The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1929-06-19
Mollison, BrolUn and Clenans
Lead in Plans For 136th Meet
Southern MinnesOta's Wartime
Regiment to Meet in Reunion
Here Monday, June "a
900 EXPECTED TO ATTEND
Redwood Falls Veterans, Plan
Gala Day for Famous
Wartime Unit

are expected to gamer IN heu"ooo
Falls on Monday, June oath, to take
part in the eighth annual reunion OF
southern Minnesota's wartime regl-
ment, the 136th Infantry. Among
those who will attend the meeting
will be many of Redwood Falls and
Redwood county men who served
with Company 81" and other units
of the regiment during the war.
Final plans for the affair, which
will recement many friendships OF
comrades -in-arms which were severed
by the wars close, are being pushed
by local members of the association,
headed by Capt. j. w. Lauterbach,
vice president of the 136th Infantry
association.
{ The meetings will be held in the
Armory, with a parade of the old re-
giment through the streets of Red
wood Falls headed by the famous old
136th Infantry band. Two former
officers of the 136th, who have head
ed the veterans organization since
it was formed at the initial reunion
in the summer of 1921 are planning
great things for the Redwood Falls
meeting.
One of these two officers is Lieut..
Col. Minot j. Brown, president OF the
association, who, as a major and
ranking officer of the small person
mel forming the ''cadre" which main
tanned it's identity when most of its
members "went up to shattered COM
bat outfits as requirements. The
other is Lieut.. Col. E. c. Clemans,
secretary of the association and be-
loved over score of years in the his
tory of the 136th and the Second
Minnesota Infantry which was its
pre-war designation.
Taking a minor part in prepara-
tions but assured as the outstanding
figure of the 1929 reunion as he has
been in all others, is Col. w. T. Molli-
son, who commanded the 136th
through the Mexican Border cam
paign and most of the war, being
separated from it finally to take COM
mand of a 32nd Division regiment,
Captain John w. Lauterbach of Red
wood Falls, vice president, who in
yited the veterans to Company L, is
in charge of the numerous details of
local arrangements.
Others who are leading to some
degree in preparations to make the
reunion the largest and best the vet
Grams have had include Treasurer A.
D. Week of Harley; Capt. Herbert
Hauck of Mankato and Arne Winger
of Northfield, directors, and Hugh H.
Soper of Owatonna. Mr.. Winger is
rallying remnants of the band, with
which he served, to lead the parade
behind the regiments wartime colors
and Col. Mollison in the parade which
provides the biggest thrill for the
former soldiers yearly. Mr.. Soper is
in charge of the publicity and will
serve as editor of the Reveille, regi-
mental newspaper which is revived
for each reunion since it's discontin-
uance with the close of hostilities.
The Eighth reunion is slated to
have a greater degree of entertain
ment, very limited expense to indivi-
duals, greater attendance and result
ingly more numerous reunions be-
tween former "buddies" because, for
the first time, the trust fund estab-
ished through the return of regi-
mental funds by the War department
last year has yielded dividends. The
program will include business meet
ing at two o'clock, the big parade at
four, the annual banquet dinner at
six, with vaudeville entertainment
beginning at seven and social feat
ures following.
The 600-odd veterans who will re-
unite at Redwood Falls will include
men from all over Minnesota, from
South Dakota and from far corners
of the nation, although the largest
contingents are expected from the
13 towns which were original home
stations of the national guard regi-
ment, Faribault, Owatonna, Luverne,
Winona, Rochester, Fairmont, Worth
ington, Austin, Mankato, st. Peter,
Madison, Mortified and Redwood
Falls itself. In these towns the first
strength of the regiment was raised,
to be augmented later when the First
South Dakota Cavalary was amalga-
mated with it and again strengthened
by selective service men from the
Northwest and Southwest after much
of its original strength of "buck pri-
Yates" had preceded it overseas as
replacement drafts. Since, the more
than 5000 men who occupied its
ranks have become scattered over
America and even beyond its borders.
Pride in their regiment had led
men of the 136th to return to their
annual reunions in growing numbers
up to last years reunion in Ovation
ma, even in the face of financing those