IN
MEMORIAM
Herbert
Henry Gabriel
1925 -
1944
Herbert H. Gabriel was the son of Henry E. Gabriel and
Gertrude J. E. “Gert” Wegener. He was born 7 February 1925 in Ponchatoula,
Louisiana, where his father was a Lutheran pastor. Presumably he was baptized
by his father at the church where the Rev. Henry Gabriel was serving. (No record is yet available.)
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Gertrude Wegener Gabriel (left) holding her son Herbert H.
Gabriel (born 7 February 1925) and Olga Wegener Keim holding her daughter,
Marian G. Keim (born 1 December 1925). |
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Meta Wegener and her sister Gertrude stand behind an unidentified boy and Herbert Gabriel. Meta, with her sister Frieda (not pictured), visited Gertrude and her family in Pontchatoula (circa 1928-1929). |
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By 1930, the Gabriel family was living in New Orleans, so it is likely that Herbert attended St. Paul Lutheran School. (The photograph to the right appears to be a school picture.)
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Herbert likely attended F. T. Nicholls High School, from
which he would have graduated in about 1943. At that time, the United States was at
war and all young men of eligible age had to register for the draft.
| Herbert’s registration card shows that the family was living at 1326 Feliciana Street, where they lived for many years. The card also shows that Herbert was working for Thomas Jordan & Company, a cotton brokerage firm. |  |
Herbert Henry Gabriel was inducted as a Private into the U. S. Army on 26 August 1943 in New Orleans. He entered active duty on 16 September 1943 at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, and was sent for training to Camp Fannin, Texas. He was assigned to the 41st Replacement Battalion.
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After basic training, Herbert probably had an opportunity to visit his parents and his sister Arlene in New Orleans before being shipped out. This was likely the last visit with his family.
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Herbert with his sister
Arlene. Herbert was born in 1925 and Arlene was born in 1934. In 1954,
Arlene married the Rev. Otto H. "Otts" Kretzmann. Otts passed away in
2013, and Arlene in 2023. |
In March of 1944, Herbert was sent to Fort Meade, Maryland. Assigned to Company K of the 47th Infantry Regiment (9th Infantry Division), he would have been among the tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers who were transported to England to prepare for the Allied invasion of France.
Herbert arrived in Normandy, France, on June 16, 1944 (10
days after D-Day).
In early July, the 9th Infantry Division had a role in capturing the crossroads city of Saint Lô. The battle lasted from about July 7 through July 19. The official record of Herbert’s death says that he died of wounds in the St Lô Sector of Normandy. Meta Wegener Hellmers said that she was told that Herbert was acting as a courier and was probably shot by a German sniper.
| According to a notice in the Times-Picayune newspaper of August 5, 1944, Herbert was killed on Monday,
July 17, 1944. A memorial service was held at St. Paul Lutheran Church on Sunday, August 6, at 11:15 am. |
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His body was returned to New Orleans and was interred in St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery, No. 3.
Memorial Day honors those who died while in the military of the United States. While many members of the Wegener family were in the military, Pvt. Herbert Gabriel appears to be the only person who died while serving.