Page 21 - Valley Life & Health

THE MORNING CALL SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2019 21

Herbert and Robert Christman
World War l

February 21, 1897 was the birthday of twins: my father, Herbert and my uncle Robert, of
Macungie. At the age of 20, the twins enlisted in the U.S. Army on April 13, 1917, in Allentown.
Basic training was held at Camp Greene, NC, in the 8th MGB. By April 1, 1918, Herb and
his platoon boarded the RMS Aquitania, arriving in England April 11th, and on to Le Havre,
France, arriving on the 15th and training near Orges, France.
Herb fought in 3 major campaigns – Battle of Marne, Battle of Saint – Mihiel, and
most notably, the Meuse-Argonne, where on October 16, 1918, he received a gunshot
wound to his left ankle, for which he received the Purple Heart. While Herb lay in
the hospital bed recuperating, the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918. He
returned home April 8, 1919, receiving his honorable discharge at Camp Dix, NJ of
$84.25, plus a bonus of $60. (Herb’s complete WW1 experience can be found in the
Herbert December 2014 issue of the Army Magazine)
I have a few pieces of information about his twin, Robert, who also came home safe. A
muster roll from Camp Greene listed both Herb and Rob appointed private on August 24,
1917. Also found a letter written home to his brother, from Uncle Rob. It stated, “Haven’t seen
Herb for some time now, well not since we left for the front…Received a letter from Herb a
few days ago, up to that time he hadn’t seen any ‘Huns.”… It’s the 22nd of June now and we
are wearing heavy underwear and our woolen coats all the time.”
The following is my parents, Herb and Mary (Kohler) Christman’s love story which
relates to WW1.
My mother, was raised on a farm near Kutztown, Pa., later moving to Macungie, PA.
It was in this town that my grandfather Kohler asked my mother, “Come along on the
horse and buggy ride with me.”
Mom obliged. When they rode by the neighbor’s house, my grandfather pointed to
the window and said, “See those two stars in the window? When someone goes to
war, the sons are represented by stars. The twins living in that house went to war. They
are nice young men and I want you to meet them when they return from the war.”
Sometime after this horse and buggy ride, Mom attended a church social. There she
Robert met a nice young man named Herb. They dated, fell in love and married on November
13, 1920. Alas, mom’s father
died before the war was over. My mother finally realized that the young man she married was
one of the twins her father wanted her to meet after the war.
My father became a farmer in life, due to my mother being adamant about marrying a
farmer. They had 11 children (first child died in infancy). I’m the youngest and all my siblings are
now deceased. My Uncle Rob never had any children and became superintendent of a bakery.
Carole Christman Koch

Homer L. Allem
Staff Sergeant, World War ll

Homer L. Allem enlisted on April 18, 1940. Upon completion of basic training, he took
the Hawaii assignment and traveled by ship through the Panama Canal to Schofield
Barracks in Honolulu.
On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, he was standing in the chow line when the
first Japanese bombers came through the Kolekole Pass on their way to Hickham Field.
The first plane Allem saw went right over the barracks. At the time, Allem thought it
was one of the planes from Hickham, so he waved to the pilot. Only then did he see
the red circle of the Zero. Allem was assigned to a beach position where his duties
included replacing guns and stringing barbed wire.
After that day, the war became reality and Allem was transported to Australia to
serve in the 21st Infantry Regiment in the 24th Division, which has been described as
one of the first divisions to see combat and one of the last to finish. Hollandia Dutch,
New Guinea is the place where Allem remembers the most action. He said that “once
we secured the airstrip, we were constantly on patrols looking for the Japanese that
were trying to attack.”
Allem was discharged in April 1945 at the rank of Staff Sergeant. Among the medals
he received 67 years later was the Bronze Star.
Sandra Butch