User:Aleutian06/State, Mobilization for World War II

Status on Eve of War
When the United States declared war on Germany 6 April 1917, less than two months had past since the last Arkansas National Guard units completed mustering out from duty on the Mexican border. In March, 1917, the Arkansas National Guard had been in danger of having it's Federal recognition withdrawn. The problem was scarcity of men Company "E", 1st Arkansas Infantry, Little Rock Company, had only twenty men and should have had thirty-two additional men. The reason for the shortage was the lack of interest of the business men of Little Rock. The employers would not let men off for training, thereby discouraging their employees from joining.

Mobilization
While Congress was debating the declaration of war the 1st Regiment was mobilized 31 March 1917, and began reporting to Fort Roots in North Little Rock. With the increased speculation of the entry of the United States in the war in Europe, plans for mobilization were published. The War Department initally called the 1st Regiment of the Arkansas National Guard into Federal service for the purpose of police protection. Meanwhile, Governor Charles H. Brough was planning to withold $25,000 of the State’s appropriation to the Arkansas National Guards, hoping that the Federal government would bear the financial burden of the Arkansas National Guard.

The units of the 1st Arkansas were to proceed to Ft. Roots outside of Little Rock for mobilization when the companies had reached the minimum company strength of sixty-five men. The minimum strength was difficult to achieve because of new orders from the War Department mustering out guardsmen with families and those with previous orders. This released all men employed in government work. To counteract the men mustered out, companies were held at their home stations as long as possible to stimulate recruiting. It was known by guard officers that when a company leaves its home station the boys of the community lose interest in joining the guard the fear that they will not be assigned to their local company. Recruiting for the guard was greatly aided when Armour, one of the largest companies in Little Rock, gave the difference between salaries to its regular employees who had enlisted in the Arkansas National Guard before March 31, 1917, and were called into active service. Individuals also were exemplifying patriotism; one man upon learning the need of men for the guards left his work in the fields and walked thirty miles to enlist.

By April 4, 1917, the 1st Arkansas Regiment was ready to move to Little Rock, and company commanders were ordered to report by wire the hour and date they expected to leave their home stations. New companies at Forrest City, Dewitt, Rison, and Fordyce were being organized with the idea of "beating Uncle Sam" and not being drafted. The 2nd Arkansas Regiment was on forty-eight hour stand by and had not received mobilization orders.

To equip the companies of the 1st Arkansas, U.S. Arsenals sent to Ft. Roots 2,000 rifles, 1,500 uniforms, 2,000 blankets, 1,000 cots, 2,000 pairs of shoes, and 100 pyramidal tents.

Policies were established to cope with men unable to pass physical examinations. It was determined that these men were to be mustered into Federal service, their status remaining the same as those men passing the physical examination. After being mustered into Federal service, the men who were unable to pass the physical examination were given discharges and furnished with transportation to their homes. The 1st Arkansas Infantry was proud of its record of only 12 per cent being discharged because of physical defects. When the 1st Arkansas Infantry was mobilized for duty on the Mexican border 50 per cent of its men were rejected because of Physical defects.

The first military operation the Arkansas National Guard was assigned was a "find and destroy" mission of a "spy" wireless station located somewhere in the Blue Mountains. After searching the area, they found the station on the highest peak in the Ozarks, Mt. Magazine. It was a forgotten and abandoned radio station used by the Government Geodetic Survey Corps. The second military campaign concerning the right of the governor to order a detail of Arkansas National Guards to Bauzite was fought on paper between Colonel James, Commanding Officer of the Arkansas National Guard, and Governor Brough. The need for troops at Bauxite was due to a German flag being flown by a grape grower. Colonel James refused to send troops on the grounds that he took his orders from General Pershing. The matter was settled when the flag disappeared.

The 1st Arkansas was assigned the duty of guarding the State Capital. The Capital contained the arsenal of the Arkansas National Guard. Troops were placed in and around the building. Company "B" (from Beebe), 1st Arkansas Regiment, was camped on the west side of the Capital, having the distinction of being the first company assigned guard duty. Only persons having passes issued by the Secretary of State, T. J. Terral, could be admitted to the Capital and grounds. Four nights later the men from Company "B" could claim another first for their company when two guardsmen fired eight shots and frightened off an intruder.

April 17, 1917, plans for the creation of a new regiment, the 3rd Arkansas were formulated. Enlistments were to be for the duration of the war. On May 16, 1917, it was announced that Little Rock was allowed to have a second infantry company which was part of the 3rd Arkansas Regiment. Recruitment for men in Little Rock was carried out by seventeen girls wearing badges bearing the words, "If You Are A Real Man Enlist." The girls distributed buttonhole tags with, "Are You A Slacker?" The other side of tag read, "Are You A Man?" The girls worked until June 5, 1917, when the draft law became effective. The pay per month for the enlisted men was as follows:

To qualify for a commission in the guard an individual had to be a,former officer or private of the guard, officer on reserve or unassigned list, active or retired officer of the regular army, navy or marine corps; graduate of the United States military or naval academies or graduate of schools, colleges or university where military science under a regular army officer is taught are eligible for commission.

The age limits that were established for officers of the new units were these:

Rumors that the 1st Arkansas would be assigned to levee and bridge guard duties throughout the state proved to be false when the men were put to work clearing land for a new campsite for the 1st Arkansas. When 7,000 Reserve Officer candidates were sent to Ft. Roots, the 1st Arkansas gave up their barracks for tents. The 1st Arkansas Soldiers were given anti-smallpox and typhoid fever vaccinations. The new duties for the 1st Arkansas was getting the camp in shape by clearing Out brush and trees, by working on post roads, and by performing guard duty for the camp.

On May 18, 1917, the Arkansas National Guard was notified that on August 5, 1917, the guard as a whole would be called into Federal service. This announcement caused the 1st Arkansas to start military training. The 1st Arkansas had one-third of the men resume drilling and training while the other men completed the construction on Ft. Root.

It was not all work for the men at Ft. Root, however. The Arkansas soldiers were treated to dances and banquets by the citizens of Little Rock. The men of Company "B" of the 1st Arkansas solicited funds at the Capital and used the money to buy baseball suits and baseball materials. The men also enjoyed a "breezy" newspaper which was devoted to the interest of the Arkansas National Guard and called the Volunteer.

The Arkansas National Guard was initially informed that it's units would be assigned to the Eighteenth Division, along with the states of Mississippi and Louisiana, and the state was directed to raise one regiment of infantry, one regiment of field artillery, and one outpost of company signal corps. The men of the Arkansas National Guard trained hard after hearing the news. Intensified cross county hiking, drilling, and maneuvering were evident when the men took sack lunches and marched into Little Rock for the Memorial Day parade with all other troops stationed at Ft. Root. By July 16, 1917, the Arkansas National Guard included the following:

On July 18, 1917, the Arkansas National Guard was assigned to Alexandria, Louisiana, for training as the Eighteenth Division. Alexandria, Louisiana, is the location of Camp Beauregard. The camp was named after General P. G. T. Beauregard, C.A.A.

By July 24, 1917, Company "B" from Beebe was the only unit of the 1st Arkansas National Guard having a full war quota of Men after physical examination for Federal service. On July 26, 1917, the first guardsman was killed when James Voinche, Company I, 1st Arkansas Infantry, was killed by a streetcar in Little Rock.

By August, 1917, the 1st Arkansas had become proficient in firing rifles and had practiced with bayoneting dummies. The machine gun company went to Pinnacle Mountain for target practice. The chaplain of the 1st Arkansas was preparing to keep the regiment’s history. Because Ft. Root was designated a base hospital, the men of the 1st Arkansas were transferred from Ft. Root to Camp Pike, adjacent to Ft. Root, and were permitted to sleep in the barracks. The tents were packed by the men with hopes that they would not be unpacked until arrival in France.

The 2nd and 3rd Infantry Regiments were examined for Federal service on August 6, 1917, at Ft. Brough (located on the Capital grounds). The regiments, under the control of General Wood, were sent to Ft. Roots and moved to Camp Pike by August 24, 1917. The Commander of the supply company of the 3rd Arkansas received instructions from the Augusta Arsenal to go into the open market and buy mess kits to complete the needed equipment for the new regiments.

Arkansas was proud when the 1st Arkansas Regiment Band appeared in a War Department film. But Arkansas was doubly proud when the largest Southwest parade in over thirty years was held in Little Rock in which the Eighty-seventh Division, Arkansas National Guard, National Army, and the Iowa Field Artillery participated. This was the last parade in the state of Arkansas for many members of the Arkansas National Guard.

Movement to Camp Beauregard
In late September, 1917, the Arkansas National Guard moved by train to Camp Beauregard in Alexandria, Louisiana. The trip took about fourteen hours. The 3rd Arkansas regiment used the following railroad equipment:

Sixty coaches, three standard pullmans, six baggage cars, twelve boxcars, and one stock car.

Re-numbering and loss of state designations
The Arkansas troops were demobilized after their transfer to Camp Beauregard, and reorganization of the troops was made under a new system of organization worked out by the commanding officer at Camp Beauregard. The 18th Division was redisgnated as the 39th Division. At this time all National Guard Units were stripped of their state designations and re-numbered under a new Federal System:


 * The 1st Arkansas Infantry Regiment became the 153rd Infantry Regiment,
 * the 2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment, minus it's machine gun company became the 142nd Field Artillery Regiment,
 * the 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment, minus the 3rd Battalion, was redisgnated the 154th Infantry Regiment,
 * The 3rd Battalion, 3rd Arkansas Infantry and the Machine Gun Company from the 2nd Arkansas were organized as the 141st Machine Gun Battalion,
 * the 1st Arkansas Ammunition Train became the 114th Ammunition Train,
 * the 1st Arkansas Ambulance Company and the 1st Arkansas Field Hospital became the 114th Sanitary Trains

The 39th "Delta" Division was composed of the:
 * Seventy-seventh Infantry Brigade (153rd Infantry, 154th Infantry, and the 141st Machine Gun Battalion);
 * the Seventy-eight Infantry Brigade (155th Infantry, 156th Infantry, 142nd Machine Gun Battalion);
 * Sixty-fourth Field Artillery Brigade (140th Field Artillery, 141st Field Artillery, 142nd Field Artillery, and the 114th Trench Mortar Battery);
 * the Divisional Troops (140th Machine Gun Battalion, 114th Engineers, 114th Field Signal Battalion and Headquarters Troop); and,
 * Trains (114th Train Headquarters and Military Police, 114th Ammunition Train, 114th Supply Train, 114th Engineer Train, and the 114th Sanitary Train. The 39th Division was brought up to strength with the addition of soldiers from Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky.

The ability of the Arkansas to fight was soon proven when a free-for-all fight between soldiers from Louisiana and Arkansas developed in a dance hall. The combatants were placed in the guardhouse. A Louisiana soldier had brushed against an Arkansas soldier and caused the uproar.

When the 2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment was changed to artillery, the blue hat cord was changed to red and the collar insignia was changed from the crossed rifles to crossed cannon. But the big change was from the rifle to the six-inch howitzer, which was used in shelling enemy positions. It took eight horses to pull one of the big cannons. After several months of classroom training, the 142nd began live fire on the horse drawn 4.7 inch weapon in April 1918. After two and one-half months in the field conducting live fire training, the 142nd was certified for overseas service.

Sickness was a problem for the men from Arkansas. Measles in the later part of October, 1917, kept the men from drilling. Regardless, in January, 1918, the National Guard Reserve was transferred to the active list. Also in the same month, Alexandria, Louisiana, was placed off limits, and soldiers could not visit other regiments because of an outbreak of meningitis. To help matters, the soldiers were instructed in the use of deadly gases and then exposed to tear gas. The off limits lasted until March 6, 1918, for the soldiers concerning Alexandria. The soldiers complained about the bugs and were anxious to go to France. By March, 1918, the soldiers had received new Enfield rifles. In early October, 1918, Camp Beauregard was struck with Spanish influenza which lead into lobar pneumonia. All available facilities were used when the hospitals became overcrowded.

The 114th Engineers made an enviable record by building and improving the roads in and about the camp. By April, 1918, the roads built in the swamps and hills of "Dogville-in-the-Pines" (the nickname given to Camp Beauregard) were completed, and the men were taking physicals for overseas.

Arkansas troops passed in review for the first time in February for Arkansas Adjutant-General England, and the entire 39th Division passed in review in April for the Governors of Mississippi and Louisiana. On the day after the parade, the Arkansas soldiers learned that they could not vote outside of the state of Arkansas. If they could return to their local residence before or on the voting date, they could vote according to the Attorney-General’s opinion.

Deployed to France
In May, 1918, privates were given the opportunity to volunteer for duty overseas. In the rush to help end the war officers resigned their commissions so they would be qualified for duty overseas before the war was over. Shortly thereafter, Private Robert Springer was the first state guardsman to give his life in France.

June, 1918, marked the arrival in France of 20 per cent of the enlisted personnel of the 153rd (old 1st Arkansas) and 154th (composed of part of the old 2nd and 3rd Arkansas) Infantry, the 142nd (part of the old 2nd Arkansas) Field Artillery, and the 141st (part of the old 2nd Arkansas) Machine Gun Battalion, U.S.N.G. The movement consisted of only 20 per cent of each organization, and the officers did not accompany their troops but remained at Camp Beauregard with the other 80 per cent still in training. At Camp Beauregard the division was brought to full strength by the arrival of troops from Camp Zachary Taylor (men from the states of Ohio, Illinois, and Kentucky.)

In a letter home a guardsman from the old Company "I" of the 1st Arkansas National Guard, described the fighting and sent a coat lapel which belonged to the best soldier for the Crown Prince. He stated that the German soldiers were best at running. About the same time letters were being received in Arkansas from soldiers of the old 1st and 3rd Arkansas National Guard Regiments.

It took twelve months for the 39th Division organization to reach France, where it remained for three months. At the time of its departure from the United States, the 39th Division was composed of 22 per cent Arkansas National Guard, 40 per cent National Army draftees, and 10 per cent shortage from authorized strength. On August 1, 1918, the division entrained for the port of embarkation and sailed for overseas service on August 6, 1918.

The 39th Division, less its artillery units, left Camp Beauregard 1 August 1918 and sailed for overseas service 6 August 1918. The first unit of the 39th Division arrived in France on 12 August 1918, and the last unit arrived on 12 September 1918. It was then sent to the St. Florent area, southwest of Bourges, where it was designated as a replacement division. In November, 1918, it moved to St. Aignan. There several of the units were transferred to combat divisions The Division was never a front line division; therefore, it never advanced any miles nor captured any prisoners nor received any replacements. The Division was designated as the Fifth Depot Division on August 14, 1918, and moved to Charost and Mehun-sur-Yeure Area southwest of Bourges. The units of the Division for the most part were training cadres whose duties were to receive, train, equip, and forward replacements of both officers and men for the infantry units, machine gun units, and for ammunition and supply trains. On October 29, 1918, orders directed that the Division be attached to the 1st Depot Division at St-Aignan-Noyers and Loir-et-Cher.

The 142nd Field Artillery Regiment sailed for France 31 August 1918 and arrived 7 September. After arrival in France, the 142nd drew equipment and began training on the tractor drawn 155mm howitzer. The 142nd was certified for combat 8 November 1918, and the Armistice was signed on the 11th, preventing the 142nd from participating in combat.

The 1st unit of the division arrived in France on August 12, 1918, and the last unit arrived on September 12, 1918. It was then sent to the St. Florent area, southwest of Bourges, where it was designated as a replacement division. In November, 1918, it moved to St. Aignan. There several of the units were transferred to combat divisions

In March, 1919, the 1st Battalion, 142nd Artillery, 39th Division was acting as a school battalion for the entire artillery forces of the American Expeditionary Forces with their headquarters at Valdahon, France. On April 12, 1919, the transport Kiserin Auguste Victoria brought the Sixty-fourth Field Artillery Brigade and the 141st Field Artillery Battalion of the 39th Division to New York. The headquarters ordinance and medical detachments and some companies of the 114th Engineers, 39th Division were transported to Newport News, Virginia, on the battleship Nebraska. The 114th Engineers, 39th Division, were transferred to the 1st Army Corps in France. The 114th Engineers operated in the Meuse-Argonne drive, laying railroad and building bridges for the 1st Army Corps during the battle.

Demobilization
Most former Arkansas guardsmen began returning to the United States during January and February 1919. The Division returned to the United States for demobilization during the period between November 30, 1919, and May 1, 1919. The Division demobilized the following month at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana. With the war ended, the 153rd Infantry landed in Hoboken, New Jersey, February, 27, 1919, making the crossing aboard the USS. President Grant.

On April 12, 1919, the transport Kiserin Auguste Victoria brought the Sixty-fourth Field Artillery Brigade and the 141st Machine Gun Battalion of the 39th Division to New York. The headquarters ordinance and medical detachments and some companies of the 114th Engineers, 39th Division were transported to Newport News, Virginia, on the battleship Nebraska. The 114th Engineers, 39th Division, were transferred to the 1st Army Corps in France. The 114th Engineers operated in the Meuse-Argonne drive, laying railroad and building bridges for the 1st Army Corps during the battle.

The 142nd stayed in France to conduct tests and exercises to develop techniques for motorized artillery battalions and won a commendation for efficient performance. In March, 1919, the 1st Battalion, 142nd Artillery, 39th Division was acting as a school battalion for the entire artillery forces of the American Expeditionary Forces with their headquarters at Valdahon, France. In May, 1919, word reached Little Rock that the 142nd Field Artillery Battalion (old 2nd Arkansas) was doing convoy duty with the Army of Occupation and a segment was still firing for the Artillery School at Camp Valdahon. It was not until early June when the 142nd Field Artillery left France on the transport Amphion to arrive June 15, 1919, at Newport News, Virginia. On the train trip to Little Rock the 142nd Field Artillery was asked to march in a parade in Atlanta. This they were proud to do. On June 21, 1919, the group arrived at Camp Pike. On the following day the 142nd Field Artillery was featured in a big parade in Little Rock and then treated to a big show and picnic in the park.

The last group of Arkansas Guardsmen to return to the state for discharge was the 114th Sanitary Train (formerly the 1st Arkansas Ambulance Company and the 1st Arkansas Field Hospital), Seventh Army Corps. The 114th Sanitary Train had been stationed for six months at Wittlick, Germany, before being transferred back to the United States.

Organization on the Home Front
The Militia Bureau of the War Department on May 3, 1918, authorized the Fourth Arkansas Infantry. The organization was not to be called into Federal service but to be kept complete and ready for any emergency. Men of draft age were not urged to join. The status of the Fourth Arkansas Infantry was the same as the Arkansas National Guard before its calling into the Federal service. On July 8, 1918, at the request of the sheriffs of Cleburne, Faulkner, and White counties, an officer and thirty men of Machine Gun Company, Fourth Arkansas Infantry, proceeded to the vicinity of Pearson, Arkansas, for the purpose of assisting the sheriffs of these counties in the apprehension of draft resisters, slackers, and deserters. The following day, an investigation team of Arkansas National Guard officers was sent to Heber Springs, Arkansas, in Cleburne County to investigate the disorderly conditions said to exist in the county and which the county authorities reported they were unable to suppress. In April, 1919, the Fourth Arkansas National Guard Regiment planned to reorganize because of lack of personnel. The draft reduced the fourth Arkansas ranks in both officers and enlisted men. The regiment was never put into Federal service.

On July 17, 1919, the First World War era was over when orders from the War Department instructed the Adjutant-General to organize a militia regiment of infantry to return to guard the Mexican border.