August Viaene was born in Gistel, Belgium, August 8, 1886. He came to the United States from that gallant little European Kingdom about six years before the war, and settled in Lyon County, Nevada. There he filed on a homestead near Fernley and set to work improving the land. He had previously taken out naturalization papers. When the European War broke out three of his brothers who were living in Belgium took arms in defense of their Country. With his native land invaded, his family threatened, and his adopted Country entered into the war, August left his little farm and took his place in the ranks of the American Army (May 26, 1918).

He had received military training in Belgium which fitted him for immediate service in our Army. Accordingly, he was sent overseas with replacements to swell the ranks of our combat divisions. His assignment was to Company B, 112th Infantry, 28th Division. The service history of the 28th Division is a source of pride in the annals of our military life. It was in reserve on the Marne on July 15th at the time of the last German offensive and some of its units gained front-line experience there. When the Allied counter-offensive began on July 18th, the division was ready for battle. The 56th Brigade of the division, in which was the 112th Infantry Regiment, entered the line with the 3d Division, which was then driving northward, and advanced with it to the Foret de Fere (July 23-26). On August 13th the 28th Division relieved the 32d south of the Vesle and crossed that river with the 77th. They were in the line until the 7th of September. Following this battle, General Pershing concentrated his troops to the eastward in the Meuse-Argonne region.

On September 26th his army started on its victorious advance against the enemy’s fortified lines. The 28th Division was in position on the left, next to the 77th, in the very heart of the Argonne Forest. There was savage fighting all along the line as it battled northward, and some of our divisions suffered heavy losses. On the 2d of October, 1918, while the 28th was engaged in the Bois d’Apremont, Private Viaene fell in the thick of the battle. They carried him to Montblainville east of the Bois and buried him there with others who had fallen. The soldier was never to return to his little farm in Nevada, but the great struggle in which he served was to free his native land and bring honor and glory to his adopted Country. Besides his relatives in Belgium, he leaves a brother, Charles, who lives at Fernley, Nevada.