The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-03-29
BLAST OF WHISTLES TELLS
OF OUR BOYS HOMECOMING
Arrival Surprises Everyone, but Impromptu
Celebration Thrills City.
Hath Machine Gun Battalion Of Thirteth Division is
the First Contingent to Arrive and Are Sent
Directly to Fort Oglethorpe

on welcoming arrangements and by
the military authorities at Chicka-
mauga park, Chattanooga own boys
of the 114th machine gun battalion
arrived in the city at 10 o'clock this
morning, and after half an hours
stay at the Central of Georgia yards
at Missionary avenue were taken on
to the post. The units will proba-
bly, be held intact there until after
the big parade and demonstration
Thursday, though, Of course, leave
will be granted as soon as practicable
for visits to homefolks.
The long train Of Pullmans
brought a total of 512 men In the
following units: Hath machine gun
battalion, composed Of Company A.
commanded by Lieut.. Caldwell, of
Nashville; Company B. commanded
by Capt. Douglas N. Mcmillan, Of
Chattanooga: Company C, COM
manded by Lieut.. o. L. Farris. of CO.
lumbia; the headquarters company,
commanded by Lieut. Guy Russell.
and Company D, commanded by Capt.
T.. w. Mcmillan, of Chattanooga
Companies on the train and not in
cluded in the machine gun battalion
were the 244th casual company and
portion of the 306th trench mortar
\, battery.
Just as soon as it was discovered
that the battalion was on It's way to
Chattanooga and would arrive some
time around 10 o'clock, manufac-
turers were called by The News and
asked to blow their whistles as the
4 train came through the yards, and
N the chamber of commerce was asked
\ to notify everybody with whom it
y was possible to get in touch. But the
"A arrival followed so closely on the
a neeIs of the news that only very
small crowd was present. Mr.. and
Mrs. Jesse 7. Dugger being the first
I'd. arrive to greet their son, Richard.
These were augmented shortly hs' Z
arrival of t. c. Thompson, Gen. M.
N. whitaker, Mai. Phil Whitaker and
others, who joined with lusty yells in
the din raised by the factory whistles
in the vicinity.
The impromptu celebration and the
lnsty whistle blowing sent a thrill
over the entire city and overshadowed
every other interest and pursuit of
the morning.
Every boy on the train showed by
the beaming expression on his race
that he was glad to get back to his
:. native state. Those who live In Chat
tanooga were kept busy answering
questions and telling how good even
the outskirts of old Chattanooga and
Lookout mountain looked to them.
Al few minutes after the train
stopped many Of the soldiers jumped
of and were soon surrounded by the
Z Chattanoogans who were there TO see
them. They all wore smiles on their
faces. yet gave the impression OF
unit of soldiers that were every bit
capable of breaking the Hindenburg
line or any other German line. one
could tell by the overseas gold stripes
on their right arms where they had
been and by the physical appearance
of the men just what mission they
had been on, Many also wore the
gold wound stripe.
As the Nashville, Chattanooga &
ST. Louis train carrying the troops
turned the curve bringing the troops
into the yards, where they were to be
transferred to the Central of Georgia
and taken to the camp, as far as one
could see there were khaki-clad men
with their heads and half OF their
bodies hanging out the train windows
waving at the people standing in the
wards. AS one stood and talked 10
these Chattanooga soldiers one real
ized more than ever that the Chat-
tanooga boys who went overseas are
coming back men--real men in every
sense Of the word.
Mai. E. B. Cantey, of Columbia,
s. c., who is commanding officer OF
the battalion, did not come out OF
the train when it first stopped. but
when sent for by News reporter
he came out smiling. He was sized
ap at once as an all-round Ameri-
can as he came forward and extended
his hand ready to answer any ques-
tions and extend any favor that was
in his power. Back of 1t all and
the secret of the success of his bat
y TALON was the kindness that could
be read from his eyes, which led one
to instantly conclude that the COM
nlanding officer of the Hath battalion
was a typical American officer.
Both of the Mcmillan brothers from
Chattanooga were among the first 10
step from the train-Capt. Douglas
IN. Mcmillan, commander of Company
B, and Capt. Edwin w. Mcmillan.
commanding officer of Company D.
James Massey. who is now cor
poral, doesn't look like the same old
Jim" Massey; he has gained fully
twenty-five pounds. He wore his
overseas cap, as did the other menl-
bers of the battalion, and it was no.
ticeabIe that "Jim" had learned all
of the latest ways of killing Ger
mans by the stern expression on his
face. Mr.. Massey was well known
reporter on The News before he en-
tered the army. and will return TO
his post Of duty and see how it feels
to hit the keys on a typewriter in
a newspaper Office once more.
Other Old Friends.
There was Richard Dugger, son OF
Mr.. and Mrs. ]. T. Dugger both of
whom were there to see their son,
and young Dugger, therefore, ap-
peared to be one of the happiest sol
: diers in the entire battalion. and al
most jumped out of the window when
he saw his mother and father stand
ing by the side of the car.
Two things that the members OF
the battalion most eager about>were