Racine county in the world war, Part 44

Author: Haight, Walter L
Publication date: c1920]
Publisher: [Racine, Western Prtg. & Lithographing Co.
Number of Pages: 612

USA > Wisconsin > Racine County > Racine county in the world war > Part 44

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Stars and Stripes," the official newspaper of the A. E. F., which was edited by soldiers and distributed fairly regularly through the army. Frequently aeroplanes would come up and drop bundles of "Stars and Stripes" for the boys in the zone of the advance.

The censorship of mail was very strict, and when orders were obeyed strictly the soldiers could write little more than "I am well and we are sure to win this war." It is interesting to learn that out of millions of letters censored in our army, 50,700 were sent to the base censor and only one was found which would be sus- pected of having been written with the inten- tion of conveying information to the enemy. Even in this instance, the charge was not proven.

The war was devoid of most of the romantic · features which marked previous conflicts. Flags were never carried at the front. At- tacks were seldom made in the daytime, so it was impossible to see a battle in its entirety or even to see enough to give an idea of what was going on. The infantry did not go over in mass formations, but crept or ran in small groups, seeking cover wherever possible. A line of battle was much like a series of skirm- ish lines, with no massed supports in sight. Even the bugle was dispensed with in the zone of the advance. Cavalry was never seen in action by the Americans, and the movements of light field artillery were mostly made at night. In the day time No-Man's Land was a torn-up stretch of land which appeared entire- ly deserted. At night star-shells and flares illuminated this area at intervals, as keen eyed observers sought to discover an enemy patrol on its way to obtain information from the foe's lines.

The average American soldier was interested in France and the French people because things were different than at home. It took sometime to get used to the awkward looking carts and wagons, the teams of oxen utilized for farm work, the use of hedges instead of wire fences to divide fields, narrow streets and the old stone houses which had been in use for centuries. The average doughboy did not get much education out of his stay in Europe, be- cause he had not prepared himself by educa- tion to appreciate the old towns, castles, works of art and historical spots of France. He was more inclined to discuss the ever-present ma-

412

RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR

nure piles and open sewers, than he was to note the Roman architecture of the village church. He discussed the high prices of food in the little stores more than he did the kings and knights who had once lived around the corner from it. He got to dislike the French people because he would not try to understand them. For instance, he could not see why a Frenchman expected him to say "Bon jour," when passing a native. He had never been in- troduced, and therefore he could not see that it was up to him to be polite to the stranger. The French could not see why anyone should be so lacking in courtesy. When billetted in. villages, the boys generally got on good terms with the people; this was especially true where they had learned to talk a little French. But these were personal friendships, and not a blanket approval of the nation. They all ad- mired and praised French cooking, probably be- cause it was better than the culinary art of the company cook. For the first time in their lives they discovered that America was the best country on earth, and "they wouldn't trade one square foot of old Wisconsin for the whole of Europe." They wanted to go home as soon as the war was "fini." "We've made the world safe for the Democratic party," they declared, paraphrasing President Wilson's declaration. "Now let's be on our way before somebody else wants to start a new war over here."

Bradley Smollen of Racine was the first priv- ate in the National army. Unable to pass the physical examination for enlistment, he got into the first draft and was ordered to report to Camp Grant. He went there four days be- fore he was supposed to arrive and was wel- comed with cheers by the hundreds of officers who needed a private to do their work for them. He worked so diligently for every general and colonel in sight, that by the time the first con- tingent arrived he was being promoted every time he turned around. They made him first class private, corporal, sergeant, first class sergeant, battalion sergeant major and then regimental sergeant major, as each high rank- ing officer in turn needed his services as clerk or courier. Later he got a commission.

The record for patriotic service by one family of Racine county undoubtedly is held by the Corbeils of Burlington. There were six broth- ers in the service of their country. Oliver S. Corbeil was in the navy and was on duty with the fleet. Charles D., George S. and Elmer D.

Corbeil were in the army and saw service over- seas. Eric T. and G. Arthur Corbeil were in the army but did not have the chance to cross the ocean.

Albert Sorenson was probably the first Ra- cine man wounded in action after this country entered the war. He went overseas June 14, 1917, as a member of the 26th Infantry, and was wounded in November, while in the Toul sector for training.

W. C. Higgins, nephew of the Gen. Sherman who declared that "war is hell," has a certi- ficate of discharge from the army showing that he was inducted at 10 a. m. on Nov. 11, 1918, and discharged at 7:30 p. m. the same day. Other Racine men may have spent as short a time in service, but it is doubtful if the official records show it.

The Sawyer family had the best record of service viewed from the standpoint of percent- age. Charles D. Sawyer, 1605 Villa street, went into service on May 12, 1917. His father and brother were in the Canadian army, so there was a 100% enlistment from the family.

Monong Bajaksisian is an Armenian-Amer- ican, if such a term is proper. He has the unique distinction of having fought on both sides in the World War. He is now living at 1017 Douglas avenue.

Bajaksisian was forced into the Turkish army in 1914, and fought against the Russians during 1914 and 1915. He was severely wounded at Cougas, Russia, and went home to recuperate. He found that the Turks had slaughtered his father, mother, wife, child, brother and sister-in-law in the massacres that had occurred at Cilic. In that community only thirty-four of 50,000 Armenians had escaped the Turk murderers.

As soon as he could move about, Mr. Bajaksi- sian fled the country and went to Italy, from which country he was able to secure passage to America. Arriving here as we were entering the war, he promptly enlisted in the 58th in- fantry and was sent to France July 23, 1918. He saw active service, was promoted to corpo- ral for bravery in action, and found several opportunities to wreak revenge upon the cent- ral-European alliance which had caused him so much sorrow.

413

RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR

Photos From War History Committee

Top Row-Harry B. Peterson (see page 454). Whitey Barber, T. B. Jensen, W. L. Gittings, H. W. Greene, R. D. and C. R. Baumstark, P. C. Braske.

Second-Vincert Digandio, Archy Rango, John C. Johnson, D. Fazio, C. Radovich, R. Ohrmundt, H. F. Greninger. Third-Edwin M. Hansen, Hilton R. Hansen, John Olsen, Hans P. Olson, Julius Roy, J. M. Manalli, Einer Simonsen. Fourth-F. M. Mickulecky, Frank Mazzei, John C. Lange, Lester G. Johnson, M. Zacarelli, Clifton Wishan, Joe Filipone. Fifth-J. W. McGuire, Chas. Lampe, T. W. Tulloch, L. B. Last, B. J. Olson, John A. Anderson, Andrew Sondergaard. Bottom-W. Hansen. W. H. Hush, Frank Shimkus, N. A. Thomas, Axel Hansen, Wm. Shook, Orville Ackman, R. Sabee.

414

RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR

Miss Helen Converse Huguenin was working at headquarters of the Racine Chapter of the Red Cross, when news was received that her brother, Lieut. Stanley Huguenin, of the 17th U. S. Aero Squadron, was killed overseas, April 3, 1918. She immediately volunteered her services as a student nurse and was ac- cepted in July 1918. She was sent to Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, S. C., and that win- ter worked in a ward of influenza and pneu- monia patients.

In January 1919 she was sent to the Base Hospital, Lakewood, New Jersey, where fifteen hundred wounded soldiers from the battlefields of France were being cared for. She was then sent to the Base Hospital at Staten Island, and then to Bellevue Hospital, New York, where she was honorably discharged in August 1919, after thirteen months service.

Thorwald Nyholm, a Racine mechanic, ar- ranged his own plan for welfare work for sold- iers and sailors. With money saved from his daily wages, he sent cigarettes and candy cost- ing more than $1,000 to men in service. At his home he has a collection of many hundreds of postal cards and letters received from boys thanking him for his gifts. After the war he kept up his contributions, the beneficiaries be- ing the wounded men at Ft. Sheridan hospital.

Even when a military outfit knows that it is going home, it is not such a simple matter to get there. Battery C, 121st F. A. was on the way more than a month before it actually saw Monument square.

The battery, with the remainder of the regi- ment, started the long "hike" homeward on April 15th. The start was made from Mauva- ges, a small village about four kilometers from Rozieres-en-blois, in which brigade headquar- ters had been billeted since arriving in the Gondrecourt area.

Everything was bustle and hurry in the camp at Pershing's Park for two weeks before the men boarded trains. Other outfits enroute to Brest had been compelled to stop at LeMans, where they were deloused and given prelimin- ary examinations. Owing to the fact that the 121st Field Artillery was detached from its division, and the need for haste was impera- tive, it was decided to complete all these de- tails at the camp.

Medical examinations became as much a part of the day's routine as reveille and taps.

There were two examinations daily and woe to the man on whose person or in whose clothing was found a "cootie!" It meant his separation from the rest of the battery men, and a trip to delousing plant at Gondrecourt. Not until the last semblance of a "cootie" had been removed was he allowed to return.

There were also daily check-ups on the equip- ment. Numerous articles were turned in that the men could not carry with them on the hike. Barrack bags were packed with personal be- longings which the men desired to take home. The guns, tractors and automobiles were given a new coat of paint, and were turned in at Mauvages.

The final inspection held, and the last review a thing of the past, the morning of April 15th found the men lined up in front of the bar- racks, with everything clean as a whistle. The empty barracks were the only mute witnesses that soldiers had been there, for special details had worked for days policing the grounds. The whistle was blown, and the men started on the hike to Mauvages.

Fifty-two men to a box car was necessary for the railroad journey, owing to the big de- mand for rolling stock. In addition each car contained four day's rations for the men, and two or three boxes belonging to the quarter- master-sergeant. A non-commissioned officer was placed in charge of each car.

Under ordinary circumstances, the trip would have been a hardship, but the men were bound for home, and nothing mattered. Room in the crowded cars was at a premium, but the men accommodated themselves to conditions, part of them slinging their shelter halves from the bars of the windows and using them as ham- mocks.

At 4:50 o'clock in the afternoon of Friday, April 18, the train pulled into Brest. The men and their baggage were hurriedly unloaded. A warm supper, the first in more than three days, was served them at the kitchens near the depot, and fifteen minutes later they were in line and had started the hike up the winding hill leading to the rest camp at Brest.

The regiment remained at Brest for twelve days, much longer than had been originally ex- pected. During that time the men were kept busy with details in various parts of the camp. There were numerous inspections also held daily, culminating in the final pack inspection. On Wednesday, April 30th, the clearance pa- pers were given and the regiment marched out of camp to the docks, and boarded lighters and

415

RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR

tugs, which took them to the battleship "Georgia," which was waiting in the bay.

The trip home on the battleship was unevent- ful. Owing to the shortage of sailors, the soldiers were kept busy on various details. Some were in the boiler-room helping fire, others were cleaning stacks, while still others were in the galleys. The men quartered in various parts of the ship had to see that their surroundings were spotlessly clean. Inspec- tions were held daily. The men welcomed the work, however, as it served to pass away the time and every turn of the propeller meant that they were so much closer home.

After being thirteen days at sea (thirteen was looked upon by the men as a lucky number in this instance), the regiment docked at Bos- ton, at noon Monday, May 12th. The big bat- tleship lay in the harbor until the custom's of- ficer had made his inspection and given the captain the proper papers. It was while wait- ing for these that tugs-one containing the Racine delegation and the other the official welcoming tugs from Boston-steamed out and gave the men a rousing welcome. The Racine tug drew up alongside the big battleship, a rope ladder was thrown over the side, and the welcoming committee from home clambered aboard.

When the "Georgia" docked at Boston, the men marched off and a half hour later, after being served with hot coffee and sandwiches by the Red Cross, were aboard trains bound for Camp Devens, near Boston.

The stay at Camp Devens was brief, and was marked by another medical examination. There was a big review held, at which the regimental colors were decorated. The Croix de Guerre and other decorations were also bestowed upon numerous men of the brigade at a big review which was held there.

Wednesday afternoon, May 14th, found the men again on the move-this time for Camp Grant, Ill., where the final demobilization took place. The Illinois camp was arrived at on May 16th at 11 o'clock in the morning. Sling- ing their packs on their shoulders, the men made their last hike. The preliminaries inci- dental to demobilization were rushed in order to get the regiment home as soon as possible. Some of the clerks remained up all night in order to make out the necessary papers. Clerks were also recruited from the batteries to facilitate matters. On Monday, May 19th, the men were civilians once more. They had gone through the mill for the final physical ex- amination and their discharge and sixty dollar

bonus was in their pockets. All of them re- mained in camp until Tuesday, May 20th, how- ever, so that they could come home in a hody on the special train which had been arranged for by the city of Racine.

Early Tuesday morning, May 20th, the spec- ial train, in two sections, left Camp Grant for Racine. Aboard the cars was the entire regi- ment, which had arranged to parade in the city. The section containing the two batteries arrived at 11:30 Tuesday morning at Racine Junction, and the triumphal march through town was held.

A large number of prominent business men in the United States offered their services to the government during the war, asking no pay- ment for their work and desiring only to be of use in helping to win the war. These offers of service were accepted in many instances. Some of the men were given army commissions and placed on important jobs in the quartermaster department; others remained in a civilian sta- tus and engaged in lines of government work for which their training had peculiarly fitted them. They were known as "dollar a year men," because of the nominal compensation given them.

John Wiechers of Racine was called upon by the government in the early spring of 1918 to come to Washington and advise the authorities there in regard to numerous problems in re- gard to the manufacture and purchase of tex- tiles for the army. He was given charge of the purchase of denim trousers and coats, and white duck trousers and coats and also made chief of the inspection and specification branch of the Light Goods section of the Clothing and Equipage division. He assumed this import- ant position on February 19, 1918.

Purchases made under Mr. Wiechers' super- vision included 8,801,163 denim coats at an average cost of $1.60; 898,624 white duck coats at an average cost of $1.73; 334,800 combina- tion work suits at an average cost of $3.00; 288,000 cotton and 32,180 linen handkerchiefs; 9,742,020 denim trousers at an average cost of $1.60; 1,017,004 white duck trousers at an aver- age cost of $1.79.

The most important feature of Mr. Wiech- ers' work, and that which enabled him to save huge sums for the government, was the changing of specifications so as to enable the manufacturer to produce the desired product in large quantities by up-to-date methods. In many cases the old government specifications

416

RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR

for garments provided for trimmings or thread which are difficult to obtain and substitutes were found which answered every purpose and could be more easily obtained. In many cases decided savings were made by minor changes in the pattern of the garments. Special de- signs were made for denim suits, white duck suits, winter caps, olive drab shirts, overseas caps, handkerchiefs and a mackinaw coat. As an example of the small items which amounted to large sums on contracts, there may be cited the case of the army barracks bag. It was no- ticed that when the bags were cut to pattern a 3-inch strip was wasted on each bag. It was decided to save this strip, cut it in two and substitute this for the former rope draw string. This saved 6 cents on the cost of each bag with- out detracting from the appearance or useful- ness of the product.

In the Inspection department worked out, for the first time, a satisfactory system of gar- ment inspection. Manufacturers asking con- tracts were required to make two garments ac- cording to specifications. If satisfactory, one was returned to the maker and the other for- warded in a sealed package to the depot where deliveries were to be made. The first served as a guide for the inspector at the plant, and the second at the receiving depot.

A considerable reduction in the cloth yardage required for garments was effected by the pre- paration of blueprints showing the most eco- nomical way for cutting cloth. A copy of the prints was sent to each manufacturer.

Mr. Wiechers had in mind numerous plans for increasing the efficiency of his department

when the war ended. He found that many of the methods used in the purchasing division of the War department were antiquated, cumber- some and wasteful and little attempt had been made to make them fit in with modern indus- trial methods.

One Racine lad, a talented musician, Geo. B. Freeman, musician rating, achieved an enviable record for progress. He was one of the first three men accepted for navy enlistment at Mil- waukee after the declaration of war. His serv- ice started on April 12, 1917. Although only 20 years old he was given the direction of Admiral Knap's flagship orchestra and led the organization during its stay in the Domonican Republic. He composed music and one effort that was published was sent to Marshall Foch of France, with the result that on January 11, 1919, he received a card from the Marshall and the following letter:

"Marshall Foch has received copies of 'World's War Song,' which you kindly offered him. He had them distributed to various bandmasters of the French Army who will be glad to play (cause to be heard) this pretty composition. the Marshall has been exceptionally pleased with the sentiment which prompted your deed and orders me to express to you his sincere thanks. Ac- cept the assurance of my respectful con- sideration.

"C. SUFIER, Chief of Staff."

LE MARÉCHAL FOCH

are zu reveruments

floth

Card From Gen. Foch Received by G. B. Freeman

CHAPTER XXXIII

SOME FIGURES AND FACTS ABOUT CASUALTIES

D EATH was not a usurer in collecting his toll from the ambulance loads of Amer- ican wounded who reached hospitals in the A. E. F. Of 222,252 soldiers admitted suf- fering from wounds, only six percent died. The actual number of deaths was 13,866. These figures are based on reports received in Wash- ington up to June 1, and tabulated by the Sta- tistics Branch of the General Staff of the War Department.

The tabulated figures are illuminating testi- monials to the relative deadliness of the meth- ods used by the Germans in close-range fight- ing. Perhaps the outstanding fact is the proof afforded by the figures that German gas really was a menacing casualty factor, a fact that the A. E. F., as well as the British and French forces, concealed for obvious reasons while the fighting was on.

The War Department table shows that ene- my gas caused twice as many hospital casual- ties as any other factor, and the death rate among those gassed was fairly high. The total number of gassed American soldiers ad- mitted to hospitals was 74,573, and of these 1,194 died, a death rate of two percent.

Shrapnel was responsible for the next high- est number of men admitted for a single cause of wounds, the total being 32,753, with 2,074 deaths, or six percent. High explosive shells caused a death rate of twelve percent. among those admitted to hospitals, 2,058 men dying out of 16,740 admitted. Of 19,528 men wound- ed by rifle balls, 980 died in hospital.

The figures disprove a popular belief that bayonets cause many wounds-a belief which never was shared by Army men familiar with modern fighting. Classified as wounds from cutting or piercing instruments, bayonet wounds numbered only 181, and only ten men wounded by bayonets died in hospitals. The so-called liquid fire sent only 21 men to the hospitals, and none of these died. Twelve soldiers were wounded by clubs in the hands of Germans.

The total number of wounded includes 76,707

admitted to hospitals suffering from wounds of unclassified origin, as hospital surgeons in many cases were unable to determine definitely just how wounds had been received. Ten per- cent. of men in this classification died, a total of 7,413.

In addition to the 222,252 soldiers admitted to hospitals suffering from casualties inflicted by the enemy, there were 6,512 admitted as casualties from causes other than enemy ac- tion or disease, and of this number 4,394 died. Explosions were the greatest single factor of this class, being responsible for 813 patients, of whom 15 died. Airplane accidents sent 148 to hospital, 36 of whom died. The Army mule, assisted by the Army horse, accounted for 68 casualties, only one of which proved fatal. Extreme heat knocked out 24 men temporarily and killed one, and extreme cold disabled 60. Lightning killed one man.

Eleven men collapsed during drills and were sent to hospitals. Athletics transformed 150 players into patients, and five soldiers were admitted as injured in "fighting brawls." Ill- fitting shoes put 68 men in hospital. A rather ambiguous classification, "hot liquids," ac- counted for 43 patients, although the cognac casualties are not believed to have been in- cluded in this figure.

Following is a table showing the numbers of men admitted to hospitals as casualties from enemy military agencies:

Admitted to

hospital

Died in hospital

Airplane homb

141

Saber

Explosion of mine.

Shotgun

Shell

16,740

2,058

Hand grenade

870

Pistol ball

240

Shrapnel

32,753

2,074

Bayonet

181

Rifle ball

19,528

980

Secondary missile

246

Gas

74,573

1,191

Cutting or piercing inst.

179

Flaming fluid

Knife

Club

Unclassified

76,707

7.413

Total.

222,252

13,866

418

RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR

Soldiers who go into battle are like men who go down to the sea in ships. There are those who return and those who do not, those who live and those who die. And then there are those who dwell for years in a twilight zone of uncertainty, neither life nor death, from which no word ever comes back to the shores called home.

The newspapers of the country announced that there were no more members of the A. E. F. "missing in action." The only rea- son they are not missing in action is that they have been "presumed dead."

There are still between 250 and 300 members of the American front-line Army unaccounted for, who, carried on the rolls for months and months as missing in action, seem to have dis- appeared from the battlefield as if by the wave of a magician's hand, leaving neither the rip- ple of a rumor behind them, the testimony of an eye, nor a footprint in all the paths of the world.

They are the irreducible minimum of the 50,- 000 lost, strayed or stolen men that the A. E. F. carried on the morning of November 12, 1918, as missing in action. To guard against injustice to their relatives or friends, the War Department has ordered that from henceforth they be carried as "presumed dead" instead of "missing in action," in order that their War Risk insurance benefits may be paid. That in brief explains why the American Army as it stands demobilized today technically has no "missing in action."

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Racine county in the world war, Part 44

Author: Haight, Walter L Publication date: c1920] Publisher: [Racine, Western Prtg. & Lithographing Co. Number of Pages: 612

Author: Haight, Walter L
Publication date: c1920]
Publisher: [Racine, Western Prtg. & Lithographing Co.
Number of Pages: 612