The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-10
Two Former Company |
Members Refused Mill
tary Appointments
EDMUND HOWE AND
BEN WILLIAMSON
Former Declined West Point Appoint
ment and Went Into Germany-Lat-
ter spurned Offer of Desk Job in
Washington and Became Fighter.

Two former members of Company l.,
Vermont National Guard, the old Brattle-
boro company. have by their own acts in
refusing military appointments which
would have kept them away from fighting
fronts Of Europe, furnished notable ex-
amples of patriotic devotion of the he
roic type
Edmund Howe, son of Frank E. Howe,
publisher of the Bennington Evening Ban
ner, enlisted promptly IN Company / when
war was declared against Germany. lie
was then finishing his sophomore year in
Dartmouth college. His father expressed
a wish that he should join the Brattle,
boro company, as the young mans grand.
father was member of the first company
that went from Brattleboro in the Civil
war
After meeting Captain Gibson In this
town the young man went to Fort Ethan
| Allen, where he was accepted. In his
weekend visits to his home he proved
an exceptionally able recruiting officer
| taking back with him four to eight mer
on each trip. After a short time he was
assigned to regular recruiting work anC
while at home he became i'll with typholo
fever although he had been inoculatec
for that disease He was critically i'll al
one period, his life hanging in the bal
ance several days. At that time seyera
young men in the ranks-about a dozeI
in all--from New England were selected
to take the entrance examinations t,
West Point. These men were still of al
age for admission to the academy and hat
made such progress in their studies tina
there was every reason 70 believe the,
would pass all the examinations. Nhel
Edmund had sufficiently recovered he re
fused to take the appointment to Yves
Point on the ground that it would thel
be his duty to be soldier for life III
also felt that he had enlisted for activ
war service and that it would not be fai
to accept an appointment which woul
take him away from his brothers-in-arms
, especially those whom he had been ii
: | strumental in recruiting into the service
: As soon as he had recovered fai
e health he Joined Company / at Spartan
g burg, s. c. He was soon promoted t
: the rank of corporal Then came a ca
: for more officers and several who were
: the ranks were asked to take the examine
tions for commissions. Edmund ranke
: 50 high in this test that he was at one
commissioned second lieutenant. He al
sumed this higher rank a month late
and went overseas with the 57th Pionet
n regiment at the time when Captain Gil
/ son and his command were ordered owe
seas Very soon after arrival in Franc
Edmund was assigned for service with ii
:. second reglllars-the organization whic
: lost more men, killed and wounded, tina
Z any other in the entire American exp
dictionary forces He was Nin the la
y battle in which the second regulars pa
ticipated and went with the army of o
cupaton to Coblenz, Germany There
received orders to report at school f
musketry, gunnery and other training
i the south of France, where he is now st
= toned. 1t is his expectation to join b
command within a short time on Il
# march through Germany.
pe Ben Williamson, for several years re
"a ident of Brattleboro, deserves the soubl
quet Of fighting Ben He comes of
=, distinguished family in New Jersey, OF
ancestor being governor of the state al
: another chancellor His father, ste
mother and two sisters made their hor
at the Brooks House and while they we
rs here Ben received military training
e the Manlius. y. Y, academy, an instit
X