The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-05-02
TALE OF RAINBOW BOYS
Continued From Page one.)

II Il
division are going to be the Rough
Raiders of the American EXpedi-
tionary Force"
These words, now proven ey test,
were uttered on the day the Rain
bow division broke camp for the
trenches. The speaker was Colonel
Douglas Macarthur, the divisions
chief of staff, world famous since his
decoration for the capture of Ger
man officer on the first Rainbow raid
moving forward, and enjoyed long
chat with the tall, spare, dimpled but
dynamic colonel.
The little boy who got lost in the
woods trying to catch the rainbow
had an experience no less discourag-
ing than mine when / set out 10
hunt down the Rainbow division. 1t
has not stayed put" since it was
organized Like its namesake it has
danced about the horizon. Some of
the restless energy of its chief of
staff must pervade the whole divi-
sion.
Did Considerable Travelling.
1t will undoubtedly be discovered
that the Rainbow division has done
more travelling in a shorter space of
time than any other American mill
tary force in history. First there
were the long rail trips from all
corners of America, then the Allan
tic voyage; and upon reaching Eu-
rope the unit has by train and truck,
but mostly on foot, covered more
territory than any three other divi-
sionS combined. One of the march
es was close to seventy miles in the
dead of winter with the temperature
below zero and the men incomplete
ly equipped.
1t was a fine bright day when
Lieutenant Whitehouse and myself
set out, determined and map laden,
in a headquarters car to track down
the Rainbowteis. On earlier hunts
] had missed the Minnesota de-
tachment by day, reached the
Wisconsin village when the full
force was out on a forty eight hour
hike, and successfully found and
lost trace of Kansans and Oklaho-
mans. But this time We had spec
fallible data from one of General
Pershing's chiefs.
Mile after mile of beautiful road
side was passed, and salute after
salute was made to the G. H. O.,
emblem on our windshield by officers
and men walking along the road. We
heard a sputtering fusilade ahead.
There was no rife range in the
vicinity, and the racket made us
wonder. Soon we came across a
score of Yanks hot footing along and
shootjpg hiisrasual targets with their
automatic p-7tOss- All wore "tin
hats
sWere From Minnes6ta.' ~
We're from Minnesota" they said,
and we knew we were going to pin
down the Rainbow division this time.
~Just finished packing our heavy
stuff" tlfey continued otell us. "and
we're bound for F. to help out
there. Why do We. wear helmets?
Well, you might take it that we're
dressed for business. Our shooting?
Oh, we're just trying not to waste
time while we're moving along.
We're taking pot shots at scarescrows
and things. Fellows are pretty
handy with their automatics. There's
about ten or twelve in this bunch that
can hole a dime at fifty feet. Pretty
fair, that, but you've got to keep your
eye in practice"
Near an anciently renowned city
Uangres) we soon attained the
heart of the effulgence of the Rain
bowites.
The staff offices were in the throes
of packing, but that did not prevent
Colonel Macarthur from receiving
me and telling me the purposes of
the many moves of his division.
knew that the division had been as
signed definite sector of the front.
and the colonel exhibited his staff
Typographical maps of the (Soissons)
region. 81 know that country as
well as / know Milwaukee, where
came FROM" he said.
To the orderly rough and tumble
of the big move was added slight
touch of confusion by the presence
of the inspector general of the war
department who was giving the divi-
sion a final lookover before it went
into the trenches. / later. had the
honor of lunching at fine old villa
with the inspector general, the gen.
eral (Menoher) in command of the
division, the colonel and chief aides.
Upon being pressed by the in
spector general, Colonel Macarthur
told the story of the formation of the
Forty Second or Rainbow division,
and its christening, which was due to
his authorship.
There was a discussion in Wash :
ington of the uses to which the na :
tional guard might be put" he said
after some thought l suggested to
the president that variety of picked
units from various parts of America
be assembled in one division to be
called the Rainbow division--a name
that would strike popular fancy, and
that could be easily Interpreted. The
many colors of the rainbow sug
gested the many states that con
tributed elements to the division, and
the tradition of rainbow promise
would signify to Europe the unified
intention of all sections of our coun-
try to end kaiserism."
Was Discreetiy Quit.
AS becomes a civilian guest at Sc
distinguished a military gathering,
remained 6iscreetly quiet, until singl.
ed out by one of the generals to re.