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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 14, 1942)
PAGE TWO MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1942. 91st of World War I Fame Formed by Men of Northwest Tht grave emergency of 1917 early made Iti demands Upon every section of the United States. Among the areas of the nation making early and whole hearted response to this great challenge was a vast section of the Great Northwest, compris ing California, Washington, Ore gon, Nevada, Utah, Idaho. Mon tana and Wyoming, In addition to the Territory of Alaska. The 91st Division was among the first to be formed In America and, for Its initial personnel, drew most heavily from the aforementioned states. The Division was activated at Camp Lewis, Wash., under the command of General Henry A. Greene, whose staff consisted of Lt. Colonel H. J. Brees as chief of staff. Major F. W. Manley as adjutant general and Major F. W. Clark as assistant chief of staff. Under the able direction of these officers, organization and training began on Septem ber 8. 1917. and thus was marked the beginning of a divl ' alon which was later to reflect credit and honor to the nation and to the states which contrib uted their choice sons for serv ice In this great fighting team. . The Division was composed generally of the following: The 181st Infantry Brigade under Brigadier General Henry B. Styer, comprising the 361st and the 362nd Infantry Regiments, and the 347th Machine Gun Bat talion; the 182nd Infantry Bri gade under Brigadier Frederick S. Foltz, comprising the 363rd and 364th Infantry Regiments, and the 348th Machine Gun Bat talion; the 316th Engineers were organized under Colonel Henry C. Jewett and the 316th Trains and Military Police under Col onel M. E. Savllle, while the di visional Surgical and Sanitary service was under the direction and command of Colonel Peter C. Field. General Edward Burr com manded the 166th Field Artil lery Brigade which wai com posed of the 346th, 347th, 348th Artillery Regiments and the 316th Trench Mortar Battery. The three Machine Gun Bat talions comprising the 346th under Major Francis C. Endl cott, the 347th. under Major Arthur W. Hanson and the 348th under Major T. N. Gim perllng, were formed, In addi tion to the 316th Field Signal Battalion, under Major C. L. WELCOME To the Fighting 9 1st. BUY WAR BONDS HOW BREADS FOR ENERGY Division Among First To Assemble for Duty In Emergency of 1917 Wyman, aa Division Signal Of ficer. 166th Depot Brigade For Personnel Supply In course of time the growing flow of men could not be ab sorbed wisely and profitably by the Division, so the 166th Depot Brigade was formed, which sup plied personnel to the various units of the Division as they were needed as well as supply ing abundant troops for other divisions and camps throughout the land. These early days of training found men willing to give all, and so, undaunted by the lack of appropriate uni forms, the men began drilling in their civilian clothes. Pursuant to his ambition to form a staff which he hoped would be permanent. General Greene placed Lt. Colonel Fred erick W, Coleman In charge of administration; as quartermaster officer, Lt. Colonel L. C. Ben nett succeeded Colonel Cole man, and Captain Thomas A. Driscoll was appointed In charge of Division Intelligence. On November 24, 1917, Gen eral Greene and the chief of staff left Camp Lewis to study battle conditions in France. Brigadier General J. A. Irons became commanding general for a short- time In the absence of General Greene, and was succeeded by General Fred- erick S. Foltz, who retained the command until the return of General Greene In March of 1918. Training Intensified Before Embarkation During the few short months intervening between his return and the actual day of departure . for ports of embarkation. Gen eral Greene Intensified training ; and preparation based upon the ! knowledge gained during his reconnaissance In France. This training was designed to equip his troops for the exact condi tions which they were to en counter at the battle front. As constituted when lt left Camp Lewis, the staff of the 91st was composed of the fol lowing: Colonel H. J. Brees was chief of staff, administration was in charge of Colonel Fred erick W. Coleman, operations was under Major Clark Lynn, Captain Thomas A. Driscoll was intelligence officer. Major F. W. Manley was adjutant, quarter master was In charge of Lt. Col onel L. C. Bennett, Lt. Colonel George Herring was ordinance officer. Major C. L. Wyman the division signal officer, and the division surgeon continued to be Lt. Colonel Peter C. Field and Major A. D. Cummings was di vision Inspector. Brigadier Gen eral J. B. McDonald succeeded Brigadier General Styer aa com manding general of the 181st on May 6, 1918. On the eve of the departure of the Division General Greene was relieved and ordered to the Philippine Islands, and the 91st went overseas with Brigadier General Foltz as commanding general. It was just 10 months follow ing Its activation that the Divi sion was making preparations to depart to take its place at the front. Two days following the departure of the first troops for embarkation points on June 19 General Foltz, his Staff and the Headquarters Troop and detachment departed, followed within a very short time by the whole Division, all proceeding to points of embarkation. 91ST BATTLE CRY OF RETAIN INTEREST BY ORGANIZATION The old 91st Infantry division has been kept alive in the period from 1919 to the present by the 91st Infantry Division associa tion, which was organized at La Ferte Bernard, France, before the division re-embarked for home. Through annual re-unions, an nual picnics, patriotic celebra tions and civic functions, the men of the division have kept in touch with each other and have served their communities. At ', the present time there are active ' chapters of the association in Tacoma and Seattle, Wash.; in Portland, Ore.; in Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco, i Calif., and also in several other places throughout the territory i from which the men of the old division came originally. i Powder River Flows Through Badlands Known to Indi ans as "Hell Cooled Off." War Cry's Origin The origin and significance ol the war-cry of the old 91st Division is set forth in the following paragraph quoted from "600 Day's Service", a history of the 391st Infantry Regiment: "In these early times "Pow der River', destined to be the war cry of the division, made its first bid for fame. One day, as the 'old men', of a month, a week, or even a days experience, called to the 'recruits': 'Where 're you from?' a Montana detach ment replied In a manner that was never forgotten : 'Pow der River Let 'er Buck!' From Camp Lewis this an swer was carried with the early replacements to the American Expeditionary Forces and there it grew to the full story taught as fol lows at the 1st Corps School at Gondrecourt: "What is the longest rivejr in the world?' 'Powder River it's a mile wide and an inch deep and it flows uphill all the way to Txa Let Vr Buck!" Los Angeles (U.R) Hundreds of cargo-carrying gliders soon will be rolling from California factories to ferry supplies to the armed foices, according to a survey by the aviation depart ment of the Los Angeles County Chamber of Commerce. Large and small aircraft man ufacturers shortly will turn out motorless "box cars" of the air costing up to $35,000 each, the chamber said, adding that 10 to 20-place gliders may be used in California training centers. A Los Angeles firm already Is scheduled to build 100 one and two place craft for training In New York high schools, it was pointed out. HAS FIRST NICKEL Plttsfield, Mass. (U.R) The first nickel paid by a passenger on the Berkshire Street railway when the first streetcar made Its Initial run 40 years ago is owned by Walter S. Dickie. Berkshire county .register of deeds. Dickie, who then was motorman, substituted another nickel for the one paid him by the first passenger. "Powder River Let 'er Buck!" Twenty-four years ago the grey-clad German aggressors, thrusting powerfully through the underbrush of the Argonne, reeled back from men whose battle cry had been born on wide plains and vast open spaces half the earth distant. "Powder River Let 'er Buck!" screamed the soldiers of the 91st division, fighting as desperately as their fathers and grandfathers had fought years ago on the Indian dominated plans of Wyoming and Montana. They conquered, as their fath ers and grandfathers had con quered. They earned battle honors not alone on the Argonne but also St. Mihiel and Ypres. They left their mark on history as a division composed of brave and intelligent men. As much as any division participating in the First World War, perhaps more than most, the 91st pos sessed a personality all its own. Slogan No Accident "Powder River Let er Buck!" The slogan is no acci dent. Powder river flows through some of the rougest ter rain cn the North American continent through deepest bad lands, that region which the In dians in tribute and fear called in their language, "Hell Cooled Off." Angling up through Wyoming Into southeastern Mon tana, pouring eventually into the mighty Missouri river, the Pow der from earliest times has made men, and the men have made history. The 91st was bred in the toughest land on earth. Back In the 1860'f the then Secretary of War Stanton, irri ! tated by the attentions of an of i ficer who wished a transfer from his present position, snapped to his secretary, "Where is the i worst place, next to hell, to send a regiment?" I The secretary thought a mo ment, then replied, "to the Pow der river, sir!" ! Powder river flows "a mile wide and a foot deep," its banks at certain points sanded with black sand in a manner to make . the first French adventurers ' think of gunpowder. In the Powder river country Lieut. I Col. George A. Custer and his i command died against odds of a hundred to one. Tatonka-E-Yo-tanka, whom the white men called Sitting Bull, made his bid against defeat in the Powder river land. A certain Pvt. Den nis Driscoll, traveling between '. Forts C. F. Smith and Phil Kearney, built to protect emi grant trails, raced on a blind mule through a thousand Sioux, eluded them by strategy, endur ance and his skill with a pair of borrowed pistols, and reached Fort C. F. Smith In time to send relief to his beleagured com panions. Cow Country The tough men of Powder river did not cease with the passing of the Indian menace. Powder river became cow coun try domain of the great cattle barons, where they grew steers with the longest horns and horses with the toughest legs. And men able to fork those horses, with no daylight between rider and saddle. To come from Powder river became a mark of honor. It meant you were more than the average cowboy. You could ride anything you could "Let 'Er Buck!" and people knew you were of the superman breed. The First World War thund ered. ' In from Powder river came the cowboys and the sons of the old cattle barons and the buckaroos and rannycavoos and all members of the tough breed a rJmvHor rivpr ThpV did not hesitate, and the 81st division was organized largely irom vol imtMN Man haH tn sleenine under stars and to riding the depths of the badlands wnere .11 .., v.s1 ttrtA lurnnnp all WK1 noj hau heat smoked eternally found army life light comparea wim their past labors. They Gather Again. Their task done, the 91st re turned home. Twenty-four years later the 91st is being reacti vated, this time at Camp White, Ore. There are once more men of the high border country and the northwest in the 91st. The battle cry of the new 91st Is the same as the old: "Powder River Let 'Er Buck!" Camp White lies In the south ern part of the state near the city of Medford. Constructed recently at a cost of many mil. lions cf dollars on flat Agate desert, the grey buildings are flanked by mountains through which flows the Rogue river, rough as its name. Here, "Let "Er Buck!" Is com ing to life for the Second World War. Montana Standard, Butte, Mont Ware. Mass. (U.R) A clergy, man, answering a draft board questionnaire, described his Q) work as "teach, preach, marry and bury." WELCOME . . . TO MEDFORD 91st DIVISION cyert'Aetfxottzin tie Drive BUY BONDS AND STAMPS HUBBARD BROS. 0 0) '''' ''' JjT WmW "Powder linn GREETINGS to the Men of the Hen 91st FOR VICTORY 1, I S.VIG8 BONDS J5 STAMPS River-Let 'er Buck" WELCOME -91st OWi attend to the men of the 91st Division cordial welcome to the Rogue River Valley. We're proud of you every one of you and mighty glad to have you here at Camp White for your battle training. When you re off duty, make this store your headquarter. GLENN II. UTZ it Men's Wear" OPEN EVERY WEEK DAY NIGHT UNTIL 8:30 S3( I : r: f jib; I m!i DIVISION From IBI&CSWKPS AWE aandl Billiard Parlors MAIN AND FRONT STREETS in the Center of Town O Brown't Medford'i completely new, mod ern, air-conditioned recreation center has be come headquarters for men of the 91st. We are grateful for the generous patronaqe accorded this institution by the fighting men of Camp White and will continue to strive to merit your good will! DELICIOUS FOODS -BEVERAGES -SMOKES CANDY -BILLIARDS Spend Your Off-Duty Time At Brown' Help to Outfit Our 91st Division -Buy War Bonds and Stamps! 3) Q
