El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-09-22
GERMAN GIVES
8 SONS To j. s.
DR.. Koch of Ell Paso,
Prussian Veteran, Says
Down With Kaiser

BY B. B. CADDLE.
Although he served as a commits
stoned officer in the Prussian army
an dwon the iron cross for deeds Of
vaIor in the FrancO-German war, Dr.
Frederick Koch. aged 90, Of 5o9 wy
/ oming street, FL Paso. has given his
/ three sons 10 serve under the Stars
and Stripes on the battlefields Of
| France against the army Of his ma
tive land. Where he fought nearly
I 50 years ago to vanquish the French
I his three sons may soon be fighting
] 10 defeat the Prussians and TO aid
France in retakinB her lost territory.
From a private. DR.. Koch by his
deeds on the field Of action rose TO
/ secure a commission as first leuten-
ant in the German army. He held
I this rank when honOrably discharged
and then came to Texas where he has
since resided.
The three sons are Walter p. Koch,
who was a member Of the selective
draft contingent that left Thursday
from Dallas TO san Antonio; Frank
! W. Koch, Of this city, a travelling
salesman, who went Friday 10 the
training camp at San Antonio. and
Russell Koch, the youngest, who has
also been called.
When seen by a Herald reporter
at his home the aged veteran Of the
F'ranco-German war pointed his finger
TO a large American flag in the study
Of his home and said:
The Flag of the kOchs.
see that 1lagE That's our flag.
It's the flag my boys are going TO
fight for It's the flag we love While
I am So years Of age I would gladly
serve under the Stars and Stripes If
they would take me But they won't
because OF my age. But my boys
are porn WIN me Military spirit ana
am sure they VIII be heard from
when they get in action
Not War Of the Germans
This war is not war of the Ger
man people. Neither are the atroci-
ties you read OF those Of the German
people. 1t is a war OF the kaiser and
O selected few who are at the head
OF the armed forces with him. ! am
certainly very much against the
kaiser and the atrocities he permits
It was different in the Franco-Ger-
man war. Our men were given spe-
cific orders that any atrocities or
loottng would be punishable by i'm
prisoument and death. often the
French women and children fired on
US from the windows Of homes in
towns we were passing but we never
returned the fire.
Wants TO See Kniser Licked.
want TO see the kaiser crushed.
I don't think he is loyal 10 his peo-
pie. And my sons are going soon for
service overseas to assist in crushing
him While I am an old man and
may not live much longer I feel 1
have done my bit, as has my good
wife. who IS also Of German descent,
for the cause and for our flag"
Enlists at Berlin.
DR.. Koch first enlisted in the Ger
man army as one year man, being
then a high school student. He was
assigned 70 the second grand dra-
coon. Koch was then a resident OF
Berlin, his native city. and Joined his
regiment IN the capital OF Germany
Helps Take NitrallleuHe.
During the march Of the German
army through Alsace-Lorraine his
the blunt OF much OF the fighting.
Dr. Koch and II other men Of his
company were scouting a French posi-
ton when they discovered & hidden
rapid fire gun The gun had been
pouring deadly fire into the Ger
man advance and had moved many
men When the scouts discovered
the gun il was 1ammed and they rushed
ed the French position and captured
IT, The gun was then repaired and
turned on the French. who were
routed, DIT. Koch said.
Gets the IRON Cross.
The II Germans checked the French
advance with the machine gun and
held the position until the German
cavalry and infantry supported the
little group, Dr. Koch and the other
II mem nELG OF the party were gwen
the iron cross Of the second class
and made sergeants- The decoration
was lost by Dr. Koch in a Texas fire
some years ago. His home was en-
tirely destroyed, together with all his
Unhorsed Near Paris.
During the march on Paris Dr..
Koch was in charge OF cavalry
which rushed a strong French posi-
ton The French were In massed
formation along the foothills of
mountains that resembled ut. Frank
lin, he said. DR.. kOch's horse was
killed in this battle and he was
thrown TO the ground. Having a re
volver he fired three shots and it
damned. He was using a Russian
naval revolver. he said. and threw il
away to use his saber.
Gets Four Wounds.
The fighting was terrific. It was
a hand-tO-hand encounter" DR.. Koch
said See the wound in my right
hand A French soldier had his gun
in my face when I grabbed the
muzzle and threw IL upward The
bullet pierced my hand. During that
engagement there was no quarter
asked or given by either side The
fighting was over in about a half
my head, one in my hin which re-
suited in the loss Of one kidney and F.
was shot through the side
Promoted at Paris Siege.
For three months I was in the
hospital and when I recovered from f
my wounds I was placed in charge Of F.
an ambulance company and was given
commission as second lieutenant. f.
During the siege of Paris I was in I
the French capital I had studied
in Paris and spoke French so was .
then made first Lieutenant and was .
assigned to the quartermaster's +
corps"
Cadet Commando at Laredo.
DR.. Koch was commander of the
cadets az the Laredo seminary % .
years ago It was one OF fbe first
military schools in the west. He also
served as bandman in the Fourth
Texas national guard. Later HIS two
eldest sons were musicians in this .
band.
His son Walter served for four