Biographical Note
Edward Henry Loudenbeck was born in Little Rock, Iowa, on June 21, 1895. The second child and first boy of five children born to Edward Z. Loudenbeck and Sarah R. (Kepner) Loudenbeck, the family made their life on a farm in rural Iowa. The family moved to Michigan in the winter of 1898-1899. Another boy, Arthur, would join the family in 1897 before the move. Two more sisters, Luella and Cora, were born in 1899 and 1901, respectively. The oldest child, Mina, was born in 1893 in Iowa. Loudenbeck’s mother, Sarah, died in 1908.
Loudenbeck reported to the local draft board in Alma, Michigan, for induction on September 21, 1917. Later that same day, he arrived at Camp Custer and was assigned to C Company, 338th Infantry. Here, Loudenbeck participated in drills, inspections, construction, and guard duties, and received immunizations. In November, he was promoted to Private First Class with temporary assignments as corporal. He also practiced shooting and would go on be to a sharpshooter. In January 1918, he contracted the mumps and was quarantined for a period of time. A religious man, Loudenbeck was a frequent visitor of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). He attended sermons, movies, and utilized their services on a frequent basis; much of the correspondence sent from Loudenbeck to his family is on YMCA stationary. Loudenbeck remained at Camp Custer until February 26, 1918. He was transferred to Camp Greene in Charlotte, North Carolina where he was assigned to D Company, 4th Division, on March 4, 1918. He would remain with the 59th Infantry until his discharge. On April 22, 1918, Loudenbeck departed Camp Greene for Camp Mills, an embarkation location, on Long Island, New York. He would leave on the English ship, SS Megantic, bound for England on Friday, May 3, 1918.
Loudenbeck arrived in Liverpool, England, on May 16, 1918, and immediately began the journey to France. By the next day, May 17, he had crossed the English Channel and landed in Calais, France, after spending the previous night at barracks in Dover, England. He soon departed Calais and traveled through various French towns and communes before settling in Desvres, France, on May 21, 1918. Here, Loudenbeck trained with English sergeants and notes that he also had contact with Scottish and Irish personnel. On June 11, he left Desvres and headed east of Paris to Doue, a small commune. During this time, he was trained by French instructors and his battalion was assigned a French lieutenant. He mostly practiced shooting, drills, throwing grenades, wearing gas masks, and participated in sham battles. He spent time traveling throughout France in Crouttes, Jouarre, and Lizy to construct reserve trenches, hiking, and gained experience with shellfire. July 19, 1918, marks Loudenbeck's first experience with battle by going "over the top." He encountered gas, shrapnel, and machine gun attacks during the battle. His units were relieved by French troops on July 21, 1918. Along with other soldiers, Loudenbeck advanced along the moving front lines to provide support. He entered the front lines again on August 2, 1918. He wrote on August 4, 1918, "Fritz outguessed us and due to rain we didn’t advance yesterday at dusk but spent a night in Hell if there was ever one on earth, for we were shelled fierce from the front and left flank and had to drop back to reorganize." On August 12, 1918, the 77th Division relieved Loudenbeck and his division. After traveling several days, he arrived at Louppy-le-Petit on September 1st before moving to St. Michel near Verdun. Again, on September 7th, Loudenbeck was in the front line trenches for the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. He remained engaged until September 15th when Algerian troops took over the lines. On September 26, 1918, Loudenbeck and his comrades began their offensive at Malancourt and Bethincourt for the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. They were relieved on October 14, 1918, after 17 days on the front lines. A short time later, Loudenbeck fell sick and was hospitalized for treatment. He rejoined his company on November 2, 1918. While his unit was preparing to take back Metz, France, the armistice was signed on November 11, 1918.
On November 20, Loudenbeck and his company were dispatched to Germany. The march lasted until December 16, 1918, culminating in Ernst, where the company was to remain for 90 days. Loudenbeck’s time in Ernst was marked by drills, inspections, hikes, guard duties, educational classes, clerical work, and sightseeing. He took a seven day furlough to Aix-les-Bains, France, in late March 1919. After returning to Germany, he remained at Ernst until April 10, before moving around Germany to Urbar and Wehr. The reluctance of Germany to sign a peace treaty delayed Loudenbeck's original June departure. On July 10, 1919, after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, Loudenbeck began the journey back to the United States as he traveled all along the Rhine before entering Belgium. He arrived at Camp Pontaezen on July 13, where he departed on the USS Mount Vernon on July 25, 1919. Loudenbeck arrived at Camp Merritt, New Jersey on August 1. He was honorably discharged on August 8, 1919, and arrived home the next day.
Loudenbeck returned to Michigan to be a farmer. He married his wife, Dora, on January 18, 1920, at the home of her parents. They spent the next five years on a farm near Middleton, Michigan. A daughter, Thelma Marie, and a son, Kenneth Eugene, were born there in 1921 and 1923, respectively. In February 1925, the Loudenbeck family moved to a farm near Maple Rapids, Michigan, purchased through a partnership with his brother, Arthur, and sister-in-law, Fern. Another son, Max Alden, and daughter, Glenna June, were born there in 1925 and 1927, respectively. The farm became Loudenbeck's permanent home until his death on August 23, 1972.