USA > Wisconsin > Racine County > Racine county in the world war > Part 29
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"Our stay at Romagne was a short, but memorable one. Rumors were flying 'thick and fast.' Everybody had a different story to report. The very atmosphere was permeated with a dynamic, mysterious uncertainty that caught and held us all. We all felt that the end was near; but how, and when, and under what conditions hostilities would cease, were the questions and problems for which various and conflicting solutions were suggested, and in the discussion of which we were all engaged. Momentous events were transpiring in the his- tory of the world, and the news of most of them reached us only through the most devi- ous channels. We didn't know whether to be- lieve the rumors or not. Hope, fear, belief, and doubt were the emotions that swept us from the very pinnacle of joy to the very depth of despair. Papers reached us only once a week and then they were generally a week old. But the news they did bring to us was most cheerful and promising. Turkey had surrendered to the British; the Bulgarians had met disastrous defeat at the hands of the Si- berians and French; 500,000 Austrians had been captured; and Austria and Hungary had been forced to surrender to Italy. One calam- ity followed another and a very avalanche of disaster was sweeping the allied enemies to destruction. A revolution had broken loose in Germany, the Kaiser had abdicated, the sol- diers refused to fight any longer. The dawn of a better day was breaking and the darkness
of fear and despair was quickly giving way to the brightness of new hope and courage.
"We felt all this. It was in the air. It somehow fastened itself in one's mind and heart and just naturally couldn't and wouldn't be shaken off. Somehow, someway, something was going to happen and that something was going to be 'grand and glorious.' But at that we weren't prepared for what took place the first evening of our stay in Romagne. It came so suddenly, and broke upon the dark- ness of the silent night with such unexpected- ness and force that it swept us right off our feet and carried us on the crest of a dangerous pre-peace celebration. It was 6:30 on the eve- ning of November 7th when the first inkling of what was soon to happen, reached us. Out of the north it came. From the front of the far flying battle line it reached us faintly, at first like the rush of many waters nearer it came till it swept over us like a torrent and caught us in the ebb of its irresistible flow. We had to join in; we couldn't withstand the infection of the moment. Lights were lit, flares and rockets were sent up, and huge bonfires sprang from the surrounding hill sides as though set off by some magic wand. Ambu- lances, trucks, motorcycles, and limousines passed by with glaring head lights, full aflame. The tooting of horns, the blowing of whistles, and firing of rifles all broke upon the silence of the night. A very bedlam had broken loose and the word 'Peace' was on everybody's lips. The celebration lasted only about one hour and was as abruptly ended as it had been mysteri- ously started. We can thank God that it was a wet, foggy night and that flares and lights were unable to penetrate through the dense atmospheric condition to any great extent, for had it been a clear, cloudless night we might be writing a different story now.
"The following morning we found out that the previous night's celebration had not been without its cause. A German Peace delegation had crossed the French line at Hauchory and was in conference with Marshall Foch. This was the beginning of the end.
"November 11th, the day that was to mean so much in our lives, came like any other day. We awoke after a sleep, uninterrupted by Boche bombers, and set about performing our various duties. This was supposed to be the 'great day,' the day for which we had risked all. Our imaginations were dead, and our hopes and inclinations to believe in rumors were exhausted. In a great story or play this would have been a dramatic scene with every- one realizing the full significance of the occa-
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RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
HOOT
J.A.HJUD,
PAYALI
Photos by John Hood
RACINE'S GREATEST CELEBRATION, "FAKE" ARMISTICE DAY NOVEMBER 7, 1918
Mr. Hood's pictures show the crowds that started gathering in the streets when the "news" first was heard. Marchers with flags, auto trucks, automobile parties and bands of children are shown pouring down State street toward the center of the city to swell the howling mobs in the streets. The lower views (right) show Monument Square as impromptu parades were forming. These continued until night, growing every moment as the day progressed.
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RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
sion. But this was not a play; it was real- too real. The absence of enthusiasm and cheer- ing was uncanny, for we had long expected that when the war came to an end the greatest celebration would be at the front. But the shock was too great. So many things had hap- pened in so short a time that we were be- wildered. Men scarcely spoke. All went about their duties like men dumfounded by some supernatural event. By noon we knew that it was all over but the same silence hung over everyone, for men found their physical powers too inadequate to express and mani- fest the wonderful emotions which they felt in their hearts and souls. Thus was this mem- orable day spent, each man living to himself, with vivid thoughts of home and the future occupying his mind to the exclusion of all else.
"On the 12th we were shaken from our ap- parent stupor by orders to proceed to Liny Devant Dun. The machines had come in the night before after evacuating the last wound- ed to the rear, so we had plenty of transporta- tion.
"We left Romagne at noon and passed over the remainder of the territory which had been the scene of that now famous battle, the Meuse-Argonne. The first town on our route was Bantheville where our division had been relieved after 21 days of fighting in October. Passing by this town we went through Dulcon, Dun sur Meuse, and finally to Liny.
"Our purpose in coming to Liny was to op- erate a large delousing plant which the Ger- mans had built. The town was partly de- stroyed, being one of the last towns reached in our advance before the armistice. However, this plant showed very little signs of the bom- bardment and we found it in a fairly good con- dition. The Germans did not have time to destroy it, but they did leave the rooms in a filthy condition. The whole company set to work and in two hours we had the place look- ing like a modern auditorium.
"As now we had passed from the sphere of active warfare to the operation of a plant, we believe that this unique experience, our first post bellum activity, deserves a brief descrip- tion.
"The delouser was a frame building about 150 feet long and about 50 feet wide. In front was a large porch, in the center of which was the main entrance. On either side of this entrance was a large dressing room with bench- es for the men to sit on and a large stove to make them comfortable. Behind these rooms was one large room, the entire width of the building. Here were the ovens in which the
clothes were placed to be steamed. On either side of the ovens were counters where towels and soap were issued as the men passed to the rear where there was another large room con- taining showers.
"In fact, each side of the building was the same, complete in itself; and each was sup- posed to be worked by a separate crew. First the dressing room, then the ovens, then the showers, after which the men returned by the same way; turned in their soap and wet tow- els; got their clothing; and entered the dress- ing room.
"In the basement were four large furnaces, one for each oven and two for the hot water in the showers.
"Theoretically this was a fine plant but when we came to work it the bubble burst. First the coil in one furnace sprang a leak, and, when that was repaired, another burst. The flues of the ovens did not work well and we had to give up the idea of delousing the clothes. We centered all our attention on the shower baths and from then on, till we left, we bathed on the average of four or five hundred men per day. We had one regiment of infantry and one machine gun brigade to clean up. The rest of the division was distributed among five other bath houses in the vicinity.
"The work at Liny was not the only interest- ing' part of our stay. For many months we had lived in anything we could find, which was usually an old barn, a dugout, a rock pile, or a mud hole. Here we were to live in class, not as we should have at home; but, nevertheless, fine as compared to what we had been accustomed. Most of the houses near the plant had at least survived the bombardment. Of course they had suffered the neglect of four years of war during the German occupation, but each had a roof and a stove. There were quite a few iron beds in the bathhouse and hospital and there were few of us who didn't appropriate one of these. If there was a billet without a stove already in it, we soon supplied the want; for each machine carried a stove along for emer- gency. This wouldn't be considered the best, military form in a 'best seller,' but it was con- sidered good soldiering around our neck of the woods. For many times we had to sleep in a hole and our stoves always came in handy. The town was searched for every kind of furni- ture, kettles, wash pans, tubs, and pails; and after the first night we were living fine. We could also have lights now as there would be no more danger. Hence we did not have to go to bed at sunset but could sit up and read, write, and play cards.
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RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
CIGARS
QUOTA FOR JACKSON BARRACKS OCTOBER 22, 1918 FROM BOARD NO. 2
There were listed for entrainment the following :- Frank Jadrny, Winfield W. Fieker, Goolbank Levonian, Harry P. Rick, Arthur Shcatz, Hachar Mekailian, Roy Hoffert, Moses Torosian, Charles Hauser, Frank C. Gevers, Surnce G. Egtvedt, Frank O'Laughlin, Roy C. Nelson, M. Bankenhusch, S. R. Dibble, HJ. Hering, W. J. Cox, A. A. VanGemmert, Jr.
ECTIONERY
CIGARS
QUOTA WHICH LEFT RACINE JULY 24, 1918 FROM BOARD NO. 2
There were listed for entrainment the following :- Benjamin Franklin Hoffman, Waclaw Borzach, Elmer W. Roberts, Joseph Hilgers, Wincenty Leszkewicz, Alex Macierowdki, John W. Larson, Charles F. Frederick, Leo Herman Flynn, John Louis Sieger, Carl Pfleger, Knute G. Anderson, John Chickadaunce, Harry O. Juhnson, August J. Grapentin, James F. Middleton, George Wholust, Bakdasar Bokaholian, Rapan Manadian, Anton J. Pluhar.
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"History is never complete without a word about old Dame Rumor. There were only three rumors afloat at this time. The most impor- tant was that we were to delouse our division only and then go back to the states. Next, in line came the cruel rumor that we had to op- erate this delouser for the whole first Army, which meant a steady job. Last, but not least, we were one of the honored divisions to be chosen for the Army of Occupation. No one believed this first rumor; we hated to think of the second; but somehow all felt that they could tolerate the third.
"It was while we were here that the mon seemed to realize after all that the war wa» over. The Fifth Division, with whom we fought on the last day, came and camped on the hills near us. Each man had an individual bonfire; and, as there were thousands of them, it looked on those dark nights as if some con- stellation had fallen from heaven in all its glory. Everyone was shooting up their spare flares, star shells, and rockets; and it was more beautiful than any 4th of July we have ever seen. Now and then a great chaser would go up from one hill, only to be answered by men on another. Everyone was happy beyond de- scription.
"While here we received the daily papers, the things we always longed for and seldom received, and read to our satisfaction of the Armistice terms.
"On November 15th, we were told that our work here was finished and that we should pre- pare to hike to the Rhine, only about 150 miles.
"We were willing to make the hike for its historical value but, oh, how we hated to leave our happy homes here. However, we were still in the army and orders were orders; so we made the best of it. We received orders to be ready to move on the 17th. Before going, we received the famous Barred Red Arrow as our divisional insignia.
"We went to bed early on the 16th so as to get rested up well before starting on our long hike. On the 17th we were up bright and early with packs all rolled for hiking, but to our pleasant surprise we learned that we were to ride in our machines. The morning was spent in policing up the grounds as usual and after dinner we assembled, ready to go.
"After a wait from 2:30 P. M. until 4:30, we finally started on our way.
"On Nov. 21 we were in Belgium, but had it not been for the maps, the flags, and the peo- ple along the way, we should not have known the difference. Along the road were German guns and trucks that had been turned over to
the Allies. At every stop we would get out and examine the cause of so many months of worry for us. As we passed through towns, all the people were celebrating and Allied flags flew from every house. At dark we found ourselves in a town called Strassens, just over the bor- der of Luxemburg. Here we were told to stop for the night. After a little difficulty, we found some barns that were none too clean, for our sleeping quarters. An hour later the cooks had a meal ready for us, stew and coffee. After this hearty repast, we found ourselves with nothing to do but visit a cafe or go to bed.
"We were up at six, with our packs all made and waiting for breakfast. After break- fast we piled into our trucks, and, after a short ride over a very pretty country, we arrived at Walferdange. Much to our surprise, we found it to be a good sized town where we were to stay a week or so.
"Thanksgiving day found us still in Walfer- dange. Thanksgiving dinner consisted of steaks, potatoes, gravy, tomatoes, bread and butter, and pumpkin pie. Considering the ra- tion difficulty, we declared it a regular meal and did justice to it.
"Passes were issued for a visit to the city of Luxemburg. German souvenirs were in de- mand and the Luxemburg merchants did a wonderful business. If one had the necessary marks, he could procure a regular meal in the Luxemburg hotels and restaurants. Chocolate was the scarce article, a small piece selling for the sum of 18 Francs. So one had to be pretty well 'heeled' if he desired to satisfy his sweet tooth.
"On Dec. 13th we crossed the Rhine and reached the town of Urmitz on the west bank of the river.
"At 2 A. M. on December 14, we arrived at the town of Weis and were told that this was where we were to stay. We parked our cars and were shown to our billets which we found to be the regular issue of barns and into which 30 or 40 men were crowded.
"Of the five days that we spent in this place, nothing unusual happened. It was the same thing over-setting up exercises and hikes.
"On Thursday, December 19, we were told to pack up and be ready to move at 2 P. M.
"At the appointed hour we were all set and piled our packs into the trucks and started on our three kilometer hike to Sayn, which was to be our destination for some time.
"We were all settled by the 22nd, when we received orders to send a number of men out on detached service. The wagoners were sent out with the machines to operate with the
RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
259
WESTERN PACIFIC
F
-
771
Photos by Wright and Others
BATTERY C FROM RACINE TO WACO
At the top is "C" marching to the train on July 2, 1917, below is a demonstration of cleanliness, then the train that taok "C" to Waco. The next two show the camp at MacArthur ( Waco) ; two "hike" picture are at top, right, and below can be seen the rookie artillerymen doing a little shoveling near camp. At bottom is a group with heads clipped to represent billiard balls. The small views at the top are of Veauxhalles, France (at the left) and a regimental football game at Waco, Texas.
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RACINE COUNTY IN
hospitals. Many were sent to various infantry outfits in order to transport any sick who had to be taken to a hospital. Thirty men were sent to Rengensdorf to work with Field Hos- pital 127. Later the Y. M. C. A. asked for drivers and men to work in the theatre and then the Red Cross wanted a few; so by the time all the details were out, we hardly had enough men left to make a respectable pla- toon. Consequently, we had no drill, much to the satisfaction of those who were left. How- ever, those who remained had a good deal of K. P. and guard duty.
"Next to one of the billets was a bathroom with a number of good showers. The Germans kept the furnaces hot all the time so we could bathe most any time of the day.
"It seemed that, for once in all our experi- ence, we had everything in the town to make us happy, or at least comfortable.
"There was a good theatre, run by the Y. M. C. A. Divisional headquarters of the 'Y' lo- cated here and in addition a branch of the Red Cross. The 'Y' also had a canteen where we could buy most anything we wanted. It had been a long time since we had been able to get chocolate and cookies and we were mighty glad to get them.
"There were plenty of women glad to do our washing for a few marks so we were relieved of that piece of disagreeable work.
"Not long after we were there, Divisional Headquarters sent out circulars asking that each unit furnish some kind of a show to be run on a divisional circuit. The various units were scattered around in many towns. Thus, hesides making life easier for the men, the show troupes would have a chance to travel around and see the different towns. All play- ers were taken off details and had nothing else to do but practice and show. All together there were about 15 different shows traveling around and showing at different towns once or twice each week.
"The 107th Sanitary Train put out a good minstrel show. As our company had a jazz band as well as a goodly number of singers and dancers, we made up the greater part of the show and it took well wherever it went. So each day or so after their duties were over, the men could look forward to seeing a fairly good show and having some good laughs. After all the shows of our division had covered the circuit, we exchanged with the Second Di- vision on our right. Their shows lasted nearly up to the time we left Sayn.
"Saturday, April 19, 1919, was a memorable day, for we were told to pack up and start for
THE WORLD WAR
home. It was hard to realize that at last we were to return to the United States, and no one would really admit believing it until we were aboard the battleship Virginia at Brest.
"The fourteen days spent at Brest seemed to us, in contrast to what they might have been and should have been, about the most dis- agreeable of our army experience. At no other place did we see American soldiers given such discourteous treatment as at Camp Pantan- azen.
"Everything possible was done to make our enforced stay a hard and strenuous one. When we left Sayn it had been reported that no longer than four days were to be spent in the rest camp at Brest. Well, once more, as usual, we established another record. Again we were the 'goats' and fourteen long, weary, nerve-racking, laborious days we ground and slaved in that camp of physical, mental, and spiritual torture. We were on detail all the time, day and night. And when it wasn't that it was inspection, or bath, or some other such bluff that some of these camp 'looies' pulled off on us. Oh, they sure had us jumping at a lively rate, and we'll never forget the time we had there. We did everything from mixing cement to building duck-walks, and the last day they had us hauling high, heavy sticks of cord wood and laying railroad tracks. Oh, yes, it was a rest camp all right, but our fingers fairly itched to lay hands on the pest who in- vented that name.
"But the grand and glorious day finally came; and Wednesday, May 7th, found us once more on the move. We were up at 4 a. m., rolled our packs, and made ready to leave. Had our last breakfast in the old kitchen, No. 14, at 5:30. Put finishing touches to our re- spective tents, and by 7:20 we lined up per the passenger list, and bade our final silent adieu to the place that had housed us for the past two weeks.
"The packs were heavy, the way they chose was the longest, and before we reached Brest we were a tired, worn out bunch. Oh, boy! That hike was a terror, and the one thing that kept us keyed up was the knowledge that at last we were 'homeward bound.' At the pier everything worked like clock-work and once more the Red Cross was on the job, handing out the goods. The 33rd Division band played us a number of farewell pieces, and the last one we heard as we left the harbor in our ship was the grand old piece, 'Homeward Bound.' A 2nd 'Looie' jammed us in that little ship till he nearly squeezed the life out of us. But we stood for it all without a murmur. We were
RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
261
RACINE DEVICE THAT HELPED THE BOYS KEEP CLEAN
Portable field laundry, used by the A. E. F. that was pulled around France by a Case tractor and furnished with power for washing by the same Racine machine. This was snapped at Is-sur-Tille by Lt. H. J. Sanders.
797
RACINE TRACTOR NOW USED BY THE NEAR EAST FARMERS
The picture shows American women instructing Asiatics in the operation of a Case tractor which was one of hundreds sent to Asia Minor to aid in reconstruction work.
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RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
taking no chances. Naturally we thought a lot, but 'mum' was the word and silence reigned supreme. In fact the whole trip from the Pantanazen Camp to the pier was a silent, noiseless, songless one. We were ordered to refrain from talking while on the march; and, needless to say, we followed instructions. This also made our hike seem longer and more strenuous, because there's nothing like a song to cheer a fellow up on a long, hard march. It was about 10:45 when we left land and walked the first gang-plank into the small vessel that was to transport us to the battleship Virginia. At 11:30 we walked the plank up the big fight- ing sea-dog."
The ambulance company landed at Newport News May 20, and after four pleasant days at Camp Morrison, the boys entrained on a regular American train with seats and berths and windows for Camp Grant, Ill., to be mus- tered ont. This ceremony was completed on May 29, and then thirty-five automobiles pro- vided by Racine Commercial club members brought the boys back to their home town. It was a beautiful day, and the ride was most enjoyable. At its conclusion, Ambulance com- pany 127 formed ranks for the last time on Washington avenue, and under command of Major Johnston, marched down to the center
of town between lines of cheering people and were dismissed in the court of honor on Third street. It was a happy and fitting conclusion of two years of service during the greatest of all wars.
The personnel of the Ambulance company underwent numerous changes during its serv- ice. A dozen men were transferred from its ranks shortly after its arrival at Camp Doug- las, owing to an order altering the size of various medical units. A large proportion of the members, however, remained on its rolls to the time of mustering out. Sergeant James P. Hawley was lost when the Transport Tus- cania was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland early in 1918. Private "Jack" Clancy, a lov- able lad not yet out of his 'teens, died at a hospital near Chaumont, France, Sept. 23, 1918, of pneumonia, after he had undergone two months of service at the front. The com- pany lost no men killed in action. Paul Hecht and Andy Lang succumbed to illness shortly after reaching France.
Following is the muster roll of the unit just before it left Racine for Camp Douglas in July, 1917:
Captain-William W. Johnston.
1st Lieut .- William J. Hanley.
1st Lieut .- William F. Salbreiter.
SERGEANTS
Stoffel, Arthur F. J.
Reis, William Barnes, Geo. K.
Dyer, William E.
Kinsler. John W.
Pierce, Louis F.
Schulte, Robert M.
Ellingsen, Adolph
Klippel, Connie B.
Pitsch, Louis J.
Elingsen. Sigwall
Knoedler, Harold W.
Plummer. William N.
CORPORALS
Elsen, Albert J.
Kopecky, Paul
Popłowski. Stanley E.
Hawley. James P.
Engman, Edward 0
Koprowski, Paul P.
Prailes, Otto A.
Nelson, Emil
Evers. Henry A., Jr.
Kulbacky. Peter
Quella, Aloy B.
Zohm. Richard H.
Evers, John R.
Kumisco, Konstant
Rice. Joe H. Rockei, Charley J.
COOKS
Fridle. James C.
LaCrosse, Arthur H.
Rowley, Burton
Reis. Frank
Gavahan, Lawrence
Lange, Andy M.
Schmidt, Richard F.
Mrotek. Gust F.
George. Harry
Larsen, Chris.
Scholey, Fred A.
Marck, Joseph A.
(ifroerer. Herbert H.
Liegler. Fred Dewey
Schnetz, Roy J.
PRIVATES 1st CLASS
Fuller, Russell A.
Guilbert, Gordon M.
Smollen. Martin T.
Lange, Carroll E.
Greenman, Sterling W.
MeElroy, Donald
Snyder, Henry D.
Hall. Willard ( .. Jr.
MeNabb. Walter
Stagwillo, Ray
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