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About Camp Adair sentry. (Camp Adair, Or.) 1942-1944 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 12, 1942)
Camp Adair Sentry Thursday. November 12,1942 troops had already taken Romagne and the Germans captured were so emaciated, exhausted and list less that we felt the end must be near. In fact there were so many rumors about an armistice that General Headquarters issued an or der to stop circulating them. But they persisted, anyhow, and there was much to indicate a collapse. “We saw very young boys, 16 and 17, and the Germans seemed i let down and glad to fall into our hands. They were half-starved and their clothing was worn out. Also the German artillery was getting 1 worse. They were using old shrap- ! nel and odd lots of stuff. Their ' supplies were alrfiost exhausted and they were shooting a lot of - duds. “I had been in bed for more than k*“ » • a week, when the armistice came, (Left) Tables are available out at the range so that soldiers may keep their rifles in condition for firing, (( enter) A bottle comes in handy when the infantryman and we all knew about it. After-11 want» to smoke up hi» sight so that there will be less gleam in the sunlight. (Right) Proper trigger release ia emphasized and men must learn not to flinch, and to fire o’clock that day all of the patients from any position. Here they fire prone. (These are Public Relations Photo».) who could walk were out in the streets celebrating as much as their had collected »even trial». This and we dined at Churchill», a res- had already been in France eight where we had trouble. There were Adair Vets of First company of men who had just fin taurant we had heard much about months. After the Armistice we orders out to place all Americans condition permitted. The cafes War Recall Armistice ished their guardhoune terms was and then joined the milling crowds started for Brest, expecting to go under arrest if they had passed were all filled and there was a kind (Continued From Page 1) unique in that it included soldiers on the sidewalk. A girl grabbed my home, and then were turned around beyond our lines. We managed to of a victory parade. I went out, but had to go easy, for I was still 11 o'clock that night. But we went from 32 states of the union and was hat and I chased her two blocks an<l sent to Coblenz with the Army talk ourselves free.” weak. Later I returned to our old t<» the hotel an old women refused further unusual in that it included to get it—.” of Occupation.” Sgt. Henry Beckett position, but so many of our horses But what did the major (then ser to admit us, saying that a French both colored and white troops in Col. George C. Ferch were gone, partly as the result of general and the members of his its roster. This was the only com geant) do with the girl? Sgt. Henry Beckett has with him eating brush contaminated by mus staff were staying there and the pany of its kind that Col. Sammet “Oh, I was lucky to get the hat,” Col. George C. Ferch, Camp a copy of the history of his regi tard gas, that we could not go on hotel was full. Of course the gen had ever heard of and he claims he said. "But you know, in that 'Adair’s executive officer, fell ment, the 136th F.A., then a bi- into Germany. eral was asleep. He did not know that it was the best—casual outfit great crowd we even saw other asleep until awakened by the vouac in a dense woods, the Foret about it. He was in command of a that sailed from France. men from Lakehurst. There was a Don C. Wilson wound of shell cartridges being , de la Montagne, covering the range cavalry brigade »nd was on the lot of noise, naturally, and heaps of fired in celebration. I of hills forming the escarpment of S Sgt. Jack S. Vinson way to Sedan for the formal entry excitement and I remember that Don C. Wilson, editor of the “We were across the Meuse Riv the Meuse, just southeast of Ver Camp Adair Sentry and now a resi of the French Army. 8/Sgt. Jack 8. Vinson. M.P. —“I we had to wade through paper er from Sedan,” he said. “We were dun. dent of Corvallis, was a 1st lieu “Commercy, I remember, was war confined to quartern with thi about knee deep. Newspapers had “Firing continued here until the Rainbow Division troops and the tenant, in the First Brigade of the I sound asleep at that hour. Every flu. A major had been buried ll nd been dumped around and strips of armistice, ” -the history says, “ one men of the First Division were on Tank Corps, resting near Langres, place was dosed. But a policeman I heard his funeral train go by. paper were thrown from windows. our right. I was a captain in the , battery continuing in action up to on Armistice Day. Although back | told us of a bakery where we might Thon I heard more funeral marches But we got away all right and re the last moment, even taking ac 151st F.A., and regimental adju from the front since Nov. 5. the ' pass the night. The baker fixed us and looked out and saw two fun ported hack at Lakehurst next tant anil liasion officer. Our latest count of the time of flight of pro unit had orders to go back in and up, brought newly baked bread and erals go by, each one with three morning.” drive had started as November jectile so that the last round ex 144 brand new French tanks were coffee, took my temperature, then caissons draped in black. I remem ( apt. Jean D. Lewis opened. Earlier we had prepared ploded in the German lines at the loaded and ready to go, when the I 103, and gave me a thick feather ber wondering when I would get the way for the Marines and my exact second of the termination of war ended. ’ Lt. Wilson rode to bed for the night. Next day we mine. All this happened before 11 Capt. Jean D. Lewi», transporta brother, in the Marines, had been j hostilities.” town and bought a copy of The went on to a hospital at Neufchat- o'clock and we didn’t know any tion Officer, and a private in the Shortly after the great silence killed. Paris Herald, telling all about it. eau, and found the town Celebrat thing in advance where I was, at Medics of the 55th F.A. in 1918, came, Beckett walked down hill, “We had pushed through the mud Then he celebrated. ing, too. Doctors and nurses and Ft. Lewis. Thon the news came and says that the front seemed more through <he village of St. Maurice, French people greeted us and gave I think a poker game started. At dangerous on Armistice Day than for 30 kilometers, four horses to a to the plain, and went on some miles T Sgt. William J. Sweeney gun. and they were about used us cigarettes, flowers and candy. that time I was a second lieutenant it had la-en earlier. to the right. He knew of a canteen up and we were about through our T. Sgt. William J. Sweeney—On I was in the hospital for two weeks, and instructor of infantry. "Everybody cut loose with ma- selves. In five days I had slept only down that way. He bought a quan- the morning of Nov. 11, 1918, I with bronchial pneumonia.’’ ' tity of cigarettes, chocolates and chine guns and rifles,” he says, about three hours altogether, so Pvt. Carl K. Cohen was preparing to celebrate my “but not right away. First there when the firing ceased I just crackers, put them into a large Maj. Gen. Gilbert It. Cook fifth birthday in a little town; Mil wooden box, and started back with Pvt. Carl K. Cohen, Hdq. Co.— was that strange silence. You could floppt-d down where I was and ton, Okla., when guns started On the day the war ended, the “I was with the 131st Infantry, hear a pin drop. Then the French slept. I slept through the after it. Along came part of the 135th | cracking, dynamite shots going off Major General Gilbert R. Cook of 33rd Division. W<- were stationed people started to come back to noon and might have gone on sleep F.A. and he rested the box on a and men and women hollering and Adair waa u major, without any with other unit» of the A.E.F., Genses, where we were, near Se ing, but near dark some soldiers caisson, going up the hill. Later he whooping at the top of their voices. “general” in the title, and he was about 15 miles from Metz, which dan, and the soldiers were well set off shell cartridges and began . sold most of the stuff, at cost. “Night fell,” reads his own ac-; During the middle of all this I saw in charge of horse-drawn vehicles was then thought of as the gate kissed and toasted. It was an af shooting to celebrate and that coming down from Montfaucon and way to Germany. At 11 o’clock fecting sight—all of the old people awakened me. A few days later we count in a battery history, “and | my father come running up the street towards home, waving a had just turned them over, al Com sharp we were instructed to cease tottering back to their old homes. went to a point between Cologne for miles over the plain German i newspaper over his head and mercy. firing. Where a few minutes be Also bugles were blowing again and Coblenz, in the Army of Occu and American troops sent up rock shouting with the rest. Of course ets. The sky was alight with red, "My greatest thrill,” he remem- fore there were shot and shell fly and lights could be on at night. pation.” the news was “The War Is Over, white and green balls and showers I “Then two old women ami an tiers, “was repacking my suitcase ing all about uh , a sudden quiet Germany Surrenders.” My father, Col. Ferch had been gassed twice | of gold.” according to peace needs and not ness prevailed. A few moments lat old man came with shovels and then the father of six children, was and wounded by shell fragments. as if expecting to go into combat. er we proceeded from our trenches began digging in the ground right Brig. Gen. Paul V. Kane scheduled to go to the army the His service record shows that he That was my first act and how and walked out to meet a group of by one of our kitchens. They didn’t following week. What is more vivid took part in a number of the im- Germans from the trench opposite say anything, they just dug. Sud- enjoyed it. Brigadier General Paul V. Kane, 1 in my recollection is that my portant offensives in F rance. “With us there was no cheering. ours. They greeted us hospituldy. dently we heard the shovel strike N a m e s include Baccarat Sector, commanding general of divisional 1 grandfather, a Civil War veteran, It was a solemn day, a day of great Thus was ended a war that hail something hard, like iron. Then Champagne, Chateau-Thierr.v. St. j artillery, was in hospital at Vichy came that day and had me turning relief, and of satisfaction in a job lasted more than four years, with the three leached down and pulled Mihiel, Montfaucon Cierge. He was 1 when firing eeased at the front. He somersaults one after the other and well done, a difficult job, too. We a victory for the great American up an iron box. It held ail their awarded the Order of the Purple was then a major, commanding a shouting, “Hooray for Uncle Sam.” had la-en fighting for four and one- army and her allies.” money and valuable papers. The Heart for meritorious service as battalion of the 121st F.A. firing Now, as a T/Sgt. in the army, I half months, steadily, and as time iron hail been there four years. captain of Hdq. Co.. 151st F.A., and the 155 millimeter howitzer, and still feel like shouting, “Hooray Sgt. Edwin A. Brown passed the chances for survival had They had buried it when they had the Silver Star Medal for gallant he was one of seven officers who J for Uncle Sam.” seemed to decrease. were casualties as the result of Sgt. Edwin A. Brown win driv to flee, at the time the Germans ry in action. “So the change which the armis drinking coffee made with water ing an ambulance, attached to the first came.” OMAHA, Nebr. - Orville John tice made wa» an abrupt one for (pl. <ie Tonnancourt contaminated by mustard gas. 30th Ambulance company. Hi* rec son was rejected by the Army. His u* because we hail only one more “That was northeast of Ro wrists aren’t flexible, the Army ollections are a bit hazy aa to speci night’s march to make before reach- (’pl. Wilfrid deTonnancourt, magne, near the great war ceme fic incident» on the big day, al says. Orville is chief baton twirler Pfc. Janies K. Curl, QM, was near mg the front lines for a great drive then a 1st Lieutenant, was taking tery,” General Kane said, “i though he remembers being so Thiacourt, sitting on a mound with Our for the Union Pacific railroad band. on Metz. Yet 1 know that some orders from the late Major Gen close to Metz that he drove into a rifle in hi» hand, guarding an comrades of mine fired a last shot eral Leonard Wood, at Camp Fun- I the city, capital of Ixirraine, that ammunition dump. He'd been there in the direction of Berlin at 10:59 ston, Kans., and instructing the afternoon and “evacuated" three two week*, with Co. B. 103rd Engi a. in., one minute before hostili sbldiers who had ingeniously neers, 28th Division, and when fir camp in bayonet practice. The lieu ties ceased. They must lx- proud of sneaked into the city ahead of ing ceased he went right on guard tenant had laid out a bayonet j that now." • schedule and loaded themselves ing the dump Also there wen- Ger course which General Wood pro The Major Cook of that year had down with souvenirs German of- man rifles that the French hail nounced the best he had seen in 35 passed the night in a splinter shel fleer*’ helmets, iron crosses and seised and "a hunch of thing» that years. And deTonnancourt knew ter along the road at the eastern other loot that was good for a few we were ufraid to use in celebrat something about it because he had edge of Commercy and wa» busy used bayonets on men in the Phil francs in 1918. ing.” all the next day and al II o'clock ippines and had served under Gen While in Metz he saw French on the night of the 11 th his car eral Pershing on the Mexican Bor I’ 5 Fred Lock* inni ran into a ditch and in strong words men overturn a stutue of Freder der. lie informed the driver that he did ick the Great. T 5 Fred lax-kwood. Chemical He remembers hearing about not relish the idea of dying on the “The awful stillness, after so Marfan-, hail to wait 14 day* mon- the armistice when with a company first day of peace. The Major Cook many month* of the noise of the before being born. His father, was some distance from camp. They of World War No. 1 was executive war, was our only real proof that Evcrvtt Lockwood, was with the all marched back, some throwing officer of the 58th Infantry, Fourth there was an armistice," »aid Sgt. French Red Cro»«, in France, but away their rifles and whooping it Division. Brown "We had been hearing ru got back before hi* »on was old up generally. mors of one for several days, but enough to say "Papa." so until he 1.1. Col. W. P. Sammel Major Ernest V Shafer rumors then, as now, weir a dime grew- older the son didn't know that hi* father waa away on the Nov. 11th, 1918 came as a dis- a dos«-n. Major Ernest A. Shafer, post en “That night, though, when 1 got day of armistice Mother did all of tmet letdown to Lt. Col W P Sam- gineer, one of the “Soldats de Ver the rejoicing. back to Gondrecourt, and discover met, now commanding officer of a dun," was a 1st Lieutenant. Com field aitillery battalion here hut ed that the M P.’s were allowing Pfc Gottfried Hews pany C. 26th Engineers, near Free- the lights in the cafe» to stay lit then a 2nd Lt. In the »econd battal ne-en-Woevrv. between Verdun and Pfc. Gottfried Hess, M P . was a ion. 132 Field Artillery. 38th Divis and also the soldier* I knew it Metz ion. Col. Sammet'* outfit wa* at must b«- the real thing I packed German boy, eight year* old. liv When asked what impressed him Camp Coetquidan in Normandie up to return home and then drove ing in Leipzig As well as he can most that day the major said that it on up with the Army of Occupa remember, there waa a feeling of and wa» all set to move to the was the contrast between the ter tion for the next seven month« relief that the war was over, even front. rific firing, audible for miles along “ A lot of thing» must have hap if it meant defeat. Rut the city was Keyed as Col. Sammet’* outfit the line, and continuing without In wa* for front line action—the new* pened that I would never have for subdued and quiet. It was not at termission up to the appointed hour, gotten except for the many war all like Armistice Day on the of the armistice came almost a* an ami the profound silence that so anti-climax. At first, the Colonel movies I have seen since. They con other side. The people were under- suddenly succeeded the inferno of fuse One . . ." nourished and poorly clothed sound. remember», liardly anyone would Young Hess wore wooden shoes. believe the new* It had been ju»t Major Earl F. trmstrimg "At II 30." Major Shafer re To get any article of wear it was a few day* before that all their member«. "a major in the Medical necessary to submit a roqueat and Major Earl F Armstrong, Chem personal effects had been collected Corp« and a lieutenant and I aet and shipped to Pari* the UKual ical Warfare Officer here, eele- perhap* wait in line. Some day* out for a walk We went about 10 later the long, long columns of Santa's found the wont for it! The most precious preparation for immediate front bnzt.-d in New York City Then a kilometers altogether, partly on gift you can give those you love, is your photo Chemical Warfare Sergeant, at beaten troops began marching roads amt partly through the line duty. graph. Naturally posed, artistically developed— When everyone wa* finally con Lakehurst, N. J., he and several through the city. He*« remember* woods. But we V thought we had a picture of yourself conveys your yuletide wishes vinced that the Armistice wa* not other* rented a five-pa»*enger that well ami also the revolution made a ghastly mistake when all through the years. Choice of sepia or black finish just a rumor—Col. Sammet'» out Packard and set out for the me- ary activity that followed. at once about 50 German* came with artistic backgrounds. You’ll find that ail fit didn’t have the energy to cele t r «polls rushing down a hill, shouting and Sgt. Scott Miller work done by JESTEN-MILLER is QUALITY “Wr were lucky to get there,* brate. They raved that for later. waving at us We suspected that work at reasonable prices, too' Col. Sammet himself stayed in he say». "because th«- road* were Sgt Scott Miller: "We celebrat it was another false armistice, but France until August, 1910. He had congested and none of u* knew the ed, but you couldn't publish the de- it wasn’t The Germans were led charge of a casual company at St. way But We rosie across the Jer- tail* I was IS yean old and a cor by a lieutenant who had lived in Aignan which wa* composed mostly •ey meadows in the dark, and it poral in the ll<th En<lneerw. We the United States for about 10 was the coldest ride 1 can remem- had been at the front and were years and he wanted to warn u* of hospital releases. When he finally sailed for home bar. and then took the auto ferry being re-equipped to go forward that we were in an area of tank he had charge of another casual across the Hudson river, and hit again, when the Armistice came. mine* company, every man of which had Manhattan about 11 pm We were then at Toul. too far from “They took us to German bri gade 189 N. Liberty St. Salem. Ore. “Of course we got into the the front to hear the firing, so that head«iuarter* for mess and then es at least one court-martial on his record. The winner wm one who theatre section, around Broadway, we dal not know when it ceased. I corted u« hack to our lines. That’s * One of the Primary Things Is Care of Rifle and Learning to Shoot — and Shoot Straight! CHEVRONS of all kinds □ HERMAN'S MEN'S STORE Corvallis CAMP ADAIR EXCHANGE No. 2 I Hostess Ave. and 1st St. North Shoes for All Soldiers A Stock of Blenn's Candies Fresh Every Week I A Full Line of Christmas Greeting Cards Now Available No Dark Green Elastique Slacks Until After December 1 Shipment More Overcoats on the Way CAMP ADAIR EXCHANGE Every wise woman wants j to make her electrical Y helpers last for the dura tion. In answer to many queries as to the best method of caring for them, we have listed here a few ways make 'em last"’ I -• -<• —1 -J What to Give for Christmas? Why not give Avoid spillinq food or fluid while cook mg If any spills, burn it off. Wipe oven after use, removing any spilled food. Wash outside with soapy water after it is cool. Your Ref rig Defrost according to instruc tions. Empty drip water. Wash inside with baking soda and water. Do not over load with food—it stops cir- eolation of air. Your Electric Wa»h«r Drain after washing and rinse Leave cover off until completely dry. Wipe and release pressure on wringer, —saving the spring and rub ber Wind connecting cord carefully on hooks provided. Yourself! Jesten-Miller Your Electric Rcmye Mountain States Power Company/ "A Tax-Pav»—-, rrivate Eaterpnw” W» serve the cities and rural territory Surrounding Camp Adair.