Anthony Louis Kosmerl
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Photo: Staff Sergeant Kosmerl at Command Post, Wald, Austria, 1945.
KOSMERL, Anthony Louis
Anthony Louis Kosmerl was born in 1924 in Chisholm, Minnesota, the son of Louis John and Mary Josephine [Bovitz] Kosmerl. He graduated from Chisholm High School in 1942.
Mr. Kosmerl served in World War II in the U.S. Army beginning on May 14th 1943. He was assigned to M Company (81mm Mortar Squad), 242nd Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division (“Rainbow Division”). He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant.
His unit arrived in Strasbourg, France, at Christmastime 1944, replacing the 36th Division. They fought the Germans in the Hotten and Haguenau forest area just south of the Battle of the Bulge from January 4th until January 22nd 1945. They were relieved by the 79th Division and went into a reserve position in Bourdannay, France, at the end of January.
In mid-February, 1945, they relieved the 45th Division in the Haardt Mountains in Alsace. They drove through the west wall and captured Würzburg, Nuremburg, and Munich by May 2. Days later, the Germans surrendered.
After the war in Europe ended, SGT Kosmerl was part of the Occupation Force in Austria. On March 5, 1946, he boarded a ship at Bremerhaven, Germany, and returned to the United States.
He was honorably discharged on April 5th 1946 at Camp McCoy, Wis.
SGT Kosmerl earned the following merits for his service:
- the Bronze Star Medal,
- Combat Infantryman Badge,
- Good Conduct Medal,
- European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal with two bronze battle stars,
- the American Campaign Medal,
- World War II Victory Medal -and-
- two overseas service bars.
Source: Veterans’ Memorial Hall veteran history form (VHF); veteran’s account (below); previous VMH website entry (below)
“I was inducted into the Army from Chisholm, Minnesota, on 14 May 1943, and entered service at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, on 4 June 1943. I was sent to Fort Leonard Wood. Missouri, for basic training in the combat engineers and afterward had a choice of either OCS (Officers Candidate School) or ASTP (Army Specialized Training Program). Took ASTP at North Dakota State Agriculture College at Fargo, where I studied engineering for five months until the program was discontinued and then sent to Camp Gruber, Oklahoma, for basic training in the infantry.
“After basic training, was assigned to M Company with an 81mm mortar squad of the 242nd Regiment of the 42nd (‘Rainbow’) Division. Worked in the company supply room as an armor artificer until we shipped out on November 15, 1944, for New York City and Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. We left New York on a Liberty ship on 25 November 1944 and arrived in Marseilles, France, on 8 December 1944, and then took us to a staging area called ‘CPE,’ north of Marseilles.
“Corporal Rene LeTourneau, our #1 gunner, was called back as an interpreter because he could speak French, so I moved up from #2 gunner as a Pfc [private 1st class] to the #1 gunner position for the rest of the war, and I remained a Pfc! Our scheduled stay in the staging area was cut short by the German breakthrough in the Ardennes, so we moved up to the front lines in a defensive position on Christmas Eve 1944 at Strasbourg, France, replacing the 36th Division, holding our positions through the first of the year. We were then sent to the Hotten and Hagenen forest area just south of the Battle of the Bulge, where we fought from January 4 through the 22nd of January 1945 and won a Bronze Star.
“Task Force Linden had accomplished its mission and held the determined German Army from making a breakthrough in the 7th Army front. We were relieved by the 79th ‘Cross of Lorraine’ Division and went back in reserve position near Bourdonnay, France, at the end of January in Lorraine. During the middle of February, we moved to Wimmenau in Alsace in the Haardt Mountains, relieving the veteran 45th ‘Thunderbird’ Division. On March 15, 1945, we jumped off from the Haardt Mountains and drove through the west wall and captured the German strongholds of Würzburg, Schweinfurt, Nuremburg, and Munich by May 2.
“On May 12, 1945, VE Day, the Germans had surrendered and the war with Germany had ended. We went into Austria and stayed several weeks in each of the resort towns of Krimml, Gerlos, and Salzburg. We stayed three months in Wald, Austria, where I took over the job of Company M supply sergeant. Had enough points to get out of service and go back home. I received my staff sergeant stripes in September of 1945. As part of the 42nd Rainbow Division’s semi-permanent occupation of Austria, we were in Vienna, Austria, as part of the Four-Power Occupation Forces from January 1946 until March, when I started toward home for a discharge from the Army.
“When I became the company supply sergeant, I started to write a letter to my folks. After censorship was lifted, that ended up to be a book with over 500 pages describing happenings from the time I left Camp Gruber, Oklahoma, on November 14, 1944, to my discharge from Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, on April 5, 1946. The book, entitled, My Life in the ETO, was never published. I boarded another ship on March 21, 1946, at Bremerhaven and arrived in the States on April 1st.”
Original website entry:
Anthony L. Kosmerl of Chisholm was inducted into the Army on May 28, 1943. He was a staff sergeant, supply sergeant and gunner with an 81 m.m. mortar squad with Company M, 242nd Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry (Rainbow) Division. He arrived at Marseilles, France in December of 1944. He moved to the front on Christmas Eve at Strasbourg, France. He later moved to Hatten and the Hagenau Forest area in the Ardennes. His unit was relieved by the 79th Division and moved to a reserve position near Bourdonnay at the end of January, 1945. His company then jumped off from Hardt Mountain and drove through the West Wall, capturing German strongholds at Wursburg, Schwienfurt, Nuremburg and Munich by May 2. He participated in the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns.
"As part of the 42nd Division's semi-permanent occupation of Austria, we were in Vienna as part of the four-power occupation force from January, 1946 until March when I started for home."
Mr. Kosmerl was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal with two bronze battle stars, the American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and two overseas service bars.
He was honorably discharged on April 5, 1946 at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin.
After the war he returned home and married Betty Jean [Smith] in 1953
My. Kosmerl died on December 2nd 2014 at the age of 90 years old. He is buried at Sunrise Memorial Cemetery in Hermantown, Minnesota.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 156.
Albert J. Amatuzio Research Center | Veterans Memorial Hall (vets-hall.org)
Page 1 WWII Draft Registration Cards - Fold3
Anthony L “Tony” Kosmerl (1924-2014) - Find a Grave Memorial
