Second Lieutenant Ernest L. Harris, leader of the band of the 134th infantry, has just been promoted to that rank from sergeant. He is the second band leader in this division to be commissioned under the new order. – El Paso Herald Newspaper – July 31, 1918
Camp Cody Band, Deming, New Mexico
The 34th division headquarters has issued a memorandum regarding injury to soldiers on troop trains. The memorandum follows:
“The attention of these headquarters has been called to injuries which have been sustained by reason of soldiers riding on special trains in open vestibule doors, sitting on the platforms with their legs hanging out the side of cars, also their feet protruding out of open windows or out the side door of baggage and kitchen cars.”
“Due to the great risk of accidents and loss of life incident to such practices, officers concerned with movements of troops will issue the necessary orders that under no condition will this practice be permitted.” – El Paso Herald Newspaper – July 31, 1918
Depot at Deming, New Mexico for Camp Cody
The 109th engineers here have received from Camp Lee, Va., nine new second lieutenants, all of whom, except the last named, are of the national army and the one excepted is of the national guard. They are 2nd Lieutenants, Stanley B. Marsh, Earl P. Manley, James L. Mayer, Milton S. Hindholm, Victor C. Light, Bert Lund, E. C. McFadden, D. J. Lynch, jr., and James Luchini. – El Paso Herald Newspaper – June 14, 1918
“Winds, That Have Moved The Friendly Trees”
by Sergeant Glenn Ward Dresbach
Winds, that have moved the friendly trees to speak,
With lyric voices, to us when we went –
How long ago it seems – down roads to seek
New gladness and new dreams and wonderment,
When Spring comes back you will not find us there,
And will not miss us, and the grass will grow
And bluebirds sing and Earth-life thrill the air
As one glad Spring ago.
In our mid-western lands some one shall sow . . .
Sunlight and starlight and the quiet rains
Shall fall on peaceful fields that shall not know
How blood is spilled on battered hills and plains
Across the seas. Homes shall keep Liberty-
Although the olden happiness gives place
To thoughtful hopes and faith like comes to be
In each loved absent face.
The moonlight shall look in on places strange
To tears, and tears shall glisten, but the Night
Shall hold no driving foes. No better change
Of host that ravish waits the coming light,
The Light of Dawn! . . . What broken homes are these?
What hearts by strife and sorrow stricken dumb?
What pitted fields? What mangled, helpless trees? . . .
O bleeding France, we come!
Major G. N. Randle, chief engineer of the Armour project in California, which reclaimed a big area of land at the cost of $5,000,000, an engineer in the public works department of that state, and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, has been put at the head of the utilities branch of the quartermaster corps at Camp Cody, succeeding the acting commander Captain Henry C. Chard, who now returns to his former office as assistant camp quartermaster. Major Randle will soon have camp highways that will look good to the world.
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Charles H. Blesse has been assigned to Camp Cody from Camp Kearney, as camp physical director for the Y. M. C. A. for a time he was stationed at Honolulu where he had athletic training of the officers, who in turn trained the men under them. – Deming Graphic – Friday November 15, 1918
YMCA – Camp Cody, Deming, New Mexico
E. E. Nold, an experienced and prominent business man of El Paso, for some time camp business secretary of Camp Cody, has been made acting camp general secretary, vice Cylde M. Becker resigned, now a first lieutenant in engineer corps, U. S. A.
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The Red Cross Orchestra in which several famous bands of the United States are represented, is one of the Camp Cody entertainment features most enjoyed by officers and men.
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General James R. Lindsay, commanding the 97th Division, Camp Cody, has caused to be instituted fine outdoor entertainments every week day and Sunday evening at the division stadium, and outdoor natural amphitheater where comfortable seats are provided for thousands of soldiers at one time. All welfare bodies co-operate with the military in providing the very best obtainable.
Deming Graphic – Friday November 15, 1918
The first “Croix de guerre” man to arrive at Camp Cody in Deming, New Mexico is Major Wm. T. Cook, commanding field battalion 62. This distinguished honor was conferred upon Major Cook for conspicuous gallantry in action during the operations connected with the capture and defense of Catigny. May 27 to 31, Major Cook is strong for the work of the welfare organizations which back up the fighting lines “over there.” “I don’t know what the boys in trenches would do without them” said Major Crook.
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The Liberty Theatre is being greatly enlarged and improved by the addition of a high stage that will accommodate the large theatrical troops that will visit Camp Cody during the winter. – Deming Graphic – Friday November 15, 1918
French Military Decoration – Croix de guerre
The reclamation Branch of the quartermaster corps at Camp Cody in Deming, NM, brought to a remarkable state of perfection by Captain Stanley Eisman and his able assistants, Lieutenant J. S. Donovan, Lieutenant F. R. Jordan, Lieutenant F. W. Racine and a well selected office staff and corps of operatives, operates one of the most interesting demonstrations of what the war has developed in economy measures. It is the reclamation hat shop, which has an expert instructor, Private O. H. Runkel, formerly with the John B. Stetson Co. who came here with a thorough knowledge of the business from Camp Meade, Maryland. He is given splendid assistance by privates John Tyler, Perry Pugh and Bernard Farry and four soldier trimmers.
With an equipment gotten up very largely by the utilities branch, with the exception of the hat blocks and an eyelet machine manufactured by private Fred Khron, of the reclamation repair shop, this small but energetic force figures on turning out about one hundred perfectly reclaimed hats per day.
This branch of the conservation service is almost creative in its labor. It takes an article that has already served it purpose and makes of it a much better article than it was in the first place. Uncle Sam couldn’t buy for $1.25, the original price of the hat, an article nearly as good as the one reclaimed for 3 cents; thus eight soldiers are performing the double service of conservation and reclamation. Incidentally they are saving their country a hundred dollars per day out of practically nothing. – Deming Graphic – Friday November 15, 1918
Camp Cody Reclamation Branch
Dear Father and Mother
The country here was about the same as it was in Texas, mostly ranch country. As we moved on west the country changed, we began to see sage brush and cactus, there were no towns, just a depot and a few shacks, talk about crooked roads they were so crooked that we almost met ourselves coming back. We stopped at Vown for a little rest, this was a town about the size of Orchard, I don’t know what the people live on, there was not a thing but sage brush, cactus and sand, still they all seemed to live and to enjoy themselves.
I was put on guard from 10:00 to 12:00 that night, we stopped and changed cars at Belen, that looked like a quite a city. I went on duty again at 4:00 in the morning, it was so dark I couldn’t see much of the country. I could see something that looked like fields of grain but as it got lighter I saw my great mistake, my large fields of grain turned out to be sage brush and cactus. We were getting into the foothills of the mountains such a looking country we made one stop between there and Deming, I do not know the name of the town, I don’t think it had a name.
We arrived at Deming just before noon, I was in hopes that Deming would be different, but the cactus grows bigger then ever they stand higher than my head. Now if you don’t believe it come and see.
They hauled us out here to the camp our tents were ready for us, but talk about sand, it was about ankle deep. I think Uncle Sam had a spite at us when he sent us here, it began to rain that afternoon and has rained every day since, they are having their rainy season it will rain for about three weeks and then not rain again for a year. It is colder here than in Nebraska, we are 43,000 feet above the sea level.
I was at Deming for the first time last night there were between 10 and 15 hundred soldiers there. We have to be in at 10:00, there are 35,000 of us here now, we are all feeling fine. I haven’t done any drilling yet, have been getting the ground cleared off. We have lots of pets here such as horned toads, but spiders and lots of other things to numerous to mention.
Well it has stopped raining the sun is coming out and I have a washing to do, so will have to close for this time, answer soon. I am writing on the head of a nail keg.
Your son
Daniel Sholes
Orchard, Antelope County, Nebraska Newspaper – September 20, 1917
Daniel Sholes on the right – Letter and Photo Donated by Sandy Dempsey
Dear Father and Mother
I thought I would drop you a few lines about my trip to New Mexico. We left Norfolk the 14th at six pm. I was a little homesick before we left there that morning, but after we got started I cheered up and felt better, we arrived in Omaha about 11 o’clock pm. we over took the Chadron Co., there and the two trains were put together, I won’t say much about Omaha for we didn’t get to see much of it, we wasn’t allowed to leave the train. We left there at 2:00 o’clock am. and our next stop was Falls City, Nebraska there was a Company waiting there but it belonged to the Fifth Nebraska, it had to wait for the next division which was behind us, at night the train was guarded, my turn come from 9 until 11 so I got to see Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and also Kansas City, it is the prettiest City I saw on my trip. On the 15th we went through the oil fields of Kansas, you could look in any direction and all you could see was oil fields. The towns were fairly good size but they were all new houses sprung up since the discovery of oil. The crops were about the same in Kansas as they were in Nebraska, but as we crossed the line into Oklahoma you could see a change the corn fields commenced to disappear and what there was didn’t amount to much, it seemed to be mostly small grain raised there. We stopped at Waynoka, Oklahoma, they let us off to get the train.
We stopped at Waynoka, Oklahoma, they let up off to get the kinks out of our legs. Was there about two hours and left just before dark. The next country we come to, I think the marker had a spite at, for all you could see was sand hills and then some more sand hills, they wasn’t like the sand hills of Nebraska, No, Sir! There was not one thing growing on them just pure white sand. I was disgusted and went to bed. When I got up in the morning things looked different, we were in Texas, the first thing that met our eyes was a bunch of cow boys out on a round up, this country was as level as a floor you can see for miles any direction and not a hill or a tree in sight, just cattle and once in a while a ranch. It looked as though there was enough beef to feed Uncle Sam’s armies long enough to whip the Germans.
Our next stop was at Clovis, New Mexico, just over the line from Texas, the train got stuck on a grade about a mile from town, they unloaded us and marched to town. Believe me it seemed good to get straightened out once more. – Daniel Sholes – September 20, 1917
Daniel Sholes on the right – Letter and Photo Donated by Sandy Dempsey
Memories of Camp Cody Weblog 