Bio: Austerman, Richard W. (Distinguished Service Cross – 1918)

Contact: Ann Stevens
Email: ann@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Austerman

----Source: Neillsville Times (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 12/26/1918

Austerman, Richard W. (Recipient of Distinguished Service Cross – 21 Dec 1918)

Saturday’s Chicago Tribune carried the name of Second Lieutenant Richard W. Austerman of Loyal as one of the soldiers who had been recently given the Distinguished Service Cross for feats of extraordinary heroism. Lieut. Austerman was awarded the cross for heroism near Fismes, France, Aug. 3. He collected several groups of disorganized men from different companies, organized a patrol, and, advancing across a creek, so deployed his men as to pour crossfire on enemy machine gun nests. Observing other nests then out of range, he led a volunteer squad and cleaned out three more machine gun nests. He continued with the squad and put out of action three more nests.