The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-03-08
HIGH ARMY Man
COMMENDS PECK
FOR EFFICIENCY


boill A. man ana an oiii,cr h one
Of the mos; sterling Characters ! ever
associated With,' is the statement OF
Col. Phillip W Booker, for some time
senior instructor and assistant ~
General Daniof'h At Camp 1lylDr
South Carolina. and nOw the r,cDu.
tive officer ~ that camp. a. read hy
Judge s Ross IN Introducing Major
PEEK Al Broadwa .'r,e last ugnr
| The following IS part of l.,
letter.
i llto known Major ll,r',rt
" Iros ned nrl'u'r.. sInDr NufIs'
1915 90 uII.h time hr REPORTED ps q
'rniidli" ln ih' second uffrDrs' ift.r-
/ ing camp NJ Leon Spr.rsH 1'Hs ilp
vas assigned - the second battery
which / commanded.
Mr. Peck attracted my attention for
some time IN the battery before I knew
his name ! wH- attracted 20 him hy
the manner In which 10 performed the
various duties assigned 10 him lie
appeared 70 me 20 hs n man posssss'rg
unusual hnlsn~s and noise. ana iudg.
ment He soon appeared N he man
who e,-r'ised y very decided Influence
over tho other mon IN tho battery with
ou' my show az apparent 'fnri ou Iis
part
'AA tho lamp progressed hs I'm.
pressed the other oi'cors uu duty vim
'le battery H. tho slus manner lie
was tried ou' ne corporal md ono ~
tho four Tunnsrs Of ~" battery. arf
on the final reorganization of tho bat
tory IN which the best men were given
'ho most important positions hs vTs
Tlycu the position ~ fret Fergonr' tho
most Important position IN tho hnHf''rf.
In ilo classification ~ cardIip',v
f1r cOnWlr-iorF. be- Nrs frIpWu,r .',.
nina A. well M I recall un ne lis' ~
captains n" two MON recommended
for ,1n'nin- rh'1i ~ him vrf, rrf,d
h.gi. due ln uur Drf' g. tho mon b..
nr more military bearing HuI rtn.
n"r Nnd ne M" other rHsr =, tho mtu
having had t1lI1hl" ur'rI0Is "|'rrs
training A- things l1s" turned rIi
! would now recommend W. Peck frr
fIfst place n had the sole tion 10 make
over
Mr. rc,k was commissioned cap
tain on Nov -. lfiT and assigned 70
duty with tfe ammunition tram ~ the
Nlretie'h division NJ camp Travis
Texas u remained on This duty uniil
shortly after tho organization ~ the
Third Leon Springs training camp IN
January. 1918 ! was detailed rs senior
Instructor ~ 're field nr,illery md
asked for Captain Peck among other Of
hcefs 10 he assigned AZ an ins'ruc-
tor.
Soon after his assignment 7 found
that the field artillciy section ~ the
camp. due 10 tho distance II va. To-
Gated from camp hefdquR rter-. would
have 10 he operated ns a separate camp
| then selected Captain Peck AS my
adlutant OF tho field artillery and cav
airy section ~ tho training camp. He
performed these duties 10 the complete
satisfn ction Of all concerned. He showed
unusual tact and executive ability and
was extremely loyal In the performance
| u all duties.
The third training camp vas closed
April rs. 1918. and all Held artillery
officers on duty there, including my.
self were ordered TO Camp Jackson.
g.. FOR duty with the field artillery
replacement depot This brought about
three hundred officers here from Leon
Springs As was tho senior and had
had these officers on duty under me, |
was ordered by Colonel. now Brlgsdier
General Danford TO selcct the various
staff officers for him. Ws were TO
take over the entire camp OF Camp
Jackson from the Eighty first division.
| selected Captain Peck as the assistant
ndiutant. very much against his wishes
He VA. anxious 10 perform duty with
lins troops In hopes OF getting TO
France l tried to convince him that
h. was the only man available In per
form those duties. and that tho running
~ the entire camp would practically de-
pend upon his judgment He made
numerous pleas to be- relieved and
feared he would he left on those duties
continuously. | made several efforts TO
get him relieved but was told he could
not be spared.
"Aho,, Juiv n, Auvu., 1919 .ec-
ond ysn,. csmc,, dcno, tor fcid oy,,l.
lew va. o,yan,yed a, C,nn T,yior
Ky We ws,s orssrsd ,o send officer,
nv, III. c.un 10 orc. ,,,e 1, I'non
.rec,.i ,s,ns., n, IN. command,,r of.
fcer :, ,.,s r,n,,in Peel wa. traps
r.nd,,S o,,,n.pp h"" ihoys Go,or,i Ii,giy
rs,d ,ytnIery later ylsl,ea mi. camp
,,d ,ait ,,. ,ha, csn,,in porh Was
one OF III. best reserve Officers he had
ever seen and that he had been pro-
mo,eo 10 MAJOR OF 'ie'a at'inep'
... nefs ,t.,S ns"tn 90, 'n. % Maio, r.s ,nn I'm, nn
erM staff. He being one OF tho few
officers that possessed the proper quail
i,ea,,onns icr hst deM. s ~, nn feeen,y amy
in the otfios Of the chief Of staff Of
the army In WASHINGTON. I assume
,hct ne wss an an unasu.y Sr, cSmpe'en, m,,,N n,
he would no, have been retained there.