Winter 2018 Vol. 31, No. 1

As the new year of 1918 dawned at Camp Lewis,the soldiers who were training here werepreparing to go “Over There” and “Make the WorldSafe For Democracy.” Fortunately for theAmerican trainees, British and French instructorshad been sent to Camp Lewis and otherinstallations to help the Americans understand thenew modes of warfare as practiced on the WesternFront. However, the realities of combat wouldultimately have to be learned by first handexperience. In early 1918, the important role thatthe 91st Division would play in breaking thestalemate of the trenches was only months away.

The 91st Division was training hard at CampLewis in early 1918. The initial turmoil of creatingan Army camp at American Lake had given way toincreased order and discipline. With intensetraining, raw recruits were learning to bedisciplined and efficient soldiers.

In late 1917, several thousand Camp Lewissoldiers from the western states, who thought theywould deploy with the 91st “Wild West” Division,were transferred to other American Divisions, likethe Regular Army’s 1st Division and the 26th

“Yankee Division” from New England, who weredeployed or deploying to France.

These units needed replacements to fill out theirranks due to disease, injuries and soldiers foundunfit for field service. This levy of Camp Lewissoldiers from service with the 91st Division meantthat incoming soldiers would need to be trained toreplace them before the Wild West Division wouldbe ready to deploy to France.

Cover of World War I period sheet music dedicated to the 91st Division. The 91st was organized at Camp Lewis in 1917. Most of

the men came from the Western United States, which led to their nickname as the

" Wild West Division.”

President’s Report

It feels great to have the Museum open itsdoors once again after a long remodel. Thepositive comments from visitors indicate thatthe effort was well worth the wait. Arecurring comment is, "Is the Museumplanning to open up more galleries?" Theanswer is "YES," and the Friends are excitedto help the Museum with its planned growth.

Part of the mission of the Friends is toinspire enthusiasm in history by activelysupporting the Museum. In order toaccomplish this mission, we rely not only onmembership, but on Museum volunteers. Wehave a fantastic crew of dedicated volunteers,but we are always looking for more. Somework behind the scenes, assisting with theinventory of our artifacts, while others workin the Cannon Shop or lead visitors on toursas docents. It is the goal of the Friendsboard to foster a closer relationship with ourvolunteers, so we are developing a programto offer free annual memberships as a rewardfor their hard work. There will be aminimum number of hours to qualify for afree membership, and we will offer moredetails in the next issue of the Banner.

I hope to see you at the next Friendsbrunch, scheduled for 18 February atPatriots Landing. Heidi Pierson will be ourguest speaker and will speak about theEuropean settlement of the early OregonTerritory.

Marisa Peloquin

Centennial Notes

This issue of the Banner continues to presentthe story of Camp Lewis and units associatedwith the installation in World War I. TheCentennial of the Great War has focusedattention to the birth of Camp Lewis and therole it has played in our national defense overthe last one hundred years.

In the months to come, commemorations willbe held to remember the military campaigns of1918. American troops, including many trainedat Camp Lewis, were destined to play a majorrole in the campaigns that would break thestalemate of the Western Front and lead to theArmistice of 11 November 1918.

In 1981, the headquarters of I Corps wasreactivated at Fort Lewis. I Corps came to theinstallation with a distinguished combathistory earned on the battlefields of World WarI, World War II and the Korea War. In thisissue of the Banner Lt. Col (Ret) Don Simpsontells the story of I Corps’ organization andservice in World War I.

100 Years of Service!

On 20 January, 1918, I US Army Corps wasactivated at Neufchateau, France, under thecommand of Major General Hunter Liggett. TheCorps mission was to command and control allAmerican units in France under the AmericanExpeditionary Force, commanded by GeneralJohn J. Pershing.

American forces had been in France since July,1917, and continued to arrive. In January, 1918,the mission of these units was to train and veryfew had entered the trench line or engaged incombat.

MG Hunter Liggett graduated from the USMilitary Academy at West Point in 1879. Heserved during the Indian campaigns and in thePhilippines during the Spanish-American Warand the Philippine Insurrection. He commandedthe Army War College in 1913-14. In August,1917, he assumed command of the 41st InfantryDivision at Camp Fremont, California, anddeployed with that unit to France in late 1917.The 41st was composed of National Guard unitsfrom the Pacific Northwest.

General Pershing wanted to have US combatunits deployed under US commanders. Both theBritish and French wanted our units employedpiecemeal to plug gaps in the trench line and toadd additional punch to their offensiveoperations. The formation of I Corps; thesubsequent formation of five additional Corps;First and Second US Armies; and First ArmyGroup was the result of General Pershing’sinsistence.

I Corps was initially organized with fivedivisions, the 1st, 2nd, 26th ,41st and 42nd. Thisfixed organization was later discarded in favor oftailoring the Corps composition with divisionsand support units based on the mission. Duringthe war, the Corps commanded anywhere fromone to five divisions.

The main fighting unit of the Corps was thedivision. American divisions were big, 28,000men; organized into two infantry brigades of tworegiments and a machine gun battalion each; anartillery brigade; an engineer regiment, and othercombat and combat support units. Bycomparison, British, French and Germandivisions were half that size.

On 4 July 1918, I Corps assumed tacticalcommand of the French 167th and US 2nd

Divisions that were manning a seven kilometersector of trench line at the apex of the Marnesalient from Torcy to Vaux, France. The Corpswas operating as part of the French SixthArmy. On 10 July, the 26th Division replacedthe 2nd in the five kilometers from Belleau toVaux.On 15 July, the Germans attacked within thatsalient. Effective artillery and counter batteryfire disrupted the offensive and Corps unitswere only lightly engaged. On 18 July, theAllies counterattacked in what became knownas the Aisne-Marne Offensive. The Corps axisof advance was east and then northeast. On 25July, the 42nd Division replaced the 26th. Thefollowing day, the French 167th Division wassqueezed out and the Corps continued theattack with one division. By 27 July, the Corpshad advanced fifteen kilometers.

The advance continued until 2 August whenthe German line collapsed. From 29 July to 2August, the 42nd Division advanced anadditional eight kilometers that includedcrossing the Oureq River.

On 3 August, the 4th Division replaced the42nd and continued the attack. By 6 August, theCorps had crossed the Vesle River and takenpositions around the town of Bazoches. On 12August, the 4th Division was relieved by the77th Division and the next day, the Corps waswithdrawn after thirty-nine days in the line;having advanced thirty-three kilometers andcapturing 674 prisoners.

On 21 August, the Corps assumed commandof a seventeen mile sector near Saizerais thatwas manned by the 82nd and 90th Divisions.On 30 August, the Corps became part of thenewly formed First US Army.

On 12 September, the Corps attacked as partof First US Army in what was known as the St.Mihiel Offensive; the first operation whereAmerican units operated exclusively underAmerican command. General Pershing had thedual responsibility of commanding First USArmy and the American Expeditionary Force.

I Corps at 100By Don Simpson

The mission was to reduce the St, MihielSalient that had been held by the Germans since1914. I Corps was positioned on the east flankand attacked with four divisions, the 2nd, 5th, 90th,and 82nd. By the end of 12 September the salientwas reduced and 4,985 prisoners captured.

On 21 September, the Corps moved west to theArgonne Forest and assumed control of tenkilometers of trench line from Harazee toVauqois. Line divisions attached were the 77th,28th and 35th. This was a complex sixty mile movefrom the St. Mihiel area to the Meuse-Argonne.LTC George C. Marshall, the First ArmyOperations Officer (later Chief of Staff duringWorld War II) planned and coordinated thisdifficult troop movement. It placed I Corps alongwith III and V Corps in position for the upcomingMeuse-Argonne Offensive,

On 26 September, First Army attacked northwith three Corps abreast in what would be thelast offensive of the war. I Corps was on the leftand attacked through and along the easternboundary of the Argonne Forest. The initialadvance was six to nine kilometers before theresistance stiffened. For the next five weeks,progress was slow. It was during this period thatthe reserve brigade from the 82nd Division wascommitted.

On 8 October, Corporal Alvin C. York of the82nd’s 328th Infantry Regiment captured 132German soldiers near Chatel-Chery; an actionthat resulted in the award of the Medal ofHonor to Corporal York. He was one of four ICorps soldiers to receive the Medal of Honorfor the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

The three other Medals of Honor wereawarded for gallantry in the same action. The1st Battalion, 308th Infantry Regiment, 77th

Division, was attacking against light resistancewhen they became separated and cutoff fromadjacent units. For five days the “LostBattalion” fought courageously againstcontinual German counterattacks until finallyreached by other 77th Division units. Of the670 men who began the attack, only 191 wereable to walk out. Medals of Honor wereawarded to Major Charles Whittlesey, thebattalion commander, Captain GeorgeMcMurty, acting commander of 2nd Battalion,308th Infantry, which was in support, andCaptain Nelson Holderman, commander of the308th’s Company K, that finally broke throughto the beleaguered 1st Battalion.

SOURCES

Ayers, Leonard P. The War with Germany: A Statistical Summary. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1919.

Coffman, Edward M. The War to End All Wars: The American Military Experience in World War I. Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky Press, 1968.

Eisenhower, John S. D. Yanks: The Epic Story of the American Army in World War I. New York: The Free Press, 2001.

Huddleston, Joe D.; Fort Lewis Historian, History of I Corps, 1918-1997.

On 12 October, Second US Army and First USArmy Group were activated. General Pershingbecame the Army Group commander and MajorGeneral Liggett was promoted to LieutenantGeneral and replaced General Pershing as FirstArmy commander. Major General Joseph T.Dickman assumed command of I Corps.

Finally, on 1 November, after weeks of slowgoing, the German line cracked. I Corpscontinued rapid progress and by 8 November waslocated along the Meuse River south of the city ofSedan. On 9 November, I Corps was withdrawnand at 1100 hours on 11 November, the armisticewent into effect ending the fighting.

By 11 November, forty-two American divisionshad arrived in France. Twenty-nine of thosedivisions had entered combat; many havingserved under I Corps. 2,000,000 men were in theAmerican Expeditionary Force; 1,390,000 were inthe front lines. Another thirty-eight divisionswere organized and training in the United Statesin preparation for deployment. Total US Armymanpower strength on 11 November 1918 was3,700,000.

With the Armistice, I Corps reverted to atraining status. On 12 November, Major GeneralWilliam M. Wright replaced Major GeneralDickman as I Corps Commander. Dickman movedup to command the newly activated Third USArmy.

I Corps deactivated at Tonnerre, France on25 March 1919. The Corps reactivated andserved courageously during World War IIand in the Korean War, remaining in Koreauntil 1971. I Corps reactivated at Fort Lewisin 1981 and continues the proud traditionthat began one hundred years ago on thebattlefields of France in World War I.

Soldiers of the Lost Battalion

In December we had our first ever Saturdayfamily event; the “Great War Christmas”. Kidfriendly activities included ornament making,coloring, and a unique “smell” scavenger hunt.Several times during the day I had the opportunityto regale our guests with the story of the ChristmasTruce phenomenon that swept many areas of theWestern Front during December of 1914. In thefuture we hope to host at least one-family-orientedhistory event at the Museum each quarter.

Following our successful grand re-opening inAugust we have been very busy working to get therenovated Hall of Valor back open. As it stands,we’re aiming for a Spring unveiling.

In November we hired longtime museumvolunteer, Deidre Yates, as our new AssistantCurator. Deidre is a welcome addition to theMuseum team and will be focusing on inventoryingand assessing our nearly 6,000 historical artifacts.

In December we sadly bade farewell to SynthiaSantos who retired from her duties as MuseumHistorian.

Curator Heidi Pierson, SSG Granillo, and our new Assistant Curator, Deidre Yates

Director Erik Flint telling the story of the 1914 Christmas Truce

Command Teams from the 7th Division enjoy their Centennial Social at the Museum

Synthia served her country as a Department ofthe Army Civilian for over 36 years, including 20years at the Lewis Army Museum! Synthia workedwith three different museum directors, countlessvolunteers, and engaged thousands of Soldiers,family members, and the members of the Americanpublic. Synthia was the glue that held together themuseum as it underwent often seismic changes.Her smile, positive attitude, and dedication to themission of the Museum will sorely be missed. I, aswell as the entire Lewis Army Museum team, wishSynthia the very best as she moves on to a new andexciting chapter in her life.

Good luck Synthia!

Erik W. FlintDirector

Please return your reservation form and check by Thursday, 15 february 2018Last minute reservations may be made by calling Paul Knoop at (253) 279-2598.

Return this form to LTC (Ret) Donald A Simpson, 827 Aloha Street, Edmunds, WA 98020Make checks payable to “The Friends.”

Cost of Brunch for members and guests: $17.00 each.

Number of Reservations: ___________Total Amount Enclosed:____________________

Name of Member: _________________________Telephone Number:_______________

Names of Guests:_________________________________________________________

Residents of Patriot’s Landing do not need to make payment for the meeting, but are requested to make reservations for seating.

Friends of the Fort Lewis Military MuseumGeneral Membership Meeting

18 February 2018Place: Patriots Landing, Olympic Dining Room

Time: 1130-1215 Social Hour1215-1330 Brunch1330-1415 Program

Please note that we have had to increase the cost of the Brunch one dollar to cover an increase in cost from Patriot’s Landing.

We are happy to welcome our own Curator of Collections, Heidi Pierson as our next guest speaker. Her subject will be the Early Settlement of Fort Vancouver and the Oregon Territory. Heidi has been curator at the Lewis Army Museum for the last three years. Previously, she worked at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in their Cultural Resources Department. Heidi has a Master's Degree in Anthropology from California State University, Chico. She has written and made presentions about Northwest History and Archaeology for the past 14 years.

The Friends of the Fort Lewis Military MuseumBoard of Directors

COL Marisa Peloquin ……………...………….….….….PresidentLTC (Ret) Thomas Morgan…………...……….………..Vice PresidentJoseph Koczur, Jr…………………...…...……………….SecretaryLTC (Ret) Donald Simpson………………….................TreasurerBryant Ouch………………….…………………………….MemberSGM (Ret) Harry Schreiber..…………………...….……MemberCOL (Ret) Paul Knoop……………………………………MemberCOL (Ret) Ian Larson …………………………… .……..Member

The Banner is printed four times a year and is mailed to all members of TheFriends of Fort Lewis Museum. Articles may be submitted to the Editor orleft with the Director of the Lewis Army Museum. The Friends assume noresponsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or other materials submitted forpublication. Contents copyrighted by The Friends; contact the Editor forpermission to reproduce any portion.Editor…….…………………………...…….Alan ArchambaultAssistant Editors………………………….LTC (Ret) Donald A. Simpson

COL (Ret) Paul KnoopHeidi Pierson

Visit the Friends web site for more information on the Friends and the

Cannon Shop.http://www.fortlewismuseum.com

Friends of the Fort Lewis Military MuseumPO Box 331001JBLM, WA 98433-1001

1918 Valentine Card

World War I Era Sheet Music Cover