The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-14
166TH AMBULANCE
AGAIN IN MEMPHIS
Royal Reception and Parade
Mark Return of 81 Boys
to Home Town.

With much hugging, considerable
haok-slspplnE, a whole lot of hurrahing
and not few tears, Capt, ]. r, Drake
and 50 men Of the lS6th Ambulance
unit, 177th Sanitary train, Rainbow
division, were welcomed home Wednes-
day as benefits military contingent
which served on seven bloody fronts
from LunevIlle to st. Mihel and back
TO Sedan
The Memphians arrived at the Union
depot on the Memphis Special from
Fort Oglethorpe at ll.l6 am,
Greatest day that ever happened
said Capt. Drake, when he hit the plat
form, Then he rushed headlong down
the boards TO his wife and two babies,
followed by the whole troop Of privates,
sergeants and corporals falling into tho
arms OF their relatives as fast as they
came to them.
1t had been 20 months since Capt.
brakes three -year-old son had seen
him, and the boy hardly knew him,
though he accepted his happy father 3
bear -hugging with good grace, His lit
tie daughter, who was only few weeks
old when he went away with the Mem
phis Ambulance company, Just opened
her eyes wide In wonder at all the car
ryings-on.
I'VE have been gone 90 months and
one week, Capt. Drake declared, which
made up the bulk of his war romi-
niscences
After few minutes rest at the
depot, Capt. Drake led the home
comers on parade through Main
street, where they were greeted with
continuous ovation.
In the first squad marched Private
James Brown, In "Cits' and on crutches,
BY virtue OF the fact that he was minus
the left leg he was able 10 make very
good time and stuck with the parade
with the hest OF them. Private Browr
lost the leg In an accidental shell OK
slnlaaiQIr which killed. nine ~ the COM
liUny. 1iA pKeceded the present arrival
home by several months, But he 'j1A
had" 70 march with his 'buddies'
Several or the boys wore wounc
stripes. Capt Drake could not remem
Der how many, and one. Sergt, A, y
Hovey, wore a black band and golc
star on his left arm for his brother
George Hovey, who was a victim Of the
shell explosion which took away one
of Private Browns legs.
The parade wound up at the Hote
Chisca shortly before / o'clock, where
Capt, Drake and 60 men sat down tc
luncheon as guests OF the Red Cross
Each man had with him one relative
Maj. Percy A. Perkins, who was com
mandant OF tho Memphis ambulance
company when II left Memphis, more
than two years ago presided as master
of ceremonies, and the Rev. G., II, VIII
hanson pronounced the invocation.
The Chamber OF Commerce entertain
ment committee met the returning sol
diers at the train.
The discharge papers OF the members
of the l66th show that they gave sue
cor to the wounded doughboys at Lune'
vile Feb, 81 TO March 49, 1918, Bacca
rat, March 81 to June 2l, 1918; Cham.
pagne, July TO July II, 1918, Chateau
Thierry, July "a to Aug 6, 1918; st
Mihiel, Sept. II to 16, 1918; Essey and
Pannes, Sept II TO %, 1918, Mcuse.
Argonne. oct, | to Nov, II, 1913 army
Of occupation, Nov. II, 1918, to April Z
1919.
In sum, the old Memphis ambulance
unit served on every American front
in France from Feb 81, 1918, clear ~
to the signing OF the armtstice, and
then went into Germany The unit
spent most Of its time In France undel
fire, continually subject to the strafinl
Of the Germans
1t left Memphis June 7, 1917. all vol
unteers and eager to do what they
might for Old Glory and world democ
racy, The reception whic they re-
ceived Wednesday morning indicated
that the home folk hold the impression
that they did considerable