Sean Paul Murphy, Writer

Sean Paul Murphy, Writer
Sean Paul Murphy, Storyteller

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Grave Tales #28: Henry Nicholas John Gunther



I am an avid genealogist. The past is very important to me. I spend a lot of time in cemeteries photographing tombstones to upload on website the FindAGrave.

I enjoy recognizing long dead people by putting memorials to them online. However, every once and a while something grabs me about a specific grave. It could be the name, or the dates or a ceramic photo. In those cases, I feel compelled to dig a little deeper. That's what this series of blogs is about: The tales behind those graves. Some of my subjects will be heroes. Some will be villains. Some will be victims. And some will linger in between, like most of us. However, don't be surprised if the tales are inherently tragic. These are grave tales. They all end in death.

Over sixty million soldiers fought during World War I. Over nine million of them were killed. That's over six thousand soldiers a day. I don't know the name of the first person to die during that conflict, but I know the name of the last one: Henry Nicholas John Gunther. He was an American soldier from Baltimore and he's buried in Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery . Here's his story.

The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 11 February 1919, Tues:



Mother Breaks Down Reading Of Son's Heroism In France
-----
Sergt. Henry N. Gunther Was Killed One
Minute Before Armistice Took Effect.
-----
PARENT WOULD GO TO EUROPE
TO BRING SON'S BODY BACK
-----
Chaplain Who Gave Account of Death Also
Has Message For Soldier's Sweetheart.

     Overwhelmed with mingled grief and pride in the bravery of her son, Mrs. George Gunther, 3011 Eastern avenue, mother of Sergt. Henry N. Gunther, who was killed one minute before 11 o'clock on the day the armistice was signed, completely broke down this morning when she read in The Sun the story of his heroism as described by First Lieutenant (Rev.) George F. Jonaitis,* the chaplain of the three Hundred and Thirteenth Infantry, who just reached Newport News.
     "Henry was one of the first to go and the last to be killed," said his mother sadly. "He was one of the best boys that ever lived and never gave me one moment's worry. Everybody loved him for his gentle ways and kindliness, and nothing was ever too much trouble for him to do to help a person. He was the life of the house."

Has Message For Sweetheart.

     The sweetheart for whom Father Jonaitis says he has a message from Sergeant Gunther, is Miss Olga Gruebl, of 3001 Eastern avenue, whom the soldier was to have married on June 6, 1918, his twenty-second birthday. They had been engaged for several years, but their extreme youth made them feel that it would be better to wait awhile. Their plans were all made for the wedding and their future home when the war broke out, and the draft came along, and the wedding was postponed until after the conflict.
     Young Gunther was among the first Baltimoreans to go to Camp Meade, where he was made sergeant several days after his arrival because of his previous military training at Plattsburg, where he spent some time in the hospital unit organized by Dr. W. Moore in 1916. Sergeant Gunther was also the organizer and leader of about 85 cadets of Sacred Heart parish, to which he belonged.

Interested In Little Boys.

     "He was so interested in those little boys," said his mother, smiling through her tears as she recalled the little incidents of his life, now so sacred in her eyes. "I remember how he gave me his uniform he wore when he trained them and told me to pack it away so that it would be clean and fresh for him when he returned after the war. He never seemed to think that he would be killed. In his last letter, dated November 3, he said he had come through all the severe fighting with the Three Hundred and Thirteenth with only a little scratch on his arm and thought that the war would soon be over. And to think that one minute more and his life would have been saved."

Ambitious To Study.

     And then the little mother went on to tell how her son used to come home in the evening from work and was so ambitious to study that he was taking night courses in accountancy, and had written to his sweetheart to send him some of his school books, so that he could study between times "over there"; of how he was willing to give up every cent of his earnings to his family if they needed it, and of how he was praised by his employers, who said that he was one of the most reliable and thrifty boys they had ever had.
     "He was always so thoughtful of the happiness of others," she said. "Only the last time he came home from Camp Meade over the week-end he went far out of his route to take an old woman home who had lost her way on the street."
     Sergeant Gunther was one of 15 fellow church members of Sacred Heart Church, of which Father Doneher is rector, who have fallen in active service. Nearly three hundred members were drafted from the parish. Several weeks ago a memorial service was held for those who had been killed and a service flag with 15 gold stars, each lighted with an electric bulb, was raised in their memory.

Want To Hear Story Of Heroism.

     Mr. and Mrs. Gunther and Miss Gruebl have lost no time in sending special delivery letters. They are very eager to see him in hear from his own lips the story of Sergeant Gunther's death. Mrs. Gunther wishes also, if possible, to have his body brought home for burial, and declares that if necessary she will make the journey herself to bring the remains back.
     Previous to entering the army, Sergeant Gunther was employed at the National Bank of Baltimore, Baltimore and St. Paul streets. 

A nice story. It really gave us a sense of who Henry Gunther was in civilian life. He seemed to be a kind and generous man. Your heart definitely goes out to his family and his sweetheart Olga.

The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 12 February 1919, Wed:

The newspaper ran this photo of Olga Gruebl the next day.


Olga Gruebl would never marry. She would die on 8 November 1964, just three days short of the forty-sixth anniversary of the death of her beloved Henry. Here's her death notice:


She is buried in the same cemetery as Henry.

The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 17 Feb 1919, Mon:

Henry's mother wrote a heartfelt letter to the editor on behalf of all grieving mothers asking that the bodies of their sons be returned to the United States.

The next story relates what Chaplain Jonaitis told Henry's family when he was finally able to meet with him. It is a very touching and detailed account.

The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 04 March 1919, Tue:



Chaplain Tells Hero's Fiancee Of His End
Parents Of Last Baltimorean To Fall Hear Story of Death
-----
Sergt. Henry Gunther Killed One Minute Before Fighting Stopped
On November 11 -- Priest Describes Bravery And Loyalty to
Uttermost To Invalid Father, Tearful Mother And Sad Sweetheart
--Chaplain Of Regiment Now Stopping At Emerson
-----

     In their home at 3011 Eastern Avenue the parents of Sergeant Henry Gunter with his sweetheart, Miss Olga Gruebl, 3001 Eastern avenue, yesterday afternoon heard the story of the sergeant's death in the Argonne woods, one minute before the fighting stopped at 11 o'clock on the morning of November 11, and of the burial of the body on the spot where he died. They heard the story from the lips of Lieut. (the Rev.) George F. Jonaitis, who succeeded Lieut. (the Rev.) J. Carroll Moore as Catholic chaplain of the Three Hundred and Thirteenth Infantry.
     The priest arrived in Baltimore from Newport News yesterday afternoon, and a short time afterwards went to the Gunther home. The Gunthers had been notified of the coming of the priest and when he alighted from a street car in front of the home, Mrs. Gunther, a motherly little woman with her hair streaked with gray, caused by worry over her boy's death, was awaiting him on the front steps.
     Shaking from nervousness and crying pathetically, Mrs. Gunther rushed toward Father Jonaitis and took both of his hands in her frail and wrinkled palms. Looking at the chaplain with eyes blurred with tears she asked:

Mother's First Question.

     "Father, did my Henry send his love to me as he was dying?"
     The big priest, who faced all sorts of dangers from Chateau Thierry to the Argonne woods, without even as much as a wee flinch, himself became unnerved and was forced to cover his eyes with his hand to keep the little woman from seeing that he also had moist eyes.
     As the mother and the priest who helped dig her son's grave and bury him after reciting the burial service, walked hand-in-hand into the house, Mrs. Gunther, apologizing, asked the chaplain if he would excuse her for asking him to tell his story in the kitchen so that her invalid husband, who is forced to spend his days there, might hear the story with her. Mr. Gunter a few days before Henry sailed for France suffered from a growth on his left leg. He underwent an unsuccessful operation. His leg is now stiff and, because of the pain, he is practically bedridden.

His Fiancee Joins Hero's Parents.

      After greeting the father of the dead sergeant, Father Jonaitis was about to tell them of the death of Henry when Miss Gruebl came into the kitchen. The fiancee of the Baltimore hero smiled as she grasped the hand of the priest, but that smile and the story it told unnerved Father Jonaitis, as much as had the tears of Mr. and Mrs. Gunther.
     Miss Gruebl was sitting between the parents of Henry, directly in front of Father Jonaitis, while the priest told how Gunther died in the Argonne forest. His little audience did not interrupt with questions. But they did frequently grasp each other's hands and they did not attempt to hide their emotion as Father Jonaitis repeatedly said Henry was a brave man, the bravest he had ever seen, and that he lived such a life in France as fully to prepare him to meet his Maker.
     The priest told the story of the death and burial of Sergt. Henry Gunther, of Baltimore, in low-pitched tones. Sad and eager faces watched him. He had to stop frequently. He did not want them to see that he also was crying. But they did see it. Though their hearts were breaking with sorrow, they pitied the chaplain. They said so.

Gunter Happy At Prospect Of Home.

     Father Jonaitis told the parents and sweetheart of the 23-year-old hero that Henry was one of the happiest of the men in the Three Hundred and Thirteenth Infantry at 10:30 o'clock in the morning of November 11, when the message was sent down the line to stop fighting at 11 o'clock. He said he heard Sergeant Gunther say:
     "Oh, Gee! I am glad this hell is nearly over. I am soon going home."
     Three minutes before 11 o'clock Sergeant Gunther was ordered to take a platoon of men over and get a nest of German machine gunners. Gunther knew it was nearly stopping time and was aware of the dangerous task before him, but the priest said that the Sergeant, calling to the other men to follow, gripped his gun tightly in both his hands and went to his death with a smile on his face.

Germans Wave To Them To Go Back

     He repeated to them the story of how the Germans waved to Sergeant Gunther and his men to go back as the time was nearly up. But Gunther had not gone to France to take orders from the Germans. His commanders had told him to get that German nest and he was trying his best to obey orders. He said Gunther had almost reached the nest and was raising his gun to fire, when three German bullets stopped him. One of the bullets pierced the hero's head; the other passed through a batch of letters -- some from his mother and Miss Gruebl and others which he had written to them saying that he was coming home soon -- and through a prayer book, into his heart; the third bullet went into his right wrist. The priest described the prayer book and Miss Gruebl said it was a present from her just before Henry sailed for France.
     Immediately after Henry fell, Father Jonaitis said, the Germans leaped from their trench and, placing the Baltimore hero on a stretcher, carried him over to his comrades in Company A of the Three Hundred and Thirteenth, who had forgotten their joy in the ending of hostilities. He said the other boys in the company loved Henry Gunther and his death took all the joy at the signing of the armistice out of them for that day.

Describes Young Man's Burial.

     The priest then told how he and the friends of Henry carefully wrapped his body in two blankets and carried it to a grave they had dug. After the body was covered, he told the parents and sweetheart, how he and the men of the company placed a mound of stones over the grave and then planted daises they had gathered from a nearby field. After making a cross which they placed at the head of the grave with the name of Sergeant Gunther written on it, as well as a short account telling that he was the last American to die in the fight. Father Jonaitis said they placed four wooden posts at each corner of the grave, around which they strung a fence of wire.
     When the priest finished the story no one in the room spoke for fully five minutes. All were going over in their minds the death and burial of the young hero.
     Mr. Gunther was the first to break the silence when he asked with great eagerness if his son was prepared to meet his God. Before the priest could answer, Mr. Gunther, joined by his wife and Miss Gruebl, said Henry was an ideal son when he was home and led an exemplary life.
     When Father Jonaitis told them that Henry while in France led just as good and probably even a better life than he did in Baltimore and that he was certain of Henry's salvation, the parents and Miss Gruebl together, with their hands raised to Heaven, exclaimed: "Thank God, we have given a saint to God and a hero to our country."

Hope To Bring Body To Baltimore

     The chaplain then described the exact location of the grave. He wrote out the location for the little group, and each of them said they will plan at once to have the body brought back to Baltimore for burial. Little Mother Gunther said she wanted to go over there herself and bring back her boy's body, but her husband's condition will not permit her leaving him. She said, however, that if she cannot have the remains brought back by the Government, despite her frail health, she will go over to France after it.
     Father Jonaitis, before burying Sergeant Gunther, removed his wrist watch. In his excitement yesterday the priest forgot the watch. He will give it to them this afternoon.
     During his last visit to Baltimore before going "Over There," Sergeant Gunther purchased several religious pictures now hanging on the walls in the kitchen and dining-room of his home. His parents are proud of those pictures. They are still where Henry placed them. Despite the terrible pain he was suffering Mr. Gunther hobbled about the two rooms yesterday and pointed out with his cane to Chaplain Jonaitis the pictures which Henry had hung on the walls.
     Father Jonaitis said he will be delighted to meet any of the parents of the boys in the Three Hundred and Thirteenth. Probably, he said, he will remember something about the deeds of their sons. He is a guest at the Hotel Emerson.

Wow. What a great and compelling story. Despite the run-on sentences, the unnamed reporter really put you in the room with all of the heart and emotion. However, the story raises some serious questions.  I think the Letter to the Editor below does an excellent job of articulating them:

The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 07 March 1919, Fri:

Thanks, C.A.W.  Why indeed was Gunther ordered over the top in the waning minutes of the war? It does seem outright criminal. The next story gives us more details regarding Henry's death. It doesn't contradict Father Jonaitis' story, but puts the events in a different context....

The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 16 March 1919, Sun:


DIED TO PROVE LOYALTY
------
Henry N. Gunther Felt He Was Under A Cloud
-----
PROBABLY LAST MAN KILLED
-----
Went Alone To Capture Machine Gun Nest
In The Last Minute Of War.

     This account of how Henry N. Gunther, 3011 Eastern avenue, was killed almost at the moment the "cease firing order" was given, is by Private James M. Cain, Headquarters Troop, Seventy-ninth Division, in France, who was formerly a reporter on The Sun. It corresponds in all essentials with the report brought to Gunther's parents by Chaplain George F. Jonaitis, but gives some details that Father Jonaitis probably did not know of.
-----
By Private James M. Cain.

     Souilly, France (By Mail), Feb 22. -- The last man to be killed in action in the Seventy-ninth Division, and perhaps in the whole American Army, was Henry N. Gunther, Company A., Three Hundred and Thirteenth Infantry. Gunther's home was in Baltimore, and he was killed at one minute of 11 o'clock on November 11, trying to take a German machine gun position.
     Until a short time before the Three Hundred and Thirteenth finished its period of training at Camplitte, Gunther was supply sergeant of his company. A few days before the regiment left for the front he wrote a letter home complaining of certain things about army life, and as this was a violation of the censorship regulations, he was reduced to the grade of private.
     According to his companions, Gunther brooded a great deal over his reduction in rank, and became obsessed with a determination to make good before his officers and fellow-soldiers. Particularly he was worried because he thought himself suspected of being a German sympathizer.
     The regiment went into action a few days after he was reduced, and from the start he displayed the most unusual willingness to expose himself to all sorts of risks and to go on the most dangerous kind of duty. He acquitted himself splendidly in the Montfaucon fight, and on the drive east of the Meuse he was selected to act as a company runner -- particularly dangerous work, for a runner is the bearer of important messages, and must get them delivered, even if his way lies over the most exposed country.

Showed Scorn Of Danger.

     In the role of runner Gunther proved to be a man of the finest mettle. He repeatedly volunteered for duty when communication had to be established over terrain raked by machine guns and subject to heavy shelling. A few days before hostilities ceased he was carrying a message when a German bullet passed through his wrist. He said nothing about his wound, however, when one of his officers, noticing his exhaustion, asked him what was the matter. Having already bound up his arm with a first-aid bandage, he replied that he was a little tired and thought he would take a rest. The next day be reported for duty and went on as usual.
     On November 11 he was still on duty as a runner. His company had been ordered to advance on Ville-Devant-Chaumont, in the extreme right of the Seventy-ninth's sector, and several parties were already in town. Gunther, with one or two other runners and an advance party of riflemen from his company, was just on the outskirts. The order had already come that hostilities were to cease at 11 o'clock.
     Directly ahead there was visible a German machine gun nest. Gunther, according to the men of Company A, must still have been fired by a desire to demonstrate, even at the last minute, that he was courageous and all-American. At a few minutes to 11 he announced that he was going to take that machine gun nest, and though his companions remonstrated, and told him that in a few minutes the "war would be over," he started out, armed with a Browning automatic rifle.

Germans Waved Him Back.

     When the Germans saw him coming they waved at him and called out, in such broken English as they could, to go back, that the war was over. He paid no heed to them, however, and kept on firing a shot or two from his automatic as he went. After several vain efforts to make him turn back, the Germans turned their machine gun on him and at one minute of 11 o'clock Gunther fell dead.
     The guns stopped firing at 11 o'clock -- a few seconds afterwards -- and a few minutes after the German machine gun crew that had killed him came out with a stretcher and placed Gunther on it. They then carried him back to the party from Company A he had left a short time before. They explained that they had tried to keep him from coming on, and that they had to shoot him in self-defense. They insisted on shaking hands with the Americans, after which they set Gunther down and returned to their own lines.

I don't want to give too much commentary on the events. To this day, people still dispute Henry's rationale for charging the German machine gun nest. Some claim his death was essentially a suicide. I am simply relating what was said at the time. However, it seems that the Germans did not want to kill him and they made the respectful effort to return his body to his lines. It is also interesting to note that in the previous story, Henry was referred to as a Sergeant. In this story, he is referred to as a private.

Was Henry under a cloud? The following story, an excerpt of a news story about his company commander visiting Baltimore and speaking at a church, addresses that issue.

The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 14 April 1919,  Mon:


TELLS OF 313TH "BOYS"
-----
Captain Flynn Says Men Of
Company A Are Well And Happy.
-----
HAD "LOTS OF FUN" FIGHTING
-----
Commander Brings Cheer And Tears To
Relatives In St. Patrick's Catholic Church

     Back from France with first-hand knowledge of "his boys" in Company A, Three Hundred and Thirteenth Infantry, Capt. R. W. J. Flynn, commander of that company through all its fighting about Montfaucon, brought cheer and tears last night to hundreds of those boys' relatives in St. Patrick's Church Hall as he recounted their deeds.
     "When I left your boys at Rembercourt, north of Bar-le-duc on the morning of March 7 all of them were happy, healthy and, I'll admit, just a little homesick. However, the homesickness was more for fearing you were worrying over them. They are having only hours' drilling a day; they are having athletics, baseball games and racing in the afternoons; every one of them has had a leave; they are going to sail the latter part of June, and maybe sooner; and they are 'living the life of Riley,'" Captain Flynn concluded.
     That message cheered those boys' mothers and fathers and they crowded about their sons' commanding officer and showered him with questions as to how this one was and what that one looked like. That the captain was able to answer them all showed that he was close to his men.
     Company A, of the Three Hundred and Thirteenth, has a number of men from East Baltimore, many of them former parishioners of St. Patrick's. Sergt. Henry Gunther, the last man in the regiment to be killed, was of Company A. And, according to Captain Flynn, he was laboring under a delusion when he thought he was "in wrong" with the officers and men and went out single-handed to capture a German machine-gun nest the last minute of the war. He needed no vindication -- he had shown his metal in the fighting above Montfaucon....

It seems that Henry felt himself in the wrong, but his commander and the men in the unit did not feel that way. The men viewed him as a hero.

The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 25 September 1921, Sunday:

Henry's mother achieved her goal of having his remains returned to Baltimore. Here's the death notice:

Sadly, Henry's father George Gunther wouldn't live to see the funeral. He died on 19 June 1919 at the age of fifty after a lingering illness. Henry's mother Lena would die at the age of seventy-one on 27 June 1938.

The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 03 November 1921, Thursday:



TO PROBE MONUMENT PLAN
-----
Baltimore To Seek Honor For Son As Last Man Killed In War.

     Immediate steps will be taken to confirm the report that France is to erect a monument to the memory of the last man of the Allied armies to fall in battle, according to an announcement yesterday by Karl Singewald, Maryland secretary, War Records Commission. When it is verified Baltimore's claim that Private Henry N. Gunther was the last soldier to lose his life before the armistice will be substantiated and forwarded to the War Department.
     Private Gunther was a son of Mrs. Lena Gunther, 3011 Eastern avenue. He was a member of the Three Hundred and Thirteenth Infantry and was killed a few minutes before the armistice was proclaimed, at 11 o'clock on the morning of November 11, 1918.

The War Department and the French Government must have agreed with Mr. Singewald and the city of Baltimore. The French did erect a monument to honor Private Gunther at the spot where he fell. (Also, notice that Gunther is referred to as a private, not a Sergeant, in this story.)

Here's the memorial:

Photo from Veteran's Breakfast Club

Why Henry Gunther died is irrelevant to me. All I can say for certain is that he made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. His heroism in the waning days of the war is undisputed. I am only too happy to honor him and tell his story again!

And if you're ever in Holy Redeemer Cemetery, feel free to drop by his grave and pay your respects.

Remember, there is a story behind every grave. You never know what you're missing when you walk past one....

Do you want to see Henry's draft registration form?  Here it is:

*Father George F. Jonaitis served as a chaplain in both World War I and World War II. During his service, he lost a hand. He was given special dispensation from the Pope to say mass with only one hand. He died on 28 December 1963 at the age of eighty-three. 

Grave Tales:

My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & NobleChapel Street is the tale of a young man battling a demonic entity that has driven members of his family to suicide for generations. It was inspired by an actual haunting. 


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Listen to me read some chapters here:


Read about the true haunting that inspired the novel here:

The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 1, An Introduction
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 2, The House
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 3, This Is Us
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 4, Arrival
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 5, Methodology
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 6, Clara's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 7, Clara's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 8, My Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 9, My Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 10, My Tale, Pt. 3
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 11, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 12, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 13, John's Tale, Pt. 1 
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 14, John's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 15, Come Inside!
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 16, Marion's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 17, Marion's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 18, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 19, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 20, Lisa's Tale
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 21, Recap, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 22, Recap, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 23, Recap, Pt. 3

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