Romanian Volunteers in American Army - WW1, Units,commanders,battles in France,KIA

Americans of Romanian origin volunteered to fight in WW1 on western front. I wonder if there are records of their actions (and maybe books, pictures, etc.).

As far as I know, it was a unit raised by "ardeleni" in USA who eventually was deployed in France, but I dont rem the source or more details.

In 1917, a battalion of Romanian American Volunteers was formed in Youngstown, Ohio, by Dean (protopop) Ioan Podea. There is a reference to it at this link.

http://smroc.link2net.net/history.html

I suppose it included Romanians mostly from Ardeal (Transylvania), and they listened to the warm appeal of the Romanian mission to the USA headed by Vasile Lucaciu (president of the Cultural League).

This post has been edited by mateias on December 29, 2007 04:52 pm

I found by chance an article on this topic at this link to an exhaustive site with everything available at Cluj University Library on history of WW1.

http://www.bcucluj.ro/re/oc/BistRO1999-200...PRINS/BV06f.HTM

Could someone provide details (article with 18 pages)?

This post has been edited by mateias on January 17, 2008 11:22 am

I'll look for it in Cluj when I'll have time.

1. American officials acknowledged that Americans of Romanian origin provided the largest contingent of the American army in WW1, considering the ratio of Romanians agains total American population.
See confirmation on this site (senator Cooper also said that their sacrifice is not America's, but of the Romanian people, first of all).

http://www.crisana.ro/stiri/reportaj-24/ro...puri-40781.html

2. Fascinating story of the only American general of Romanian origin, George Pomut, who helped America to buy Alaska (OIL, OIL, OIL) from Russia !

This post has been edited by mateias on January 28, 2008 10:30 am

This article, published in a very serious historical magazine, mentions the militay units with Romanian volunteers in WW1.

http://www.itcnet.ro/history/archive/mi200...rrent3/mi45.htm

The largest Romanian community was in Ohio state. I. Podea, the "protopope" (head of Romanian priests in Ohio, later became a bishop), suceeded in 1917 to set up the Battery 112, 100% Romanian. Cpt. A. S. Pielon, commander of the company that included Battery 112, wrote to Podea and thanked for the help in setting up the company. Three weeks later, col. Weybrecht, commander of Regiment 10 Ohio also thanked to Podea as his officers reported "to my joy, that Romanians answered everywhere to the call to arms " (volunteers), that contributed to the State of Ohio "to be among the first American states also as regards organization of the war army".

1917 - this means BEFORE Pershing's expeditionary forces landed in France ! Congratulations, Romania !

This post has been edited by mateias on January 28, 2008 10:46 am