Henry Gunther

Henry Nicholas John Gunther was a US Army Sergeant and likely the last soldier to be killed during World War 1.

Being born to the children of German immigrants, Gunther did not enlist into the US Army as soon as America entered World War 1 in April 1917. In September 1917, he was drafted and quickly assigned to the 313th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed "Baltimore's Own". Gunther was promptly promoted to sergeant and was responsible for the clothing in his military unit, and arrived in France in July 1918 as part of the incoming American Expeditionary Forces. After sending a critical letter back home, Gunther was demoted back to private.

On September 12, 1918 Gunther's unit arrived at the Western Front and like all Allied units on the front of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, it was still embroiled in fighting on the morning of November 11. Even though the Armistice with Germany was signed that day, it wouldn't go into effect until 11 AM local time. Gunther's unit came across a roadblock of two German machine guns in the village of Chaumont-devant-Damvillers. Viewing this as a chance to get promoted back to sergeant, Gunther charged at the machine guns against the wishes and orders of his teammates. The gunners, aware of the armistice that was about to go into effect, tried to wave him off, but were forced to shoot him once he came close.

Gunther's body was returned to the United States in 1923 and buried at the Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery in Baltimore. The US Army posthumously restored his rank of sergeant and awarded him a Divisional Citation for Gallantry in Action and the Distinguished Service Cross.

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