By Julie Schlesselman, Local History & Genealogy Department Manager, FCPLD
This article ran in the November, 11, 2020, edition of the Brookville American, and is in Forgotten Franklin County V. 2.
Oftentimes, when people see something intriguing, they do a little research themselves, then contact the Local History & Genealogy Dept. of the Franklin County Public Library District to see if we have anything else to add or, hopefully, something more detailed than what they discovered. And that’s just what happened with Henry Heeb. I was sent a photo of the Heeb gravestone at Maple Grove Cemetery, asked what else we might have, and told it would make a good article.
Our goal is to seek out as many unique and one-of-a-kind items as possible to add to the library’s permanent local history research collection. While working on the Blooming Grove book, a wonderful donation of unique photos and ephemera came to us from Donald Metzger of Florida. Within that collection were two handwritten letters to Allen Metzger from his friend, Henry Heeb. The library is now in possession of these letters, and another one, sent by Heeb, but to the Green family of Blooming Grove, exists in Columbia, Tennessee, in the possession of Jim Senefeld.
To date, only three known letters from this WWI Gold Star Franklin County soldier are known to exist. Portions of them have been reproduced here and give a first-hand look at the life of a new soldier – a soldier eagerly willing to do his part on behalf of the Allied forces.
Only four weeks after enlisting, on October 17, 1917, Henry wrote home to his good friends, Harry Green and his family. At the time, Henry was stationed at Camp Taylor, Kentucky.
Dear Friends one and all,
How is everybody? I rece’d your card some time ago…some days I get two & three letters, so you see it takes lots of writing, I didn’t think I had so many friends till I left them. I’ll get around to answering them by and by. In our time off, we have to wash our clothes & sometimes we are on special duty which all of us have to do in turn, as our name comes up alphabetically.
Today, we first 40% got rifles, used rifles, 1898 models, perhaps they have been in service before, but these will give us practice in handling them. We will not be apt to shoot for some time yet although we are getting along first rate in drilling, but we have lots of extra work cleaning our rifles, they are heavy as double-barreled shotguns. In our uniforms & guns, we look and are real soldiers, and with this blasting in the stone quarry & digging of a drain trench across on another hill, it sure does seem like the real front firing line.
We were surprised yesterday morning when we were called to attention & twenty names were picked out of the 160 men in Company L. I was one of them. When the Sergeant marched us to one side we thought we were on our way to France, and the Sergeant didn’t know either, he thought maybe we had to march past the General & do some fancy stuff. But later on, we found that we were picked out to represent Company L in a street parade yesterday afternoon at Louisville. They took us in 28 streetcars to town – about 1,500 men. The parade was a success, we kept step very good, all drafted men trained only a few weeks. We marched two hours over the principle streets, which were just crowded the whole distance 4 or 5 miles, largest crowd of people I ever saw, they treated us as if we had already won the war. It was a great honor to be selected for the parade, but some tiresome march….Will Suhre was also in the parade, I do not know if Graydon Klipple was in or not. He & Robert Wilson have been transferred to Engineers’ Corps 309. I hope they don’t change me around too much but of course, we are in the army now, and not behind the plow, we don’t know where we are going….
Sunday there was quite a bunch to visit us we were sure glad to see familiar faces, Fred Sauters & wife were down too. We tried to show the people around a little.
I suppose by this time you’re getting along first rate with the busy work. You fellows got your clover seed threshed & I guess Papa is done sowing wheat, did the corn ripen pretty well before the frost, it was so green when I left. We were chilly last week with just such light summer clothes & we were not allowed to wear anything over our shirts…
Say you folks write whenever you can there are more of you to write & I have many, many letters to write myself…From your friend, Henry M. Heeb Company L, 335 Inf.
The following two letters were sent by Henry to Allen Metzger.
Camp Taylor, Kentucky October 23, 1917
Dear friends one & all,
Well Allen how is everything? I guess those outside Hopps are a little out of season by this time. It was snowing a little down here today. I guess you folks had a snow the other week already. It’s pretty chilly down here with just our summer uniforms. We are not allowed to wear civilian clothes anymore. You know we have to all look alike. We have to all be in shirtsleeves, you can imagine how that is when snow flies. But, there is just one thing which helps us out and that is our shirts are very roomy and I have three shirts under it, this way we can make out. There are so many men to clothe it takes a long wait.
This camp here is quite a large city of about 5 miles square & about 42,000 inhabitants. We have electric lights and many good stone piles over the grounds over which are hauled our supplies in large motor trucks, we are located near a large stone quarry with stone for 30 feet high, only 8 ft. of soil on top, some layers are from 2 to four feet thick. Some awful heavy blasting off and on, and they are digging a drain trench on another hill, and it sure seems like the real front firing line.
….We are kept moving quite steady for 8 hours a day but the work is not so hard as farming, and we get pretty good eating & so far have had plenty to eat. Fred Sauters said last Sunday a week when he was down here that I was getting fat…
Last Sunday were quite a few visitors here from Franklin Co. I see the people have not forgotten us back home.
…We do not get any more war news down here than you people read in the daily papers. Newsboys come through several times a day & sell papers. Our officers do not know what is coming either. The time us Franklin County boys were transferred from Company 46 PI. Bn. to our Company L, 335 Inf. we read it in a Louisville paper one morning & our officers were first notified that evening to move next morning….
I must close now. The electric lights will go out nine o’clock, then everybody must be in bed & quiet.
Write whenever you find time. There are more of you to write, & I by myself, to answer so many. The same boy as ever, Henry N. Heeb
Camp Taylor Kentucky, May 25, 1918
Dear Friends one & all,
I guess you are thinking that I have forgotten you folks altogether, but I often think of my friends back home. You cannot hardly realize that we are kept very busy even our evenings are taken up now, we have to go to non-commissioned officers school every evening now for an hour & a half, which of course spoils our evening of which the privates have. Last week a few of us Corporals have been sent to Infantry School of Arms. It will last 6 weeks. We go every afternoon & of course drill in mornings and study by snatches. There is so much to learn, one has to keep the wheels working just about right if he is going to remember any of it. They lecture for 4 hours & several days later, we have to get up & make a similar lecture on what we have heard. About all I get at writing is a letter home once a week, but of course like to get letters. I got a letter from George Metzger this week, and glad to hear from him. Our old company “L” boys are nearly all gone from here, only the Corporals left, our company is now filled up with…boys, many of them can’t read or write, but we are getting along first rate with them. We have been on several hikes and marches with full pack. That is a real workout….
There are sure lots & lots of boys in service now…
Say, Allen, are the young folks shaking their feet again on that floor, of course I don’t get that chance here. Uncle Sam hires us to work not play…Your same friend, Corp. Henry Heeb.
Henry Nicholas Heeb, born June 25, 1891, was the son of Henry G. and Frederica M. Heeb. He entered service on September 21, 1917, at Brookville and trained at Camp Taylor, Kentucky, and Camp Sherman, Ohio. He went overseas September 2, 1918, and was assigned to Company M, 28th Infantry, 1st Division.
Henry was killed in action in the fall of 1918, in the Argonne Forest, France. It appears that Heeb served as a courier, riding a motorcycle along the Western Front, and was struck by an explosive device, probably an artillery shell. His remains were never found, hence the term “Somewhere in France” on the family marker at Maple Grove. In addition to this, a cenotaph exists for Henry at the Sedan-American Cemetery in France.
Jim Senefeld’s family passed down the story about how their friend and neighbor, Henry Heeb came to talk to Jim’s grandfather, Harry Green, and told him that he (Henry) was somewhat reluctant to join the military, but in the end he felt he absolutely had to go to war to prove his loyalty to the United States. Henry and his family were of German descent – not a good thing during WWI – at a time when the German work ethic and thrift were no longer admired, and the German language removed from schools and public signage. All Germans, regardless of whether they were born in the United States or not, were looked upon with suspicion.
Henry did indeed prove his loyalty to his beloved country, unfortunately, by giving his own life. He was killed approximately one month before the end of the war.
Side note: If you are a military veteran and do not have a copy of the book Remembering Those Who Served, please contact Julie in the Local History Dept. at 765-647-4031 to see how to receive a copy, gratis, in appreciation for your service.