"I had been scared several times in my life before, but now that I could hear these shells coming over I really began to know what fear was..." (Diary, page 40)

Quiren M. Groessl

Quiren Groessl in uniform [undated] War: World War I, 1914-1920 Branch: Army Unit: Company F, 5th Wisconsin Regiment Service Location: Europe Rank: Corporal

Nicknamed "Big Boy" during his time in the service, Quiren Groessl grew up in a German-American family in Wisconsin. A corporal in the 5th Wisconsin Regiment, he survived a brutal bayonet attack after being captured behind enemy lines. He eventually escaped and spent the rest of the war recovering in various hospitals in France and the United States. His diary records not only his dramatic combat experiences, but also narrates the time he spent in the hospital, where he developed a special camaraderie with the other wounded soldiers.