10 March 1919

Archangel, Russia
Mar. 10, 1919

Dear Parents and all,

I received your kind letter and was glad to receive it. I am feeling fine and enjoying myself at present. We are playing basketball, skiing and snowshoeing, it’s a great sport. Basketball is some game, each platoon of the Company has a team. One platoon plays against the other. I am in the team of the second platoon. Played a couple of games but lost out.

We also had a show which some of the boys took part. It was certainly a dandy. It certainly gives a fellow a different feeling, especially when you know there are fellows in the Company that can do such work. Well you can imagine what fun we have at a show the boys put up. For the guy that was making all the noise and hollering at the courthouse this morning, we left is the fellow at the head of the show (sic). Kaul and Lezotte Co. is the name of the passing show.24 We have great sport out here in old Russia. Some of the town(s) where we are quartered are somewhat livened up a bit, some change since we landed.

Well one more little thing I have to tell you all is I have received a French Croix de Guerre medal, it is a dandy. Several of the boys received one the same day, all for gallant action in the same battle.25

I think I will close until later. I remain your ever-loving son, Clem.

Cpl. Clement A. Grobbel
Co. I 339 Inf.
Archangel, Russia

Best wishes to all

_______________________

24 Clem's son, Vincent, remembers his father telling him that Roy Kaul, of Mt. Clemens, MI, along with a Dr. Dunn, performed plays and Minstrel shows for the troops. Upon his return to civillian life, Roy Kaul was an undertaker in Roseville, MI. (Click on the thumbnail photo at right to open a page in a new window to view the full size photo and caption). Company I Minstrel show for fellow troops.
25 Clem was recognized for his gallantry during the Bolshevik attack on Company I at Verst 445 on 4 Nov 1918. A unit of French Artillery was attached to Company I at the time of this attack and thus Clem was awarded both the US Distinguished Service Cross and the French Croix de Guerre. On 17 Feb. 1919, British Major General William Edmund Ironside,on behalf of the French government, presented French Croix de Guerre medals to Lt. Dwight Fistler, Cpl. John C. Smolinski, Cpl. Theodore H. Sieloff, Cpl. Clement Grobbel, Pvt. Frank Rank, Pvt. Oscar Lighter and Pvt. Hermann Sodor (all were from Company I, except Rank and Lighter, who were from Company M; all were from Michigan, except for Lighter, who was from Indiana). (Click on the thumbnail photo at right to open a page in a new window to view the full size photo and caption). Croix de Guerre recipients - Company I and M

Clement Grobbel's Medals

Photo of the display at the Michigan's Own Military Museum in Frankenmuth, MI, showing Clem's uniform and (from L to R) his U.S. Distinguished Service Cross, WWI Victory Medal with "Defensive Sector" bar, French Croix de Guerre.

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross "For extraordinary heroism in action near Emtsa, Russia on Nov. 4, 1918. When attacked by a largely superior force, in order to deliver a more effective fire, Corpl. Grobbel voluntarily left his trench and took up a position on top of the railroad bank. Although exposed to heavy machine gun fire, he held his position and fired his Lewis gun until the enemy was repulsed. The conduct of this noncommissioned officer was an important factor in the successful defense of the position."

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