Oak Creek Historical Society

If the name Emil Dallmann seems familiar to you but you are not sure why, it’s probably because he is one of the two war veterans honored by the naming of the Oelschlaeger-Dallmann American Legion Post 434 in Oak Creek. 

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Sergeant Dallmann was honored at a graveside ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of his death during World War I at Oakwood Rest Cemetery in Oak Creek Wisconsin on October 6, 2018.  Photos from the ceremony are shown below.

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Emil Dallman was the son of Franz Dallmann and his wife, Emilie Oldenburg, who ran a 40-acre farm on Oakwood Road east of the railroad track. Franz was born in 1837 in Pomerania in Germany.

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Local Oak Creek author Tom Mueller was the driving force behind organizing the graveside event.  Sergeant Dallmann’s heroism was described in  Mueller’s book, "Duty, Honor, Country and Wisconsin".  The following is an excerpt from the book:

“The family received this Western Union telegram from the Army on Dec. 1, 1918, several weeks after Emil was killed: "Deeply regret to inform you that Sergeant Emil Dallmann infantry is officially reported as killed in action October fourteenth." Later correspondence amended that to Oct. 10, but the Gold Star book retained the earlier date.

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Months later, on May 23, 1919, the family received a letter from Capt. R.W. Norton of Dallmann's 39th Infantry Regiment saying the American Red Cross had provided this description of what happened to the Doughboy (again misspelling his name; it also was wrong on his temporary grave in France).

 

During the early phase of the attack, Sergeant Dallman saw an enemy machine gun crew set its gun into a position which meant practical death for an entire platoon. Running with a squad of three others in the direction of the machine gun, it was seen to be impossible to reach the gun before it got into action. Sergeant Dallman dropped to one knee and fired into the crew, killing one. The machine gun opened fire. Sergeant Dallman was killed instantly, as was the remainder of the squad.

 

Norton continued: "In previous actions Sergeant Dallman had distinguished himself greatly, coming from a private to a sergeant in the first two engagements and won a reputation which was second to none."

The letter does not give a specific location other than in the Argonne in eastern France, but the Gold Star book puts the site as Norroy, St. Thibault. The commander of Dallmann's 4th Division was Lt. Gen. George Cameron, and the division was in the 3rd Corps.

 

Dallmann first was buried near the battlefield, and at his family's request the body was returned to the United States, arriving in December 1921. He and his parents are buried in Oakwood Rest Cemetery in the 200 block of W. Oakwood Road. This time, the spelling on his tombstone was correct, with two N’s.”