Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-09-12
Montana Boys i'm 91st Division
Have Great Tradition to Uphold
By ERIC THANE

made them known and feared by the
enemy, was fighting an enemy they
forced back steadily. A Lieut. E. s.
OFT, IN a breathing spell, called out
a certain Corp Fred Angel and in
structed him to hike five miles to q
Y. M. G. A. canteen to purchase q
package Of cigsrets.
Written order In his pocket, Corporal
Angel trekked the distance. The can
teen was closed. Corporal Angel re-
turned to his post. reported his in
ability to secure cigarets. A month
later he helped Lieut.. E. s. OFT across
country In an ambulance to hospital,
where the lieutenant was treated for
is wounds, suffered in action. Soon
after the armistice was signed, and
the first scene ended.
The second scene Is Camp White,
Ore, Aug. IS, 1912. The 9lst division,
non existent except on paper since the
first World war, is being reactivated.
Impressive ceremonies are going on.
Brig. Gen. e. s. OFT is present.
Obeys Orders n Years Old
Suddenly q man comes forth. In his
left hand he carries a photostatic
copy OF the order written by OFT "A
XCc4G d8O-cA1u q Cet4 bOA u NAAc1A Gus
With his right hand he executes q
snappy salute, presents the order and
the cigaretS to General OFT. 1t Is Fred
Angel, and he is obeying his order
after q years.
Powder River-Let 'Er Buckl"
It's scream from his old comrades,
many of whom are present at the
ceremony.
The above is one incident occurring
at the reactivation ceremonies by
which the Powder River-Let 'Er
Buck" 91st division of World war fame
was revived to life. 1t win become a
fighting unit, training at Camp White,
Ore, one of the larger camps of the
United States, where varied terrain
makes training for almost any point
on the globe practicable. The new 9lst
win become a fighting unit gathering
to itself glory to place beside that
gained by the old 91st.
The 91st division is dear to the
hearts of Montanans. Powder River
Let Er Buckl" Is the battle cry that
during the last war rang out in France.
The Powder river Is one of Montanas
greatest rivers, flowing in from Wyo-
ming through a region rich in history
into the southeastern part Of the state.
The Powder river was the country OF
Indian wars, of rough and tough men,
of Custer and Sitting Bull and Long
horn cattle from Texas. It was only
right that one of the fightingest di-
visions of the first World war should
take its name for their war cry.
Went Overseas July 6, 1913
known as the wild West" division
in the last war, the 91st went overseas
on July s, 1918. The origin and sig
nificance of the war cry is set forth
in the following paragraph from sou
Days Service" a history:
"In these early times Powder River,
destined to be the war cry OF the
division, made its first bid for fame.
One day, as the old men Of month,
a week, or even days experience,
called to the recruits: Wherere you
from?,-a Montana detachment re-
piled in a manner that was never for
gotten. Powder River-Let Err Buckl'
From Camp Lewis this answer was
carried with the early requirements
to the American expeditionary forces
and there it grew TO the fun story
taught as follows at the First Corps
SCnOOl al GOuQISCOQAt- WA4Hb 40 sAA~
longest river in the world?'
"'Powder river-it's mile wide ana
an inch deep and it flows uphill all
the way to Texasl Let 'er buckP
Over 20 years ago an officer OF the
old 9lst said, Probably we weren't the
greatest outfit in the war, but we
thought we were. And when we started
out for a place, we got there. VIII
say this for the old 91st, too-we never
lacked grit, CUTS or gunptionl
Montana's Powder River" did well.
Gen. John j. Pershing on Dec. ~,
1918, paid tribute:
ssSoidiers of the 91st division, you
will long be remembered for the stub
born persistence Of your progress, your
storming of obstinately defended ma
chine gun nests, your penetration YARD
by ward of woods and ravines, your
heroic resistance In the face OF coun-
terattacks supported by powerful ar
tillery fire. For more than a month
you fought your way slowly through
the Arponne. Your achievement
must remain 8 source OF proud salts
faction to the troops who participated
in the last campaign Of the war. There
can be no greater reward for a soldier
or a soldiers memory than TO know
that. he belonged to an organization
that achieved all this"
Heroic among the stories OF the OLD
9lst is that of Private Lee Gautshe,
the first 91st man to fail ON the fieid
of battle. Gautshe, a runner, volun-
teered to get help and silence enemy
machine gun nests. He crept forward
through underbrlIsh, inch after inch
His friend. F. K. Dover, then first
sergeant of company I, 3S2d infantry,
watched him. Gautshe had almost
reached a nest, was preparing TO as
sault it, when Sniper spotted him.
and killed him.
Dover forgot danger in his fury.
Screaming, Powder RiverP ne
stormed out Of his trench and assault
ed the machine gun nest single hand
ed. cleaning It out. AS a memento, ne
secured a Germans rifle. 1t had seven
notches on it.
Presented Rifle to Gerhardt
at the activation ceremonies at
Camp White IN August, Dover pre-
~av,tad the rifle To the commanding