The 314th Infantry Regiment of the American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.) was a highly distinguished U.S. Army unit that primarily fought during World War I.
Constituted on August 5, 1917, as part of the National Army, the regiment was assigned to the 79th Division (the "Cross of Lorraine" Division) and saw its most defining action in the grueling Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
Erman Lepley
Private Erman Eugene Lepley was a dedicated American soldier who was killed in action on the very first day of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive during World War I. Serving with Company E of the 314th Infantry Regiment, his ultimate sacrifice is honored both on the battlefields of France and in his home community in Pennsylvania.
Soldier Profile
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Full Name: Erman Eugene Lepley
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Rank: Private
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Unit Assignment: Company E, 314th Infantry Regiment, 79th Division
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Birthdate: May 3, 1896
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Hometown: Beaver Springs, Snyder County, Pennsylvania
Erman Lepley
Combat Service and Death
Private Lepley was mobilized with the National Army and sent to France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.).
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The Fatal Battle: On September 26, 1918, the 314th Infantry launched a frontal assault to storm the heavily fortified town of Malancourt as part of the opening wave of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
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Killed in Action: Private Lepley was killed on the first day of this battle amid heavy German artillery and machine-gun defense.
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Character: Historical letters written by his peers note that he was a devout Christian who proudly accepted his draft call, stating before leaving that he considered it his absolute patriotic duty to serve.
Personal Background
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Life Before the War: Born on May 3, 1896, in Pennsylvania. He graduated from Spring Township High School in 1915 and worked as a schoolteacher for two years before being drafted.
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Entry into Service: He answered the draft call on May 28, 1918. He trained at Camp Meade, Maryland, before sailing for France on July 8, 1918.
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Hometown: Beaver Springs, Snyder County, Pennsylvania.
The Log Cabin Memorial: His name is permanently recorded on the Company E Bronze Plaque at the 314th Infantry Log Cabin Memorial, ensuring his sacrifice is remembered by the regiment's veterans and descendants.
The Erman E. Lepley American Legion Post 23 is a local veterans' organization chapter named in honor of Private Erman Lepley. Following his ultimate sacrifice on the opening day of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, his hometown community preserved his legacy by naming their local post after him.
Erman E. Lepley
Co. E., 314th Inf. 79th Div.
Beaver Springs, Pa.
Killed Sept. 26, 1918
Erman E. Lepley, was another one of Beaver Springs progressive and most popular young men who so bravely answered the call of his country and so nobly sacrificed his young life for the maintenance of the free institution of his country
that we might live free.
(Source: Snyder County Annals, Page 37. Published 1920.)
