Comment

Comments regarding Corporal Lee REUTER

Information and photos provided by his daughter and other sources

Military related information:

Enlisted in the Illinois National Guard (date unknown) and Federalized from the Illinois National Guard's 2nd Infantry Regiment, Chicago, Illinois, Company L into the 33rd Division's 132nd Infantry Regiment, Company L. Enlisted 30 April 1917; reported for duty 25 July 1917. Was the Company L Clerk; also assigned to Second Platoon.

Enroute to France is listed with support personnel, not with second platoon soldiers.

Gassed; hospitalized 15 August 1918.

WWI Victory Medal with battle Clasps

Purple Heart

Post War Occupations / Bio:

Founding member of the Men of L formed in Luxembourg 1919, and post-war Men of L organization incorporated in 1929 in Chicago. Served as clerk from 1929 until the organization disbanded in 1974 due to loss of membership due to deaths.

Post War Known Addresses:

Death Information: Date; Age; Cause; Burial Location

Died in Chicago 1972

Miscellaneous:

Photograph of Corporal Lee Reuter at the May 27th, 1919 Chicago parade in Grant Park with his two sisters. Julia is on the right in this photo. Note the outline of the arm patches that were handed out that day. Note the Pack the soldiers carried, including the rifle. — on the ground. Louise, on the left in this photo, has Lee’s “souvenir belt” with all the buttons and badges he collected slung around her shoulder. Julia, has that belt in her possession. MEMORY OF: Barbara Metzger, Lee’s daughter.

The above photo was taken in Grant Park. My father, Corporal Lee Reuter, is wearing the forage cap. On his left is his mother and on his right his older sister Julia. The girl in the white dress wearing the canvas belt over the shoulder is his younger sister, Louise. Behind Louise is his maternal grandmother. On the left in the back is George Colby’s mother and you can just see George Colby peeking out. (He is in uniform) The lady in the front is my dad’s great grandmother — quite a woman — she was born in the 1830s and was still alive to attend my parents’ wedding in 1924. Note the armband on Julia. Lee’s dad’s father is right behind him.

Lee Reuter in Illinois National Guard uniform 1917-18

Lee Reuter (Right )& his friend Louis 'Louie' Kovitz. France c1918-1919

Photo: May 1919 after Company L soldiers arrived home. Maybe on same day as looks like photo was in his backyard. I am dating this as May 1919 since my father’s uniform shows the 33rd division patch and that would probably have been made while they were in France or more likely in Luxemburg from all the research I have done and have seen.

Source: Barbara Metzger

Why the July date and why the city of St. Louis on the above VA Master Card? Research by Corporal Reuter's daughter has the answer.

Someone took the dates that Co L was down in East St. Louis policing the race riots there, used that date and place as the enlistment date - at least for my father and I bet for a number of other Men Of L.

Mystery solved. Co L was in East St. Louis for much of the month of July 1917. I have a letter or two from that month and that event. Someone did the best they could reconstructing something way after the time of the event.. And they really did the best they could with history they did not really know. Anyway — the actual dates of enlistments are listed in the Illinois National Guard records and we have those… and historical note that you already know, Co L was “federalized” in August 1917. Lots happened to these guys in the summer of 1917.