Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1919-01-02
THE 32ND
Division
Now Watching On the Rhine In
Germany Are Wisconsin Boys
of Which We Are Proud

The 32nd Division now holding part
of the Watch on the Rhine" for
America. has borne so gallant part
in the great war as to attract special
attention in the midst of world of
heroic deeds. This Division won from
the French the name of the Terrible
Brigade" a splendid tribute from a
nation that for four years had been
accustomed to heroic fighting.
Wisconsin has an especial right to
be proud of this Division since more
than one-half Of the men came from
this state. 1t was a typically Wis
consin Division in every respect, One
third of its members were of German
blood or descent There was large
Slavic representation, and one battery
the 121st, recruited in Milwaukee con-
tanned more than twenty nationalities.
There were not lacking those who
more than limited that a Division so
composed would be lacking in morale.
The slur was wiped out in blood in
France.
The Division reached France in
February and March and was reported
fit for the fighting line in May. On
May 10 it moved to the front and re-
manned there, with scarcely rest in
terval until November 8th.
During all that time it was involved
in the bloodiest fighting of the war.
1t received the great honor of being
| especially cited for it's splendid work
by the French staff. It's artillery
brigade, two-thirds of which was re-
cruited in Wisconsin participated in
the capture of more territory than
any other artillery brigade in the
American Expeditionary Force.
lie ''Stars and Stripes" the official
pubuvation of that force, said, in its
issu2 of November 22nd, 1918:
re Bind is made largely of men
frc-: Wisconsin and Michigan. On
| the Ourcq and the Vesle it won from
the French the name of "The Terrible
Brigade, and the 32nd, before get
ting it's role in the Argonne, was
used by General Mangin as the spear
head Of one of his mighty thrusts be-
low the St. Gobain Forest"
Because of the very great interest
Of the Wisconsin people in this Divi-
sion, and because of its heavy losses,
the Wiconom Loyalty Legion has
made arrangements to secure full in
| formation concerning the casualties
most of which has not been published,
and to answer all questions concern
ing the men who made the last great
sacrifice, The Legion is the more anx-
ious to perform this fitting duty be-
cause very large percentage of the
men who enlisted in this Division from
Wisconsin were secured through re-
cruiting campaigns of the Legion and
its predecessor the Wisconsin Defense
League
The 32nd is composed entirely of
volunteers who answered the very first
call for troops. At that time the fed
eral government lacked the machinery
for recruiting and called upon the
Wisconsin Defense League for aid.
The League put it's entire machinery
at the service of the nation, and for
many weeks, was the main recruit
ing agency in Wisconsin.
State Headquarters of the Wiscon-
sin Loyalty Legion at Milwaukee, has
announced that the chapters of that
organization, one of which is located
in this city, will be enlisted in the
work of disseminating the information
relative to the boys of this famous
Division. A circular letter of instruc-
| ton regarding the method of proceed
ure in this work, which will be of
| deepest interest to the thousands of
relatives Of the boys Of the 32nd Dr.
vision in this state, will be sent to the
chapters in the near future.
The legion is also trying to make
arrangements to procure information
relative to Wisconsin boys in other
divisions over seas and, if successful,
will proceed to put it into the hands Of
the relatives and friends at home.
Relatives in this city of boys at the
front can make doubly certain re-
ceiving this information by dropping
line to the Wisconsin Loyalty Legion,
226 First National Bank, Milwaukee
Wisconsin