iJoth Infantry
Ranks As One
Of Oldest Outfits
'Continued from Page 12'
January, 1908. when 'he units be
gin moving into the “temporary”
quarters. From the time of first
occupancy of this building the
regiment grew and improved un
til it was recognized as one of the
1 best National Guard regiments
■ an the United S'ates. i
On June 18, 1916, under Presi
dential order, the regiment was
mobilized for duty on the Mexi
can border. Two days later it
moved to Nevada, Mo., where
other Missouri troops were to mo-!
bilize. It was inducted into
Federal Service on June 25, and
on July 1st departed for Laredo,
Texas. ^ After two months of ef
ficient service on the border, the
need for troops there ceased, and
- the regiment departed for Ne-j
vada, Mo., where it was released
from Federal Service on Septem-i
ber 25,. 1916.
After the Border Service the
Regiment resumed its duties at
fta Arrpory in S'. Louis. All ef-j
fcrts were made to keep it in con
dition for the call for service in
World War L, then easting its
shadow in the direction of this!
Nation. On March 26, 1917, the
Regiment was again called into
active Federal Service, perform
ing guard duty and undergoing
training at St. Louis. After for
mal induction into Federal Ser
vice the Regiment 'rained at
Maxwelton Park, Mo., until Aug
ust 25th, 1917. Then it moved to
Nevada, Mo., remaining there un
til September 29th. when i' moved
to Camp Doniphan, Ft. Sill, Okla.
During the summer of 1917 an
other Infantry Regiment was or
ganized at St. Louis, and was des
ignated as 'he Fifth Infantry,
Missouri National Guard. A num
ber of officers and non-commis
sioned officers of the First Regi
ment went into the Fifth and aid
ed in its organization. The Fifth
was recruited at St. Louis and in
August took its station at Nevada,
Mo., from where it moved to Camp
Doniphan.
On October 1st, 1917. the First
snd Fif'h Regiments of Infantry,
Missouri National Guard, were
consolidated and designated as the
138th Infan'ry. The 133 Infan
try then became part of the 35th
Division, along with o'her troops
from Kansas and Missouri.
At Camp Doniphan the Regi
ment underwent arduous and in
tensive training until April, 1913.
when it departed from Camp
Mills, N. Y., preparatory to em
barking for Europe. Af'er two
weeks at Camp Mills, during
which time it paraded in New
York City, the Regiment embark
ed at Hoboken for the voyage
overseas, passing the Statue of
Liberty on May 2, 1918.
Af'er a voyage without inci
dent, the transport docked at
Liverpool on May 16. On May
19th the Regiment embarked at
Southampton and arrived at Le
Havre on the same day, moving
immediately to Eu, Flanders,
where it served briefly with the
British.
On June 7th. 1918, it was felt
that the need had passed for the
35th Division at Eu, whereupon it
moved to the eastward. Division
Headquarters were set up at
Acrhes, called “Arsh” by the
French, and "Archie” by the
Americans. The 138th Infantry
Headquarters were established at
Dounoux.
The Second Battalion of the
138th Infantry was the first unit
of the Division to go to the front.
From Arches the Battalion moved
by truck through the Moselle
Valley and up into the Vosges
Mountains t# the Alsatian town of
Wesserling. From there the bat
talion marched up the mountain
the remaining ten miles to relieve
French troops occupying the De
Galbert sub-sector of the Wesser
ling Sector. This sector was rel
atively quiet, although subjected
to periodical shelling by artillery,
and trench raids by infantry of
both forces. Company H con
ducted the first trench raid on
Hisenfirst Mountain on July 6th,
1918, capturing prisoners, des
troying dug-outs, defenses, and
communications. Their losses on
that day totaled four men killed
and 18 wounded Enemy losses
were much heavier. Ot the per
sonnel par'icipating in that raid.
19 officers ami men were award
ed the Croix de Guerre by die
French Government lor valor.
Service in the Wesserling Sec
tor was actually the completion
of the 35th Division's training pe
riod The sector was quie* ex
cept when the Americans went
out and looked for trouble. It
was believed at the time that
'raining in trench warfare was vi
tal. but such training proved of
little value when the real test
came during the Battle of the
Argonne, where open warfare
prevailed Quie* as the sector
was, almost 100 men died in those
foothills of the Alps.
“Quiet” days for the 35th Di
vision ceased when August end
ed, for then it entrained for what
is vaguely described as the Ros
ieres Area, where it was placed
in Army Reserve. This assign
ment made it necessary foi the
Division to be constantly ready
to move as needed for the S'.
Mihiel offensive. For the next
two weeks the Division moved
many times as the tactical situa
ion dictated. This, ot course,
necessitated many long, monoto
nous. and weary marches through
mud and rain. By September
15th the St. Mihiel offensive had
succeeded, and the Division mov
ed by motor-bus to 'he Charmen
tois Area.
The 69th Infantry Brigade,
composed of the 137th and 138th
Infantry Regiments, and tin 70*h
Infantry Brigade, composed ol
the 139th and the 140th Infantry
Regiments, consti'uted the Infan
try elements of he 35'h Division.
Upon the Division's arrival in
the Charmentois Area, the 69th
Brigade moved up to Auzeville.
On September 19th, they relieved
the French 73rd Division and the
stage was set for the opening of
the Meuse-Argonne offensive.
In the early morning of Sep‘em
ber 26th, 1918, the 35th Division
advance began w :h the-138th In-1
fantry occupying the right half
of the Divisional Sector, and the
137‘h on the left. The 70th Bri
gade was, in support. Across the
Division’s line ot advance stood
highly organized Vauquois Hill,
occupied for four years by the
Germans; Chappy, a French vil
lage r need with well prepared
ed defense works; Charpentry
and Excrmont, equally well de
fended The 137th was ordered,
to 4ake Vauquois Hill. A thick (
and persisted fog made attempts
at liason ineffectual. The 3rd
Battalion led the advance of the
138th Infan'ry, followed by the
1st Battalion. Marching by com
pass was necessitated by the fog.
The 3rd Battalion advanced
slightly to the right of Vauquois
Hill 'o the town of Cheppy. The
fog worked to its advantage there
permitting by-passage of German
pill-boxes, dtig-outs, and other de
fenses. Those defenses were con
structed to fire only to their
front. After passing through
them their destruction was easy
from their rear when they could
be seen through the persistent
fog. The 1st Battalion, to the
rear and right of the 3rd exper
ienced the same liason difficul
ties. This Battalion in its advance
on Cheppy, met stiff opposition
all of the way, and when ap
proaching the town, found the fog
lifting, exposing it fo fire from
the prepared German positions in
front of them. At this -tage of
their advance, the battalion com
mander was killed. In the final
assault and actual taking of Chop
py, the 2nd Battalion was very
active, attacking on the west.
Regimental losses during the first
day’s fighting were heavy Most
serious losses occurred among the
officers, with more than a dozen,
including the Regimental Com ■
mander, being killed or v, lunded.
Two members of Company I per
formed deeds to win the Medal of
Honor on that day.
On the morning ot the 27th the
advance continued. The 138th,
al'hough not re-organized from
the previous day’s fight, support
ing the 140th at approximately
1200 yards. On that day men of
the 2nd Battalion aided in the
♦aking of Charpentry. Although
(Continued on Page 16)
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^TT*HE crucial HOUR is at hand ...
A Right now, Lncle Sam needs the heJpuof
fighting American both at home and
abroad—wore than at any tint* time the war
Started.
T.~ 4»> uiiiiOmi are doing O,K. Ask
AdoIpS and Tojoi Workers in our industrial
plants are turning out the planes and guns ami,
tanks on schedule. Farmers and ranchers are
breaking records in food production, despite
handicaps.
But when it comes to buying War TJonds to
pay for all this, we’ve got a job to do—die big'
gest job cthrs kind in ail our history? ^ ^
Uncle Sam can’t go on Supplying otir
Ing men with thfc tvok> they need and whim have
to win this war unless (he money is there to pay
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from you. And because war costs are mounting •,
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bonds than ever before.1
There’ll be a Victory
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raise the money needed to finance this war. Don’t
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BEFORFi... Uncle Sam is depending on our boys
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*^OFH TIUlN BEFORE l
And H«re Art 5 Extra Rootom
far Baying Mara Bands in tha 5tM
w**?** j
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Sqc&MerfMrM/'
Pacific American Fisheries, Inc.
Packers of Canned Salmon—Puget Sound and Alaska
SOUTH BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON