USA > Wisconsin > Racine County > Racine county in the world war > Part 46
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69
RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
427
+
MEXIX
Photos by Hood-Billings-Pavek-Leonard
Top Row-James Costello, H. Christianson, J. G. Barr, Frei Reth, R. J. Schulte, Halberstadt, Oscar Sorenson. Second-Hugh Costello, F. V. Flanagan, C. M. Creuziger, Julius Hansou, Harold Braunling, A. F. Murray, Thos. Hanson. Third-Edw. Langdon, T. A. Ahlsgaard, H. M. Dale, A. L. Brettsprecher, Dewey Sprague, Louis Niesen, Frank Cetreno. Fourth-Howard Layton, Chas. G. Peterson, J. A. Roeser, R. I. Svitavsky, B. L. Peunell, Albert McCourt, C. V. Stephan. Fifth-J. F. Fedders, G. R. Harney, Louis Plantz, E. R. E. Thiede, E. R. Anderson, Minas Minasian, Karl T. Schulte. Rottom-Herbert, T. L., and E. H. Sorenson; Joseph, Edward and Donald Oliver ; George, Edmund and Adolph Peterson.
428
RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
"Sept. 15-Climbed 22,000 feet and then went on a deep trip behind the lines. No excite- ment.
"Sept. 17-On daylight patrol with Belzer. Had arranged for a dance but lost our mess hall in a bomb raid so had to give it up.
"Sept. 18-Rained very hard all day. Every- body took a rest.
"Sept. 19-Rained. With Curtin and fleet, went over to Colmbey to arrange for new ma- chines. Had dinner and party in the evening.
"Sept. 20-Took a new machine gunner out with me on a long trip behind the German lines in the afternoon.
"Sept. 21-Went out to shoot with some 8 inch Howitzers of the 89th Division. Had a quiet afternoon.
"Sept. 22-Took Belzer in my machine, Jagoe and Nathan in another and Schock and Drum- mond in another on long distance photographic trip. Had no trouble going in but coming out had a fight with a number of different forma- tions. Got in one dog fight with two two- seater rumpers and three Hun single seaters. Crashed one of the rumpers. In the afternoon went to Neufcheateau.
"Sept. 23-Was Alert Pilot all day. Went up twice to chase Hun photographic machines away from our air dome.
"Sept. 24-Went up to the front to salvage one of our machines. Then over to Nancy to dinner.
"Sept. 25-
"Sept. 26-Second American attack on West- ern front .- A heavy fog and nearly made a mistake and landed behind the German lines. Recognized some German planes on the ground just in time.
"Sept. 27-Went on an artillery regale with Belzer at daylight. Used nine point one guns. At one o'clock P. M. took McDonald out for his first trip over the lines.
"Sept. 28-Rained all day.
"Sept 29-Received orders in the middle of the night to move and were on our way at day- light the next morning. Went into winter quarters.
"Oct. 1-Getting our new air dome and hang- ars in shape for use.
"Oct. 2-Had two patrols. Early morning and afternoon-over the lines. No excitement.
"Oct. 3-Went down to Langres to get some new transportation.
"Oct. 4-Had rain and bad weather but took
a short trip over the lines.
"Oct. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-Very bad weather.
Oct. 10-Nice day and everybody very busy. Claud Garrett shot down in flames when com-
ing to help my patrol in a fight against 19 Huns. We got 7 of the Huns.
"Oct. 11-An early patrol with Belzer.
"Oct. 12-An early morning and afternoon patrol across the lines with Belzer. Lt. Seal was crashed.
"Oct. 13-Had a day off. Went down to Neufcheateau and had dinner with a number of nurses from Base No. 116.
"Oct. 14-On early patrol.
"Oct. 15-Rained hard.
"Oct. 16-Went up before a Medical Board. It would not grant me leave.
"Oct. 17-Went on a long trip over the lines in the afternoon with Joe Nathan.
"Oct. 18-Rained all day.
"Oct. 19-Took the day off and went over to Nancy for a cootie bath and then to a dance at the Red Cross.
"Oct. 20-Rained hard all day.
"Oct. 21-Took a patrol over at 20,000 feet on a photographic protection. Had no trouble as the Huns could not get up to us. The ther- mometer was away below zero.
"Oct. 22-Supposed to have the day off but went on a special trip. Also went down to the hospital to see Jack Curtin.
"Oct. 23-Went over on a regale with Belzer and after we finished the shoot went back and shot up a German rest camp. In the evening went to a dance of the 168th Squadron.
"Oct. 25-Rained. Went over to Nancy with Lt. Seal and Major Roope for dinner and then to a dance at Base Hospital No. 51.
"Oct. 26-Went on a short patrol with Belzer and at night had a dance at our squadron mess. "Oct. 27-Fog and rain.
"Oct. 28-Took Col. Bell on a photo protec- tion at 15,000 feet. Too cold for the Huns.
"Oct. 29-Early patrol with Belzer. Ed Landon and Aldrich volunteered for a special mission at noon and came back about 1 o'clock. They had been in a fight and Aldrich died as soon as machine landed. Had an explosive bullet in his stomach. Belzer and I volunteer- ed for the same mission and left at 2 o'clock. Went over the lines at 22,000 feet and then dropped down to 2,000 behind the German line squadron air domes and got out all right.
"Oct. 30-Early patrol. At noon volunteer- ed for a special mission and took Smart and Peck along as protection. McDonald was with me. Crossed the lines at 20,000 feet and about 15 miles in got in a dog fight with 7 machines. We got split up and Smart flew southeast. I started west for Verdun and they cut my con- trol wires. Fell 15,000 feet and was scared. It was McDonald's first fight. We got one Hun and Smart got one Hun-both in flames.
RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
429
BURYING A COMRADE WHO HAS "GONE WEST," UP NEAR THE FRONT LINES
The victim was a young lieutenant of the 121st Field Artillery killed in the Argonne sector. His comrades procured a chaplain, had a shallow grave scooped out and a burial ceremony held-rather unusual in a fighting area. A few yards away was the grave of Pvt. Nick Garski of Racine, killed the same week. Below is a picture of the American section of the French military cemetery at Dijon, France.
430
RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
"Oct 31-Went down to the hospital in the morning to see Jack Curtin. At noon went on a special mission with Belzer. Had two scraps.
"Nov. 1-Rained all day.
"Nov. 2-Rained all day.
"Nov. 3-The German Checker Board Squad- ron sent over a wireless daring us to come over and fight. Six of us went over and for an hour tried to pick a fight but they would not close. Went down and shot up a big Ger- man rest camp and Freschey Air Dome and then home. Lt. Ryan, a new gunner, was with me.
"Nov. 4-Rained all day. Went over to Nancy for dinner.
"Nov. 5-At noon was decorated by General Patrick with D. S. C. In the afternoon took Lt. Clark, a new fighting gunner, over the lines. Couldn't find a fight before dark.
"Nov. 6-Rained but took one short trip."
They were five soldiers, and they were seated about a table-a round table-in an attractive little restaurant in an equally attractive little French city. It was Christmas Day, 1918. Good things had been set before them, includ- ing turkey with real stuffing, and there was a prospect, along toward the dim and distant end of the meal, of coffee with real sugar in it.
The first of the five sighed pleasurablend let his eyes linger on the white tablecloth.
"A year ago today," he said, "things weren't exactly like this. And yet it was one of the most pleasant Christmasses I ever had. I had been in Tours for five weeks-my first five weeks in France-where it had been so mild that we used to go around the barracks grounds without our blouses. Then, two days before Christmas, they sent us up to a high hill near Chaumont. It was like changing from Florida to Minnesota. For Hante-Marne was a single sheet of snow; the air was beautifully crisp and cold, and it made you want to go out of doors and stand up straight and fill your lungs with it.
"The first day up there I was picked for K.P. When I went into the kitchen, the cook, a real old-timer, told me that K.P. tricks up thataway lasted a week. So I resigned my- self to seven days of it-including Christmas.
"I didn't like the prospect at first. But when, on Christmas Eve, I saw the cook lay- ing out I don't know how many apple pies, with real apples in them, and heard him say that he had been making tarts for soldiers for the last five Christmas Eves, I began to grow more en- thusiastic.
"Christmas came, and I was still K.P. At noon the boys began to flock in-we were only about a hundred-and sat down to turkey, and I've forgotten how many kinds of vegetables, and apple pie-a piece to a man. Before they began a young aviator offered prayer. I guess he wasn't used to praying, for his prayer was a familiar, offhand kind of thing, but it was so genuinely sincere that if ever a prayer was listened to, that prayer was.
"That was my Christmas. Oh, yes, and I forgot to tell you that, being K.P., I knocked down four pieces of that apple pie-the best I ever tasted."
"A year ago today," said the second man, "I was aboard the good ship Tuscania, lying in the harbor at Liverpool. For a Christmas gift, I found in my sock a piece of hard dry bread that a rat had feasted upon, a bone- no meat on it-from the leg of a chicken, and an empty can of sardines. For Christmas din- ner I had a piece of corned willie for turkey, and for cranberries I had tripe.
"And then, for entertainment, a second lieu- tenant came along and bawled me out for not having cleaned up the mess by my bunk that I had made two nights before when one of those sickly little waves got funny with the ship and skidded us a couple of miles out of our course.
"Now that was a year ago, mind you, and many things have happened since then. The Tuscania, as you know, went down. But the second lieutenant who bawled me out went up. He's a major now."
"A year ago today," said the third man, "I thought I was the luckiest guy in the world, because three of my Christmas packages-we got man size ones in these days, you know- came on Christmas Eve, and when I got up for a delightfully late 7:30 reveille-postponed an hour in honor of the day-there they all were, smokes and eats and socks and all the things I had been hankering for ever since my arrival in France two months back. Right there I de- cided to pass up Cook Louie's breakfast, and beat it back to the billet with the rest of the squad just as soon as we were dismissed, there to dejeuner on cocoanut cakes and all the other well known indigestibles. It was some break- fast.
"All this happened in the little town of Mont-le-Neufchateau, in the department of Vosges, just above the well-known Yank town of Neufchateau. Some of the gang went down there in the afternoon, after Christmas dinner in the mess shack, but I didn't. Reason ? was confined to the limits of Montey for hav-
431
RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
ing gone AWOL up to Nancy with a bunch of Y.M.C.A. men.
"Well, like every other outfit that was well quartered, we had a tree up in the square, and presents for all the French youngsters and those of us who were godly went to mass in the little cold stone church and tried to keep warm by helping the wavering choir out on its 'Venite, adoremus.' And after that the battal- ion had a great get-together party, in the course of which the major-he's a loot-colonel now and a D.S.C .- read a speech in French, to which the mayor, who was my landlord, re- sponded in much better French. In the course of the proceedings I made a speech, too, in which I took a slam at the major (he had con- fined me personally)."
"A year ago today," said the fourth man, "I was in a training camp at Langres with the snow a foot from the ground and the mercury trying to get out through the bottom of the thermometer to meet it. The features of the previous three or four weeks had been squads right, cold, candlelight, beans, slum and sore feet in generous overdoses. The after- noon before, until 8 o' clock at night, we had chased an imaginary enemy several kilometers across plowed fields and through woods, with the snow dropping from the trees down our backs-and melting.
"I answered reveille at 6 a. m. and went back to bed because the stove wouldn't burn. The Q. M. fell down and for Christmas dinner we had beans, for which there wasn't room after we had swallowed our indignation.
"In the afternoon a friend and I decided we ought to mitigate the bean atrocity with champagne. We went into town and found the places where champagne might be bought greatly outnumbered by M.J.'s, but we finally got a bottle with the understanding that we couldn't drink it on the premises.
"For two hours we hunted for a place to down it comfortably, eventually consuming it standing in the snow behind the Army Staff College, drinking out of one mess cup by turns. After eating deux oeufs-omelette-et pommes frites-oui, oui-oui, oui-I went back to the barracks. The stove was as cold and the room as dismal as the rest of the day had been. The whole room-20 men-went to bed at 8 o'clock to keep warm."
The fifth man was silent.
"Well," they said, turning to him, "how about you ?"
"I haven't anything to tell," said the fifth man. "Nothing, extraordinary happened in my young life last Christmas. But if you must know- -
"A year ago today, I was home."
CHAPTER XXXV
WORK OF WELFARE ASSOCIATIONS
V ARIOUS welfare associations contribut- ed to the comfort and pleasure of the men who served in the Navy and Army. To a large extent, these organizations accomp- lished the purposes for which they were in- tended. In some respects they failed, and ow- ing to the exigencies of war any similar plan probably will always fail to reach its ideal.
The greatest of these institutions, from the standpoint of the enlisted man, was the Y. M. C. A. The good work done by this organiza- tion on the Mexican border in 1916 had con- vinced the governmental authorities that it was a useful and essential part of the military organization, so that when the nation entered the World War the Y. M. C. A. made immedi- ate plans for expansion. It was in the course of this expansion that some defects developed, the main one being the impossiblility of get- ting enough trained men to occupy the secre- tarial positions in the camps.
Despite this fact, every soldier will be quick to admit that a great deal of the writing that he did was done upon stationery furnished free by the "Y," and the greater number of his most pleasant evenings in camp and cantonment were spent in the huts erected to serve him. The "Y" men were untiring in their efforts to provide amusements of all sorts for the men, and assist them in arranging entertainments with "home talent." In France, and particu- larly in the field, the soldiers depended almost entirely upon the Y. M. C. A. to provide him with letter paper and envelopes, and despite the shortage of chocolate and cigarettes almost every member of the A. E. F. was able to get an occasional allotment of these articles from the divisional hut.
In America there was never any serious criticism of the army Y. M. C. A. In France it developed toward the end of the war from three or four causes. In the first place, there had been some kicking because a few influential young men had gone into that service instead
of into the army, and the authorities promptly put a stop to this practice. Then the "Y" men, for some reason or other, had been authorized to wear officers' uniforms and the soldiers were expected to exchange salute with them. As the men had been taught that the salute was purely a duty and privilege of soldiers, it went against their grain to salute "Y" men whom they did not know, and it put the secretaries in a position where they could not have as close associations with the men as they should have had. The same error was made in regard to chaplains, who were and are given commis- sioned ranks and are thus bound by the rules which prohibit social intercourse between of- ficers and men. Capable "Y" men, like effici- ent chaplains, disregarded the customs of the service entirely in this regard, but many an amateur, donning his "Sam Browne" belt for the first time, enjoyed the experience of being saluted too well to admit of placing his pur- poses in life ahead of his pride.
Then again, regimental canteens, or stores, were abolished in France, and after this de- partment was turned over to the "Y" the army would not provide sufficient transportation to enable it to get supplies to the soldiers and some were inclined to wrongly blame the or- ganization.
Finally, the friends of the association at home made too elaborate claims for the char- acter of the work being done, in the course of solicitation of funds. When doughboys in France read clippings from American papers which declared that "Y" huts were in every front line trench, well stocked with dainties given free to all comers, they arose on their hind legs and let out a roar of enraged denial. Prior to the armistice the "Y" did not give things away and was not supposed to, but the statements were made in America and the A. E. F. members felt that in some way they were being robbed of something that their folks at home had bought for them and had
433
RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
expected to be delivered to them. To all of these comparatively trivial matters was added the occasional complaint that some over-zeal- ous secretary was trying to take advantage of his position to "force religion" on some un- willing boys.
These complaints are mentioned here in de- tail because the consideration of them may assist in preventing similar errors in the fu- ture, and also to point out that all of them were of a nature which did not really offer cause for denouncing the "Y" as an institution. Most men who were in France will testify that the Y. M. C. A. secretaries did untold good in assisting them to send money home, obtaining supplies from distant cities, providing comfort- able recreation places where it was possible, and doing all that they could to get to the regiments the candy and tobacco which the men desired to buy. From the standponit of size alone the Y. M. C. A. was the most import- ant of all welfare organizations - probably much larger than all the rest of them com- bined. In home camps theaters were built, and athletic supplies provided. Abroad, woman workers were stationed at important transfer points and railroad stations to provide weary travellers with sandwiches and coffee, and many girls were taken into the organization to go to France and furnish entertainments of various sorts.
The Red Cross operated almost entirely in the hospitals of France, and the very nature of its work was such that it made friends wherever it was represented. It was not al- lowed to charge for anything that it provided soldiers (which gave it an advantage over the Y. M. C. A., which was required to charge for canteen supplies.) Red Cross civilian workers were stationed at all base hospitals to write letters for wounded men, communicate with their parents and otherwise assist in making them comfortable and contented. They met all transports and provided lunches for the men as they embarked or disembarked. Both in France and America they maintained railroad station canteens where men en route were able to get food and drink without cost.
The Knights of Columbus, the Jewish Wel- fare board and the Salvation Army had wel- fare organizations of much smaller size than the other two named. They were all popular with the men, because they had the mission of distributing things free and were given a sort of roving commission permitting them to go anywhere back of the actual battle zone. The Salvation Army lassies, making a specialty of doughnuts and griddle cakes, were greatly be-
loved by all who came in contact with them. In the British sectors this organization was especially strong, but there were several score of "doughnut" teams working with American divisions. The Knights of Columbus field sec- cretaries always carried with them for free distribution a big supply of "Casey" cigarettes, and many a doughboy greeted their arrival with cheers as he saw a chance to replenish his stock of smokes.
The religious work of all of these organiza- tions was a secondary matter, but the Y. M. C. A. held an informal meeting for prayer on Sunday afternoon when a place was available. The Knights of Columbus were especially de- sirous of assisting Catholic boys in any way possible, and the Jewish welfare board was watching out for the interests of those of the Jewish faith.
Perhaps the lesson which may be learned from the minor tribulations of the organiza- tions, is that in the future all welfare work should be in the hands of one organization, so that comparisons of methods will not invite dissatisfaction over details. Taken in their en- tirety, all of these associations performed their work fully as well as could have beeen expected under the circumstances. The rapid expansion of duties, and the consequent employment of numerous people who knew little or nothing about their duties, put a handicap upon these societies just as it did upon every branch of the government, and probably the Y. M. C. A., for example, was as efficient in its field as the army, or the United States Shipping board or the government railroad administration were in theirs.
The Racine Y. M. C. A. took an active part in war work all during the conflict. During and immediately after the war it sent overseas for service with the army L. H. Park, M. C. Wad- mond, L. C. Bradshaw, R. B. Felch, H. B. Stecher, Miss Louise Clark and Miss Kathleen Freeman. For home camp services it enlisted Julius Krenzke, C. A. Draeger and Harold C. Jensen. Judge E. B. Belden was a divisional inspector of Y. M. C. A. activities in this sec- tion of the country, and was stationed at Camp Custer for several months.
On May 2, 1917, Ted. Schroeder, Y. M. C. A. Secretary for Milwaukee spoke to Batteries C and F, in the Lakeside Auditorium, of his ex- periences as a prisoner in the war camps in Germany. On May 4, at a special meeting, the directors of the association endorsed the $3,000,000 campaign and decided that Racine would do her share in raising funds so that the work of the Association could go with the boys
434
RACINE COUNTY IN
wherever they went. Wisconsin's share of this $3,000,000 fund was $100,000. The campaign was conducted May 22-25, 1917. Racine's goal was $10,000. $11,861.81 was subscribed. F. Lee Norton was chairman of the campaign committee. F. H. West, formerly Secretary of the Y. M. C. A. of the University of Wiscon- sin was State Campaign Director. Over $5,- 000,000 was pledged in the entire country.
The Racine Y. M. C. A. presented a victrola with some records to the battery boys before they left. The boys took this with them to Camp Douglas and they enjoyed it many an evening that would otherwise have been lone- some.
In November, 1917, the nation was asked to contribute $35,000,000 for the extension of the Y. M. C. A. work at home and overseas. About $51,000,000 were raised.
Over $900,000 was raised in Wisconsin. Ra- cine's goal was $50,000. Fred Osius was elect- ed chairman of the campaign committee.
The Racine Association was called on to send Association Secretaries and Business Men on the troop trains with the boys on the way to camp. This service was rendered on several occasions and was very much appreciated by the boys. Reading material was furnished, postal cards distributed, drinking cups pro- vided, and singing was participated in so that there was a good-natured crowd that reached Camp every time.
A recruiting committee was appointed to
THE WORLD WAR
secure for Y. M. C. A. service at home and over seas. C. C. Gittings served as chairman of this committee.
The Association was asked to provide enter- tainment for the Jackies at Camp Logan. A representative committee was appointed with W. C. Davis as chairman and entertainment was furnished by Racine people for several weeks, much to the enjoyment and benefit of the boys at Camp Logan.
Just before Christmas, 1919, boxes were sent for some of the boys at Great Lakes. This appeal was made by a committee consisting of Henry Rogers, Arthur Friedman, W. C. Davis and L. C. Bradshaw, who secured contributions and purchased candy, fruit and supplies and with the help of some of the women from the Red Cross, these boxes were sent to the boys at Great Lakes and were presented to the men in the Y. M. C. A. buildings there.
Send-off gatherings were held for a number of the drafted men when a good social time was spent at the Association some evenings before the men left for Camp.
In November, 1918, the country was asked to subscribe $170,500,000 in the United War Work Campaign to provide funds for the seven organizations doing work with the men of the service at home and overseas. Wisconsin's share of this amount was $3,900,000. Racine County contributed $185,000 through the Pat- riot's Fund. Wisconsin pledged $4,546,706. $203,179,038 was the amount pledged by the entire country.
"Sue" the Battery F mascot, ready to join her squad at guard mount. Frank D. Smith is posing her.
PART IV
DIED IN SERVICE
1917-1919
436
RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
"For God and Their Country"
I N THE following pages appear the names of those men from Racine County who gave their lives in the Great Conflict.
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.