Buma Square

Corporal Raymond Buma
November 15, 1896 - September 27, 1918
Born Rienk Buma in Ylst (Ijlst), Friesland, the Netherlands
Parents: Minne and Theresa/Tietje (Hiemstra)

September 27, 1918: Killed in Action WWI, Meuse Argonne Offensive, France, 21 y.o.
Recipient of Distinguished Service Cross for "extraordinary heroism in action
near Cuisy, France" on Sept. 26, 1918.
Burial: Pine Grove Cemetery, Whitinsville, MA

Click here to read a summary of the activities of the 39th Infantry Regiment and
Buma's Machine Gun Company, along with Buma's letters home.

Click here to watch a 7 minute video on the story of WWI.
Click here to learn about plans for a WWI Memorial in Washington DC (2024).

BUMA MEMORIAL SQUARE (d.s.c., k.i.a. WW1)

Raymond Buma was born November 15, 1896 in the town of Ylst (Ijlst), in the Friesland part of the Netherlands.   At the age of 10 he came to Whitinsville, MA with his parents Minne and Theresa and 9 siblings on board the SS Noordam. They arrived in Ellis Island, NY.  Before enlisting in the Army, Raymond was employed by the Whitin Machine Works as a machinist. At one time he was associated with his brother in managing a local baseball team called the Red Sox, later becoming manager.

Enlisting and Training
Buma was 20 years old and 5 months when he first registered with this US Army on April 4, 1917.
He was 21 years old when he enlisted at Providence, RI into the US Army on December 31, 1917.

He was a corporal in the 4th Infantry Division, 7th Brigade, Machine Gun Battalion 39th Infantry Regiment. Buma was part of the 4th Infantry Division, a combat division of the US Army. It is the most technologically advanced combat division in the U.S. Army.
Click here to see a video of the 4th Infantry.

Buma operated an M1917 Browning Machine Gun.

The 4th Infantry Division was organized at Camp Green North Carolina on December 10, 1917 under the command of Maj. Gen. George H. Cameron. It was here they adopted their distinctive insignia, the four Ivy Leaves. The Ivy leaf signified their motto “Steadfast and Loyal”.     On April 9, 1918, Colonel Frank C. Bolles arrived from the Hawaiian Islands and assumed command of the Regiment.

After months of training, Buma sailed at 6:30pm from Hoboken, NJ on May 10, 1918 and headed to France on board the SS Duca D'Aosta (click here). Prior to departure, he was granted permission to visit New York City, which would turn out to be his first and only visit to the great city. A point of interest of this trip: the Duca D'Aosta was an Italian boat, in charge of the U.S. Navy, fitted out by an English contractor, transporting American troops, with an infantry colonel (Colonel Bolles) in command of troops of an artillery regiment.
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Buma's War Activities and Engagements in 1918:
May
May 22 While on board the Duca D'Aosta, Buma and his fellow soldiers experienced a submarine scare at midnight and everyone quietly and quickly responded accordingly. The alarm proved unfounded.
May 23: Buma's ship arrived at Brest, France.
May 28: Buma arrived in Calais and tested out new British gas masks. Here he saw the effects of war, such as buildings ruined by airplane bombs.

June
June 9-15: Marched to Acy-en-Multien and began intensive training within a specialist school. Fired on ranges 500 yards away.
June 15-17: Marched forward up to the second line position.

July
July 17: Buma was on the front lines in relief of the French 11th infantry with orders to capture the Buisson de Cresnes. During the entire morning the Germans kept up an incessant rifle, machine gun and artillery fire, to which Buma's battalion replied with rifles and machine guns. At 3:45pm Buma's battalion was ordered forward. The enemy was overcome, and the advance pushed forward.
July 18: Ordered out of the trenches early in the morning. The entire line, stretching from the Aisne to the Marne River, went forward in a counter-offensive. Their objective: to drive the Germans back from the territory they had recently gained in their Spring Offensive. The attack went well. The Americans advanced 2.5 kilometers and by mid-afternoon they were ordered to take the village of Ourcq. Buma moved forward, helped clear the village of Ourcq and take the hilltop northeast of it.
July 19: Fought again, capturing the village of Chouy and not stopping the advance until 5pm.
July 20: Relieved by French troops and withdrawn to Troesnes. In 2 days (July 18 & 19) Buma's division suffered the following losses: 32 enlisted men killed, 14 officers killed, 234 enlisted men wounded. They gained 7.5 kilometers of territory.
July 22: Placed at the disposal of the Commanding General 4th Division. They were camped in a wooded area and were very crowded. This day was know for the numerous false "gas alarms".

August
Aug 1: Ordered to move up and relieve the 42nd which had seen heavy action on July 30. The men, supported by Buma's Machine Gun Company, were again on the front line. A bombing plane came over and dropped a string of bombs killing 27 and wounding 94.
Aug 2-3: Again on the front line - positioned in the sector from Fereline Chateau along the northwestern edge of the Foret de Nesles to Hill 191.
Aug 5: Ordered to first take St. Thibaut, then cross the Vesle River. The village fell to their onslaught by 11:00am. Fighting continued in the attempt to cross the River. Buma's Machine Gun Company laid down a barrage on the Germans until 5:30 pm. The River was crossed on August 6.

September
Sept 1 - 13: Buma and fellow soldiers marched 74 miles carrying 84 pound packs through mud, often ankle deep, always wet and cold as the rain fell continuously from Sep 8-13. The men assembled 2-man pup tents in the dark, slept on soggy wet ground and ate cold rations. Throughout the march, the column had to move frequently into the ditches next to the road to allow long lines of supply trucks of equipment to pass. Those vehicles often broke down or were bogged down in the mud, leading to long delays. At the end of the march, Buma's group was assembled for the St. Mihiel Offensive -- which would be the first attack launched solely under American control and commanded by General John J. Pershing.
Sept 12-13: Ordered forward to close a gap in the lines. Marched 11 miles in 7.5 hours under heavy rain. Reached the destination at Hill 376 west of Les Eparges at 6:35 am on Sept 13. Now they were under constant shell fire.
Sept 14-19: Returned to Houdainville on 14th for training until the 18th and then moved to Lemmes.
Sept 19: Moved from Lemmes to Esnes - a part of the Meuse Argonne Front.
Sept 25: Placed in the front line. At midnight, entered the trenches at Esnes and marched 3 kilometers to the front line on Hill 304.
Sept 26: Buma advanced through a narrow valley, meeting increased German resistance as they approached the town of Cuisy. They succeeded in overcoming the enemy and advanced to the next village of Septsarges. They captured 1,700 prisoners and more than 40 guns.    But in the fighting, all platoon leaders and all of headquarters' platoon except Buma were lost, and all but six sergeants were lost.
Sept. 27: The battle opened with an artillery barrage which Buma's group followed until they were stopped and pinned down by heavy machine gun fire. Buma's group had successfully advanced beyond their original objective. As they were strictly commanded to not proceed beyond this point, they sent word back and awaited further orders as to whether or not to continue the advance. Orders were not received for more than 1 hour. By that time, German troops refortified and began a heavy shelling of the American troops. Buma was hit by a shell and killed near Bois de Septsarges.

Buma was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism near Cuisy, France.

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Click here to read more about Buma operating an M1917 Browning machine gun while on the front line in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, September 2018.

In a letter written to family, Buma wrote, "How would you like to shoot a gun that shoots 600 shots a minute? I like to shoot them all day."
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The 4th Infantry Division included the 7th Infantry Brigade and the 39th Infantry Regiment of which Buma was a part. General Pershing, Commander of the American Expeditionary Force in France fought under his own organizational elements. Pershing began his last push on September 14, 1918 at the St. Mihiel Offensive (click here) and then on to the Meuse Argonne Offensive (click here) where Buma was recognized for his heroism on September 26 and then fell the next day.

Buma’s 4th Division was withdrawn from the front on October 19.   During their 24 days of combat they paid a heavy price with 244 officers and 7,168 men killed or wounded. They fought their way over 13 kilometers and captured 2,731 enemy prisoners.

The Armistice ending the war was signed on November 11, 1918.
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DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS
Corporal Buma received the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in action on September 26, 1918 near Cuisy, France. After all his squad members had become casualties, he alone continued to operate his gun, and after his ammunition was exhausted, he ran from shell hole to shell hole picking up ammunition and carrying it back to his gun, resuming fire on the enemy which was very instrumental in the success of the attack. Of the 500 men from Northbridge who entered the service, he is the only soldier to receive the Distinguished Service Cross.

He was killed in the Argonne sector of France on September 27, 1918 after being hit by a shell. He was Northbridge’s first victim of World War I.

A letter from Colonel F.C. Bolles of the 39th infantry to his parents says in part:

                       “He was a true American soldier of unusual courage and at all times proved himself worthy of every trust. He served his gun after the entire crew except himself had been killed. When killed he was far beyond the infantry lines firing on the enemy. Corporal Buma was admired and loved by all who knew him, both officers and men, and was recommended for a distinguished service cross for his brave and gallant work.”

Buma’s mother also received a letter from General Pershing commending his bravery while in line of duty.

1921 MILITARY FUNERAL
Raymond Buma's body remained in a marked grave in France until it was returned to Whitinsville three years later and laid to its final resting place in Pine Grove Cemetery.

A video of the repatriation of American soldiers killed in action in WW1 can be seen here.

Sept. 21, 1921 from Antwerp (click here to see the ship's manifest)
U.S. Army Military Transport Ship, the Wheaton, set sail on September 21, 1921 from Antwerp, Belgium with the body on Raymond Buma. The ship arrived in Hoboken, NJ.

Oct. 21, 1921
On October 21, 1921 a military funeral took place in Whitinsville, MA with burial in Pine Grove Cemetery. The entire town turned out to do Buma homage, business was suspended, and flags on all public buildings and private residences were at half mast.

Private services were held at the family’s home on Lake St. in New Village by Reverend Huston of the United Presbyterian Church and Reverend Trappe of the Christian Reformed Church, a former chaplain in the army.

Previous to the services, members of the Jeffrey Vail Post, British & Canadian Veterans, James Pelletier Post, Rowse R. Clarke Post, High School Cadets, Navy veterans, Spanish War veterans, Whitinsville clergy, firing squad, Rockdale Mill band, town officials and members of the 376th infantry marched from Cottage and Prospect St. to Church St. to Memorial Square and then to the Buma home where the remains were placed on a caisson drawn by four black Friesian horses.

The line moved to Buma Square where the band played a dirge and a wreath was placed. It continued on to Memorial Hall where public services were held.

On arrival at Memorial Hall the casket, covered with the national colors, was placed in front of the platform surrounded by pictures of prominent men connected with the war. Rev. Trappe read scripture and offered the pray. Rev. Huston gave a eulogy paying tribute to the first local boy to pay the supreme sacrifice, and a quartet sang. The line then proceeded to Pine Grove Cemetery where the burial took place. As the coffin was lowered into the grave, the band played “Nearer My God To Thee.”(click here) A volley was fired, taps sounded, and the flag on the coffin was given to Corporal Buma’s mother.

Buma Square was dedicated some time before Buma’s body returned home. The bronze marker was erected after the military funeral, but no ceremony was attached to the placing of the marker.   Josiah M. Lasell of Hill Street was responsible for having the marker erected.

photos of military funeral of Raymond Buma

information compiled by Raymond Buma's great niece Shelley J. Buma [email protected]
Updated April 12, 2021