Anthony Griemel

Rank: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army

Unit: Company A, 110th Medical Battalion, 35th Infantry Division

From: St. Louis, Missouri

If a poll ever had been taken, the Company “tough guy” would have been Tony Griemel by a unanimous show of hands. Hailing from St. Louis, MO, Tony had gotten off to a rough start in life. The fourth of seven children, Tony’s father died when he was eight. His mother worked to support the family, leaving his sister in charge. Described as “a real hellcat in school,” Tony entered into the working world with only a sixth grade education. He later found work as a paper-hanger.

All four of the Griemel boys went into the Armed Services. Baby brother Henry joined the Marines. Tony was supposed to go into the navy with younger brother Bob, but changed his mind and entered into the Army, as did his other brother, Bernie. Tony was inducted at Missouri’s Jefferson Barracks in July of 1941. At some point he went AWOL, and lost 549 days of service time for this offense, possibly serving the time at hard labor at Fort Leavenworth KS.

When Tony was released from the stockade in March 1943, he was assigned to Company A of the 110th Medical Battalion. It was at this point in his life that he turned his life around.

On March 21, 1943, a dozen or so men left by train on the Santa Fe Railroad to San Luis Obispo CA. Among the men were Charles “Red” Mastin, Warren West, Joe Ben Lilly, and Tony Griemel. Tony was older and left quite an impression on the young men he met that day.

John Harakal spoke with Joe Ben Lilly in the early 1990s. He related Mr. Lilly’s memories as such:

Joe Ben Lilly was a young guy from Missouri. He went in at 18 and he got out before his 21st birthday. And Tony Griemel, a sergeant, tough as nails. Joe Ben Lilly says he got stuck next to him on the train going out to California. Griemel sat next to him and looked at him and said ‘I like you kid’ and the rest of the time he was with Griemel. He was the meanest, nastiest SOB, knew every dirty trick in the book. Lilly said they were not supposed to be armed, Griemel took files, sharpened them down and with a flick of the wrist drill a guy at 40 foot away.

Warren West —One of the men in our group was Tony Griemel, who sat sullenly looking out of the window, speaking to no one. He was built like Lil’ Abner with broad shoulders and powerful arms. We found out later that he had gone AWOL from the Cavalry at Fort Riley KS and had gotten off a 42 month sentence on the rock pile, hence his amazing physique. He later turned out to be one of my best buddies… He later turned out to be one of the bravest soldiers I knew.

Tony took advantage of his second chance in the Army. He trained as a surgical technician. The 110th Medical Battalion moved to Fort Rucker AL, and then to Camp Butner NC, where in early 1944 Tony participated in mountain warfare training from February 21st to March 28, 1944. At some point while in West Virginia, he was interviewed for a newspaper or magazine article titled “An Open Letter To My Mother.” Tony was very close to his mother, sending much of his pay home to her while he was in the Army.

He subsequently volunteered to go back to West Virginia to train with the use of pack mules, with Sgt. Bob Washko, Sgt. Cesar Diosdado, PFC Hank Lubbers, PVT Joe Toth, and PVT Angelo Forte, where he snapped this photograph using Joe Toth’s camera.

Warren West —…after seven months of grueling combat, [he] had proven himself to be a ‘soldier’s soldier’… Tony had made such a miraculous change in his life…

Tony, along with a few other of us who had come from Fort Leavenworth together had been promoted to T/5 back in the states. After the war when the high point men were transferred from the Company, Tony was promoted to Staff Sergeant, a fitting tribute to a REAL SOLDIER!

While Company A was performing occupation duty and stationed in Kattenes, Germany, Tony became friendly with the woman whose family operated a hotel where he and others were billeted. He wanted to bring her back to the USA, but he was unable to get permission to do this.

Tony returned to the USA on the Queen Mary, arriving in New York on September 10, 1945. He was honorably discharged from the Army on October 31, 1945, having been awarded the Good Conduct Medal and assorted campaign ribbons.

He returned to St. Louis, and his family. After the war he was moody, and brooded a lot. He drew pictures and sketches of his German friend at his mother’s kitchen table.

The war and the Army had no doubt left an imprint on him, however it seems to have been an altogether positive one. He married and worked as a truck driver. With his wife Toni, he raised one daughter, Joan, and had three grandsons, to whom he was devoted.

His niece Patricia Knight shares these memories of him:

My memories of Tony are fond ones…he was always gentle and kind to his nieces and nephews that I remember.

I remember watching him sketch…I would sit at my grandmother’s kitchen table beside Tony and watch and he would try to encourage me and show me how to draw. He was really talented in that area.

I had roller skates…the type that hooked onto your shoes and tightened with a key. I was constantly having him put on these skates, one day, and they would keep coming off…each time he would tell me that this was his last time for doing this…I guess after about 10 times, he stopped, so that is pretty patient.

I don’t know what else I can say…except he was well loved by all.

Anthony Griemel passed away on December 22, 1975. He is buried at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis MO, in Plot L 0 2097.