Racine County, Wisconsin - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 32 of those read), 1920

Incidents Of All Sorts From Everywhere

THIS chapter will be devoted to a little of everything- important and unimportant, gathered at home, abroad, on land and at sea. It is hoped that some of the matters treated of here will serve to bring back almost-forgotten incidents to the minds of those who lived in the exciting days of 1917-19, either in Racine or in camps or bivouacs or ships. First of all will be given a short glossary of army slang, which is intended only to put on record some of the more common terms in daily use:

Gold brick - One who has an easy job; especially one who uses cunning to get out of real work; sometimes applied to staff officers, M. P.'s, and men who go to hospital for a very slight wound or illness.

G. I. - can - An aerial bomb or a heavy shell; so-called because of the supposed resemblance to the big cans used to collect rubbish in camps.

1916. When the United States entered the war the War Department called on the Military Training Camps Association to obtain applicants for the Officers' Training Camps. Mr. Dellschaft was made the Racine Branch Chairman and obtained about thirty-five applications from men apparently of officer caliber for the First camp which opened on May 14,

W. Lerov Gittings, Carl M. Gevers, Frederick Dellschaft, Berne W. McClung, Henry E. Joselvn, Edmund R. Collins, Lawrence H. Smith, and John O. Flauth, Jr. Wallace Coleman attended O. T. C. at Plattsburg, N. Y., and received his commission at that time.

When Mr. Dellschaft entered the First Officers' Training Camp, W. F. MacGregor was made Branch Chairman, and as the Training Camps had been widely advertised, over one hundred applications were received for the second O. T. C. About forty of these received notice to come to Milwaukee to be examined by Lieut. F. L. Beals of the Regular Army, and of these about twenty were admitted to the Second Camp which opened on August 27, 1917, at Fort Sheridan. After taking the three month's training the following Racine men were commissioned from the Second Camp:

Applications for admission to the later Officers' Camps were made through other channels, but the services of the M. T. C. A. were continued to be utilitized by the War Department in other ways. Aid was given to the British Recruiting Mission during the Fall.

In November, 1917, orders were obtained from the commanding officers of the Q. M. Shop 304, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, for enlisting about six men and these men entered the army through the M. T. C. A. Among them were Arthur E. Price, J. Roland Jones, and Ralph W. McCaughey.

During the month of December, 1917, about fifty skilled mechanics were instructed to go to Milwaukee for enlistment in the Ordnance Department, for service at the Base Depot in France.

During the month of January, 1918, thirtysix applications for inspectors in the Equipment Division of the Signal Corps were forwarded by the local committee.

During the spring of 1918 aid was given in recruiting for the Navy and applications were obtained for the Government Camps at Lake Geneva which opened July 1, 1918, for boys and school instructors.

During the summer of 1918 information was given in regard to entering the Field Artillery Officers' Training School at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky, and the Infantry Officers' Training School at Camp Freemont, California; for commission in the Ordnance Department, for inspectors in Aircraft Production, for induction into the Tank Corps, the Signal Corps as aviators, and balloonists, and the Motor Transport Corps, etc., etc.

Since the armistice the activities of the M. T. C. A. have been chiefly confined to advocating universal military training. The present Racine Committee is as follows:

It was not until the middle of 1918 that the government realized the value of giving drafted men preliminary military training, prior to their entrainment for camp. The results of the system were very apparent after it was in-

At the top are Mrs. Henr>' G. Mitchell. Mrs. John W. Owen (chairman of Women's Committee, Council of Defense), Mrs. Stuart Webster (chairman Women's Committee, Council of Defense), Ag-nes M. Clancy (overseas welfare worker) and Mrs.

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. Matson, 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. Clutter, 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 Poulson, 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 veterans but will bear recounting here.

Early in October, 1918, the members of Battery 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 organizations, 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 Thirty-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.

the regiment without going into details as to what battery claimed them. They likewise were forwarded by the information center to the Meuse-.\rgonne sector.

When the men finally hiked into the valley where headquarters were located and reported to Lieut-Col. Arthur, commanding the regiment, he assigned them to Battery F temporarily, until they could be returned to Veauxhalles. 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 thei-e 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 oft'ensive on November 1st and advanced twice with the combat sections as the army gained ground.

When they finally were returned to Veauxhalles - 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 relief of Fatherless Children of France. In Racine 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 required for a year's assistance to each child "adopted" by donors to the fund. The committee obtained $6300, or enough to support 175 orphaned children. This money was all sent to the committee in Paris in charge of the work.

This contincent 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 Christensen, 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 vanpuard of Racine*s contribution to the "fighting four million" American Yanks.

THE COUNTY FUEL ADMINISTRATION The members of the administration shown in this illustration are J. V. Rohan, F. Lee Norton and Herbert F. Johns

"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 husband and which since the invasion in 1918, has been idle. Since my husband is dead, I 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 separated one from the other. I think all the same that we will become good friends.

Sgt. Russell Fisher of the 127th Ambulance company, received the following citation from Gen. Pershing: "For distinguished and exceptional gallantry at the Ourcq river on August 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, Commanderin-chief."

Pvt. Robert Drever, Co. B, 18th Infantry, received a citation from the First Brigade of Infantry, "for gallant conduct and self-sacrificing spirit during the battles of Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne."

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 September 7th, but in the meantime was notified that he was called in the draft with the contingent to leave the same week. His discharge from the draft was recommended by his immediate 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 Lieutenant and appointed an instructor. He was promoted again while with the 214th engineers, but is on record as saying he wished he had remained 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 themselves at night. Racine people offered to furnish them blankets, but some of the officers vetoed the proposition as the state was expected 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 warmer, 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 wearing of pajamas as purely night garments never became a habit while troops were on field service. If one took off all his uniform clothes at night, it took too long to dress in the morning.

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 headquarters.

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-

Showing The Boys Of 1S6I And The Boys Of 1918

The marching column at the top is made up of members of th? 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 men about to leave (observe the hand clasp), and the train with many heads protruding from wind iws. 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.

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 regiment to Waco within a week or less, the precautions 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 opportunity 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 P street, where several fellow conspirators 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 seeing 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 automobile for $5, pledging the driver to secrecy. Then he carried the goat to a farm house where he had previously engaged accommodations in an old stable some three miles from camp. There the goat remained for nearly a week.

Before daylight Battery C scouts were scouring 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 captor, but Saugman had forseen this and made his return trip through woods and under cover.

The se^Tet was well kept and even the Battery 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, Fi-ank Lemanski, Joe Ulicki and Louis Warzynkiewicz watched over his welfare from midnight until the time of departure. No assault was made on the car, however, as all outside 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 became much beloved by the men. She was called "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.

Every man in the army was required to wear, suspended from a tape which encircled his neck, two aluminum identification discs 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 Thirtysecond 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 encampment, 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 quantities 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 lieutenants as it had sergeants and corporals.

A landscape consisting of rolling fields, dotted 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 southern 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 moving 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 toward the Boche territory just to remind "Fritzie 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, salvaged 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 conserving 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. 0. S. so them birds can be dressed right for the Battle of Paris. They've got to be 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."

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 compared 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 remained overseas six months, he must discard the blue chevron, and was entitled to wear a gold chevron. Another gold chevron was added for each additional si.x 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

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 suspected of having been written with the intention 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. Attacks 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 skirmish 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 entirely 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, because he had not prepared himself by education to appreciate the old towns, castles, works of art and historical spots of France. He was more inclined to discuss the ever-present ma- 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 introduced, 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 admired and praised French cooking, probably because 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."

Corbeil were in the army and saw service overseas. 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 Racine 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 certificate 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 percentage. 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.

Bradley Smollen of Racine was the first private 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 before he was supposed to arrive and was welcomed with cheers by the hundreds of oificers 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 contingent 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 ranking oflficer 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 brothers 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.

Monong Bajaksisian is an Armenian-American, if such a term is proper. He has the unique distinction of having fought on both sides in the Woi'ld 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. Bajaksisian 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 infantry and was sent to France July 23, 1918. He saw active service, was promoted to corporal for bravery in action, and found several opportunities to wreak revenge upon the central-European alliance which had caused him so much sorrow.

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 accepted in July 1918. She was sent to Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, S. C, and that winter worked in a ward of influenza and pneumonia 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, arranged his own plan for welfare work for soldiers and sailors. With money saved from his daily wages, he sent cigarettes and candy costing 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 being the wounded men at Ft. Sheridan hospital.

Even when a military outlit 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 regiment, started the long "hike" homewai-d on April 15th. The start was made from Mauvages, a small village about four kilometers from Rozieres-en-blois, in which brigade headquarters 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 preliminary examinations. Owing to the fact that the 121st Field Artillery was detached from its division, and the need for haste was imperative, it was decided to complete all these details at the camp.

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 equipment. Numerous articles were turned in that the men could not carry with them on the hike. Barrack bags were packed with personal belongings 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 barracks, 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 demand for rolling stock. In addition each car contained four day's rations for the men, and two or three boxes belonging to the quartermaster-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 hammocks.

At 4:50 o'clock in the afternoon of Friday, .\pril 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 expected. 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 papers were given and the regiment marched out of camp to the docks, and boarded lighters and

The trip home on the battleship was uneventful. 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. Inspections 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 Boston, at noon Monday, May 12th. The big battleship lay in the harbor until the custom's officer had made his inspection and given the captain the proper papers. It was while waiting 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 e.xamination. 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, 111., where the final demobilization took place. The Illinois camp was arrived at on May 16th at 11 o'clock in the morning. Slinging their packs on their shoulders, the men made their last hike. The preliminaries incidental 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 examination and their discharge and sixty dollar bonus was in their pockets. All of them remained in camp until Tuesday, May 20th, however, so that they could come home in a body on the special train which had been arranged for by the city of Racine.

Early Tuesday morning. May 20th, the special train, in two sections, left Camp Grant for Racine. Aboard the cars was the entire regiment, 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 payment 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 status 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 regard to the manufacture and purchase of textiles 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 important position on February 19, 1918.

Purchases made under Mr. Wiechers' supervision 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; 3.34,800 combination 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 average cost of $1.79.

The most important feature of Mr. Wiechers' 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 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 designs 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 noticed 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 without detracting from the appearance or usefulness of the product.

In the Inspection department worked out, for the first time, a satisfactory system of garment inspection. Manufacturers asking contracts were required to make two garments according to specifications. If satisfactory, one was returned to the maker and the other forwarded 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 preparation of blueprints showing the most economical way for cutting cloth. A copy of the prints was sent to each manufacturer.

when the war ended. He found that many of the methods used in the purchasing division of the War department were antiquated, cumbersome and wasteful and little attempt had been made to make them fit in with modem industrial 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 Milwaukee after the declaration of war. His service 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 oi'ders me to express to you his sincere thanks. Accept the assurance of my respectful consideration.