By Franklin F. Holbrook and Livia Appel
The following item, taken from a letter written home, appeared in a Minnesota paper: ” A guard at Camp Cody was killed by a Mexican a few nights ago. The soldier was knifed in the back. The Mexican was captured an hour later.” Then there was the tale of the German spy who was shot while climbing up the water tank, with the fell purpose of poisoning the camp water supply. Both of his coat pockets were found to be filled with strychnine! But the prize bit of imaginative literature was produced by a man in Company A of the 136th Infantry. It was in the form of a letter printed in a Minnesota home paper during the winter and was copied in part by the Reveille with enthusiastic comment. Perhaps an excerpt will be of interest: and its bite causes a running sore and if this is not attended to soon it will develop into cancer. We also have a big black spider as large as the palm of your hand and its bite is deadly poisonous.
It may be said on behalf of this correspondent, however, that there was a basis of truth for some of his imaginative flights. And if the publicity they received through the columns of camp newspapers afforded a moment of relaxation to his comrades, who shall say that his efforts were in vain?
Contrary to what one might suppose, death in an army camp seems to be even a more solemn thing than in civilian life. Not only is it a reminder of the chief characteristic of war itself, but it seems more personal because of the comradeship existing among the men of a military organization. What could be more sincere than the following simple tribute to an enlisted man by one of his comrades?
Friday, Dec. 7, 1917. Pvt. Lane died of pneumonia (lobar) at 9:15 A.M. Pvt. Lane was a quiet, unassuming man, and a good soldier and his death will be mourned by all.
A portion of the entry for the following day refers to the service in his honor:
Saturday, Dec. 8, 1917. Funeral of Pvt. Edwin Lane held in the afternoon, full military honors due an enlisted man of the Artillery. Body sent to his former home, Anoka, Minn., in custody of his father.
One of the most distressing incidents in the entire history of the 34th Division was the drowning, on July 26, of two members of the French military mission to Camp Cody, Lieutenants Jean Jegou and Fernand Herbert, and a sergeant of the American army. They had gone by automobile to visit friends some miles to the northwest of Camp Cody. During their absence a cloudburst in the mountains caused a torrent of water to rush down one of the arroyos that traversed their path. They did not realize the danger of attempting to cross it until too late and all three were swept to their death. It seemed the irony of fate that two officers who had served through three years of warfare in the fields of France should be drowned in a desert country. Impressive funeral services were held in Deming and the bodies were taken to Arlington National Cemetery, accompanied by a guard of honor composed of officers and enlisted men of the 34th Division. The remains were interred on August 5, diplomatic and military representatives of the allied and neutral nations being present. The sum of ten thousand dollars was subscribed by the officers of the 34th Division for the benefit of the children of Lieutenant Diego. – Published by the Minnesota Historical Society – Saint Paul, 1928
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