Brothers Russell Wendell Griswold and Frank Montcalm “Monte” Griswold went to war together.

12 Sep 1917 they were at State Military Encampment Grounds at Portage, Michigan with the Michigan National Guard.

22 Sep 1917 they are at Camp MacArthur in Waco, TX, for further training. Both are with Co G, 32nd Infantry, Michigan National Guard.

Training described as: boxing for strength, using bayonets, digging trenches, stringing barbed wire, climbing poles because line of sight was the only way to aim an artillery piece, hiking while wearing gas masks, rifle range.

By 7 Feb 1918 the MNG had transferred to Regular Army and were now with Co L, 126th Infantry, 32nd Division known as “Red Arrow Division” and in training at Merritt, New Jersey.

Letter from Monte in NJ says “I would much rather go over there and get it out in a country that is already a battlefield than have it over here as it is sure of being if we don’t do it.”

13 Feb 1918 – new address will be Co L–126, via New York City, A.E.F. (which is American Expeditionary Forces)

Undated letter lets family know they are together somewhere in France, but not allowed to tell anything more.

24 Apr 1918 Monte expects to “hit the line” soon and that Bishop MacCormick spoke to the troops. Note: “Hit the line” refers to the trenches that formed the basic front line of the troops from the Baltic Sea across most of France.

28 Apr 1918 Russell mentions it being rainy and that they are living in barns of French people and not far from the guns.

4 May 1918 Monte writes that they are working hard in sun that beats down harder than it did in Texas.

7 Jun 1918 Russell wrote, “Artillery is beating a tune for us…. Shells passed over us and some of the German shells burst near…. Closest to me was about 75 yds. above me.”

Russell used terms such as

“a little hitch up there” which meant they had been in the trenches for a short time.

“Yankee land” which referred to the area in front of the trenches occupied by American soldiers.

“picked flowers” which meant he had been out at night to retrieve injured and dead soldiers.

7 Jul 1918 Russell said, “Guns and shells furnish plenty of music. We have the chance to dodge bullets.”

11 Jul 1918 - Frank's sister sent him a letter. When it arrived, the envelope was marked "missing 8/4/1918." The letter was then sent to Statistical Division H.A.E.F. (Headquarters American Expeditionary Forces) who eventually returned it to the sister. This returned envelope was the first official notice that Sgt. Frank Griswold was missing. Date of return unknown.

17 Jul 1918 in a joint letter, the brothers said they “haven’t been out of hearing distance of the big guns.”

4 Aug 1918 Sgt. Frank Montcalm “Monte” Griswold was KIA, but he was listed as MIA and his death wasn’t confirmed for months.

11 Aug 1918 Russell does not yet know his brother is MIA or KIA. He wrote home that they ran into enemy shell fire, and it was hell. He was wearing a gas mask even as he wrote the letter home. “I have not seen Monte. I was told that he went to the first aid station. They said he was hit in the arm with a piece of shell.”

15 Sep 1918 – Russell still doesn’t know about Monte. He wrote home that he hadn’t seen Monte since Aug. 4th when some of the fellows said Monte was wounded and went to the hospital. Russell told that they have been in pretty tough places, sleeping in the woods or in holes they dig for protection and that they all have cooties.

5 Oct. 1918 – Russell was taken prisoner early in the morning at Verdun.

27 Oct 1918 German Prison card shows that Corp. Russell W Griswold was being held as a prisoner of war at Ukraninerlager Rastatt (Germany) – taken at Verdun early in the morning of 5 Oct. 1918.

28 Oct. 1918 and again on 18 Nov 1918 – Mother of the boys wrote to family that they still have no word from Monte.

4 Dec 1918 - The Grand Rapids Herald reported that Russell Griswold was previously listed as KIA, but is now known to be a POW. The mother of the boys wrote to family that she is wondering if there has been a big mix-up about what has happened to the boys. She said, “It is a terrible experience we’re going through.”

In a Dec. 1918 letter from the father of the boys, he says they have received another card from Russell. On Nov. 3rd they had gotten information that Russell was released from POW camp and in a base hospital #76 at Vichy in quarantine. Russell wrote that he was expecting to leave for the front to re-join his company and that he was just in the hospital to rest up and be examined after prison camp.

23 Dec 1918 family received official notice that Russell is back in France after his release from POW camp. He is in fine health.

5 Jan. 1919 The mother of the boys wrote words that indicate that they now know Monte has died. She wrote, “ I can’t get my mind off of dear Monte. It don’t seem as though I can give him up.”

22 Feb. 1919 Russell wrote to tell his family that at Vichy he had a choice of returning home or returning back to his company. He wrote, “I went back to my company. I was at Vichy 7 weeks.”

2 Mar. 1919 Russell wrote that they are listed for sailing in early May.

Russell survived the war. He had been shot in the arm at the time he was captured at Verdun. His time as a POW was short because it came just before the end of the war. He lived in Michigan and Florida.

Book by Terrall

Frank M Griswold (1892)