John J. Huether
was born in Java, Walworth County, South Dakota on August 9,
1894 of Russian parents. He was employed as a Railroad
Section Hand before enlisting as a Private (2,559,950) with
the United States National Army at Ashley, South Dakota on
March 28, 1918. He was subsequently sent to Camp Dodge, Iowa
for training with Company No. 9, 4th Battalion, 163rd Depot
Brigade, before being transferred on April 20th to Company
K, 138th Infantry Regiment, 35th Division, followed by
another transfer, this time to Company B, 129th Machine Gun
Battalion. He would go overseas with Company B, 129th
Machine Gun Battalion, as part of the American Expeditionary
Force, from May 28, 1918 to January 30, 1919 and would be
slightly wounded on September 28, 1918, earning him the
Purple Heart. Private Huether is credited with having been
in action at St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne, and was part of
the Defensive Sector at Gerardmer (Alsace) and Grange
(Lorraine), earning him the World War I Victory Medal with
Defensive Sector, Meuse-Argonne and St. Mihiel clasps. He
would also be awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French
government. He returned to the United States and was
discharged at Camp Dodge, Iowa on February 14, 1919. In his
civilian life, he was married to Helen E. Huether
(1897-1974). John J. Huether died on September 18, 1978, at
the age of 84 and is buried in Ashley Cemetery, Ashley,
McIntosh County, North Dakota.
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 United
States. A Purple Heart Group to Private John J. Huether,
129th Machine Gun Battalion, AEF
Purple Heart (two-piece construction, in bronze gilt with
purple, red, white and green enamels, engraved "JOHN J.
HUETHER" on the reverse, measuring 34.5 mm (w) x 43 mm (h),
original ribbon with brooch pinback, flaking evident in the
purple enamels); World War I Victory Medal, 3 Clasps -
DEFENSIVE SECTOR, MEUSE-ARGONNE, ST. MIHIEL (in bronze,
measuring 36.2 mm, original ribbon with brooch pinback); and
France: First War Croix de Guerre (War Cross) (in bronze,
"1914-1918" reverse, measuring 37.3 mm (w) x 46.3 mm (h)
inclusive of its laterally-pierced ball suspension, bronze
star on its original ribbon). Near extremely fine.
Accompanied by copies of his Pay Records, along with
assorted research papers.
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