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Victor Stier

The 339th Regiment was created in June 1918, composed mainly of young draftees, for

the purpose of fighting on the Western Front in France. Most of the 4,487 men were from

Michigan, but some 500 draftees from Wisconsin were included. It was commonly

referred to as "Detroit's Own". They were sent to fight the Bolsheviks in Northern Russia.

They were nicknamed the "Polar Bears" because of their service there.The division was

first activated 25 August 1917 at Camp Custer, Michigan, and comprised the 169th and

170th Infantry brigades and the 160th Field Artillery Brigade. After a year of training, the

division left the United States for England. From there the 339th Infantry Regiment sailed

to Arkhangelsk, Russia on the White Sea to fight along with the White Army in the

Russian Civil War against Bolshevik forces as part of the Polar Bear Expedition. The

DSC Citation: “The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of

Congress, July 18, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross

(Posthumously) to Private Victor Stier, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism

while serving with Company A, 339th Infantry, 85th Division (Detachment in North

Russia), in action at Nijnigora, Russia, 19 January 1919. When his detachment was

almost surrounded, Private Stier went forward to a machine-gun position and opened fire

on the enemy, checking their advance and allowing his comrades to withdraw. He was

wounded in the jaw with a rifle bullet. He continued to fire at the enemy until ordered to

withdraw to the rear. He then, while under direct fire, dismantled his gun, and while

going to the secondary position he received a second wound, which caused his death.”