HARRY L. KIMMELL, MAJ, USA
Harry Kimmell '18
Harry Lispenard Kimmell was admitted to the Naval Academy from Pennsylvania on July 25, 1914 at age 18 years 9 months.
Lucky Bag
"H.L. Kimmel" is among those listed under the heading "Lost In Action."
Photographs
From the Washington Times on November 29, 1918. Photo located by Kathy Franz.
Loss
Harry Lispenard Kimmell was lost on October 18, 1918, when he was killed in action in France as a member of the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment.
The 16th Infantry Regiment was heavily engaged during this period in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
Other Information
From The Washington Times on November 29, 1918:
The name of Capt. Harry L. Kimmell, Washington man, appears on the official casualty list today as killed in action.
Captain Kimmell fell just eleven weeks after he had reorganized the shattered ranks of an American combat unit and halted an inflow of Germans through the gap in the lines.
For his bravery in this battle, Captain Kimmell was awarded a Croix de Guerre with plans and cited by his battalion commander, Major H. K. Loughry. The citation reads:
"With conspicuous bravery he reorganized a broken line, held a threatened position against the approaching enemy, and personally supervised the clearing out of a machine gun nest which was holding up the advance and causing heavy casualties."
Captain Kimmell took part in every important engagement in which the American troops participated, including the battles of Cantigny, the Marne, Chateau Thierry, St. Michael, Vigneulles, and other places.
Commander Harry Kimmell, USN, and Mrs. Kimmell, of Washington, are the parents of Captain Kimmell, who was attached to the 16th Infantry, First division.
After leaving the Western High School, where he was prominent in track athletics, young Kimmell entered the Naval Academy, but resigned at the outbreak of the war and entered the First Officers' Training Camp at Plattsburg. From Plattsburg he went to Fort Leavenworth for six weeks and then embarked for France with Pershing's army.
From Find A Grave:
Harry Lispenard Kimmell, Jr., was born 13 October 1895 in the District of Columbia, the son of Commander Harry L. Kimmell, Sr., an instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy, and Helen Nicholson Kimmell. He had three sisters.
Kimmell was a fourth-generation U.S. military officer; his great-grandfather, Major Augustus A. Nicholson, was U.S. Marine Corps quartermaster before the Civil War.
Kimmell was appointed a midshipman in July 1914 but withdrew and joined the Army after the U.S. entered World War I.
He was in command of Company C, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Forces in France.
Captain Kimmell earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on July 19, 1918, south of Soissons, when his company was halted by machine-gun fire. He led a platoon through a heavy barrage and captured a German machine-gun nest, forcing them to surrender. The citation says. "His gallantry enabled the entire battalion to continue the advance."
He earned a second Distinguished Service Cross posthumously. He led two platoons of his company against a strongly held enemy position in the Argonne Forest. He fell mortally wounded while leading the advance. His citation reads, "But other members of his command, inspired by his gallantry, successfully assaulted the enemy position."
Captain Kimmell was killed in action near Fleville, France, on Oct. 9, 1918. Captain Kimmell was 22 years old when he died and was posthumously promoted to major. His remains were interred in Argonne American Cemetery; in 1921 they were buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Section 3, Grave 4089. He was posthumously promoted to major. His parents rest beside him.
In 1928 the 16th Infantry named a road at Fort Jay, on Governors Island, New York Harbor, in honor of Captain Kimmell. The scenic island perimeter Kimmell Road begins at Pier 101 and runs along the water facing Red Hook, Brooklyn. It terminates at Yankee Landing. A memorial bronze plaque was affixed to a boulder on the roadway post-World War II. At some point the memorial went missing. A replica of the plaque was dedicated in 2017 by the WWI Centennial Committee for New York City. One issue remains: the road misspells Kimmell's surname.
He was survived by his parents and two siblings; he is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Distinguished Service Crosses
From Arlington National Cemetery.net:
KIMMELL, HARRY L.
(First Award)
Captain, U.S. Army
16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, A.E.F.
Date of Action: July 19, 1918
General Orders No. 3, W.D., 1921
Home Town: Washington, DC
Other Award: Distinguished Service Cross w/OLC (WWI)
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Harry L. Kimmell, Captain, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action south of Soissons, France, July 19, 1918.
When his company was halted by machine-gun fire from the front, Captain Kimmell led a platoon through heavy machine-gun fire and captured the enemy position, forcing its defenders to surrender. His gallantry enabled the entire battalion to continue the advance.
KIMMELL, HARRY L.
(Second Award)
Captain, U.S. Army
16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, A.E.F.
General Orders No. 3, W.D., 1921
Home Town: Washington, DC
Other Award: Distinguished Service Cross (WWI)
Date of Action: October 9, 1918The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Harry L. Kimmell, Captain, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action north of Fleville, France, October 9, 1918.
Captain Kimmell personally led two platoons of his company against a strongly held enemy position. He fell mortally wounded while leading this advance, but other members of his command, inspired by his gallantry, successfully assaulted the enemy position.
Memorial
Kimmel Road on Governors Island, New York, is named for Harry (though it's incorrectly spelled with only one "L").
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
