Military

World War I News, 1917-1919

from the Denison Review

Articles About People from Crawford County Serving in WWI

January 1917

Dow City, 1-2-1917

*Lieut. Floyd Sharp and Privates John Bahr, Ralph McKee and Merrill Sharp left the latter part of the week on their return to Camp Dodge after a several days' furlough spent with their people here.

*Nathan Hain came home Saturday morning having been given a several days' furlough. This is his first visit here since enlisting some time ago, since which time he has been at the Great Lakes naval training camp near Chicago.

*Mrs. J. H. Young entertained at dinner Sunday in the home of Leo Ahart, who leaves the latter part of this week for Camp Dodge where he will take officers' training course. Those present were Leo' parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Ahart, his brothers, Linfred, Ted, Bernard and George and wife and his sisters Dorothy and Mrs. Fred Colby.

Westside, 4-18-1917

*Earl Moeller and Roy Mentzer left Thursday for Omaha where Roy will join the navy as electrician and Earl joined the machine gun corps of the army. They are at present at Fort Crook in Omaha but expect to go further west. We wish the boys success.

Denison Review, 4-25-1917

*BOYS ORDERED FOR INSPECTION -Denison Recruits Receive Notice to Report at Ida Grove Thursday Evening for Inspection - Andrew Cummings Enlisted - Thirty-One Recruits sent out from Denison, the Largest Number per Capita of Any City in Iowa. Andrew Cummings, son of Sheriff H. J. Cummings, enlisted last week in Co. B, 2nd Iowa infantry. With Andrew, Co. B now has thirty-one Denison boys which is certainly a fine showing. The thirty-one Denison young men who enlisted in Co. B, 24 Iowa infantry, have received notice to report at the armory at Ida Grove on Thursday evening of this week for company inspection. And are planning to leave here tomorrow noon over the Northwestern. The captain of the company notified the Denison men by postal card, requesting them to answer at roll call at 7:15 pm. It is understood that this is not a call to service but for the purpose of inspecting the company. Once each year national guard units are inspected by a military officer. No doubt the Denison boys will be measured for uniforms so that when the call does come the equipment necessary will be available for them. The Denison young men who received notice to report for inspection are:

Arion Items, 4-25-1917

*Carl Kepford is home for a visit. He has enlisted in the army. News comes that Judd Butler and Verne Talcott have also enlisted.

May 1917

Dunlap, 5-2-17

*The prime area of interest the past week has been the enlisting of a number of our Dunlap boys, six joining. F. P. McCann joined the company regiment organized in Logan and the other five were high school boys who went to Omaha to enlist, they being Howard Vere, Marcus Miles, Ed Notson, Fred Mill, Dale Calhoun and John Knight. Among those enlisting since we find the names of John Jackson, John Fay, Jasper O'Banion, a Mr. Carter and the two Howe boys.

*Geo. Gleason Jr. who enlisted in the navy, has been ordered to Norfolk, Va. for training.

Manilla, 5-2-1917

*Four more of our young men left on Monday for Ft. Logan, Colo. for training, they being F. D. Curtright, Jr., John Woods, Jr., Billie Holtiens, and Martin Deter. A farewell reception was held at the Germania hall for them Saturday evening. This makes sixteen of our young men who have answered their country's call. Friends have heard from the boys who left last Monday. They all reached the fort all right and some of them have been sent to different posts. Manilla is justly proud of her valiant young men. There was a delegation of about forty-five who accompanied the soldier boys from here as far as Omaha Monday.

Dow City, 5-2-1917

*Foster Tillett has enlisted in the navy and left Sunday for Chicago. Charles Rigsby has been secured to take his place as clerk in the Allen drug store. Alfred and Cecil Edwards went to Omaha Sunday with the intention of enlisting. We have not yet been able to learn whether or not they passed the examination.

Arion, 5-2-1917

*The senior class of which Verne Talcott is a member may be graduated early and in such case the boys have offered their services in the surgical department. Verne's years of military drill will be of help to him now.

Front Page, 5-16-1917

*Three Months' Training - Denison Young Men Now at Ft. Snelling Preparing Themselves to be Officers in the Reserve Corps

*Denison has four young men at Ft. Snelling, Minn. Who will take the three months training, preparing themselves to be officers in the reserve corps who will train the men conscripted by the government. The young men from here who are now at Ft. Snelling are: Carl Frederick Kuehnle, Paul Boylan, Paul Caswell, Hugo Boettger. Kuehnle, Caswell and Boettger are students at the State University at Iowa City and it was on account of the fact that they had had military training at this institution that they wee selected. Paul Boylan attends the State Agricultural College at Ames and has had considerable military training at that place. All four of the young men passed the physical examination remarkably well. Sunday papers reported that Hugo Boettger and Kuehnle had been assigned to the infantry and Paul Caswell to the field artillery. Another Denison boy is in training in the officers reserve training camp in New York state. Marcus Jones Jr. who attends Colgate college at Hamilton, N. Y. made application several weeks ago and passed the preliminary examination. He spent last week here in Denison visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. M. E. Jones and on Friday received a telegram advising him to report for duty at the camp Monday.

Denison. 5-16-1917

*Dr. Hal C.Simpson informs the Review that the veterinarians of the country are organizing a society much along the same lines as the Red Cross only it is known as the Blue Cross society. Veterinarians all over the country are joining the society and will volunteer their services to the government to care for the horses on the battlefield.

Charter Oak, 5-23-1917

*Clyde Fletcher left Sunday morning for Sioux City, where he went to join the aviation corps.

*Word was received in Charter Oak that the three Jones boys, Harold, Earl and Cecil had joined the U. S. army as recruits for the cavalry. The boys were former Charter Oak boys and until recently lived on a farm near here and attended school at this place.

Arion, 5-30-1917

*Curtis Reynolds has been wearing the army blue for a few days and left Arion Monday for Chicago, where he will join his regiment which will be among the first to go to France.

Deloit, 5-30-1917

*Stanley Browne and son of Deloit were in Denison on Monday on their way home from Des Moines where the son made application to join the colors as a bugler. He expects to be called out within the next few weeks.

June 1917

Denison, 6-6-1917

*More Denison Boys Enlist

*Five Young Men Enlist in Signal Corps at Des Moines Last Week, Will Leave Soon

*Certainly Uncle Sam cannot complain that the young men of Crawford County are not loyal. Not a week passes but what we hear that some young man has entered the service. Until now Crawford County has more than one hundred men serving in the various branches of the service. Last week five Denison men went down to Des Moines and enlisted in the Signal Corps. They returned home late Friday night and expect to receive notice to report for duty in the near future. Those who enlisted were John Krouth, Joe James, Floyd Gary, Oscar Erickson and Leland Ackley. While in Des Moines they all took the physical examination and passed.

Dow City, 6-6-1917

*Mrs. Gertie Tillett received word last week from her son, Foster, stating that he will soon leave for France. Foster enlisted some six weeks ago since which time he has been in the navy in Chicago. May God's richest blessing be upon him as he goes forth in answer to his country's call.

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Denison Review, 6-13-1917

*AMONG THOSE WHO REGISTERED (for the Draft)

See list of names

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Arion, 6-13-1917

*Mr. George Stilson came home from Sergeants Bluffs for an over Sunday visit with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. N. F. Stilson. He told them that he had enlisted. He is one of the youngest to show his love for his country.

July 1917

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Front Page, 7-4-1917

Denison Bids Boys Farewell-

*Hundreds of People Gather to Say Farewell to Recruits Who Joined Their Company at Ida Grove -

*100 Autos in Procession - Accompany Boys to Ida Grove and Make Stop at Schleswig Where Boys Met Hearty Reception
(See remaining part of the article in the General Articles section.)

See List of Names of Recruits

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Dow City, 7-4-1917

*Nelson Butterworth and Cecil Edwards, who enlisted sometime ago received a call last week and left Sunday for Company B at Ida Grove where they will begin to train.

*Clarence Fisher left Saturday for his home in Omaha after a several weeks' sojourn here with his relatives, the O. J. Judd family. Mr. Fisher being a member of the national guard, is expecting a call soon.

*Sheriff Cummings was down from Denison Saturday. His son, Andrew, who had been working here for several weeks past, went home with him. The latter being on the enlistment roll, received a call last week and left the fist of the week for Ida Grove.

Arion, 7-4-1917

*Curtis Reynolds is the first one of the Arion boys to enlist in the army. He is now home for a visit and expects to leave Tuesday for New York. The best wishes of a number of his friends go with him.

Goodrich, 7-4-1917

*The Peterson Dray Line business was sold last week to Alfred and Otto Larson. Axle Peterson intends to enlist in the army which occasioned his selling out. During his several years of service, he has established a good business and holds his patrons as his friends, who regret to see him go out of business. We bespeak success for the new firm who takes possession the first of July.

West Side, 7-11-17

*Earl Moeller, of Ft. Crook, spent Sunday at the parental, H. J. Moeller home.

*Frank Dvark has enlisted in the army, the 6th Nebraska. He quit business college three weeks earlier, but received his diploma anyhow.

Arion, 7-15-1917

*Dr. Verne Talcott visited Arion relatives over Sunday. He has a second lieutenancy in the medical corps and expects to be called at any time.

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Denison Review 7-25-1917 and 8-1-1917

*Crawford County's Young Men Drafted by Uncle Sam -Crawford County to Furnish 123 Men

NOTE: The Denison Review published the names of the men from Crawford County eligible to be drafted into the military service at this particular time. The number shown before their name was their order of liability for the draft. The paper published six groups each with approximately 100 men in the group.
(The full article describing the draft lottery process is shown in the General Articles section.)

See Draft Lottery Listing

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Arion, 8-8-1917

*Mrs. Van Talcott and children spent Monday with Mrs. R. A. Talcott while Van went to Denison to take examinations.

Dow City, 8-8-17

*Cecil Edwards, Nelson Butterworth and Alfred and Elias Edwards were home from Ida Grove over Sunday. They expect to leave Ida Grove this week for the training camps in New Mexico.

Denison Review, 8-15-17

41 Fail to Pass Physically -
Of Two Hundred Drafted Men Who Were Examined the First Two Days 41 Fail Physically -
55 Did Not Ask for Exemption -
The Board May Call Out More Men as First Call Seems Insufficient -
123 Men Needed -

The local exemption board has been grinding away for the past week working out the details in connection with furnishing Crawford county's quota of 123 men for the new national army. It requires no end of work and members of the board are doing their utmost to carry out the instructions laid down by the war department so there will be no chance for an error of any kind. As yet the board has not taken up the work of passing on the claims for exemption on account of dependents but expect to take up this phase of the work the last of the week. Only recently the members of the board received a ruling stating that every claim for discharge on account of dependents which they allowed, will have to be carried to the district board. This means that a man who is discharged by the local board on account of dependents will have to submit affidavits and other proofs to the district board if he expects to be discharged.

On Monday of this week the local board posted in the lobby of the courthouse the list of names of those who passed the physical examination and those who failed. This list only included the names of those who were examined on the first day. Last evening another list was posted of the men who were examined on the second day and this evening the names of those who were examined on the third day will be posted. Of the two hundred men examined on the first two days, 41 failed to pass the physical examination for one cause or another. These men will receive notices of discharge from the local board through the mail but this necessarily does not mean that they will not be called in the future.

See the list

Out of the two hundred men examined the first two days by the local physicians, there were 55 who passed the physical examination and who did not ask for discharge on account of dependents. However, some of these men have filed claims for discharge with the district board claiming exemption on account of the industries in which they are engaged. Below we publish the list of the names of those who passed the medical examination but did not claim exemption on account of dependents;

See the list

Members of the board are not sure there will be 123 men available for the new army from the first 300 men called. Of course, they will not be able to tell for a certainty until the claims for exemption have been passed upon. In case they are unable to raise the quota from the first 300 men called, enough more will be notified to appear to fill up the quota.

Dow City, 8-15-17

*Charlie Dyad, of Minnesota, was visiting relatives and friends here the first of the week. He has answered his country's call and at present he is training in Minnesota.

Goodrich Items, 8-15-17

*Mrs. A. D. Winey received a letter this week from Mrs. Jennie Cook of Gillette, Wyo., formerly of Denison saying that John Cook had already enlisted and gone and that Carl had been drafted which makes their home quite a sad one.

Denison Review, 8-22-17

*Fourteen Boys are Chosen -
Denison Recruits Advance Another Step Toward War Area When Fourteen are Chosen -
Now in Camp at Des Moines -
Men left Ida Grove on Monday -
Go from Camp at Des Moines to Mineola, Long Island. -

Fourteen Denison men who had enlisted in Company B 2nd Iowa Infantry have made another advance step towards the war area and before many months will be exchanging hand grenades with Hans and Fritz in the trenches in northern France of Belgium. Under orders issued by the war department last week a division of national guard troops will be dispatched to France, which will include troops from twenty-six states and the District of Columbia.

Here in Iowa a portion of the men in each company were notified to mobilize at the state farm grounds in Des Moines and when the word reached Company B at Ida Grove that some 69 men were to be furnished from that company, there was a grand rush by the men to be included in the number. There was not a single man in the company but what wanted to go and Captain Lindsey had a difficult matter on his hands. It was decided to fill the quota from Company B by lot. Each man in the company was given a number and the required numbers were drawn from a hat to decide who was to go.

Fourteen of the Denison boys held the lucky numbers. To say the other Denison boys were disappointed would be putting it mildly. They begged and entreated their more fortunate comrades to give up going and let them go in their stead but not a man wavered. The result of the drawing was announced Saturday morning at breakfast and from all reports there was quite a scene in the mess hall. Dishes were flying and there were loud hurrahs from the lucky ones.

The men left Ida Grove Monday for Des Moines where they are encamped at the state fair ground. From there they will go to Mineola, Long Island, to prepare for embarkation to France. It is not known when the men will leave Des Moines for the east, but it will probably be in the near future. No cantonment camp will be constructed at Mineola, as this place has been designated as a mobilization point rather than a training camp. The guardsmen are known as the "Rainbow Division" and will get their training in France, where they will have their first smell of gun powder a safe distance back of the first line.

Company B, so the Review is advised, will recruit up to its former strength of 150 men to replace the ones who are now mobilized at Des Moines. Every able-bodied man is eligible for membership to Company B., excepting those who have been notified to appear for examination in the draft. Men who may be called in the second and third drafts will be eligible. It is to be regretted that Company B is split up for the men had hoped to go in a body to France. In many cases, brothers were separated.

Denison Review 8-22-1917

*Allen Lyon enlisted in the aviation service and is now stationed at Fort Logan, Colo. Denison now has three men in the aviation service. Leslie Gulick and William Rath are now located at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, where they are in training. The last one to enlist in this service is Allen Lyon, son of Mr. Geo. Lyon. Allen Lyon left Denison last Thursday and made application in Omaha, where he passed the necessary physical examination. From there he was sent to Ft. Logan, Colo., where he was further examined and passed with flying colors. He will undoubtedly be sent to the training camp in Texas for training.

*Lieut, Robt. VanBoskirk, of Ida Grove was in Denison the first of the week calling on acquaintances. He was a member of Co. B., and this spring entered the officers' reserve corps. at Ft. Snelling, Minn. and received a commission. We understand that he has been ordered to Camp Dodge near Des Moines.

Dow City, 8-22-1917

*Albert Starkey, Alfred and Elias and Cecil Edwards were home from Ida Grove Sunday. The former three have been called to France and expect to leave soon.

Arion, 8-29-1917

*Burton Thompson is home for a farewell visit. He is selling his auto, teams and wagons, etc. He expects to be called to the army at any time.

*Dr. Verne Talcott has received his commission.

Defiance, 8-29-1917

*Dr. V. J. Meyer, who has joined the medical reserve corps and expects to be called to service at any time, has sold his practice to Dr. J. W. Fonda who has been looking after it for the past few weeks.

Denison Review 8-29-1917

*Dr. Floyd Sharp was over from the Oak a short time Saturday, taking the train from here to Des Moines. Having enlisted as a veterinarian some time ago he received a message Friday night to report at headquarters.

Denison, 8-29-1917

*Descriptive Account of Wedding of Mr. Oscar Strahan and Miss Marian Hardy - (*for entire write up you will need to get paper.) Mr. Strahan is a graduate of Drake university having received his B. S. degree. During the school years of 1915 and 1916 he was instructor in science and athletics in Perry high school and it was during this time that the friendship which culminated in the marriage on Saturday was begun. After leaving the Perry high school Mr. Strahan was athletic coach at Clinton. On May 15th he entered the officers' training camp at Fort Snelling and by close application to his work was rewarded with a commission as second lieutenant. He has been ordered to report for duty at Camp Dodge on August 29th.

Wall Lake, 8-29-1917

*Mr. and Mrs. Will Kullman and Mrs. A. Kullman went to Ida Grove Sunday to say good bye to Arthur, who was with the boys sent to Deming, N. M.

Sept 1917 - April 1918

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Transcribed by Melba McDowell