Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-05-29

Photo by william Shewell Ellis.
Col. Reed commanded the Fifty-ninth
Pioneer Infantry (Delaware's Own
in the World War.
,es. of the new gas mask made at Lake
hurst Station in August where Company
T. furnished the demonstration COM
panv, in command of Capt. J. A.
Mckay. A letter from Co. Bradley
Dewey to the Fifty-ninth Pioneer Olnf
showed that Co. i had played n great
part in the development of the new
style gas mask.
While Mt Camp Dix the mess Kitchens
Of the 59th Pioneer Infantry became
famous for their cleanliness and the
quality Of the mess, so much so that the
commanding general frequently con-
ducted his visitors to the mess halls and
kitchens exhibiting them as examples OF
what might bc done. The letter from
General Scott regarding police OF the
area at the time Of the overseas move
ment indicates the excellent state OF
police in which the rcgimental area was
always kept. :,
The first movement overseas took
place at night in the 2Sth of August,
iolS and the troops embarked on the
L. :. Naval Transport leviathan, from
Hoboken, n. j., on the 2oth OF August,
all movement being attended with such
secrecy rs WAS possible.
The ocean voyage on account OF the
presence of submarines on both sides
of the Atlantic, was carefully guarded IN
every way 10 prevent disaster. Abandon
ship drills in the daytime and the alb
sence of lights at night made the voyage
a unique one. Every passenger on the
boat was required to have life pre-
server at all times, and when anchor
was dropped in the harbor Of Brest at
II u. m, September, z, 1918, word WAS
received that the S. 8. Mount Vernon,
then living at dock. had been torpedoed
at sea two days out.
The debarkation Of troops was com.
pleted on the Sth OF September and
Camp was made in shelter tents at the
rest camp near Pontanezen Barracks
near Brest. Training IN the rest camp
was abandoned and on September IA
the regiment, complete, moved from
Brc~ by rail, arriving at the Training
Area at Foulain, Dept Hute, -Marne
September l6. The only training al
Foulsin was gas defense and, on account
of the urgent need Of troops at the front
for the 81. Mihiel drive had been con
summated, the regiment moved from
Foulain on the 26th Of September to
) stations in the First Army area.
From this time on, during hoetllitiei
as well as after the armistice on the It'll
Of November, 1918, movements OF TIT
different organizations were made Il
} various stations and reference is mad
; TO the company histories showing move
! men,. the work OF the different com
panies. -
| On the 10th Of October the Secon
Amy was formed and Regiments
; Headquarters, with the entire First an
Second Battalions was transferred :
the Second Army, the Third Battalio
remaining with the First Army.
, On Christmas Day at Sorcy-eul
: Meuse, at Raulecourt the station Of tn
Second Battalion, and at Boucq tn
= station Of the Third Battalion, Christ
$ mas celebrations were held and ever
x man in the regiment was presented wit
e a souvenir of France, and every met
e was supplied with ration of turkey G
e goose. Christmas exercises were hel
and the Christmas of 1918 Will be Ion
$ remembered by the inhabitants OF III
(. towns where the seth Pioneer Infantr
T was billeted.
y At midnight on the 20th-z1st {
e March, 1919, the 5oth Pioneer Infantr
T was transferred from the Second Arm
s 10 the Advance Section, Service {
n Supply.
o During the time that the major part
n the Regiment was preparing TO embal
d for home, several companies were sel
e TO Paris 10 work on the Stadium
E, Colonies and on the Pershing Stadiu
e at Jonville-le-Pont, both these plac
II being on the outskirts Of Paris. II
long wait at lie Mans and at Bre
Il finally came to an end and the regimen
= embarked on the L. s. Leviathan {
n June 29th, 1919, sailing the next da
p The troops arrived in Hoboken on July
1919. and were mustered out OF Il
q service on July 9, at Camp Dix, Ne
" Jersey
d The troops ordered 10 Paris did n,
II come home with the major part Of Il
regiment but upon the completion
ie their work on the Stadium, sailed fro
d Brest on July 20, 1919, on the S.
d ACternis, and arrived at Newport New
IN Va, on August 3, 1919. The troo
y were subsequently, discharged at Can
RI Lee, Virginia
st A word ir not emiss concerning q
I, recent history in the service of 4
er United States of the First Delawa
Infantry on the Mexican Border. T
two battalions Of the First Delaws
I Infantry were called out on the 18th
: June, 1916, and mustered into Fedel
u service on the 9th of July, 1915,
!, State Rife Range, New Castle, al
=, moved 20 Deming, New Mexico, reac
- ing there on the 3lst of July, l9l
40 where with other National Qua
40 troops the border patrol was station
,e for a considerable period. The I,
80 battalons were in command at differe
,e times Of Major J. w. Reed, Color
H. j.. Roberts. Major +. w. Kobbe, a
of II Colonel, afterwards Major-Gener
20 Charles II. Martin. The duty on I
ae border service beside the guard duty CO
81 sisted mostly of field training a
tv practice marches. The two battaGc
- left Deming, New Mexico on the I'd
Il q 4