Army of Occupation – Die Wacht am Rhein

Life in the Coblenz Bridgehead was, as the doughboys put it, “not at all hard to take.” They had better billets than they had “enjoyed” in France. Most of them had beds. The food, while “army straight,” was excellent. There was, of course, too much of the hateful training to suit anybody, but as the Third Army got “oriented,” things took on a more pleasant aspect. There were athletics for all who desired outdoor recreation. There were also soldier shows, and the Y.M.C.A. furnished professional talent to while away the long evening hours.

Fraternization with the Germans was strictly prohibited and rigidly enforced. The French “defendu” and the German “verboten” were easy words compared to the “Lay off!” which the American Military Police hissed when a doughboy smiled, perchance, at a German “madchen” of more or less surpassing loveliness, or slipped a bit of chocolate to a roly-poly German youngster, or passed a neighborly “Guten Abend” to the motherly German matron with whom he was billeted. But orders were orders, and the doughboys managed to get along pleasantly with the citizens of the Rhineland without becoming unduly chummy with anybody. However, the anti-fraternization order made for a lot of homesickness. We all wanted to go home; wanted that trip across the ocean more than we wanted anything else; but the general sentiment was summed up by a stalwart sergeant of the 127TH Infantry who wore a D.S.C., and who made speech one night to some of his homesick comrades, which ran about as follows:

“I sure want to go home, but let me tell you fellows that right now I am just where I wanted to be when, back in 1917, just after war was declared, I enlisted in the National Guard. And I got here in a lot better shape than I expected, and a lot sooner than I expected. And the circumstances of my being here are just what my fondest hopes pictured. Of course, it may have been Berlin instead of Coblenz I was thinking of at the time, but that’s a detail. Sure I want to go home, but I’m so blamed well satisfied about getting here at all that I’m willing to be patient with Uncle Sam and wait until he says the job is finished. Then I know he’ll send us home.”

About the middle of February the announcement was made that the 32D would sail in May. At first it was planned to send the homeward bound Army of Occupation divisions down the Rhine to a Dutch port to embark from there, but finally it was decided that the scheme was impracticable.

On 15 March 1919, General Pershing again reviewed the 32D Division, this time near Dierdorf, Germany, and again he bestowed his compliments on the Division.

The 32D ‘Red Arrow’ Division’s Famous Cadillac

[added 25 Mar. ’16, TPB]

The 32D Division held an automobile show at Rengsdorf, Germany, on 16 March 1919. Maybe it was related to Gen. Pershing’s visit to the Div., maybe it was a simple diversion from the relative monotony of duties with the Army of Occupation. Either way, one of the unit’s automobiles was soon to become famous, well known from coast to coast in the U.S.

The story began on 20 Sep. ’15, when the U.S. Army purchased a 1916 Cadillac Type 53, engine number/serial number A-21505, for $2,261.45. The Army stenciled it with U.S. No. 11661 and shipped it to Fort Sam Houston, TX, where it was issued to Maj. Gen. Frederick N. Funston, commander of the Southern Department.

The Michigan and Wisconsin National Guard units that would be combined to form the 32D Division served under Gen. Funston’s command while they were mobilized for the Mexican Border Crisis in 1916.

When the U.S. started to formulate plans in the event it would become involved in the World War, President Woodrow Wilson considered Gen. Funston as the best candidate for Commander of the future A.E.F. After Gen. Funston suffered a sudden, fatal heart attack on 19 Feb. ’17, recently promoted Maj. Gen. John J. Pershing succeeded him, and inherited Army Cadillac No. 11661.

In Apr. ’17, Gen. Pershing departed TX to begin his journey to France and he was succeed by Maj. Gen. James Parker as Commander of the Southern Department, so Army Cadillac No. 11661 was now his. On 17 Aug. ’17, Gen. Parker was assigned as Commander of the 32D Division, then being organized at Camp MacArthur, TX. He brought Army Cadillac No. 11661 with him.

In Dec. ’17, Gen. Parker was transferred to assume command of the 85TH Div. and he was succeeded by Brig. Gen. William G. Haan as Commander of the 32D ‘Red Arrow’ Division. Army Cadillac No. 11661 now belonged to him. The Cadillac made the trip to France with the rest of the Division’s equipment and was unloaded from a ship at Brest on 6 Mar. ’18.

In May ‘18, Gen. Haan was issued a newer closed-body Cadillac, so Army Cadillac No. 11661 was issued to Lieut. Col. John H. Howard, the G-1. Col. Howard used the car from Alsace until the beginning of the Meuse-Argonne Campaign. Maj. Robert Connor inherited the car on 27 Sep. ‘18, when he succeeded Col. Howard as G-1. Maj. Connor used the car for the remainder of the Meuse-Argonne and the advance into Germany with the Army of Occupation.

While in Germany, the Division Quartermaster, Maj. Matthew Hansen, was the primary user of the car. In Mar. ’19, Maj. Hansen wrote a letter to the Cadillac Motor Car Co. to extoll the performance and reliability of the car, relay some of its maintenance statistics, and summarize its general history. Cadillac used the information about Army Cadillac No. 11661 in its advertising campaign, the advertisements appeared in newspapers and magazines nationwide.

Some of the information about the car, related by Maj. Hansen and displayed on a placard at the Div. automobile show, included:

· The odometer read 98,542 miles on 12 Mar. ’19, when the statistics were compiled.

· Its first overhaul was completed in Aug. ’16 at Fort Sam Houston, TX, the convertible top and upholstery were also replaced.

· It was overhauled again in Dec. ’17 at Camp MacArthur, TX, it was also repainted and received new seat covers.

· A complete overhaul was completed in Sep. ’18 at Overhaul Park No. 2 at St. Ouen, Paris, France. All automotive components were examined and tested, very few parts needed to replaced, just piston rings and one front wheel bearing.

· The car consumed 10,024 gallons of fuel while the Div. owned it, up to that point, an average of 9.83 miles per gallon.

· The car consumed 164.5 gallons of oil, an average of 599.03 miles per gallon.

What ever became of Army Cadillac No. 11661 when the 32D Div. was relieved from the Army of Occupation and returned to the U.S.? Did it return to the U.S. with the rest of their equipment? Was it turned over to another unit in the Army of Occupation? Could it still exist, somewhere?

Maj. Matthew Hansen, from Grand Rapids, MI, was born 19 Nov. ‘78. He owned an insurance agency, but sold it to the Grand Rapids Insurance Agency in ‘17. He enlisted in the Mich. NG and ca. ‘10 he was a Sgt. in Co. B, 2D Mich. Inf. Commissioned at some point, he was Capt. and Cdr. of MG Co., 32D Mich. Inf., at Grand Rapids, MI ca. ‘16, so he likely served during Mexican Border Crisis. Upon mobilization for the World War, he was among the 1st to arrive at Camp MacArthur, TX, and he was detailed as Constructing Quartermaster to supervise completion of the new camp. He was assigned as Asst. Div. QM when the 32D Div. was organized. He passed away on 4 Feb. ‘69 and lies interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens North, Pompano Beach, FL.

Maj. Hansen identified some of the Soldiers who drove the Cadillac: Sgt. O. Fournier, Wag. Robert I. Knutson, Sgt. L. H. Wilder, and Sgt. Wiley.

Wag. Knutson was the only one whose full name was given, so he was the only one I could find any information on. He was born 23 Oct. ‘91 at WI, son of Louis M. and Mary Jane (Jennie M.) (Hart) Knutson, of Cumberland, WI. He served with HQ Trp., 32D Div. Sgt Knutson earned a Division Citation. He married Lois H. Van Hollen. He passed away on 12 Sep. ’62 and lies interred at Wayside Cemetery, Barron, WI.

[added 25 Mar. ‘16, TPB]

On 8 April 1919, the 32D Division was officially relieved from duty with III Corps and Third Army and would begin preparations to return home.

On 18 April 1919 the 32D Division started moving back from the Rhine, across France to Brest, on the first leg of the Homeward journey. At the same time the announcement was made that General Lassiter had asked to remain in France, and that General Haan was to take the Division home. General Lassiter was assigned to command the Third Army Artillery, and General Haan joined the Division at Brest, after making an automobile tour to the sections of the western front over which his Division had fought.

On 1 May the first troops of the Division were on the Atlantic, and by 15 May all but the casuals had left France.

Part of the 127TH Inf., the 64TH Inf. Bde. HQ, and other non-divisional units, sailed aboard the transport Cap Finistere. [added 9 Jan. ’16, TPB]

The 121ST MG Bn. and other non-divisional units sailed aboard the Huron. [added 9 Jan. ’16, TPB]

Arriving in the United States, largely in regimental detachments, a great reception was accorded “Les Terribles.” Delegations from Wisconsin and Michigan met the incoming steamers in the harbor.

On 4 May the steamer Wilhelmina reached Boston carrying the 120TH Field Artillery, the 57TH Field Artillery Brigade HQ, and some non-divisional personnel. The 120TH FA was commanded by Col. Carl Penner, from Milwaukee. Their welcoming committee from Wisconsin included Capt. J. Tracey Hale, from Milwaukee and who had been sent home earlier after being severely wounded in action 11 Sep. ’18 with the 125TH Inf., and Harry Stratton, president of the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce. [added 8 Dec. ’14, TPB]

On 5 May the 119TH Field Artillery landed at Hoboken, NJ. [added 8 Jan. ’15, TPB]

On 6 May the George Washington tied up at Hoboken with the Division HQ, including Maj. Gen. Haan, part of the 127TH Infantry, the 128TH Infantry, and the 127TH Field Hospital. They were met out at sea by the tug Lexington, which had been decorated with banners stating “Welcome Milwuakee,” “Welcome Wisconsin,” and “Welcome Thirty-second Division”. Governor Philip and numerous Wisconsin citizens were aboard the tug to greet the troops and escort the transport through New York harbor. [added 9 Jan. ’16, TPB]

On 21 May the battleship Virginia arrived at Newport News, VA transporting the 107TH Train Headquarters, 107TH Supply Train, and the majority of the 107TH Sanitary Train. They were escorted for the last 12 miles into port by a tugboat transporting a welcoming committee of some prominent Milwaukeeans including Louis Kotecki, Col. Peter Piasecki and about fifty others.

The various detachments debarked at New York and Boston, and went to Camps Devens, Mills, Merritt, Upton and Dix, where they were separated into detachments and sent to the camps nearest their homes. The largest parties, of course, were sent to Camp Custer, Michigan and Camp Grant, at Rockford Illinois. The arriving Michigan troops informally paraded in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Port Huron, Kalamazoo and others of their “home towns” before being mustered out of service. In Wisconsin, a Red Arrow Day was set aside, and on 6 June 1919 the returning Wisconsin warriors were given an enthusiastic formal welcome at Milwaukee, including a parade, luncheon, free passes to theaters and ball games, and an evening ball. [updated 9 May ’16, TPB]

The 32D Division was broken up – gone – but arrangements had been made for perpetuating its memory, for renewing its associations in the years to come. During the Armistice Days on the Rhine a “Thirty-second Division Veteran Association” was formed, officers elected, members recorded, and plans perfected for continuing during the years to come the spirit which led “Les Terribles” to success on the battlefields of France in the great year of 1918.

The 32D Division would again be organized and recognized as an active National Guard Division, in Wisconsin and Michigan, in 1920. The Wisconsin National Guard was reactivated during 1920-21, and the Wisconsin State Guard was disbanded.

Bibliography:

Gansser, Emil B.  History of the 126TH Infantry in the War With Germany.  Grand Rapids, MI: 126TH Infantry Association, A. E. F., 1920.

Garlock, Glenn W.  Tales of the Thirty-second.  West Salem, WI: Badger Publishing Co., Aug. 1927.

Haan, William G., Major General.  “The Division as a Fighting Machine”.  The Wisconsin Magazine of History.  Vol. 4.  Iss. 1.  Menasha, WI: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1920.

Hanton, Carl, Captain.  The 32nd Division in the World War.  Madison, WI: Wisconsin War History Commission, 1920.

Hill, Jim Dan, Major General, Retired.  The Minute Man in Peace and War.  Harrisburg: The Stackpole Company, 1964.

Moore, Samuel Taylor.  “The General Died a Major.”  The American Legion Magazine.  Ed. John T. Winterich.  Vol. 25.  No. 3.  Chicago, IL: The American Legion, Sep. 1938.

Moore, William and Russell, James.  U.S. Official Pictures of the World War – Showing America’s Participation.  Washington, DC: Pictorial Bureau, 1920.

Nenninger, Timothy K.  “John J. Pershing and Relief for Cause in the American Expeditionary Forces, 1917-1918.”  Army History.  Ed. Charles Hendricks.  PB 20-04-2.  No. 61.  Washington, D.C.: U.S. Army Center of Military History, Spring 2005.

Penner, Carl, and Sammond, Frederic, and Appel, H. M.  The 120th Field Artillery Diary.  Milwaukee, WI: Hammersmith-Kortmeyer Co., 1928.

Schmidt, Paul W., Captain.  Co. C, 127th Infantry, in the World War.  Sheboygan, WI: Press Publishing Co., 1919.
Souvenir of the First Annual Reunion of the 32nd Division (Les Terribles).  Milwaukee, WI: 121ST F. A. Veterans’ Association, 1920.

“Went Over Sea as a General: Killed as Major in 32nd.”  Wisconsin National Guard Review.  Ed. Col. T. Byron Beveridge.  Vol. 12.  No. 6.  Madison, WI: Wisconsin National Guard Publicity Board, Nov. 1935.

Wheat, George Seay.  The Story of the American Legion.  New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1919.