while under fire from German artillery. Aaron and Company G also served in the Vesle Sector, the Toulon Sector and the St. Mihiel Offensive.
During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, on October 4, 1918 the 4th Division conducted a strong attack from its positions near the Bois de Fays and Bois de Brieulles, and advanced northward toward the Meuse River. The large supply and ammunition dump for the Division was situated a few miles to the south, just north of the village of Cuisy, well within range of the enemy's artillery.
Aaron and his Company were at the dump on October 4, loading up ammunition to take to the front, when the dump came under heavy fire from German artillery. He was cited for gallantry that day, in General Orders number 40. His citation describes what happened:
"While the ration and ammunition dump in the valley north of Cuisy was undergoing an intense bombardment, and every one else was seeking shelter, he went to an abandoned four-line team which was circling about some barbed wire entanglements and endeavored to lead them to a place of safety. Before they could be gotten under control a fragment from a near-by exploding shell struck Sergeant Oppenheim in the leg, from the results of which he died several weeks later in the hospital."
Upon being wounded Aaron was removed from the battlefield, and transported to the American military hospital complex further south at Allerey, in the Saône-et-Loire Department of France. His condition worsened, and he died of his wounds at the hospital on October 21, 1918. He was buried in the nearby cemetery, the temporary American Cemetery Number 84 at Allery, in Grave number 184. On June 19, 1922 his remains were reinterred in the permanent cemetery, the St. Mihiel American Cemetery, Thiaucourt-Regnieville, Departement de Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France, in Block A, Row 24, Grave 24, where he lies in his final rest today.
During World War One three officers and eight enlisted men of the 4th Ammunition Train died of non-battle causes. However, only five soldiers of the 4th Ammunition Train, all of them enlisted men, died as a result of enemy action. Sergeant Aaron J. Oppenheim was one of those five soldiers.
The illustration shows Aaron J. Oppenheim at the top left. At the top right is a shoulder sleeve insignia for the 4th Division as worn in World War One. At the bottom is a four-line team pulling an ammunition wagon during the St. Mihiel Offensive."
Aaron was also Known As Aharon-Yacov-b-Avraham-Oppenheim. His Veteran's Bureau index card indicates he was born 12/28/1893 while [incorrect] family memories recall 11/28/1886. He was born in December 1893, the son of Abe and brother of Joseph B. and Harold A. J. of Roxbury, Massachusetts. Also, Aaron was employed as a miner in Arizona for two years. Aaron died in World War I, as a sergeant, in Europe on October 21, 1918. He never married. The grave site is unknown for his brother Joseph Benjamin Oppenheim 1889–1970 [BIRTH 01 FEB 1889 DEATH ABT. 1970 • Tucson, Az}. 1900 Census indicates a February 1899 birth date.
Acknowledgment - Michael Belis (Find A Grave ID 48478211) provided the following information:
Aaron left the U.S. to fight in WWI on the U.S.S. Northern Pacific ship, which left Hoboken, New Jersey on May 22, 1918. It should have taken the ship 8-14 days to reach France, most likely landing at Brest. Aaron's name is a little more than halfway down the page, on Line 10 of the passenger list. The page is signed by his Company Commander, Captain Leonard K. Hart, in the bottom right (see https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59574365/leonard-k-hart). Hart would have been Aaron's Commanding Officer from January 8, 1918 until his death after landing in France at the beginning of June.
In the Report of the Commission on Massachusetts' Part in the World War The Gold Star Record Vol 2 1929, the entry indicates Aaron died on October 21, 1918, of wounds he received on October 4, 1918. This was during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The location given is "north of Cuisy." On October 4, the day Aaron was wounded, the 4th Division front lines were about 4-5 miles north of the village of Cuisy, France, only a couple of miles from the Meuse River.
The line in the entry: "Enl. 16 May, 1917, R.A., Btry. E, 5th Field Arty." indicates that Aaron did not wait to be drafted, but instead volunteered for service in the Army, a little over a month after the United States declared war against Germany and the Central Powers. It shows that Aaron enlisted (Enl.) in the Regular Army (R.A.) on May 16, 1917 in Battery E of the 5th Field Artillery.
The entry then indicates he was transferred to Company G, 4th Ammunition Train, 4th Division on January 8, 1918. (At that time the 4th Division was at Camp Greene, North Carolina. The 4th Ammunition Train does not refer to a "railroad train" but instead refers to the trucks or horse drawn wagons of the logistical apparatus that transported ammunition for the Division. The 4th Ammunition Train consisted mostly of horse drawn wagons.
The entry indicates Aaron was assigned the rank/position of Bugler on August 16, 1917 and promoted to the rank of Corporal on October 20, 1917. Both of these occurred while he was with Battery E 5th Field Artillery. He was promoted to Sergeant on April 8, 1918, after he was transferred to the 4th Ammunition Train. He sailed overseas with his unit on May 22, 1918. Of special importance is the copy of the citation for him at the bottom of the entry, indicating he was cited for gallantry in General Orders Number 40 (G.O. No. 40).
The official history of the 4th Division in World War One, published in 1920, states that Aaron was killed in action and died of wounds, of a few units in the Division. An asterisk before a name indicated died of wounds, as opposed to being outright killed in action. The 4th Ammunition Train only had a few soldiers to die as a result of enemy action, Aaron being one of those few.
On the burial card for Aaron, from the Card Register of Burials of Deceased American Soldiers, 1917 – 1922, Record Group 92: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774 - 1985, on the front of the card his cause of death is indicated as DWRIA (Died of Wounds Received In Action). Also indicated on the front of the card is his original burial location. This was in grave number 184, in the temporary American Cemetery Number 84 at Allery, in the Saône-et-Loire Department of France. That location was a good bit south of the area in which he was wounded.
When a soldier died in an Army hospital during the war, he was immediately buried in a cemetery adjacent to the hospital. There was an American hospital complex at Allerey, with six Base Hospitals there, Base Hospitals number 25, 26, 49, 56, 70 and 97. So while it is not possible pinpoint which of the hospitals he died in, it is clear that the hospital he died in was one of those at the complex at Allerey.
In the purple stamp on the front of the card at the bottom, of "Certified Jewish By J.W.B." J.W.B. means Jewish Welfare Board, a service organization which was later incorporated with other organizations into what became the U.S.O.
On the reverse side of the card near the bottom it is indicated that Aaron's remains were reinterred on June 19, 1922 in the permanent cemetery, the St. Mihiel American Cemetery, in Block A, Row 24, Grave 24. This is where he lies in his final rest today.
On Aaron's index card from the 1920's, from the Veterans Bureau (forerunner of the Veterans Administration), his birth date given as December 28, 1893. On that Veterans Bureau card, the numbers on the right are: The top number is his Veterans Bureau file number of C 55 764. The "X" in front of it indicates he is deceased. T 1 046 245 is his War Risk Insurance number. I 60 474 is the claim number for the death benefit payment of his War Risk Insurance, paid to his beneficiary.
Article on Sgt. Aaaron J. Oppenheim
(by Michael Belis, 4th Infantry Division Association - permission granted to include here)
"A 4th (Infantry) Division soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War One.
Aaron Jacob Oppenheim (Aharon-Yacov-b-Avraham-Oppenheim) was born in New York City on December 28, 1893, the son of Abe Oppenheim. At some time after his birth he and his family moved to Roxbury, Massachusetts. Prior to entering military service Aaron was employed for two years as a miner in Arizona.
A little over a month after the United States declared war on Germany and the Central Powers Aaron enlisted in the Regular Army. He entered the Army as a Private on May 16, 1917 in Battery E, 5th Field Artillery. He was assigned the rank/position of Bugler on August 16, 1917. On October 20, 1917 he was promoted to Corporal.
Aaron was transferred to Company G, 4th Ammunition Train, 4th Division at Camp Greene, North Carolina on January 8, 1918. On April 8, 1918 he was promoted to Sergeant. He sailed to France with Company G aboard the troopship U.S.S. Northern Pacific on May 22, 1918. During the voyage his Company Commander, Captain Leland K. Hart contracted pneumonia. Upon the ship's arrival at Brest, France, Captain Hart was admitted to a hospital at Brest, where he soon died.
Aaron and the 4th Ammunition Train moved to Camp de Souge, near Bordeaux, where they trained under French supervision during the month of June. On July 18, 1918 in the Aisne-Marne Offensive they entered combat for the first time. Though Company A and Company C were fully motorized with trucks, the rest of the 4th Ammunition Train was mostly equipped with horse and mule drawn wagons.
Aaron and his Company kept the soldiers of the 4th Division supplied with rifle, machine gun and artillery ammunition, making the journey from the rear area to the front lines over and over, often while under fire from German artillery. Aaron and Company G also served in the Vesle Sector, the Toulon Sector and the St. Mihiel Offensive.
During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, on October 4, 1918 the 4th Division conducted a strong attack from its positions near the Bois de Fays and Bois de Brieulles, and advanced northward toward the Meuse River. The large supply and ammunition dump for the Division was situated a few miles to the south, just north of the village of Cuisy, well within range of the enemy's artillery.
Aaron and his Company were at the dump on October 4, loading up ammunition to take to the front, when the dump came under heavy fire from German artillery. He was cited for gallantry that day, in General Orders number 40. His citation describes what happened:
"While the ration and ammunition dump in the valley north of Cuisy was undergoing an intense bombardment, and every one else was seeking shelter, he went to an abandoned four-line team which was circling about some barbed wire entanglements and endeavored to lead them to a place of safety. Before they could be gotten under control a fragment from a near-by exploding shell struck Sergeant Oppenheim in the leg, from the results of which he died several weeks later in the hospital."
Upon being wounded Aaron was removed from the battlefield, and transported to the American military hospital complex further south at Allerey, in the Saône-et-Loire Department of France. His condition worsened, and he died of his wounds at the hospital on October 21, 1918. He was buried in the nearby cemetery, the temporary American Cemetery Number 84 at Allery, in Grave number 184. On June 19, 1922 his remains were reinterred in the permanent cemetery, the St. Mihiel American Cemetery, Thiaucourt-Regnieville, Departement de Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France, in Block A, Row 24, Grave 24, where he lies in his final rest today.
During World War One three officers and eight enlisted men of the 4th Ammunition Train died of non-battle causes. However, only five soldiers of the 4th Ammunition Train, all of them enlisted men, died as a result of enemy action. Sergeant Aaron J. Oppenheim was one of those five soldiers.
The illustration shows Aaron J. Oppenheim at the top left. At the top right is a shoulder sleeve insignia for the 4th Division as worn in World War One. At the bottom is a four-line team pulling an ammunition wagon during the St. Mihiel Offensive."
Acknowledgment - Michael Belis (Find A Grave ID 48478211) provided the following information:
Aaron left the U.S. to fight in WWI on the U.S.S. Northern Pacific ship, which left Hoboken, New Jersey on May 22, 1918. It should have taken the ship 8-14 days to reach France, most likely landing at Brest. Aaron's name is a little more than halfway down the page, on Line 10 of the passenger list. The page is signed by his Company Commander, Captain Leonard K. Hart, in the bottom right (see https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59574365/leonard-k-hart). Hart would have been Aaron's Commanding Officer from January 8, 1918 until his death after landing in France at the beginning of June.
In the Report of the Commission on Massachusetts' Part in the World War The Gold Star Record Vol 2 1929, the entry indicates Aaron died on October 21, 1918, of wounds he received on October 4, 1918. This was during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The location given is "north of Cuisy." On October 4, the day Aaron was wounded, the 4th Division front lines were about 4-5 miles north of the village of Cuisy, France, only a couple of miles from the Meuse River.
The line in the entry: "Enl. 16 May, 1917, R.A., Btry. E, 5th Field Arty." indicates that Aaron did not wait to be drafted, but instead volunteered for service in the Army, a little over a month after the United States declared war against Germany and the Central Powers. It shows that Aaron enlisted (Enl.) in the Regular Army (R.A.) on May 16, 1917 in Battery E of the 5th Field Artillery.
The entry then indicates he was transferred to Company G, 4th Ammunition Train, 4th Division on January 8, 1918. (At that time the 4th Division was at Camp Greene, North Carolina. The 4th Ammunition Train does not refer to a "railroad train" but instead refers to the trucks or horse drawn wagons of the logistical apparatus that transported ammunition for the Division. The 4th Ammunition Train consisted mostly of horse drawn wagons.
The entry indicates Aaron was assigned the rank/position of Bugler on August 16, 1917 and promoted to the rank of Corporal on October 20, 1917. Both of these occurred while he was with Battery E 5th Field Artillery. He was promoted to Sergeant on April 8, 1918, after he was transferred to the 4th Ammunition Train. He sailed overseas with his unit on May 22, 1918. Of special importance is the copy of the citation for him at the bottom of the entry, indicating he was cited for gallantry in General Orders Number 40 (G.O. No. 40).
The official history of the 4th Division in World War One, published in 1920, states that Aaron was killed in action and died of wounds, of a few units in the Division. An asterisk before a name indicated died of wounds, as opposed to being outright killed in action. The 4th Ammunition Train only had a few soldiers to die as a result of enemy action, Aaron being one of those few.
On the burial card for Aaron, from the Card Register of Burials of Deceased American Soldiers, 1917 – 1922, Record Group 92: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774 - 1985, on the front of the card his cause of death is indicated as DWRIA (Died of Wounds Received In Action). Also indicated on the front of the card is his original burial location. This was in grave number 184, in the temporary American Cemetery Number 84 at Allery, in the Saône-et-Loire Department of France. That location was a good bit south of the area in which he was wounded.
When a soldier died in an Army hospital during the war, he was immediately buried in a cemetery adjacent to the hospital. There was an American hospital complex at Allerey, with six Base Hospitals there, Base Hospitals number 25, 26, 49, 56, 70 and 97. So while it is not possible pinpoint which of the hospitals he died in, it is clear that the hospital he died in was one of those at the complex at Allerey.
In the purple stamp on the front of the card at the bottom, of "Certified Jewish By J.W.B." J.W.B. means Jewish Welfare Board, a service organization which was later incorporated with other organizations into what became the U.S.O.
On the reverse side of the card near the bottom it is indicated that Aaron's remains were reinterred on June 19, 1922 in the permanent cemetery, the St. Mihiel American Cemetery, in Block A, Row 24, Grave 24. This is where he lies in his final rest today.
On Aaron's index card from the 1920's, from the Veterans Bureau (forerunner of the Veterans Administration), his birth date given as December 28, 1893. On that Veterans Bureau card, the numbers on the right are: The top number is his Veterans Bureau file number of C 55 764. The "X" in front of it indicates he is deceased. T 1 046 245 is his War Risk Insurance number. I 60 474 is the claim number for the death benefit payment of his War Risk Insurance, paid to his beneficiary.
Article on Sgt. Aaaron J. Oppenheim
(by Michael Belis, 4th Infantry Division Association - permission granted to include here)
"A 4th (Infantry) Division soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War One.
Aaron Jacob Oppenheim (Aharon-Yacov-b-Avraham-Oppenheim) was born in New York City on December 28, 1893, the son of Abe Oppenheim. At some time after his birth he and his family moved to Roxbury, Massachusetts. Prior to entering military service Aaron was employed for two years as a miner in Arizona.
A little over a month after the United States declared war on Germany and the Central Powers Aaron enlisted in the Regular Army. He entered the Army as a Private on May 16, 1917 in Battery E, 5th Field Artillery. He was assigned the rank/position of Bugler on August 16, 1917. On October 20, 1917 he was promoted to Corporal.
Aaron was transferred to Company G, 4th Ammunition Train, 4th Division at Camp Greene, North Carolina on January 8, 1918. On April 8, 1918 he was promoted to Sergeant. He sailed to France with Company G aboard the troopship U.S.S. Northern Pacific on May 22, 1918. During the voyage his Company Commander, Captain Leland K. Hart contracted pneumonia. Upon the ship's arrival at Brest, France, Captain Hart was admitted to a hospital at Brest, where he soon died.
Aaron and the 4th Ammunition Train moved to Camp de Souge, near Bordeaux, where they trained under French supervision during the month of June. On July 18, 1918 in the Aisne-Marne Offensive they entered combat for the first time. Though Company A and Company C were fully motorized with trucks, the rest of the 4th Ammunition Train was mostly equipped with horse and mule drawn wagons.
Aaron and his Company kept the soldiers of the 4th Division supplied with rifle, machine gun and artillery ammunition, making the journey from the rear area to the front lines over and over, often while under fire from German artillery. Aaron and Company G also served in the Vesle Sector, the Toulon Sector and the St. Mihiel Offensive.
During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, on October 4, 1918 the 4th Division conducted a strong attack from its positions near the Bois de Fays and Bois de Brieulles, and advanced northward toward the Meuse River. The large supply and ammunition dump for the Division was situated a few miles to the south, just north of the village of Cuisy, well within range of the enemy's artillery.
Aaron and his Company were at the dump on October 4, loading up ammunition to take to the front, when the dump came under heavy fire from German artillery. He was cited for gallantry that day, in General Orders number 40. His citation describes what happened:
"While the ration and ammunition dump in the valley north of Cuisy was undergoing an intense bombardment, and every one else was seeking shelter, he went to an abandoned four-line team which was circling about some barbed wire entanglements and endeavored to lead them to a place of safety. Before they could be gotten under control a fragment from a near-by exploding shell struck Sergeant Oppenheim in the leg, from the results of which he died several weeks later in the hospital."
Upon being wounded Aaron was removed from the battlefield, and transported to the American military hospital complex further south at Allerey, in the Saône-et-Loire Department of France. His condition worsened, and he died of his wounds at the hospital on October 21, 1918. He was buried in the nearby cemetery, the temporary American Cemetery Number 84 at Allery, in Grave number 184. On June 19, 1922 his remains were reinterred in the permanent cemetery, the St. Mihiel American Cemetery, Thiaucourt-Regnieville, Departement de Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France, in Block A, Row 24, Grave 24, where he lies in his final rest today.
During World War One three officers and eight enlisted men of the 4th Ammunition Train died of non-battle causes. However, only five soldiers of the 4th Ammunition Train, all of them enlisted men, died as a result of enemy action. Sergeant Aaron J. Oppenheim was one of those five soldiers.
The illustration shows Aaron J. Oppenheim at the top left. At the top right is a shoulder sleeve insignia for the 4th Division as worn in World War One. At the bottom is a four-line team pulling an ammunition wagon during the St. Mihiel Offensive."
Gravesite Details
Entered service from Massachusetts. Remains were reinterred on June 19, 1922. See certificate at: https://www.abmc.gov/print/certificate/285612
Family Members
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