USA > Wisconsin > Racine County > Racine county in the world war > Part 43
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Since the armistice the activities of the M. T. C. A. have been chiefly confined to ad- vocating universal military training. The present Racine Committee is as follows:
Maj. Rex P. W. Capwell. Capt. Raymond H Weins, Captain L. Paul A. Valentine, 1st Lieut. Jas. G. Nelson, W. F. MacGregor, Branch Chairman.
It was not until the middle of 1918 that the government realized the value of giving draft- ed men preliminary military training, prior to their entrainment for camp. The results of the system were very apparent after it was in-
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RACINE WOMEN PROMINENT IN WARTIME WORK AND SERVICE MEN
At the top are Mrs. Henry G. Mitchell, Mrs. John W. Owen (chairman of Women's Committee, Council of Defense), Mrs. Stuart Webster (chairman Women's Committee, Council of Defense), Agnes M. Clancy (overseas welfare worker) and Mrs. Max Osius, who taught knitting to hundreds of Racine war workers.
Second-Walter Olson, Robt. Drever, J. F. Carre, C. Bethridge, John Larson, E. Kaplan. Third-Luther Balzer, Albt. Johnson, M. M. Costello, L. F. Dinnauer, J. F. Delgen, M. G. Koch. Fourth-Nels Larson, Herman Schacht, Tony Wuertz, Hugh Munn, Julius Nielsen, Karl C. Larsen. Fifth-F. O. Wilson, Peter E. Madsen, B. M. Kerr, M. Wisby, Wm. King, A. J. Flanagan. Bottom-Paul Daplo, Viggo Jensen, If. C. Gates, G. A. Rierson, Louis Monk, Geo. F. Foster.
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troduced, and the contingents leaving Racine in the late summer and fall were noticeable for their orderly and military formations. The following officers and men of Company I, 7th Inf., State guards, acted as drill masters in drilling the selective service men of Local Board No. 2:
Appointed by Board: Capt. Paul M. Mat- son, Sergts. J. E. Wilson, P. F. Petersen, A. W. Johnson, Ed. Rasmussen, C. B. Washburn, T. L. Hermansen. Others who assisted were: 1st Lieut. W. F. MacGregor, Sergt. A. W. Clut- ter, Corporals Wm. Myers, D. C. Washburn, S. E. Craig, Niels Nielsen, L. A. Filiatreau. Evan Catterall, A. E. Wilkins; Privates Jesse Acklam, C. O. Beach, H. P. Christensen, Albert Hutchinson, Andrew Nickelsen, Matthew Poul- sen, Adrian Wilson.
Battery C of Racine had the misfortune not to get to the front in France, but there are half a dozen members of that unit, nevertheless, who are privileged to wear a star on their Victory badge because of their participation in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. The story of their adventure is familiar to most of the vet- erans but will bear recounting here.
Early in October, 1918, the members of Bat- tery C, stationed at Veauxhalles, began to worry over a possible ending of the war before they should be able to re-join the division. All efforts to get transferred to other batteries of the 121st Field Artillery failed, and the men were inclined to blame their new commander, a New York reserve officer, for their plight. A few of them made up their minds that they would see the front, no matter what happened. Inquiry developed that men who were absent without leave were usually picked up by the military police and hustled back to their or- ganizations, and they evolved the scheme of declaring themselves members of other units. Some of them tried it and were sent back to Veauxhalles before they could get far enough away to deceive the M. P. officers.
Finally, however, Arthur Hader, Edward Stilb, Walter Williams and Walter Maas got on a freight train headed toward Verdun. They had learned prior to this where the Thir- ty-second division was in the lines. Arriving at Dombask, they reported themselves as stragglers from the 121st Field Artillery, and were immediately ordered to proceed to the vicinity of Montfaucon, where the regimental headquarters were located.
In the meantime, Sgt. Arthur Krueger and Harry Augustine had been in a hospital and had also reported themselves as belonging to
the regiment without going into details as to what battery claimed them. They likewise were forwarded by the information center to the Meuse-Argonne sector.
When the men finally hiked into the valley where headquarters were located and reported to Lieut-Col. Arthur, commanding the regi- ment, he assigned them to Battery F tempor- arily, until they could be returned to Veaux- halles. Col. Arthur was feeling pretty good that day and it is a known fact that he saw through their story of "getting lost" just about as quickly as they told it, but he remarked to one of his staff that if men wanted to see the front so badly that they deserted to get there they ought to have a chance.
The men remained with the regiment at the front during the latter part of October and had a very concentrated view of battles as viewed from an artillery position. They took part in two or three defensive fights against raiding aeroplanes, participated in the start of the grand offensive on November 1st and advanced twice with the combat sections as the army gained ground.
When they finally were returned to Veaux- halles-five of them to undergo courtmartial for being absent without leave-they had all the correct "dope" on all minor battle tactics from mustard gas defense to the neatest way to dive into a shell hole when trouble was threatened. When they got back to Battery C and explained what had happened, only the signing of the armistice prevented the entire Battery, including some of the junioir officers, from making a similar dash toward the firing line, regardless of consequences.
One of the popular charities before and after America entered the war was that for the re- lief of Fatherless Children of France. In Ra- cine a committee consisting of Mrs. Stuart Webster, Mrs. John G. Meachem, Mrs. H. D. Robinson and Mrs. Henry G. Mitchell took charge of the work, with Mrs. Webster as chairman. Later on Mrs. Mitchell served as chairman. It was estimated that $36 was re- quired for a year's assistance to each child "adopted" by donors to the fund. The com- mittee obtained $6300, or enough to support 175 orphaned children. This money was all sent to the committee in Paris in charge of the work.
Here is a letter received by Mrs. E. Bailey from the mother of one of the children bene- fitted:
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Photo by Leonard
THE FIRST SELECT MEN FROM RACINE FOR THE NATIONAL ARMY
This contingent was drawn by Local Board No. 2 for entrainment on Sept. 5, 1917. The local board was in the Front row when the picture was taken. The selective men, standing, are Michael J. Bohn, Gilbert Barr, Phil T. Clancy, Carl Christ- ensen, Paul Sorenson, Jay Griffith Townsend, "Joe" ( G. T.) Corombo and Alfred Sorenson. The two Sorenson boys did not leave with the contingent, which entrained that day. They were the vanguard of Racine's contribution to the "fight- ing four million" American Yanks.
Photo by Billings
THE COUNTY FUEL ADMINISTRATION
The members of the administration shown in this illustration are J. V. Rohan, F. Lee Norton and Herbert F. Johnson.
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Veuilly la Paterie, par Gandelie, June 13.
"Dear Madam :- I hasten to reply to your good letter of May 24, addressed to Paulette and which I received today.
"I thank you for your goodness in interest- ing yourself in her. I will have her picture taken and send you one as soon as possible.
"Unhappily, Madam, you too have had a great sorrow. Did your son die in war? My husband, after having been wounded several times, died from a wound, Oct. 2, 1918. It is very sad to have suffered 4 years and then to die just as the terrible nightmare was drawing to a close. More than that, he was a good husband and father. I came from Chateau- Thierry and have lived in Veuilly since my marriage in December, 1912. We had charge of a mill belonging to the parents of my hus- band and which since the invasion in 1918, has been idle. Since my husband is dead, l will without doubt return to Chateau-Thierry with my 3 children and my father-in-law who lives with me. My mother-in-law died of grief last March, not being able to console herself at the loss of her son. It is so sad when such trouble comes, after one has been so comfortable and so happy.
"You will pardon me, Madam, for having written so much, but it is that we may know each other better, although we are so far separ- ated one from the other. I think all the same that we will become good friends.
"Paulette embraces her American God-moth- er and guards most carefully her letters.
"Please accept, Madam, the assurance of my friendship."
S. VERIT.
Sgt. Russell Fisher of the 127th Ambulance company, received the following citation from Gen. Pershing: "For distinguished and ex- ceptional gallantry at the Ourcq river on Au- gust 2, 1918 in the operations of the American Expeditionary Forces, in testimony thereof and as an expression of appreciation of his valor, I award him this citation. Awarded on March 27, 1919. JOHN J. PERSHING, Commander- in-chief."
Pvt. Robert Drever, Co. B, 18th Infantry, received a citation from the First Brigade of Infantry, "for gallant conduct and self-sacrific- ing spirit during the battles of Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne."
Maj. James W. Gilson, adjutant of the 57th Field Artillery brigade, Thirty-second division, was awarded a croix de guerre by the French command for his skill and tact in maintaining laison between the French and American head- quarters.
Lieut. Jay G. Townsend had the distinction of having volunteered, been accepted and then being drafted and gaining a commission. He took the examinations for the Officers Training Camp at Fort Sheridan in June, 1917. He was ordered to report for the second camp on Sep- tember 7th, but in the meantime was notified that he was called in the draft with the con- tingent to leave the same week. His discharge from the draft was recommended by his im- mediate superiors but was disapproved by the chief mustering officer so he remained with the 310th engineers, and was promoted to corporal, sergeant and then commissioned 2nd Lieuten- ant and appointed an instructor. He was pro- moted again while with the 214th engineers, but is on record as saying he wished he had re- mained a private in the 310th regiment.
When the Racine batteries first went to Camp Douglas, the men were given but one blanket apiece and the nights were pretty cold. The men slept in their uniforms and piled everything they could find on top of them- selves at night. Racine people offered to fur- nish them blankets, but some of the officers vetoed the proposition as the state was ex- pected to have a full supply of issue blankets within a short time, and after that the troops probably would not be permitted to use or wear anything not issued. The local Red Cross chapter decided to do something, however, so they sent pajamas to the boys. The night the box arrived at Camp Douglas, there was a great pajama parade, which was led by the regimental band and "Battering Ram Bill." Battery C's goat mascot. The men marched in lock-step clear to Camp Douglas village and back. That night they were somewhat warm- er, as they wore the pajamas outside of their uniforms as they slept. They even turned out to roll call in them on the following morning, much to the envy of other outfits which had not been similarly equipped. It is with regret that it has to be admitted, however, that the wear- ing of pajamas as purely night garments never became a habit while troops were on field serv- ice. If one took off all his uniform clothes at night, it took too long to dress in the morning.
The capture of Battery C's goat was one of the things that will be remembered by Racine national guardsmen in the war as long as they remember the days of 1916-19 at all. The goat was the pride of the battery, and when Battery F announced that their colleagues up the regi-
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Views by John Hood
SHOWING THE BOYS OF 1861 AND THE BOYS OF 1918
The marching column at the top is made up of members of the G. A. R. who fought nearly sixty years before the men in the lower picture reached training camps. The lower views show a farewell to select nien about to leave (observe the hand clasp), and the train with many heads protruding from windows, just as it was leaving. The inserted picture at the left is L. A. Coughman. Those at the right are: at top, H. H. Lueschke, center John Wiechers and at bottom, Sgt. Wm. Beller.
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mental street were too proud and the goat must be removed, Battery C prepared to defend its mascot with every bit of energy at its com- mand.
It was stolen once, and found by Battery C scouts concealed in a farmyard five miles from the camp. After that three guards were put on it every night, and the battery commander's scout detail was given the task of preventing a second capture. When it was announced that Battery F was going to precede the regi- ment to Waco within a week or less, the pre- cautions were redoubled.
One night Sgt. Hartvig Saugman of Battery F's battery commander's detail crept over to C street and concealed himself alongside a tent and awaited his chance. At 2:30 a. m. the three guards permitted the long-sought oppor- tunity to come. One man was taking his turn sleeping. A second one walked to his tent to get a sweater, as the night was chilly. The third, left alone, tried to light a cigarette but as there was a high wind he walked to the shelter of a tent to strike a match. Saugman was on the job in a flash. He cut the rope that confined the goat to a tree in the company street, picked the animal up in his arms, and ran to F street, where several fellow conspira- tors were waiting. Here he gagged the goat so it could not bleat and then rushed toward the railroad track just as he heard the alarm being raised in C street. He had planned to wait near the picket line until the sentry's back was turned and try to slip through. He waited five minutes breathlessly without see- ing a sentry and then decided to take a chance. He crossed the sentry line and ran for a swamp past the tracks. It later developed that the sentry at that moment was busy robbing the regimental canteen, which accounted for the vacant post. The sentry was caught almost in the act by Lieut. George Wallace, officer of the guard, and placed under arrest. But Saugman knew nothing of this.
He made his way by a circuitous route to Camp Douglas village, where he hired an auto- mobile for $5, pledging the driver to secrecy. Then he carried the goat to a farm house where he had previously engaged accommoda- tions in an old stable some three miles from camp. There the goat remained for nearly a week.
Before daylight Battery C scouts were scour- ing the country. One detail, posted on a high bluff, watched the vicinity all day with field glasses to detect the return of the goat's cap- tor, but Saugman had forseen this and made his return trip through woods and under cover,
by a roundabout way. He reached camp in an exhausted condition in time for reveille roll call.
The secret was well kept and even the Bat- tery F men did not know how the animal was stolen. All in the regiment were sure that Battery F had turned the trick, however. Battery C's scouts, under command of Lieut. Harry Herzog and Sgt. Joseph Oliver, got so hot on the trail (in one case they looked in a barn on the very farm where the goat was hidden) that it was deemed wise to throw them off the trail. Arrangements were therefore made to have a telegram sent to Capt. Bryant of Battery C. To this was forged the name of President Jones of the Elks club at Racine, and the message said: "I have received the goat sent by Battery F and will return it to you by express tomorrow." This did the trick and the hunt was halted.
Two days later Battery F packed up and started for Waco. The night before the goat had been smuggled to the car in which Battery F was to put its baggage, and a guard armed with clubs and consisting of Walter Kobierski, Frank Lemanski, Joe Ulicki and Louis War- zynkiewicz watched over his welfare from midnight until the time of departure. No as- sault was made on the car, however, as all out- side of the battery believed the goat en route from Racine to Camp Douglas.
When the train pulled out for Waco, Texas, the door of the baggage car was slowly opened and "Bill" stuck his head out and gave a "B-a-a" of farewell to his old tentmates. The roar of protest, amazement and laughter that followed will always be remembered with joy by the boys of Battery F.
On the trip to Waco, Battery F stopped off for exercise at Sioux City, Mo. A little fox terrier attached herself to the outfit and got on the train with the boys. She stayed with the battery during its training at Waco and be- came much beloved by the men. She was call- ed "Sue," an abbreviation of "Sioux City." She learned how to drill, and could execute "squads right" perfectly, either acting as pivot or fourth file. She went on all drills and hikes, stood rigidly at attention during the ceremony of retreat, and at the command, "Dismissed" would dash down the company street furiously, as she had seen the men doing on occasions when it was time to prepare for mess. When the battery was preparing to leave for France, she was shipped to Racine by Sgt. William Krueger and his family kept her as a pet.
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Rephotos by John Hood
Top Row-Wallace A. Coleman, Harold Helding, F. L. Schacht, Walter Stransky, Voyle D. Ott, W. T. Lewis. Second-Victor Bengaard, Rev. J. W. Bott, Theodore Tabhert, Nels Dybvad, Roy J. Clunie, H. C. Denig. Third-E. W. Schacht, Roland Schacht, John D. Costello, Joseph Holuh, Walter Tyborczyk, Roy G. Peterson. Fourth-J. Christenson, Wm. H. Sorenson, John Corombo, R. H. Kellogg, John P. Becker, Clarence I. Madsen. Fifth-Moses Torposian, Herman Weiss, P. W. Jacobs, K. Naporer, Geo. Hanrahan, A. J. Huck. Bottom-H. C. Rothweiler, John Brown, R. A. McElroy, E. D. Calkins, Ray Filler, H. D. Paton.
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Every man in the army was required to wear, suspended from a tape which encircled his neck, two aluminum identification dises bearing his name, organization and rank. These tags, popularly known as "dog tags," were about the size of a quarter of a dollar. When receiving them the men were greatly cheered up to be informed that one was to be buried with them when they died, and the other hung upon the head-board above their graves. The discs bore the army serial number of the wearer, and one form of amusement in the army was "dog tag poker," played by making the best possible poker hand of the numerals on the player's tag.
After the war a search was made for official government photographs taken of the Thirty- second division during its training at Camp MacArthur. A reply was received saying that the only one on record was a picture of a pile of tin cans near the quartermaster's office, the said cans having been salvaged for the lead and tin they contained. The picture was not ordered.
During the autumn of 1917, a large batch of reserve officers, mostly "second looies," came to every regular army and national guard en- campment, to get experience in serving with troops. Their collar insignia bore the letters "U. S. R.", and because of the ease with which the government provided them in great quanti- ties from the training schools, the men twisted the meaning of the letters and called these officers "Sears-Roebuck units." Sometimes a company would have as many of these lieuten- ants as it had sergeants and corporals.
Here is a scene viewed from the door of a shack used as a P. C. (post of command) near Ecclesfontaine, in the Meuse-Argonne sector:
A landscape consisting of rolling fields, dot- ted with patches of underbrush; a cold, misty rain is falling, and the roads are covered with a 2-inch layer of soupy, yellow mud, while the fields are a sticky mass of mire. On the south- ern slope of the hills can be seen hundreds of small excavations-holes dug into the earth to offer shelter to the soldiers in case of attack. A few baggage wagons and caissons are mov- ing slowly along a road, each drawn by three pair of dejected looking horses. Overhead an aeroplane passes occasionally on its way to or from the vicinity of the front lines, where it
watches the activity of the troops there. Every ten or fifteen minutes a loud "bang" is heard as a piece of artillery sends a missile to- ward the Boche territory just to remind "Frit- zie boy" to keep his head down and not get too naughty. In a little grove of saplings, six small fires are burning. Boughs are hung above the fires to scatter the smoke, lest it becomes visible to the enemy even through the fog. On each fire is a big can, or kettle, salv- aged from some place unknown, and a group of soldiers, mostly naked from the waist up, keep the contents of the kettles well stirred. Some of the men sit on the wet ground examining pieces of clothing carefully. A few are naked excepting for rain coats; all of their apparel is in one of the kettles. These men are engaged in "reading their shirts," boiling cooties and laundering their woolens. Someone strolls along and asks them how things are going. "It's a gay life if you don't weaken," is the grinning response.
"I just got an old timer," volunteers an earnest searcher, who is exploring the seams of his woolen underwear. "That cootie had three service stripes on his back. He must have been with the A. E. F. ever since Pershing landed in Paris."
"That can of water is sure getting action," said another. "I shaved with it, then took a bath in it, then washed my mess kit in it. As soon as I get through washing my clothes in it, I am going to take it down to the guns to use for wetting the swabs when we are firing tonight. I'll tell the world that I am conserv- ing my resources."
"I hope I can get that mustard gas out of my blouse," comments a tall, sad looking youngster. "I laid down in a mess of it the other night, and it soaked through and put a blister on my back as big as a sofa cushion. The orders say we mustn't wear clothes that have been touched by it, but I won't turn in that dear old shirt until I see another coming from the supply sergeant."
"You'll never get it," retorts a companion. "All of them nice new clothes are needed back in the S. O. S. so them birds can be dressed right for the Battle of Paris. They've got to he dressed proper while they are sitting down in their nice mess halls eating the candy and ham and all those things sent over from the U. S. A. for us fighting men. What do YOU want to dress up in a clean shirt for? There ain't no mademoiselles up here to gaze on your manly form."
"You can't tell, maybe we'll see some ladies
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yet," is the reply of the shirt-seeker. "I see by the papers that there are a lot of American girls over here somewhere entertaining the heroes. I guess most of them heroes are at Chaumont and LeMans. I haven't seen any of them entertainments; maybe you have. You probably get in on that. Probably you are a hero, huh? You look like one, you slab-sided old dud! If any girl ever saw you she'd take the next boat for the States. No wonder they don't come around our sector. You're enough to scare a tank."
"Why, you stiff, I am a Venus de Milo com- pared with you! If you ever got in a bunch of field clerks, they'd scream with terror. Why don't you wash your neck once in a while ? Don't you know the orders from G. H. Q. ? Every man at the front must keep his shoes shined all the time, and keep all clothes clean, pressed and in good repair. You'll get ten and twenty if the general comes and sees that hole in the seat of your pants. And where is your other sock ? You know darned well you have got to have two socks."
And so on, until the cook yells, "Mess; come and get it," and the launderers wring out their wash and start for the rolling kitchen on the run.
Every man who served in the army in the United States for six months and did not go overseas was entitled to wear a white chevron on his left sleeve, just above the wrist. If he went overseas, he could not wear a white chevron, but was given a blue one. If he re- mained overseas six months, he must discard the blue chevron, and was entitled to wear a gold chevron. Another gold chevron was add- ed for each additional six months abroad. If a man were wounded or gassed seriously enough to require treatment at a hospital, he was entitled to wear a gold "wound chevron" on his right sleeve. No matter how many wounds he received at one time, he received only the single chevron, but he got another chevron for each additional trip to a hospital for similar cause.
News of the world, and of the war itself, came to soldiers in very small quantities in France. The main sources of supply were the occasional copies of the Paris edition of the New York Herald or Chicago Tribune, which consisted of very highly censored reports of the battles and the official communiques. More interesting reading was contained in "The
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