The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-05
HISTORY OF 18TH
Division Trained at Camp Fun
stOn Won High HOnOrs.
Received Much Praise in Two
Major Offensives.
FIRST N. A. TO ENTER GERMANY
Story of Kansas Division Began
September ), 1917.
AIl-Kansas Regiment Played
Prominent Part in Battles.
FIRST n. A. TO ENTER GERMANY

Day on next Friday. one of the first
thoughts to enter the minds of Kan
sans is the enviable record made in
the world war by the seth division,
organized and trained at Camp Fun
ston. under the direction of Mai. Gen.
Leonard Wood.
From a brief history of the seth
Division, issued by the divisions head
quarters staff, these facts are clearly
set out:
me seth was the first:
To move from training area to the
front by truck.
To enter the line without being
brigaded with French or British
troops.
To be continuously in the front line
more than eight weeks
The first national army division to
participate in a major operation.
The first national army to enter
Germany.
When the arnistice was signed.
only fourteen months from the day
the first raw rookie" reported at
Camp Funston, the seth had won an
unquestiouable place as one of Amer
ica's best veteran shock divisions. In
two major offensives it had taken a
part which won unstinted praise in
citations.
Formed September 5. 1917.
The story began September 5, 1917.
when the first increment of 5 per cent
of the national army. called to colors
under the selective service act, arrived
at a drab, dusty bottom" in a curve
of the KaW river. The eyes of the
world were on those selective service
men. Would the United States, have
time to make into real soldiers. those
boys blown in by the draft" from
hopping clods in corn rows and chas-
ing dull figures up and down ledger
columns?
From Missouri. Kansas, Nebraska,
Colorado. South Dakota, Arizona and
New Mexico they came, and were or
ganized into regiments largely under
young men Just graduated from the
first officers training camp at Fort
Riley. Missouri gave by far the
largest number, filling the 345th in
fantry with men from her southeast
ern and eastern sections, with many
left over for the 314th engineers. The
356th infantry was made up of men
from northwest Missouri and the 342d
field artillery from southwest Mis-
souri,.
Tansans generally were assigned to
the $500 infantry, the 'all-Kansas
re~iment."
Nebraska furnished the men for the
35-th infantry and the 314th ammuni-
ton train. In the 314th sanitary train
wore volunteer Red Cross units; one
tho 355th ambulance company, was
recruited in Kansas City.
And these for a shock division!
An Army in Overalls.
Supply officers reported they could
not obtain uniforms.
'Buy blue denim overalls," ordered
Mai. Gen. Leonard Wood, in COM
mand,
Rifles were not forthcoming.
Let them white rifles out of
WOOD said General Wood.
Thus the rockies learned the
manual of arms The sentry who
stood tensely straining his eyes for
German patrols in the St Mihiel and
Argonne districts got his first expert
ence self consciously calling Halt"
in a cracked voice and coming to an
awkward present arms with wooden
rifle
The artillerymen first did mount
ed drill on foot, taking their places
at imaginary gun positions marked on
the ground learning the proper pose
for q rider on saddled barrels mount
ed on wooden legs, trundl!ng around
guns made of logs, mounted on the
running gears of condemned escort
wagons.
Could it be done in time? 1t looked
doubtful.
The first hint of the successes to
come was the first assembly of the di-
vision as a unit, November 26, 1917.
when General Wood was detailed with
Colonel Kilbourne, chief of staff, for
observation in Europe.
A Surprise for General Wood.
without the knowledge of General
Wood the division was ordered assem-
bied in two long lines on the road the
general must take to reach the station.
The men had been issued overcoats
and rifles only a few days before.
Even those who had seen the daily
drill were astonished at the improve
ment three months had brought.
General Wood, from whom the Sc
cret of the assembly had been well
kept. viewed the men with eyes shin
ing with enthusiasm. A British Off
Ger detailed to the camp remarked
that the whole British army could not
produce such a body Of men.
While General Wood and Colonel
Kilbourne were in Europe, Brig. Gen.
Frank L. VIM was put in charge of
the division. When General Wood re-
turned April u, 1918, he found a new
seth had grown under Winns direc-
ton. Trained in the use of rifles on a
well equipped rifle range, trained in
trench warfare in model trenches and
well equipped with clothing and sup
plies, the division was ready to go
overseas.
The first units of the division left
Camp Funston May Fl and were con-
centrated at Camp Mills, Long Island.
Just before the division sailed the I'M
explained order assigning General
Wood for duty in the United States
was received. The officers of the
division were assembled and the gen
eral told them good-by and wished
them the best of luck in a short. SOL
dierly address which many said later
touched them as deeply as any expert
ence they had in the division.
Into the Land of Submarines.
Again under the command of Gem
eral VIM, just at the time when the
fear of the submarine was heightened
by the sinking of more than twenty
small ships within forty miles of New
York harbOr. the first vessels carry
ing men of the S9th swung off at mid
day, June 4. Peering thru port holes
in the lower decks of the weirdly
eamouflaged ships the men from the
middle west watched the statue of
liberty fade into the distance.
IT might be said in passing that
these men, born far from the ocean,
showed more Eigns of weakening