Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-02-23
SOLDIERS BACK
FROM BORDER
Ottumwa's Own Guardsmen
Welcomed Home BY Large
Crowd at the Station
Iron Wednesdays daily. J

(From Wednesdays daily
Il anyone thinks Ottumwa isn't
good place to come back to, let them
ask any member of Company G. A
crowd of several hundred people wait
ed at the Union depot Tuesday night
to see the boys in. 1t was very diff
ferent crowd than that which saw the
company off to Des Moines nearly
eight months ago, when every word
was of war with Mexico. On Sunday,
June 25, when Company G entrained
for Camp Dodge, there was none of
the hilarity and pleasure that was
present Tuesday night. Every face
wore an anxious look, especially those
people who had relatives or friends
among the soldiers, and even those
who came merely out Of desire to
see the boys Off," were sobered.
{ But Tuesday night it was all differ
emit. The crowd stood waiting pa
tiently and the various freight trains,
switch engines, all made the i'll con-
cealed excitement more tense, and
Z finally when the headlight Of the-Rock
Island special cut It's way through the
darkness, some irrepressible youth cut
loose with yell, and In an instant the
crowd became bowling mob.
The First Cavalry band struggled
nobly to do its part, but for once o.
tumwans, who usually are SO willing to
be quiet any time the band starts play
Ing, wanted to hear themselves shout,
and shout they did. 1t Is entirely un-
necessary to state that every guards
man had his head out Of the window,
as the train pulled into the depot, and
the steady roar of voices soon broke,
when people began recognizing mem
bers of the company. First came
hail Of salutations and then torrent
Of questions, and everyone screamed
at the top of his or her voice and ell.
bowed and pushed and crowded and
had fine time generally.
A hearty roar of applause and laugh.
ter arose when some one held Mex.
lean sombrero out of the, window, and
many inquiries as to the whereabouts
of Mr., Villa were made. Two small
boys, who must have had relatives in
the company. began to argue at this
point, and the crowd agreed with them.
One Of them said that the minute Com
papy G left the border Villa began his
raids again, and the boys were over
whelmed at the hit which they made.
The company did not stop long after
detraining, but waited only to get IN.
to formation. and then headed by the
band, made their way to the armory,
through streets lined by cheering peo-
ple, The guardsmen were kept busy
MS they. marched alone shaking hands
WITH friends and admirers, and SEEM
ed to know everybody along the
street
Evidence that they have been SOL
diering in earnest was plain. They.
were no rockies. but all walked with
that perfect rhythm. and the lift Of the
muzzles Of the rifles, which makes the
average Americans hair stand on end
out of pure enjoyment. Arriving at
the armory they quickly got rid Of their
rifles and equipment and soon the
streets seemed to swarm with them,
and the olive coats were visible
everywhere. "We're glad to get home
they said. some of them grown so
large, so brown and so strong that
they were hardly recognized. And the
ttitizens are glad to have them back.
The roll call of Company G is as fol-
lows:
First lieutenant Frank B. Younkin
Second lieutenant-Oscar B. Nelson.
First sergeant Virgil " tombstone
Mess sergeant - Lloyd L. Duke.
Supply sergeant Philip P. Binks.
Duty sergeants - Rex McMaster
Clarence G.. Fielder, IAndrew T. Toilet.
son, Lester L. Miller, Carl G. Hallberg
Joseph e. Hallander.
Corporals - Edgar S. Lowe, Carl E.
Gillen, George H. Inns. Edward Clark
Henry B. Frost, Harry r. Blizzard, Roy
Greenup, James l.. Finnerty, Earle G.
Howells, Donald D. Cox, Lloyd F. Ken.
dali
Cooks Paul P, Hampton, Lee Roy
Scott
Mechanic - Donald x. schamp.
Bugler - Harry A. Canterbury.
: First class privates - George S. Bis.
sell, George Box, Donald F. Byrne. Carl
L. Chisman. Arthur E. Crabb, Carl B.
Criswell. Grant W. Dial. Lorn f. Ellis,
Herbert F. Gilger, Arthur W. Goehring,
Cleo r. Hamilton, James r. Houston.
Henry H. Hudgens. Riley Hudson, Ar.
thur w Menge, John " McMillin En-.
ory w. Norton, Jesse w. Owings, Jesse
B. Young.
Privates - George II. Carnes. Harry
Criswell, Floyd L. Gladson. Ralph c.
Grammar Guy w. Grooms, John A.
Hobbs. Eugene r. Houdyshell. Roy J.
Kelly, Henry H. Martin. Merrill NJ. Nc
MANS, Harold w. Myers, Victor Olson,
Charley Orman, Lawrence Peters,
Maurice Proctor Roy Robinson, Elvin
Tragord. William A. Veech. Cecil E.
Williamson. William J. Woodrow.
Private John v McMill'n left in the
base hospital at Brownsville is rapidly
recovering.
CAVALRY RETURNS.
les Moines, Feb. 2l.-The Iowa cav
alrv brigade under command Of Major |