Pvt. Russell Spiecher
Company M-23rd Infantry Regiment US Army
11 July 1894 Chatsworth Il. – 6 October 1918 Battle of Champagne, France.
Russell Spiecher was born at Chatsworth Illinois, July 11, 1894. Here he was brought up and received his education and graduated from the high school. Soon after his graduation he entered the employ of the TP&W. railroad as an expressman at Gilman Il. Russell Spiecher was a resident of Gilman Il, until his call to service.
In May 1918, he was called into the service of his country and was mustered in with many others at Watseka Il, and sent to Camp Gordon, Georgia. After several weeks of intensive training there he was transferred to Camp Merritt, NJ., for final preparation for overseas duty. In July 1918, he was sent overseas and assigned to Company M, 23rd Infantry Regiment.
Excerpt from letter to Pvt. Russell Speicher’s mother, platoon leader “2nd Lt. William H. Osborn” states it was on the 3rd day of the battle of our last battle in Champagne, October 6th , while we were lying in a line of shallow pits, waiting to “go over” and make a fourth advance, that a shell struck right beside the hole your son was in, wounding another soldier and killing your son.
Sep 11, 1921 Buried Chatsworth-Charlotte Cemetery with full military honors.
