The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-18

to the Masonic temple. was treated to
a chicken dinner served by the women
of the city. That afternoon Law
renee gave a similar treat, and at
arrived at Topeka. 1t was met at the
Union Pacific station by a crowd that
had never before been equalled there.
Captain Mills turned the entire outfit
loose Immediately. requesting all to
report back at ! o'clock the follow
ing afternoon.
Topeka q Great Hostess.
The parade at Topeka ION May
was a memorable one. The 130th
field artillery and the 18th infantry
were in the line OF march, headed by
Col. w. d. Rowan and Captain Mills,
closely followed by Doctor Morrison's
band playing the famous regimental
tune, THE Old Gray Mare" The
first unit after the band was, quite
properly, Battery "A. once more led
by Captain MacLean.
The reception accorded by 100, 600
hansans BROUGHT to Topeka by special
trains and motors, exceeded any
thing in the city's history. 1t was an
ovation to the two regiments, plus
o personal welcome to Captain Mills,
TO whom the love and respect OF
4 800 men meant more than the silver
eagles OF a colonel, which should have
adorned his shoulders.
In the meantime, Pittsburg turned
out en- masse to greet Batteries c and
D and their sister units. The second
battalion Of the 120th ruled Pittsburg
that day. The cIty's welcome brin1-
med over with all the feeling that
had been penned up during the war,
the kind the battalion so well merited.
The following day the second con-
tingent, out of respect for Battery F.
paraded at Wichita Douglas avenue
was lined with thousands and deco
rated for its greatest military gala
day.
The first trainload arrived at Camp
Funston the night Of May and was
discharged from the service on May
8 and 10, this work being done by in.
dividual organizations. Batteries c, D
and F were given their honorable dis
charges on May 10 and II.
The both field artillery thus lost
its entity and was no more. 1t left
record that is clean, efficient, cour-
ageouS. In other wars, IL there be
any. units may do well to emulate the
1S0th in all the phases of its life.
The regiment possessed q personnel
of the highest !caliber. Once year
the men will reunite and in this way
brave deeds performed merely as
duties will be revisualized and per-
petuated. As the years roll ON, these
memories will not be rendered impo-
tent. The men will dream again of
starieSS nights in the slusll and mire
of France, hear once more the caiSsons
and gun carriages rumbling along In
the darkness In an endless chain, the
rain churling down steel helmets ruth
lessIy. Or they will wildly see the
big guns under q net of camOuflage,
barking viciously at n stubborn enemy.
Their keen noses will scent the mus
tard gns of the Vcr1un front, or the
chlorine of the ArgOnne.
Then the boys will talk Of lighter
r
mate and of trips that were unauthor-
lied. The war that now is over will
seem more real in the days to come
than it does in the prosaic present.
And the battles of the 130th field
artillery will be fought over and over
again whenever the men that were of
it, get together.
On one side of the Atlantic
there was the flare of rocket
signals, the burst of shells, the
torrent of machine gun fire.
On the other, the mothers,
fathers, sisters, brothers, :.
sweethearts and friends
waited, and their heroism can
not be depicted by the Jug
Cling together of English
words. The loved ones at home
suffered the greater pain;
their lot was not a romantic
one. Mothers could feel the
Vaccinations of death threat
ening their boys, but were
powerless. They could not kiss
the hurt away. "Theirs not
to reason why" when a tele-
gram came from Washington.
It is to them-the home folks
who really humbled autocratic
Germany-that this history of
the 130th Field Artillery is
dedicated.
Editors NOte)