Combat Engineer! The History of the 107 th Engineering Battalion

Combat Engineer! The History of the th 107 Engineering Battalion 1881-1981 BY FREDERICK STONEHOUSE th Copyright, 2001 107 Engineer Association Thi...
Author: Silas Henry
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Combat Engineer! The History of the th 107 Engineering Battalion 1881-1981 BY FREDERICK STONEHOUSE

th

Copyright, 2001 107 Engineer Association

This history is dedicated to: the members of the Battalion who have come before, the present members, and to those of future years.

They may look like tramps, but they build your camps, and they sometimes lead the advance. They sweat red blood to bridge the flood, to give you a fighting chance. Who stays behind when it gets too hot, to blow up your roads in the rear? Just tell your wife she owes your life to some muddy old Engineer... Some dusty, crusty, croaking, joking, muddy old Engineer. -Anonymous

INTRODUCTION Peninsula, or simply 'U.P.' to the natives, comprises a land area of approximately 15,000 square miles. It is roughly a third of the landmass of Michigan. While the size of the area is impressive, the size of the population is not. It currently is roughly three percent of the State population. The land itself is rugged. It consists of either stark outcrops of basaltic sandstone and jasper or heavy blankets of thick forest. Traditionally the U.P. has only three major industries, mining the rich iron ore of the Marquette Iron Range or the native copper of the Keweenaw Peninsula, and harvesting the timber. The Battalion's Muster Rolls, from the past to the present, shows a significant percentage of the troops were either hard rock miners or lumberjacks. The officers were often mining Engineers from the Michigan School of Mines (today Michigan Technological University) in the U.P. town of Houghton. The rural nature of the U.P., together with the outdoor occupations of its people, produced very strong and hardy troopers. Various official observers have, and still do, comment on this characteristic.

The purpose of this book is to faithfully and accurately record the history of the 107th Combat Engineer Battalion, Michigan Army National Guard, from its beginnings in Calumet, Michigan in 1881 to the present. Without any bias, I will attempt to relate the history from available historical evidence. Where opinion is required, I will render it a critical, impartial analysis. My point of view is at all times both that of a historian and soldier. Under no circumstances is this book an attempt to praise the 107th. That is unnecessary. The facts speak eloquently for themselves. The locating of hard, factual information was the major problem encountered during the writing of this book. The loss of the Regimental Trains in World War I, and later the Battalion Trains during World War II, created a void of pre-war information for both periods. In addition, there was never an effort to maintain a unit history file. The entire research procedure has therefore been of a 'catch as catch can' nature; literally building a history as each fact comes to light.

The tradition of a strong National Guard in the U.P. is still true today. The area provides nearly 1,000 men towards a State strength of 10,000, all with a mere three percent of the population base. Technically, the history of the 107th is linked to Calumet's Light Guard, organized in 1881. Morally, however, the Battalion dates its strong military heritage to the Civil War, when elements of two Regiments of Infantry were raised from the Upper Peninsula. The 27th Michigan, in fact, was nicknamed the 'Lake Superior Regiment.' Both of these U.P. units saw heavy fighting. They were credited with participation at Vicksburg, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor,

The best available source material has been used to record this history. These included National Archives, State Archives, and the holdings of various Upper Peninsula historical societies. Extensive use of area newspapers was made to help flesh in the official documents. These provided many anecdotes and personal incidents. They added the detail that brings the past to life. The official 'home station’ of the Battalion, Michigan's Upper Peninsula needs to be discussed. It plays a large role in the character of the unit. The Upper

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Petersburg, the Crater and Lost Mountain. They also joined Sherman in his famous 'March to the Sea.'

reference as the 'Battalion'. This rather unorthodox capitalization is simply my way of honoring the units, and the men who served in them.

Unfortunately, the units were mustered out of service following the Civil War. None of the men joined the Calumet Light Guards (or any of the other U. P. militia units). The Battalion cannot receive official credit for these historic U.P. military units. Regardless, it is from these two veteran regiments that the 107th draws its morale military heritage.

The driving reason for the publication of the history at this particular time is the occasion of the units' centennial on August 8, 1981. But this history serves a better purpose than simply honoring the achievements of a historic Battalion. It also serves to spread the knowledge of the heritage throughout the unit. This has proven to be an important facet in maintaining Battalion pride in the past and confidence in the future!

Although this history is one of a specific unit, it is also generally illustrative of the history and activities of many other units. As the history is presented, I will try to point out the similarities and differences. The result will result in a better understanding of the proud heritage of the Battalion and the National Guard as a whole. I have generally tended to ignore the periodic changes in command, on the justification that there are no great men, only great events. This is not to belittle the achievements of the iron-willed men that so ably led the 107th. Rather, this is a history of the unit, not individuals. Although this history is intended to be as complete as is reasonably possible, there certainly are items omitted. It is likely that in 1893 elements of Company A were activated to chase train robbers. However tantalizing, the tale couldn't be confirmed with factual evidence. Reluctantly, it has been left out. One other point should be mentioned. Readers will notice that I have always capitalized the words 'Company, Battalion, Regiment, Division and Engineer.' This was regardless of whether the term was used in direct reference to a specific unit as in the '107th Battalion' or in a more general ii

CONTENTS CHAPTER I •

IN THE BEGINNING…………………………………………………………………… 1



KEEPING THE PEACE………………………………………………………………… 4

CHAPTER II •

SANTIAGO……………………………………………………………………………… 17

CHAPTER III •

ENGINEERS……………………………………………………………………………. 31

CHAPTER IV •

THE BORDER……………………………………………………………..…………… 35

CHAPTER V THE GREAT WAR •

PREPARATION……………………………………………………………..………….. 39



FRANCE………………………………………………………………………..………. 45



MARNE………………………………………………………………………………….. 48



OISE AISNE…………………………………………………...……………………….. 51



MEUSE ARGONNE……………………………………………………………………. 52



OCCUPATION…………………………………………………………………………. 54

CHAPTER VI WORLD WAR II •

THE LULL BEFORE THE STORM…………………………………………………… 57



MOBILIZATION………………………………………………………………………… 58



IRELAND………………………………………………………………………………



NORMANDY AND HEDGEROWS…………………………………………………… 67



THE BULGE……………………………………………………………………………. 73



BRIDGING THE RHINE……………………………………………………………….. 77

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CHAPTER VII •

POST WORLD WAR II……………………………………………………………….. 81



MOBILIZATIONS………………………………………………………………………. 84



THE 107TH ENGINEER HIGHWAY………………………………………………….. 89



107TH SNORTIN BULL…………………………………………………………………. 91

for the Federal government. Units could volunteer for active Federal service in the event of war. However, they could not be called up unwillingly. The enlisted men elected officers. The minimum age for membership was 18 and the maximum 45. All served for a three-year enlistment.

CHAPTER I IN THE BEGINNING

The history of the 107th Combat Engineer Battalion is intertwined inseparably with that of Calumet's Company A. It is in this Company that the Battalion's roots are firmly planted and the official lineage drawn. However, this history will also touch on the activities of the Militia Companies in those other Upper Peninsula towns that ultimately became an integral part of the Battalion. It is from them that the moral, if not official, lineage is drawn.

In December of 1894, the volunteer units were integrated into Michigan State Troops. The name was changed to the Michigan National Guard. The new organization created five infantry Regiments. Three of these would be ordered to active duty in 1898 for the Spanish American War. In this case, Michigan offered the units to the Federal government.

Company A was organized on September 5, 1980. It was a private military Company under the name of the Calumet Light Guard. Captain Henry Wilkins was elected to the lead the unit. The unit's major activities appeared to consist of marching at various parades and local celebrations. However, upon the unit's organization, immediate efforts were made to have the Light Guards accepted into State service. This proved difficult to do. Michigan was already at full quota and space for an additional Company was not authorized. State Senator Joseph Chandler of Houghton came to the Company's rescue. He drafted a special bill. The Light Guards were admitted to the status of Michigan State Troops. In response, jubilant men of the Calumet unit dubbed Senator Chandler as the 'Father of the Company.' 1

The reason the Calumet Light Guards entered State service was not purely a patriotic one. As a private Company, the required uniforms, weapons, and equipment would have to be purchased privately. As a State unit, Michigan would provide them. On August 8, 1881, the Calumet Light Guards were officially mustered into the Michigan State Troops as Company B, 2nd Battalion of Infantry. The officers of the new company remained the same as the original private militia. Henry Wilkins was the Captain, James N. Cox, First Lieutenant, and John B. Curtis, Second Lieutenant. The membership of the unit included many men who would later rise to military prominence. As captains, sergeants Henry Fliege and Edward Gierson would command the unit. Sergeant Frank B. Lyon would eventually not only command the 5th Regiment, but also be promoted to Brigadier General. He was the first of four men from the Battalion's lineage to reach the rank of general. Another was First Lieutenant Cox.

The establishment of the Michigan State Troops created a coordinated force from semi-independent Militia groups. The State Troops purpose was to preserve the peace in the case of civil dissentions. They were intended for local use, and not as a reserve 1

He later became the Adjutant General of Michigan. Private John P. Peterman, as a Colonel, commanded the 34th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Spanish American War. The original Calumet Light Guard provided a remarkable wealth of talented men.2

between past and present. There was a full dress inspection and a long drill in the fatigue uniform. Afterward the inspector, General H. B. Lothrop of the State Headquarters, stated that he was '...gratified to find all of the property of the State present and accounted for, everything clean and neatly in their places.' He praised the care shown by the '...bright and highly polished rifles and accouterments...' However, he was somewhat perturbed since the polishing effort had worn the rifle’s bluing completely off the barrels and bolts!

By today's standards the Calumet Company was certainly a 'light' Company. The strength was only three officers and 72 men. The State of Michigan would designate the unit Company H, 3rd Infantry Regiment in 1883. In December 1891, they would redesignate it Company D, 5th Infantry Regiment.3

Following the official inspection, the Company and inspectors, '...sat down to a collation’, (light meal),’ in the Company dining room and a very jolly hour or two was passed about the table, toasts and speeches enlivening the occasion.' The Rifle’s Quartet entertained as well as several instrumental soloists.' 5

Life in the early Militia Companies was a colorful affair. It was far different from unit operations today. The Marquette unit, part of the same Regiment as the Calumet Light Guard, provides an interesting look into the past.

Washington's Birthday and July 4th were usual occasions for large parades. A military dress ball would follow. In 1875 the Marquette Mining Journal recorded:

The unit first known as the Marquette Militia Company was organized 1874. Since a vacancy had already existed, soon they were accepted into the Michigan State Troops. Later the unit was known under a variety of names, including Marquette Chasseurs, Rifles, Light Guards and City Infantry.

'The afternoon street parade called out our citizens, it being the first appearance of the Company since receiving the new uniforms from the State. At the drill held later, quite a number of ladies and gentlemen witnessed the evolutions of the Company with interest and frequent applause. An evening banquet was attended by 60 members.'

Originally, drills were held twice weekly, on Tuesday and Friday evenings in the city council rooms. There were no specific State requirements for drills. As time went on, the drills fluctuated with the interest in the unit. The early equivalent of the present-day Annual General Inspection was called the Annual Muster of Inspection. The unit was deluged with high-ranking officers of both the State Militia and Regular Army.4

In 1875, the unit was the only one in the State to have their own band. It was also the only State Company in the entire Upper Peninsula. It was a great source of local pride. That same year the Governor visited the area with a group of legislators. He even took time to inspect the unit.6

The 1892 inspection of the Marquette Rifles was a good example of the similarity

Annual receptions were normal. In 1892, an affair in Marquette drew much notice from 2

the city. ‘The honored guests were the local members of the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic), an organization of Civil War veterans. An orchestra played popular dance music. At 10 p.m., during an intermission, a special drill exhibition was held and declared the best given in years. Dancing followed and continued until 3 a.m.' 7

quarters over night and the Field Staff Officers are gradually abandoning the practice.' Reading between the lines would suggest the practice must have been very popular prior to 1895! By 1881, there were units not only in Calumet and Marquette, but also in Houghton and Hancock. Units were later formed in Menominee, Iron Mountain and Ironwood. The tradition of the National Guard in the Upper Peninsula was established. The lineage of the Battalion was created.

These various units also supported many local civic activities. In the 1890's, the 5th Regimental Band in Calumet regularly played Norwegian folk song concerts for annual celebrations honoring Norway's 8 independence! Annual encampments were held for the State Troops. They were at various sites in the Lower Peninsula. Locations included Mackinaw, Battle Creek, Brighton (Island Lake), Whitemore Lake, and Grosse Isle. Like the present day Annual Training periods, it was the only time during the year when all of the State's units were brought together for training. In 1875 the Marquette unit traveled to Grosse Isle aboard the steamer KEWEENAW. ‘The review of the troops at this camp drew a crowd of over 8,000 people.' 9 During the following years, crowds ran about the same size. The Militia was a popular organization! It is interesting to imagine some of the problems faced by the troops and their commanders during these early encampments. One particular problem seems to have been the number of women the officers kept in camp. In an 1895 letter, the Adjutant General of Michigan commented to his Wisconsin counterpart:10 'The presence of feminine relatives of officers in camp of instruction (in) this State is discouraged as much as possible. No line officer is allowed to have ladies at his 3

The letter informed him that the local sheriff or mayor had the authority to 'call up troops for riots, etc.', and that he should 'promptly comply with a request and notify the Governor of the action by telegram.'

KEEPING THE PEACE The most hated use of both State and Federal troops was during labor strikes. The large industrialist would not hesitate to wield their political power to break strikes. The troops would be used to escort 'scabs' to and from work. On some occasions they actually fired on strikers. It was a bloody business.

Whether or not the troops were used cannot be determined. There was a decentralization of authority. Evidently, they trusted the use of troops to the local level. This is fascinating in light of today's highly centralized operating methods. 11

The Upper Peninsula units never participated in this type of unsavory activity. The records clearly indicate that only proper civil authorities called them out. They were only used to protect the lives and property of both the strikers and mining companies.

The earliest use of any Upper Peninsula unit in strike duty was in late July of 1874. It was at the Kloman and Republic Mines in Republic. The sheriff promptly called for the State Militia. The strike was the result of a bad slump in the iron ore business. When the iron companies in turn lowered the workers' wages, trouble ensued.

While they were employed protecting mining company property, they served as a vital buffer between these two factions. When the Militia was on duty, senseless violence was prevented.

The new Company in Marquette was still short their uniforms. They had just been issued their rifles. 28 men were activated. After a few days, more men joined them. The Marquette City Marshall accompanied the troops to Republic. One of the unit's men was left behind as the temporary Marshall! Two Companies from Detroit were also activated for the strike, but were only used in the Ishpeming area.

All but the most militant of the strikers realized this. They treated the soldiers with respect and courtesy. The troopers reciprocated in kind. After all, the members of the Guard were their fellow citizens. The Guard was never identified with the ‘special deputies’ or ‘detectives’ hired by the mining companies. They were not hired thugs.

It was reported that the troops put on a good display of military discipline and bearing. This had a calming effect on the strikers. The troops' daily drills and target practice also tended to dampen the situation. The strike ended peacefully!12

The National Guard units of the Upper Peninsula achieved a proud and respected record during the strike duty. 1892, 1874 Republic Although the records are tantalizingly vague, it is possible that some element of the 5th Regiment was activated for strike duty in June of 1892. Where and under what circumstances isn't known. Colonel Lyon of Calumet, the commander of the Regiment, received a letter from the Adjutant General.

1894, Ironwood In 1894, the first verifiable use of the Calumet Light Guards for strike duty occurred. Iron miners in the Gogebic Range held a strike. Violence erupted. Much of it centered near the Norrie Mine. Fierce rock

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throwing battles waged between hastily recruited deputy sheriffs, non-strikers and striking union men. This resulted in injury and the destruction of property. Ominously, rifle and revolver shots were also fired. Several men were wounded. The situation was serious. It would get worse!

Company G of Marquette was on parade for the 4th of July celebration. A telegram arrived from Colonel Lyon. It directed the Company to prepare for immediate movement to Ironwood. At 2 p.m. the order to move came. 51 men of the unit, 85 percent of their strength, departed on a Smith Shore Railroad special train. They were amid much bustle and cheering. It was expected they would be gone no more than a day or two. 19

On July 3, the Adjutant General notified Colonel Lyon, the commander of the 5th Regiment. He was informed that Sheriff Eddy of Gogebic County had been authorized to call upon him for the services of the Upper Peninsula Companies, ‘as he may need.' 13 Ironwood's Company H under Captain H. L. Winslow was already on duty, but badly needed reinforcements.14

On the way, the South Shore special briefly halted in Ishpeming. Nine men of the city’s contingent boarded the train. Pride ran high in the unit. When one of the men was unable to go, his brother eagerly replaced him! Company G's old Captain, on hearing of the activation, promptly volunteered for duty and marched out in the ranks.

Adjutant General Eaton wired the commanders of Company D, Calumet; Company E, Menominee; Company F, Houghton; and Company G, Marquette. They were to hold their units ready for duty.15 Much of the remainder of the Regiment, located downstate, was also alerted.16

An hour later they rendezvoused at the town of Nestoria. They were joined with the Calumet Light Guards, Company D, and Houghton's Company F. At 9 p.m. the train reached Ironwood. Company E from Menominee joined the following morning.

Colonel Lyon reacted quickly to the situation. In order to be able to assemble the troops rapidly, he had all of his Company Commanders arrange steam whistle signals. When sounded, the whistles would bring their men at a full run. At a moment's notice units they could be assembled for duty.16

An enormous crowd of several thousand greeted the arriving troops at the Ironwood railroad station. While some cheered with support, many others jeered and hooted. They yelled various obscenities at the blueclad soldiers. Marching to the armory, the troops passed through a tremendous jam of strikers in the streets. They were all agitated to a dangerous level.

On July 4, the Sheriff of Gogebic County wired Colonel Lyon asking for troops. Soon the whistles in Calumet and Houghton were blowing. The units assembled rapidly. Within an hour, 86 men of Calumet's Company D, including the Band, were aboard a Mineral Range Railroad special train. They were en route to Ironwood.18 Also aboard were the Regimental Commander and Staff. Ironwood was in the center of the Gogebic Iron Range. It was a city of 10,000 people, the fourth largest in the Upper Peninsula.

After reaching the armory, Colonel Lyon threw out picket lines for security. The pressing crowds grew hostile. The troops were forced to turn them back at bayonet point. In turn the mob pelted the troops with rocks. The mob achieved bloody results. Observers from the local paper reported only the troopers' iron discipline and coolness prevented a serious loss of life.

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By the following day, it was obvious the troops would not respond to the provocation by the mob. A degree of quiet returned. The Regiment quickly established a proper camp. It was complete with guard mounts, Battalion drills and daily dress-parades. The occasional concerts by the 5th Regimental Band of Calumet were a popular diversion for soldier and citizen alike.

Emotion during the strike ran high. The streets of Ironwood were dangerous for everyone.21 On at least one occasion a detail of troops was used to arrest one of the culprits. In another instance, men of Company G prevented tragedy. A striker was attempting to drop a large rock down the Norrie Shaft while a crew was coming up. Had he succeeded many men would have been maimed or killed as they fell from the ladder.22

Under the law, the troops could only act if specifically requested to do so by civil authorities. Since they hadn’t been requested yet, Colonel Lyon used this unique opportunity as a training period for his men. When needed, they would be ready.20

It was during the Ironwood strike that the now famous wide-brimmed gray campaign hats were first issued to troops. In the heat of a U.P. summer, they were very welcome.

The strike duty dragged on and on. Originally it was expected to last only two or three days. That soon stretched to two weeks. On July 19, a squad of 12 additional men from Company G joined the unit. They were left behind for various reasons. The officers felt it was only fair that those left behind share the arduous duties of those in the field.

By July 27, the strike had largely fizzled out. Most of the miners returned to work. Dismissed by civil authorities, the troops of the 5th Regiment departed. The majority arrived home on the 30th. The efforts of the troops in keeping the peace were greatly appreciated by the citizens of Ironwood. The local papers proclaimed that '…were the troops not here, anarchy would prevail.'

Gradually the civil authorities requested the troops to perform special duties. These included guarding both the Norrie Mine steam shovels and the engine house. For the strikers, these were objects of particular disdain. Half a Company was used to guard them during the day and two full Companies at night. Generally, two Companies were on guard duty and two kept in reserve at the Armory at all times.

The expense of bringing the troops was over $10,000, all of which had to be paid by Gogebic County.23 A total of 323 officers and men from the Regiment were used during the strike. They stayed on duty for 27 days.24 It was their first taste of a large-scale duty, but would not be their last. Not by a long shot...

During the nights there were outbursts of violence. Occasionally, strikers ambushed small groups of non-strikers on their way home from work. One night a dynamite charge was set off near the house of a union leader who had recently returned to work. Another night the windows of a worker's home were shattered in a hail of bullets.

As if the men had not had enough field duty for the 1894 season, on August 11 the U. P. Companies departed for their annual encampment at Island Lake. Travel was via train to Mackinaw and then by steamboat to Detroit.25

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1895, Marquette

1895, Ishpeming

On Monday, April 29, 1895, Marquette’s Company G was called. They were to protect property during a brief strike at the city’s docks. The ore trimmers were striking.

The next major activation of the Upper Peninsula units was for the 1895 iron miners' strike in Ishpeming. The strike started on July 15, 1895. It eventually covered the entire Iron Range with the exception of the Cleveland open pit and the Republic Mine. The crews of these mines had just been granted wage increases; thus they continued to work.27

After the iron ore was loaded into a vessel's hold, it was necessary to level or 'trim' the cargo. This was the job of the trimmers. Their dispute didn't involve wages, but, rather, a changing of certain disliked crew bosses. Since the trimmers were supported by nearly the entire city, they won the strike and the old bosses were replaced.

Apparently the strike was created by a slight increase in the price of iron ore. Both 1893 and 1894 had been down years. The prices rose in 1895 and the crews wanted a wage hike. The previous scale was $1.25 to $1.50 a day for ordinary work. The strikers now demanded $2.00 for miners, $1.75 for underground work, $l.50 for surface labor, $2.00 for Engineers and $2.25 for machinists.28

Forty-two men of Company G were on duty intermittently for three days. Their principal job was to guard the ore docks. As in previous strikes, they were activated solely on the authority of the City Marshall.26

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The striking iron miners of Ishpeming and Negaunee marching for more pay. (Credit: Childs Collection, Superior View Studio)

The first two weeks of the strike saw huge parades. Mass meetings were held at Union Park (located between Negaunee and Ishpeming). The parades were usually led by at least three bands. Over 3,000 miners marched. Generally, all parades and demonstrations were very orderly. Riots and destruction of property were almost nonexistent.29

The various mining companies offered higher pay. Unfortunately, their proposals were not equal to the demands. The strike dragged on and was not going to end soon. The mining companies decided to import workers to operate the steam shovels. They needed to move the already mined ore to the mills. Local officials feared this provocation

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could lead to violence. troops to keep the order.30

Peninsula Companies to Ishpeming. Additional tents were shipped from Lansing. Extra men would be available if needed. He was to go to Ishpeming immediately with his Staff and assess the situation.33 It was felt the presence of the troops would prevent violence.

They requested

On the morning of Saturday, August 31, the Marquette County Sheriff, John Broad, wired Lansing requesting the entire 5th Regiment. The Assistant Adjutant General, W.W. Cook, felt a bit leery of Sheriff Broad’s request. His earlier use of the Marquette Company in the ore trimmers strike proved unnecessary. He wired the sheriff back asking him if all civil power had been exhausted.31 Satisfied with the sheriff's reply, Cook wired Governor John T. Rich for instructions. He also wired Colonel Lyon in Calumet, warning him to prepare to move his Regiment.32

Additional help was needed. Captain W. S. McArthur was ordered to bring his Company H, 3rd Regiment of Cheboygan north to Ishpeming for service. The Cheboygan unit was to take the place of Company E, Menominee. Company E was recently mustered out and was reorganizing.34 Reacting to initial reports of rioting, the Adjutant General also placed several additional downstate units on alert. He cautioned them to be prepared to bring and use their Gattling guns. 35

At 4:30 p.m., another wire was sent to Colonel Lyon from the Adjutant General's Office. He was ordered to bring his Upper

A Regimental formation in Ishpeming of four Companies of the 5th Michigan reinforced by a Company of the 3rd Michigan. Such displays of order and discipline helped to keep the peace. (Credit: Childs Collection, Superior View Studio)

assembling troops and their march to the campsite shattered the early morning silence. Along the route, windows flew open and startled people watched wide-eyed as the orderly columns of blue-clad troopers marched by.

At four o’clock Monday morning, September 1, the troops of the 5th Regiment arrived by special train. Instead of getting off at the depot, the train was halted near Lake Superior Grove, at the south limits of the city. This was where the Regimental campgrounds were to be located. The noise of the 9

Ironwood Company of 62 men and Houghton's 57 men went to the Lake Superior Mine; Calumet with 70 men went to the Lake Angeline Mine; Cheboygan with 50 men marched to the Salisbury Mine; and Marquette's Company G of 45 men was given the responsibility of securing the campsite. Later the Calumet unit was transferred to the Champion Mine and the Cheboygan unit was transferred to the Buffalo Mine in Negaunee.

Morale among the troops was high indeed. The news spread through Marquette that the unit would see active duty. Half a dozen local men volunteered to go. They were sworn in on the spot! By daybreak, the troops had arrived at the campsite. They quickly started to pitch their tents. At noon camp 'Camp Ishpeming' was fully established.

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At 7 a.m. the Companies were detailed to protect life and property from the strike. The

A rare photograph of Camp Ishpeming. Note the troops still on guard duty, the wandering civilians and numerous unsecured weapons. (Credit: Childs Collection, Superior View Studio)

supply of mined ore was limited, the strikers had no quarrel with this activity. They kept their distance from the troops.

Within an hour, the units had reached their assigned areas. They established picket lines in the hills surrounding the mines. No one was allowed to pass without permission of the officer in charge.

It was a different story for the townspeople. They turned out in large numbers to see the boys in blue. At the Lake Angeline Mine over 500 people stood around

With the arrival of the shovel operators, the mines began to load ore cars. Since the 10

to watch the guards. But there weren't any strikers in the crowd. Their leaders had made

sure to keep the men away from the troops to avoid any possible incident.

Colonel Frank B. Lyons of Calumet commanded the Michigan 5th Infantry Regiment during two major strike activations, at Ishpeming in 1895 and Ironwood in 1894. (Credit: Childs Collection, Superior View Studio)

do. The long picket lines were maintained night and day. The guards were ordered to shoot any person not halting when directed to do so. The Regimental officers were greatly concerned that attempts to dynamite the shovels would be made by the anarchists.37

Colonel Lyon put his men under very strict orders. Even off duty, not a man was permitted to leave Camp Ishpeming. Lyon felt strongly, as did the strikers, that clashes between the troops and strikers must be avoided. But the troops did have their duty to

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Regimental Sergeant Major Dunbar R. Scott, with four First Sergeants from the 5th Michigan (Companies D, F, G, H). (Credit: Childs Collection, Superior View Studio)

honors in Hecla Cemetery. The people of Ishpeming were saddened by his death. They sent many magnificent floral offerings. In tribute to Heimes, the Regiment erected a memorial carved of native granite at the old site of the camp. At the time of this writing, the stone is on display in front of the Ishpeming Armory. 38

The Calumet Company sustained its first active duty casualty during the night of Thursday, September 6. A high windstorm blew down several large trees. In the grove in which the troop tents were pitched, one of the monsters fell on Private Joseph Heimes. It killed him instantly. This needless death cast a pall of gloom over the entire Regiment. Members of his unit returned Heimes to Calumet. He was buried with full Military

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The memorial stone erected at Camp Ishpeming for Private Heimes. After being vandalized, the stone was removed to the Ishpeming Armory where it is now on display. (Credit: Childs Collection, Superior View Studio)

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A tribute to a fallen comrade, an honor guard stands guard over Private Heimes' beir during the Calumet funeral. (Credit Johnson Collection)

To maintain good public relations with both the striking miners and the general public, Colonel Lyon held an open house at Camp Ishpeming on Saturday, September 8. He felt it would improve the situation if everyone knew each other better.

months (if ever.) He was in rags. The troops soon cleaned and clothed Darby. They even succeeded in breaking him of his habits of swearing and chewing tobacco. By all accounts this youngest member of the Regiment was a good soldier.39

Over 3,000 people visited the camp during the afternoon and evening. The officers and men were reported to have been most courteous to all. The local ladies reciprocated with kindness. Many brought tasty pies and cakes for the troops. Later in the afternoon the crowd watched fascinated as the assembled Companies held their first full dress parade.

Colonel Lyon made particular efforts to treat the strikers well. On several occasions destitute strikers who came to Camp Ishpeming were provided for as well as possible. Although, there was little that could be done beyond a square meal. Many of the strikers left the area, most going to the Mesabi Range in Minnesota.40 On September 19 the strikers held a mass meeting. In a close vote, they elected to go back to work. At last, the long and costly strike was over!41

One of the ‘troopers’ in the ranks during the parade was ‘Darby’ Holland. He was a seven year-old local orphan adopted by the 5th Regiment as a mascot. When Darby was first discovered he had not had a bath in

The troops knew they would soon be leaving. They eagerly searched for suitable 14

souvenirs. As luck would have it, one of the men was an engraver. Soon Army issue spoons were disappearing. They reappeared later engraved and tucked away in knapsacks. Needless to say the Regimental Quartermaster, John McNaughton, was not happy with their choice of material.42

deducted, this was far less than most of the men made in their normal profession. Nevertheless, they agreed to turn the money over to the Company treasury to help the unit stay solvent. Although the city pledged to help the unit, their efforts were mostly verbal. For reasons that are unclear, the unit lost their armory. Drills were decreased to once a month instead of the normal twice each week. Temporarily, they were meeting in the old Opera House and then the Casino Rink. When inspected by Brigadier General Walsh in February of 1896, only 37 men were present. The General wasn't impressed. In March the unit was mustered out of service.43

On September 24, all of the units were dismissed. They headed back to their home armories. Another difficult job had been accomplished and accomplished well. The experience gained at the Ironwood strike the year before proved invaluable. Colonel Lyon was proud that, during the entire strike period, it was not necessary to use force. Not a single shot was fired by any of the troops. Much of the credit belonged to the strikers. They realized the troops were only doing their duty. They treated them with appropriate respect. There were some attempts by agitators to pick fights with the troops in the hopes of creating incidents. The men of the Regiment realized their job wasn't to engage in common street brawls. Their job was to fight in a proper and legal manner and only if ordered to do so.

1896, Ontonagon. Another spell of active duty followed on August 31 1896. In the western Upper Peninsula, a disastrous fire nearly destroyed the entire town of Ontonagon. The townspeople were largely without food or shelter. With the coming of the cold winter, help was needed urgently! The Regiment just completed its last day of annual camp at Island Lake. The news of the fire just reached them. The Calumet Company, together with the recently organized Company F of Houghton, assembled a team of 30 men. They departed for the still 44 smoking ruins of Ontonagon. .

On a happy note, several men of the Calumet unit adopted the street urchin 'Darby' Holland, the Regiment's mascot. They took him home with them when the unit departed.

The city was devastated. The troops immediately went to work erecting temporary shelters for the many homeless victims of the blaze. Several days later a shipment of 600 tents sent by the Adjutant General arrived. These were quickly pitched. Wisconsin also contributed to the effort with 100 tents. These were delivered by a special detachment of Militia from Milwaukee. The white tents were pitched in the old fair grounds in a hollow square configuration. It was appropriately dubbed 'White City.' The

As a result of the strike duty, the guardsmen discovered what the strikers already knew. The red iron ore utterly ruined clothing. Colonel Lyon formally recommended to the Adjutant General that the men receive a replacement issue of new uniforms as well as waist belts and mess kits. After the strike, the Marquette unit went through reorganization. It was an effort to put the unit on a sounder basis. The men were paid a bare $1.55 a day. After rations were 15

troops remained in Ontonagon until October 1.45

prepared meals. A special home cooked dinner provided by a local woman happily greeted the lucky trooper. Winking broadly, the smiling soldier simply said she was 'an old friend’. 47

Veterans recalled the duty at 'Camp Ontonagon' was the most pleasant active service they ever performed. A major reason for such happy memories was because the men were working to help homeless people; people very much like themselves.

The fire at Ontonagon also destroyed two sawmills of the Diamond Match Company. Piles of planks waiting to be cut into matchsticks were also gone. The mills were large ones, capable of using two million board feet of lumber a day. After the fire, the company took the logs not destroyed by the flames and pulled out. Local officials implored the company not to leave. It was the areas major employer. But to no avail, the departure of the Diamond Match Company left great bitterness in the devastated area.48

But there were also numerous incidents of the variety that seem to follow soldiers wherever they go. In one, it seems that two privates went hunting for ducks. They returned after a time with three fine specimens. As the story goes though, the two brave hunters succumbed to some 'fowl' play. After their return, an irate farmer arrived and turned in a bill. He demanded $2 for each duck. Evidently the troops had done some barnyard hunting! Having been discovered, the would-be hunters paid up. On another occasion, an enterprising trooper, claiming he was acting in accordance with Army Regulations, confiscated a bottle of ‘high-test hooch’ from a local Scandinavian. For good measure, the trooper also had the bewildered man tossed in the guardhouse. The bottle, of course, was thoroughly examined, both externally and internally. 46 The troopers delightfully discovered that their blue uniforms and shiny brass buttons had made a devastating impression on the areas female population. The ladies of Ontonagon and nearby Rockland often visited the soldiers' camp. They carried not only cakes and pies, but also in the phrasing of the times, 'other things calculated to make a soldier have dyspepsia and nervous prostration.’ To the envy of his friends, one of the soldiers was not forced to eat the 'red horse' and hard tack rations of the unit’s first hastily 16

CHAPTER II Under the active leadership of Under Secretary Theodore Roosevelt, the American Navy had been built into a first class fighting machine. It proved this to the world on April 30. A squadron, under Admiral Dewey, steamed into Manila Bay and completely destroyed an opposing Spanish fleet. This action was fought a mere five days after the Declaration of War. This demonstrated that the American Navy had been well prepared. Unfortunately, such was not true of the Army.

SANTIAGO The Company was as yet unbloodied. They had never heard or fired a shot fired in anger. With the coming of the SpanishAmerican War in 1898 this slight oversight would be remedied. Cuba stepped on the world scene in 1492. A confused sailor, named Columbus, blundered into her. Since 1511, Cuba had been firmly locked into the Spanish New World Empire. As years passed, the once glittering empire deteriorated. One by one, the colonies began to drop away to become independent. Cuba tried to follow via bloody revolution in 1868. After a ten-year struggle, the Cuban rebels were eventually defeated. Fueled by oppressive Spanish rule, heavy taxation and a strangling commercial policy, the smoldering embers of revolt were fanned into flames in 1895. For three long years, the Cuban rebels battled Spanish troops in a cruel civil war. The clamor for American intervention reached a crescendo in April of 1898 with the sinking of the ‘Maine’. As a result of increasing public pressure, Congress declared war on Spain on the 25th of that month.

Throughout the years prior to the war the Regular Army had been held to the strength of 25,000 troops. They had mostly been used as Indian fighters on the Western Plains. It was hardly an adequate force to oppose the 155,000 better-trained, superiorly equipped Spanish forces. With the Declaration of War the American Regular Army was expanded to 61,000 troops. President McKinley issued a call for 125,000 volunteers.1 Michigan responded to the President's call. The Guard assembled 40 Companies, approximately 3,400 men, at Camp Eaton, Island Lake, Michigan near Brighton. From these units four twelveCompany Regiments were formed. They were designated the 31st through the 34th Michigan Volunteer Infantry.

17

Off to fight the Spanish, a member of the Regiment ready to depart for Cuba. (Credit: Marquette County Historical Society)

consisted of three officers (Captain Julius Fliege in command), six sergeants, two musicians, one craftsman, one wagoneer, and 73 privates. Each of the new Regiments were raised to a strength of 1,026 officers

The 5th Michigan, with Company D of Calumet, was mustered into Federal service on May 20, 1898. They were now part of the 34th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The Company, at the time of the muster, 18

and men. This was later increased to 1,326. A fifth additional Regiment, the 35th, was eventually organized.2

flocked in to join their comrades. Private Weir returned from Big Rapids where he was a student, Private Light from the university at Ann Arbor and Private Kennedy from Chicago.4

In late April, before the President's official call for volunteers, the units of the 5th Regiment began to prepare themselves for service. Drills were increased to weekly. Public interest soared. It wasn't uncommon to find several hundred spectators present at the armory watching the troops drill. At Calumet, 30 men were on a waiting list to join. They were hoping for a vacancy or change in the units authorized strength.3

The actual telegraphic order, addressed to Colonel John P. Petermann, the Regiment's Commander, read 'Have your command ready to move in heavy marching order to Island Lake not later than Tuesday, April 26. Every available blanket and overcoat must be taken. Do not bring stoves or provisions, except rations to be used enroute. The men will find use for private blankets for a few days. Extra overcoats and blankets will be issued at camp. Mounted officers can take horses.' In turn the wires out from Calumet crackled with messages. The Company Commanders and Staff Officers were notified of the orders by telegram.5

Throughout the United States the call-up of the troops was anything but orderly. The Army had simply been too badly neglected for too many years. Logistically and from a pure managerial standpoint it was unable to effectively handle the vast influx of volunteer troops. The volunteer troops already organized were woefully short of equipment. In fact, not a single Regiment was ready for the field!

Petermann, a strapping six-footer, was a young man of only 34 when he brought his Regiment to Island Lake. A resident of the Keweenaw town of Allouez, he was a merchant in civilian life. He would later be appointed as the Commander of the 3rd Brigade, Provisional Division, 5th Army Corps.6

All supplies were short, especially the recently acquired Krag-Jorgensen magazine rifles. These used the new smokeless powder. Many volunteer units, including the 34th Michigan, were forced to use the antiquated 1873 Springfield rifles. These were breechloading, single shot, side hammer, .45 caliber rifles with black powder cartridges. These weapons were left over from the Indian Wars. Black powder was especially undesirable since every time the rifle was fired, the trooper's position was plainly marked by black billowing clouds of dense smoke.

When the marching orders for the 5th came a day later, the hometowns gave their local units a riotous send-off. Parades, fiery oratory and loud cheering highlighted the celebrations. The Calumet Light Guard marched smartly out of the armory enroute to the train station. They stepped out to a lively tune from the 5th Regimental Band. Thousands of people lined the flag draped streets. They cheered and waved. After tearful farewells were bid at the station, the train left for Houghton to pick up Company F.

On April 23, the expected order came and the Companies of the 5th Regiment assembled at their home stations. They prepared to move to Island Lake. From all over the Midwest members of Company D

19

Another riotous celebration was in progress when the Light Guard train reached Houghton. After a massive parade down Shelden Avenue, the Houghton unit, known as the Houghton Light Infantry, was honored by speeches from Lt. Governor Thomas B. Dustan and a local favorite Mr. A. J. Scott. It was Scott who drew the loudest cheers when he hoped 'the war would go on until every bow-legged, crooked-eyed, onion-eating Spaniard was wiped off the face of the earth!'

was under orders not to stop, it was hard not to halt when requested by town officials. When the train reached Iron Mountain, the Iron Mountain and Ironwood Companies climbed aboard. The entire town was at the station to bid farewell to their men. The troops remembered the Iron Mountain celebration as being a real 'monster.' The Ironwood Company, after being given a rousing hometown send-off, was cheered all along the route of their special train. At Bessemer, Wakefield, Watersmeet, Iron River, Florence and finally Iron Mountain, thousands of citizens had turned out to wish them well.9

The citizens of Houghton presented the unit with a silver bugle. The Hancock Fire Department gave them a silk flag. The Company marched to the station and joined the Calumet unit. The soldiers from Calumet were not forgotten in the turmoil over Company F. The 'Ladies from Lake Linden' presented each trooper with a colorful flower bouquet! The troop train pulled away from the station with cheers. It was estimated the entire population of both Houghton and Hancock were present.7 It is interesting to note that the Houghton Company was composed almost entirely of students from the Michigan School of Mines. (Today’s Michigan Technological University).8

Finally reaching Menominee shortly after midnight, the men on the train were greeted by yet another tumultuous demonstration. The band played. Thousands of people cheered their arrival.10 At seven the next morning, the troops boarded the car ferry ANN ARBOR NO.2. They proceeded across Lake Michigan to Frankfort. But the celebrations were still not over! When the car ferry reached the Frankfort harbor, a barge filled with school children singing patriotic songs greeted it. The vessels in the harbor flew their holiday flags with loud accompaniment from their steam whistles. The troops boarded another train for Island Lake. All along the route crowds cheered and cannons boomed their greeting. In the evening, fireworks splashed across the sky.11

When the train reached Chassell, the entire town was at the platform, along with a local band and fire department. An old cannon boomed while school children lined the railroad singing and waving flags. At Baraga, the townspeople cheered. Three old Indians did a war dance. Not to be outdone, another large crowd cheered at L'Anse.

From the time they left Calumet, the men had received numerous gifts from the crowds. Company D had 1,000 cigars donated by various Houghton benefactors. Sam Stephenson, the legendary lumber baron, presented them with still more before they left Menominee. A Calumet liquor company provided each man with a bottle of medicinal

When the train reached Champion, amid cheers of thousands, the Sault Ste. Marie Company joined the Regiment. The train halted briefly at Republic. More speeches and cheers were heard. Although the train

20

brandy with the words 'Remember the Maine' written on the label.12 Local ladies donated countless pies, cakes and other sweet goods.

volunteer. Not until he actually signed the muster rolls was he bound to go into Federal service. Of an estimated 3,400 men in camp, only 34 indicated that they would not volunteer for duty. A remarkable showing!

It was reasonable to assume that when they reached Island Lake, a much-needed rest was in order. All told, 678 men and 33 officers of the 5th Regiment reported to Island Lake.13

While the troops were still on State Duty, the enlisted men were paid at the rate of $2.00 per day, less 75 cents for board. When they were mustered into Federal service, the pay was $16.00 a month, or approximately 52 cents a day. This was a cause of much grumbling.15

At Island Lake the 5th joined the other Regiments in establishing a proper camp. This was not unlike the annual encampments that the men were used to. They pitched tents and organized the daily ritual of guard mount. Then, priority went to reorganize the old Regiments into the new ones. The volunteers were officially mustered into Federal service. Before any trooper could be accepted into Federal service, he was subjected to a rigorous physical exam. Approximately a quarter of the men, including in one case a Regimental Commander, failed to pass. They were given train fare home. One of those failing was the Regimental Surgeon, Major P. McNaughton. Colonel Petermann immediately wired Dr. J.A. Bobb of Calumet, offering him the vacated position. Bobb quickly accepted. It was a fateful decision. While returning home from Cuba, aboard the steamer OLIVETTE, he would die 14 from fever and be buried at sea.

By all accounts, Camp Eaton was a firestorm of activity. As the supplies trickled in, the Michiganders were slowly equipped with the required tents, uniforms, blankets and miscellaneous equipment. What time remained was spent in training. Time was short with the organizing of the new 34th Regiment. They had to be ready to move to the front. The weekends were usually left free and visitors were common. Special trains brought sightseers from Grand Rapids, Detroit and other major cities. Up to 20,000 people visited the camp on a single weekend.16 During the month between their arrival at Island Lake and the Federal muster, each Regiment was ordered to increase its strength. They also had to replace their losses from the physical exams. Consequently each Company dispatched an officer back home to enlist additional men. The task was easy. Volunteers were plentiful and hometown support still existed.17 Menominee, for example, raised a large contingent of men, as did several other U.P. towns. Major Cox (later to become the Adjutant GENERAL OF Michigan) of the 34th Regimental Staff, made a special trip north to inspect the new troops.18

It was important to realize that there was a critical difference between the Michigan National Guard of 1898 and the Guard of today. Today the Guard can be Federalized and shipped of to war in the 'winkling of an eye.' This was not true in 1898. At that time, the Governor could order the units of the Guard to assemble at Island Lake. There they offered their services to the President for Federal service. However, each man was required to personally

21

The Companies of the 5th Regiment started to be mustered into Federal service on May 17 when Company H of Ironwood was accepted. The last Company was mustered in on May 23. Although the Regiments planned to have 12 Companies, the 34th entered service with only eleven. The official Muster Rolls list the Companies as:

UNIT

HOMETOWN 19

Company A

Big Rapids

Company B

Manistee

Company C

Muskegon

Company D

Calumet

Company E

Iron Mountain, Crystal Falls

Company F

Hancock, Houghton

Company G

Sault Ste. Marie

Company H

Ironwood

Company I

Downstate General

Company K

Downstate General

Company L

Marquette, Negaunee, Ishpeming

The Regiment was further broken down into three Battalions, the 1st Battalion with Companies A, B, C and F; 2nd Battalion, Companies D, E, G and H; and the 3rd Battalion with Companies I, K and L.20 Later at Camp Alger, an M Company was added to the 3rd Battalion. While it can be readily seen that the 34th was primarily composed of Upper Peninsula units, it was only the 2nd Battalion that was a 'pure' U.P. organization.21

22

A second contingent of Marquette volunteers leave to join the 5th Regiment. (Credit: Marquette Historical Society)

The make-up of the Regiment was a mirror image of society. Calumet's Company D had men from a wide array of occupations. These included teamsters, laborers, clerks, students, tailors, cigar makers, firemen, salesmen, timbermen, miners, butchers, painters, farmers, teachers, dentists, electricians and newspapermen. Nor were they native-born Americans. Many hailed from countries such as Norway, Finland, Germany, England, Ireland and Denmark.22

from a hundred acres of forest. Although the work was hard and the temperature soared to over 100 degrees, the task was done quickly. At Camp Alger, both training and equipment issue were stepped up considerably. Included in the training were overnight tactical bivouacs and 20-mile marches on the shores of the Potomac River. Camp Alger must have been a busy place. A total of 29 Regiments were in the camp! They represented every State in the Union.

On June 6, the much-awaited order came. The 34th departed Camp Eaton by train for Camp Russell A. Alger, Virginia. They arrived there on June 8. Governor Pingree of Michigan was on hand for their departure and sent his men off with a rousing speech.23

The 34th was quickly joined with the 33rd Michigan and 9th Massachusetts, known as the Irish Regiment, into a Provisional Separate Brigade. It was under the command General Duffield.

The Regiment arrived at Camp Alger. The first order of business was to cut a campsite

23

Colonel John Petermann of Calumet, commander of the 34th Michigan during the Spanish-American War. (Credit: Battalion Archives)

rest. It was remembered for a very clever rendition of Sousa's 'Swanee River.' 24

Even at Camp Alger, recruiting took a major role. Company strength was increased from the original 86 to 106 men. New recruiting teams were sent back home for volunteers. Again, men were plentiful.

Early in the morning of June 24, the men of the 34th Michigan doffed their romantic wide-brimmed campaign hats and slung their heavy Springfields. They marched two miles to nearby Dunn Loring. There they boarded a waiting train for Newport News. They arrived at the seaport on the following morning.

The days at Camp Alger were long and tiring. Diversions of any sort were important to morale. It was common for the bands of the various Regiments to spend evenings serenading other Regiments. The 34th Band, formed from the old 5th Regiment band of Calumet, was considered a cut above the

At the pier, the 1st Battalion of the 34th Michigan, together with the 33rd Michigan, 24

boarded the steamer YALE. The remaining two Battalions of the 34th and the entire 9th of Massachusetts, boarded the U.S. Auxiliary Cruiser HARVARD (formally the CITY OF NEW YORK). The YALE departed Newport News first, making a rendezvous with the U.S. Blockading Squadron off Santiago early on June 27. The HARVARD arrived on the 30th.25

were available, the troops were loaded into the transport's lifeboats and towed by steam launches. When they reached the shallows near shore, they leaped into the surf and waded to the beach. The Regiment's horses were unceremoniously dumped overboard from the steamer and left to swim for the beach. Surprisingly, most made it. Initially the Regiment was assigned the task of guarding the Siboney beachhead. This dull duty wasn't to last long. Ten miles up the road from Siboney to the front was a group of hills known collectively as San Juan Heights. The capture of the hills would be the key to the capture of Santiago. On July 1, the fight for San Juan Heights began. In a battle that lasted most of the day, close to 16,000 American troops successfully stormed the heights. It was a fearful cost. More than 4,000 Americans became casualties.

The overall American plan for the Cuban Campaign called the Army to encircle the city of Santiago (located on the southern tip of the island). The Navy was to blockade the Spanish fleet in the harbor. The capture of the city and destruction of the Spanish forces would cause the enemy to surrender. The landing of 17,000 American troops east of the city began on June 22. After fierce and bloody fighting, the Americans slowly forced their lines around Santiago and advanced on the city. Opposing the Americans were 36,500 Spanish troops armed with superior Mauser rifles using smokeless powder cartridges. Deadly at 1,000 yards, the Mauser indeed made life difficult for the Americans.

All was peaceful in Siboney that day until 10 p.m. A messenger arrived with orders for the men to immediately march to the front. Although the assault had carried San Juan Heights, the situation was still in doubt. The Spanish had withdrawn in good order. They had fresh reinforcements. They could counter-attack and drive back Americans. The U.S. had no reserves at the front. The 34th Michigan and 9th Massachusetts were ordered to move forward and strengthen the lines. The 34th Band, however, was left behind to guard the beachhead and work as aides in the hospital. 26

On the afternoon of the 27th, the 1st Battalion of the 34th Michigan, together with the 33rd Michigan, went ashore near the squalid mining town of Siboney. This was ten miles east of Santiago. The remainder of the 34th landed on the 31st. Siboney was the sight of the original American landings and a crucial supply point. As no dock facilities

25

Elements of the 34th Michigan landing at Siboney Cuba. Battalion Archives)

(Credit:

character in the American Forces. He was a one-armed, ex-General of the Confederate Calvary in the Civil War. During the height of battle in Cuba, he was heard to yell to his men: 'Get them Yankees,' referring to the Spanish.

All night long the Michiganders struggled up the narrow, winding path that served as the main supply route to the front. They were burdened with blanket rolls, haversacks, three days rations, and a hefty 100 rounds of ammunition per man. They hacked their way through clinging jungle vines, climbed steep mountain passes, waded through thick swamps, and forded swiftly running streams. They sweated in their heavy woolen uniforms. They suffered in heat that men, used to the primal cold of the far north, found devastating. For seven long hours, the green troops of the Regiment trudged to the front. They were accompanied by shouts of 'closeup, close-up' by the officers and NCO’s. Enemy sharpshooters lurked deep in the jungles. Straggling lines of wounded constantly delayed the long column.

At 8 a.m., July 2, the 34th reached General Wheeler's position. They were ordered to support the extreme left of the line against a Spanish counter-attack. Later in the afternoon, the 34th was shifted into the center.27 From their arrival, the men were under deadly fire from Spanish positions. The fire varied from 200 to 800 yards distance. The 34th was in an area of tall grass. This afforded some concealment, but no protection. Slowly, shovels appeared and the Regiment began to dig itself in. Years later a veteran of the action would remember 'the unmerciful sun and bullets whizzing over our heads.' Regular shrapnel bursts only added further excitement.

At 3 a.m. Colonel Petermann reached General Shafter's Headquarters. He reported the 34th ready for action. Petermann received orders to continue forward and support General Wheeler. Wheeler, also known as 'Fighting Joe', was a colorful 26

During the next night, the Spanish made a determined assault on the heights. The forward Regiment repulsed them. On hearing the firing, Colonel Petermann prepared the 34th for a possible counter-attack. They were to support the defending Regiment. The 34th's heavy Springfields joined in with the newer Krags of the Regular Army. An estimated 800 of the attackers died. The 34th was armed with the black powder rifles. They were not normally allowed to return fire.28

Because of the thick terrain, enemy snipers were constantly slipping around the flank of the Regiment. The snipers fired into the American rear. In one day, Lt. McDonald, using a detail of eight sharpshooters, managed to round up 21 of the Spanish snipers.32 Throughout this period, the 34th was at the end of a very long and tenuous supply line. Everything was short, including rations. When a load of hated sowbelly and hardtack finally made it through, the troops devoured it eagerly.

During the day a Regiment of American reinforcements arrived. The lines were drawn tighter around Santiago. The casualties continued to mount. Another 150 men were killed and over 1,000 wounded. By July 3, the American situation was still serious. With great audacity, they called for the Spanish to surrender. The Spanish declined to reply.

On July 4, Company D, along with the remainder of the 2nd Battalion, withdrew from the lines. They were given the task of constructing a road for the movement of heavy siege artillery. The artillery was necessary for the reduction of Santiago. The road wound from the depths of the jungle to the crest of the heights. It was hard, tough work. It required the building of a bridge over the treacherous San Juan River. In spite of the difficulties, the 34th was successful in accomplishing their mission. The mechanics, backwoodsmen and tradesmen did wonders in the Cuban wilderness.

The military attachés of many foreign countries frequently observed the battlefield action. On several occasions, Colonel Petermann divided his rations with the German, Swedish and Russian attachés when they visited the 34th.29 The 34th had only suffered light casualties due to enemy action. However, various cases of malarial were increasing daily. To handle them, Surgeon Bobb established and manned a relief hospital directly behind the lines. The full Regimental Hospital was located four miles to the rear.30

The construction of the bridge is a tale in itself. It seems that the Regular Army Engineer from the staff of Major General Shafter, the Army Commander of Cuba, told the General that the bridge was impossible to build. Lt. Thielman, a 34th Staff Officer in charge of roadwork, was in the vicinity and overhead the remarks. Lt. Thielman commented to General Shafter he could have the bridge done by 2 p.m. Thielman, a timber man in civilian life, was used to handling millions of feet of lumber every year. He just couldn't see the problem. With nothing to lose, General Shafter gave the approval.

As in all wars, fate stalked the lines with a strange sense of humor. In one case, a Mauser bullet bounced harmlessly off a tunic button of a Staff Lt. Colonel, only to seriously wound a private. In another case, a man was sent to the hospital with a severe injury after being run down by a stampeding mule!31

27

After the hostilities ended, the troops did what soldiers all over the world did. They explored the captured city of Santiago. With illegal passes, they drank large quantities of the local liquor and made eyes at the pretty dark-haired senoritas!

Two miles upstream from the bridge site, Thielman found some suitable timber in a coconut grove. After cutting a sufficient number of the massive coconut palms, the men hauled them down the river. They used telegraph wire since rope was not available. After the logs were trimmed to a standard length of 64 feet, they were carefully placed according to Thielman's plan. A latticework of earth filled bamboo was added as a roadway. The entire bridge was completed an hour early. Not to make the task look too easy, Thielman delayed reporting its completion to Shafter until five minutes 33 before its deadline.

The men reported the local rum gave the man the 'jaggiest kind of jag’, and made one feel as if ‘he had fallen into the Quincy Mine; been dragged through the murky waters of Portage Lake and mopped over the Mining College (Michigan Tech) campus.' 37 The Army placed Santiago off limits. Access was provided through the efforts of several crafty unit members. They were newspaper reporters in civilian life. They used their old press credentials to obtain special military passes. These men graciously rotated these passes through the unit so everyone had a chance to see the sights.38

After a week at the front, the 34th withdrew to the coast for a rest. The campground there was reportedly excellent, with a good stream only a hundred yards away and a cool ocean breeze. However, the land crabs were so thick that if a man laid down to rest, a comrade had to closely watch to keep them from crawling over his resting companion.34

With the defeat of Spain, the 34th Infantry withdrew from Cuba. They left on August 20 and arrived at Montauk Point, New York a week later.

In July the Spanish Fleet sailed forth from Santiago Harbor. The blockading American Naval Fleet destroyed it! The surrender of the city was now considered assured.

On September 5, Company D arrived home at Calumet. They mustered out on the 26th of November. The remainder of the 34th reached home within a day of Calumet. For its participation in the war (through Company D), the Battalion flag proudly carries a battle streamer embroidered with 'Santiago.'

In the early evening of July 13, the 34th was again ordered to the front. They forcemarched the same long, hot, winding trails they climbed when they first arrived. The 34th reached the lines early in the next morning. Their long march was in vain.35 On July 15, the city formally surrendered. More than 12,000 Spanish troops laid down their arms.

Company D paid a high price for its Cuban adventures. Seventeen men of the original strength of 106 lost their lives, most dead from malarial. Again, the fates were not always kind. Private Rowe survived not only Spanish bullets, but also jungle fever. On his return to Calumet, he was hit and killed by a railroad train!39

The 2nd Battalion of the 34th was later used to guard the road to Santiago. This required a change of bivouac sites. The new campground, located in swampy terrain, was literally a death trap. Within a week, ten men from Company D were dead from fever.36

28

service. While this speed was evidently caused by the need for immediate troops, it was an occurrence that would not happen again. The experience of the war had shown Army that it must be prepared to rapidly expand when necessary. They must be able to adequately clothe, equip and train the required troops. This all would take time.

The Company was now bloodied; it was a veteran unit. It was prepared for whatever the nation would require of it. In the years ahead, the nation would require much. It's interesting to note that the Michigan volunteers were committed to action a bare 41 days after being mustered into Federal

29

CHAPTER III ENGINEERS

This 1901 scene shows Company A troops at Camp Ludington, Michigan. Notice the SpanishAmerican War uniforms. The men were now equipped with the Krag-Jorgenson rifles. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

the change to Engineers was the unit’s excellent performance as 'ad hoc' Engineers in Santiago. However, for the boys from Calumet, the old joke 'yesterday I couldn’t spell Engineer and today I are one,' was true.

On their return from the Spanish-American War, the Upper Peninsula units were part of a reorganization of Michigan units. In July of 1899, Company D (Calumet) was redesignated as Company E, 3rd Michigan Infantry Regiment. Most of the old 5th Infantry units were included in this reorganization. Colonel Robert J. Bates, an ex-Lieutenant in the old Company H (Ironwood), commanded the 3rd.

The requirement for annual summer camp was generally adhered to, even at the turn of the century. The usual site was Camp Eaton, Island Lake, Michigan. But, in 1901 the site was abandoned due to a reported contamination of the water supply. This was due to long occupancy. After that, the sites for summer training varied from such diverse places as Camp Bliss, near Manistee, to Camp Boynton, near Ludington, to Port Huron, with an occasional stay at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana and a camp at West Point, Kentucky. The first stay in the

On June 10, 1906, Calumet's Company D was pulled from the 3rd Infantry. They were designated Company A, Michigan Engineer Corps.1 The change to Engineers was a direct result of the effort of Colonel Cox. He was the Adjutant General of Michigan and another former member of the Calumet Company. It was thought that the reason for

31

held at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. There they received intensive Engineer training. 2

Camp Grayling area, then known as the Hansen Military Reservation, was in 1914. The year following that, summer camp was

Company A arriving at Camp Grayling in 1914. (Credit: Battalion Archives)

During this long interval of peace, the most interesting duty performed by the Calumet Company was on August 8, 1911. They escorted President Taft during a visit to Houghton.3

At the time of the strike, there were approximately 70 shafts in operation and 15,000 miners on strike. Violence and terrorism by both sides was common. Eventually the entire Michigan Guard was on duty for the strike. The troops remained at full strength until August 13. Then, a gradual phase down began. The duty eventually ended on January 12, 1914.5 Because of the great local sympathy for the strike, the unit was assigned to non-conflicting duty, protecting outlying property. They did not want to place the local unit in a potentially compromising situation.

On July 24, 1913, the Copper Country unit was mobilized. They were to keep the peace during the famous Keweenaw copper strike. By order of the Governor, the Battalion and Regimental officers were instructed to proceed to Calumet. They were to report 'equipped for field duty with riot ammunition.' 4

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Company A arriving at Camp Grayling in 1914. (Credit: Battalion Archives)

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CHAPTER IV ON THE BORDER

such an action would provoke war with Mexico. National Guard troops were called up to protect the border.

Trouble loomed again on the horizon for America. The spark of revolution swept through Mexico in 1911. Concerned over the turmoil raging in her southern neighbor, America watched and waited. On March 9, 1916, the Mexican bandit Pancho Villa rode into Columbus, New Mexico with 1,500 men. They burned the town and murdered 19 innocent Americans. In reaction to this and other incidents, President Wilson authorized a punitive expedition. Under the command of Brigadier General 'Blackjack' Pershing, the expedition was to pursue the elusive bandit into Mexico. There was a very real possibility

In response to the call, Company A was mustered into Federal service on June of 1916.1 The Company was with a strength of 164 men. They were joined by one Company from South Carolina, one from Alabama and four from Ohio. This formed the Engineer Regiment of the 11th Provisional Division.2 The Regiment was under the command of Major U.S. Grant III, the grandson of the Civil War hero.

After being converted to Engineers, the men of the Upper Peninsula received the latest in military technology, an 'Engineer combat wagon.' (Credit: Battalion Archives)

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platoon was Ralph A. Loveland. He would later command both the 107th Engineer Regiment and, as a Major General, the Michigan 46th Infantry Division.

The makeup of an Engineer Company of that day differed substantially from the ones of today. One platoon of the Company was mounted on horses for mobility. The rest were foot powered, but heavy emphasis was placed on mules and horses for equipment transport. There was even a creature called an Engineer 'combat wagon.' It is interesting that the officer in charge of the mounted

Horsemanship was an important part of duty on the Mexican Border. (Credit: Battalion Archives)

relieved ten days later by Regular Army troops. The men returned home to rest, but not for long.

The border duty was hot, dusty and boring. The experience was invaluable, not only for the Upper Peninsula Engineers, but also for the entire Army. Within a few short months, America would be at war. Her ability to raise, train, equip and control the Army would be vital for her success. The border action was the Army's dress rehearsal.

When Company A was mustered out of service, Major Grant, impressed with its performance, had a suggestion for the state Adjutant General of Michigan. He thought they should form an entire Battalion around the Company. Apparently the Adjutant General was of the same opinion. Shortly after, the 1st Engineer Battalion formed. It consisted of Headquarters, Headquarters Company and three letter Companies.

Mustered out of service on March 23, 1917, the Engineers had a short rest. On March 26 two officers and 40 men were ordered to guard the locks at Sault Ste. Marie against possible sabotage. They were

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CHAPTER V benefit of their own men and the newly arriving troops. The canteen was so popular it cleared over $1,000 in the first 13 days it operated. After that, the Camp Commander learned of its existence. It was promptly shut down. The handsome profit was used to great benefit in the Company's Mess Fund.1

THE GREAT WAR PREPARATION With the American Declaration of War on April 6, 1917, National Guard units throughout the country were mobilized. On June 22, 1917, Company A began to drill in preparation for activation into Federal service. The Company still had 60 seasoned veterans from the Mexican Border duty. They could be considered ready for action. They didn't have long to wait. On June 30, Company A, with four officers and 164 men, marched to the railway station and departed for war. They were accompanied by cheering crowds. The Calumet and Hecla Band played ‘The Old Grey Mare’. Surprisingly, the Army had arranged fine accommodations on the train. This included not only coaches, but also sleepers. The first day of July found the Company in Detroit billeted in the old brick barracks of Fort Wayne. There they continued to train and undergo constant inspections. The Company was officially activated into Federal service on July 10. New equipment and uniforms were issued. Most of the newer recruits had made the trip in civilian dress.

Although two new Companies had been previously authorized, no efforts had been made to raise them until June. They still needed to complete the 1st Battalion. Recruiting stepped into high gear. It was met with a high degree of success. The mobilization date for the new Companies was July 15. The location was the campus of the Michigan Colleges of Mines (Michigan Technological University). Overnight, tents sprang up on the grounds. The raw recruits began to drill. Equipment shortages were everywhere. Since there weren't enough tents, some men were allowed to sleep at home. Mess equipment wasn’t available. The men ate at a local restaurant. There were over 80 students in the Battalion from the college. This earned them the nickname: ‘Michigan College of Mines Battalion!’ This fact was further emphasized when Major B.W. Vallat, class of 1901, became the Battalion Commander.2

By July 23 the Company had arrived at Camp Custer near Battle Creek. They were immediately given numerous construction tasks. The unit was among the very first troops to arrive. Before more could come, the camp had to be built. That was Company A's job.

The Michigan College of Mines campus was also used for a variety of other war related activities. The District Draft Board had offices in the Metallurgy Building. For students soon to be drafted, a special free class in telegraphy was taught by several college professors.

Initiative was always the trademark of the Upper Peninsula Engineers. They aptly demonstrated it at Camp Custer. It seems that there was no canteen on post. The Company began to operate one for the

The use of the campus was the result of a recommendation by the faculty to the Board of Control. The Board in turn formally offered the facilities to the government.3

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Heavy emphasis was placed on obtaining recruits solely from the Copper Country area. However, the new B and C Companies were filled with men from across the length and breadth of the Upper Peninsula. Copper and iron miners, genuine lumberjacks, college students and clerks all rallied to enlist. The largest number of recruits, however, came from the Michigan College of Mines.

The Michigan and Wisconsin units were originally organized into the 7th National Guard Division. With the new numbering system, it was designated the 32nd Division. The four organic infantry Regiments were in turn numbered the 125th, 126th, 127th and 128th. Each of the Division’s support units such as artillery, signal, trains, etc. were designated sequentially. The 107th Engineers became the 107th Engineers because they were part of the 32nd Division. The 107th was the only Engineer Regiment in the Division. The Engineer Regiment in the 31st Division was the 106th, and in the 33rd, the 108th.

World War I resulted one significant loss to the National Guard. All the historic unit designation would be changed! No longer would there be a chance for confusion between the '5th Michigan Infantry' and '5th North Carolina Infantry.'

However, within weeks of the new numbering system, the people of Michigan and Wisconsin solved the riddle. They knew the 32nd was their boys. Shoulder patches began to be worn after the various Divisions reached France. Both the men of the 32nd and the folks at home took tremendous pride in the exploits of the famous 'Red Arrow Division.'

Originally, the National Guard suggested the idea for a new numbering system. However, it was eagerly seized on by the Regular Army. They recognized it as a way to obscure the strong regional background and historic heritage of the citizen-soldiers. There would be no repeat of 'Roosevelt's Rough Riders,' 'Michigan Infantry,' or even the more mundane 'Calumet Light Guard' or 'Houghton Light Infantry' as they emerged from the Spanish-American War. The designation of 'Upper Peninsula Engineers' was definitely out of the question! Obvious regional names and associations would steal no publicity from the more deserving Regular Army and soon to be drafted Divisions!

On July 23, each Company's strength was at 140 men. The troops were officially mustered into Federal service. Slowly more equipment trickled in and was issued. The recruits began to look like soldiers. The messing problem was finally solved when a college lab was taken over. Between Bunsen burners and chemical reports, KP’s peeled potatoes, and cleaned pots and pans.

The numbering system that emerged was simple. It successfully obscured all regional identification, only until the public learned to decipher the Army effort!

Meanwhile in the deep confines of the War Department in Washington, D.C., the decision was made to assign the yet unformed 107th Engineer Regiment to the newly (July 28, 1917) organized 32nd Infantry Division. The Division was unique. It was composed entirely of National Guard troops from Michigan and Wisconsin. The assembly point for the 32nd was picked as the dusty, largely unbuilt Camp MacArthur, Texas.

The Divisions from 1 through 25, and all Regimental numbers up to 100 were reserved for the Regular Army. Numbers 26 through 75 were reserved for National Guard Divisions. All those starting with 76 were reserved for future draftee Divisions.

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to Camp MacArthur was on foot. It must have been a real experience for the Michiganders. The temperature was 100 degrees plus. The march raised great clouds of swirling, choking Texas dust. Since, the men were used to fighting through chest-deep snowdrifts, it was an interesting change of pace. Camp MacArthur was much like Camp Custer. Both stood more complete on the designers' drawing boards than in reality. The Engineers began to make the dream a reality.

The new 1st Engineer Battalion less Company A, which was at Camp Custer, left Houghton on the evening of August 17. They began a 4½-day trip to Waco, Texas. As with the departure of Company A, the Calumet and Hecla Band led the march to the station. The cheering citizens gave the troops a rousing send-off. The Battalion arrived at Waco at 7 a.m., August 21. The actual movement from Waco

Company A's company street at Camp MacArthur, Texas. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

The 107th’s time was divided between vital camp construction projects and equally important training. The Regiment was assigned to the newly formed 32nd Infantry Division. It had to be prepared to move into combat when the Division was ready. However, the camp desperately needed the construction projects finished in order to receive and train troops.

There were no barracks. The Battalion pitched tents. On September 18, the 2nd Battalion of Wisconsin Engineers arrived. On September 23, the 107th Engineer Regiment was officially formed. The 1st Michigan becoming the 1st Battalion (Companies A, B, C), and the 2nd Wisconsin becoming the 2nd Battalion (Companies D, E. F). Colonel P.S. Bond, a Regular Army officer of outstanding ability, was given the command of the Regiment.

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weeks straight, and thereafter whenever practical.4

Just by their very nature can determine the importance of their construction projects. These projects included: two 11,000-gallon water towers; numerous bridges and topographic surveys; a complete water system; several roads; a complete rifle range; and a full trench warfare-training site,

Into the middle of October the Regiment continued to fill with recruits. It needed to be raised to full war strength. The 1st Battalion received 116 additional troops from a special Camp Custer levy and 100 as the result of a special Upper Peninsula recruiting trip. Interest in the U.P. Battalion ran high. Young men at home were eager to become a part of the war effort.

During the night of October 3, the long lost Company A arrived from Camp Custer. The Regiment was complete at last. During the 107th's stay at Camp MacArthur, 'shaking out' and filling up the Regiment continued. Although nearly all of the officers were graduate mining Engineers, virtually none of them had any military training. Long delays were experienced while obtaining the required Regimental Auxiliary Staff Officers. They were short officers for such positions as the Adjutant Dental along with various other medical officers. To supplement their meager military knowledge, schools for Regimental Officers were held every evening for two

The Regiment continued to struggle with the dual nemesis of construction work and training. As the pace at camp picked up, training in such diverse areas as cooks’ school, signaling and musketry were required. In spite of the best training schedule the situation was intolerable. Veterans of the time report that virtually all training was conducted in spite of the training schedules and extra duty.

One of the many training bridges built by the 107th in Texas. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

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double lock span variety. They were constructed of rough-cut cedar. The winning time was approximately 5½ minutes!

One aspect of the training involved the rapid construction of small timber bridges. They were the type frequently used at the battlefront. To liven up the challenge, several public contests were held between the 1st and 2nd Battalions. There was regional nature of the Battalions. The 1st was from Michigan and the 2nd from Wisconsin. Interest ran high. At each contest, however, the Michigan troops proved faster than those of Wisconsin. The bridges were of the

Bridge building contests were also held between Companies. One contest pitted Company A against Company C for the construction of a 60-foot timber bridge. With 20-foot spans and a 20-foot roadway, Company C emerged as the victor with a winning time of 17 hours.

Trenching practice at Camp MacArthur. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

Other training involved the construction of an entire trench system. Dug completely after dark, it was finished after 2½ hours of continuous work. When the evaluation was finished, it was determined that Company C made the best showing. They worked at a rate of two feet of trench per man per hour. With the vast network of trenches stretching across Europe, it is easy to understand the rationale for the emphasis on 'trenching.'5

Company marched 16½ miles in 3¾ hours without a halt. Most accounts of the Regiment describe the unit marching 5½ miles to a training site. There, they dug trenches for 4 hours without stopping. This set a new record for trench construction. Then, they marched 5 1/2 miles home. All marching was done in the late afternoon or night. They went without halts, at 4.1 miles per hour. All digging was done at night by the light of corn shock flares.

Marching and physical condition were stressed from the very beginning. During this period, outfits of the Regiment made phenomenal records for speed and endurance. There is a record where one

During December the pace of the Regiment quickened. Rumors about when the unit would ship began to fly. More and more inspections were held to determine the

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readiness for deployment. In addition, the 32nd Division held special classes for gas drills. All troops were required to attend.

Immediately, the troops crowded onto the transports decks. They assumed their assigned lifeboat stations. With the TUSCANIA listing to an acute angle, many of the boats were unable to be lowered. Under the command of their officers, men began leaping into the water. Following standard procedure, the rest of the convoy sped away, leaving the dying liner to her fate. Only the destroyers remained. They dashed about in mad attempts to locate the guilty U-boat.

During their stay in Texas, the men of the Regiment started a unique tradition that still continues to this day. They presented nearby Baylor University with the school's mascot, a black bear called 'Ted,' known as the toughest black bear in Texas!6 The Engineer Trains were an important part of the 107th. They consisted of two officers and 82 men. The Trains included a Horse Transportation Section and a Truck Section. Organized in October at Camp MacArthur, the Trains spent most of their time hauling construction material to the various building sites.

At great risk to themselves several destroyers pulled alongside the sinking TUSCANIA. They allowed men to jump to their decks. It was by this action that the men of the 107th saved themselves. By 9:40 p.m. the great liner sank. The following day it was determined that of the 2,114 men aboard the TUSCANIA, mostly from the 32nd Division, 200 were lost. None of the 107th men were among the latter group. One of the few American liners sunk by a submarine, the TUSCANIA loss caused a sensation in the United States.8

On January 2, the Horse Section of the Trains departed Camp for France. They arrived there on February 19, after a 13-day Atlantic crossing in the Horse Transport BANAMAN. With the 107th animals, the steamer arrived with horses for the entire 32nd Division, a total of some 848 animals.

The 107th men were taken to Camp Morn, in Winchester, England. All of their possessions had been lost with the liner. They needed to be completely re-equipped. The Trains would later catch up with the regiment at Langres, France on March 27.

The main section of the Trains departed camp on January 10. They boarded the liner TUSCANIA at Hoboken, New Jersey, on the 24th. After some delays from picking up her convoy and escort, the liner eventually reached the coast of Scotland on February 5. There the 107th received its first taste of war. A U-boat slammed a torpedo into the TUSCANIA at 6:45 p.m. of the 5th.

Prior to leaving Camp MacArthur, Colonel Bond completed his report of the status of the Regiment's training. He stated: 'an encouraging feature of the training was the very high professional standards and great initiative of the officers as Engineers.... the excellence of the enlisted personnel, morally, physically and professionally, the splendid spirit that pervades their willingness to learn, and above all, their remarkable talent for construction.' 9 Clearly the 107th wasn't a run of the mill unit!

One of the 107th troopers later remembers: the first sitting for dinner was just finished when there was a tremendous explosion and the 'whole ship seemed to rise up and then started to tremble all over. Water, steel and debris were thrown with a terrible crashing as high as the lifeboats...all the lights went out and everything was wrapped in darkness.' 7 44

The full Regiment was scheduled to leave camp in three serials. The first departed on January 11 by train. However, a heavy Texas blizzard pushed the timetable back. The movement was not started until the 13th. The 107th troops had a tour of America on the train east, passing through Dallas, Vicksburg, Birmingham, Richmond, and Washington before finally stopping at Camp Merritt, Dumout, New Jersey on the 19th. While enroute, frequent halts were made for exercise, formal parades and sightseeing. At each stop, the men were showered with cigars, cigarettes, pies and cakes. The last serial joined the Regiment at Camp Merritt on the 21st.

confusion, a meal ticket indicating each man's bunk location was tied with a string to his person. The bunks themselves were in tiers three high. They were located deep in the cargo hold. On the 30th the AEOLUS cast off. They moved to a Fire Island anchorage. There she waited for the rest of the convoy to form. The AEOLUS was still in sight of shore. Since the cargo was supposed to be secret, none of the troops were allowed on deck until the steamer left the following day. Other than the required lifeboat drills and expected cases of seasickness, life aboard the transport was normal. On February 12, morning and dusk ‘stand-tos’ on deck were held for all troops. During those times, there was a high likelihood of attack in the U-boat hunting grounds. All troops were required to be at their lifeboat stations with life jackets on. Fortunately, the convoy avoided any submarine trouble and the 107th disembarked at Brest, France on February 16.

There additional equipment was issued. The furious pace of inspections was again resumed. As Camp Merritt was actually a suburb of New York City, passes were granted for the officers to explore the city. Many officers had not been able to complete their overseas kits. The opportunity to visit the city in the hopes of purchasing the missing items was important. The troops were restricted to the camp area.

FRANCE

Just past midnight on the 29th of January, the Regiment was called to reveille. During the dark, cold early morning hours, they formed up and filed on the waiting troop trains. By 6:45 a.m. the Regiment was delivered to Hoboken. They were marching down the wide expanse of the old HamburgAmerican dock. The dock is now known simply as Pier 5 of the U.S. Transportation Service. Minutes later they were boarding the ex-North German Lloyd liner GROSSER KURFUERST, now renamed the AEOLUS.

Upon arrival, the Regiment was assigned to the service of supply. They were immediately given the task of helping unsnarl the tremendous logistical backlog. The 32nd was additionally designated as a Replacement Division for other American units. This was a great blow to a unit that had trained so well together. They had anticipated fighting together. Fortunately, the Division Commander was able to have the 32nd relieved from this assignment. However, a Regiment of infantry was already stolen and reassigned to the American 1st Division.10 11

Conditions on the transport were extremely crowded. The troops were packed in tighter than sardines in a can. To minimize

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107th Engineers arriving in France. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

the Seventh, Eighth, Tenth and Thirteenth Areas. It was a difficult job due to the constantly shifting Division boundaries and building requirements. Apparently the various staffs involved just couldn't make up their collective minds.13

The 32nd Division was assigned to the Ninth Training Area to prepare for duty in the trenches. The Division would be held in the training area until the middle of May. There they perfected the techniques that would eventually earn them the fearsome nickname, 'Les Terribles.'

During this period the Regiment's organic transportation was extremely poor. This consisted of one beat-up ambulance. Through the loss of the TUSCANIA and confusion at the rear, the situation remained unresolved for some time. Eventually it was remedied by the arrival of the Trains with numerous trucks and motorcycles.

For the Engineers, this meant special training in infantry tactics, trench warfare, as well as traditional Engineer subjects. Companies A and D of the 107th were assigned to the Engineer School in the Ninth Area, near Langres. They served as demonstration units. The Army Engineer School at Langres was the 'finishing school' for all newly arriving Engineer units. Special courses were taught in camouflage, flash and sound ranging, mining, pioneering, topography, bridging and fortification construction.12

On February 27, Colonel Bond, the Regiment Commander, was reassigned to the Army Engineer and Gas School. Colonel Harold Fiske assumed command. However, Colonel Fiske was too busy at the Chief Engineer's Office at Langres. The active command responsibilities fell on Lieutenant Colonel Callan, the Executive Officer. The initial period in France was extremely safe for the Regiment. Only one man was killed, the

The remainder of the Regiment was employed in construction projects. These were not only in the Ninth Area, but also in

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broken down to Company, platoon and squad level. They were spread out in working parties over the entire Division area. In the early hours of the morning the order to assemble was issued. With amazing speed, the Regiment reorganized (less Company A. which was still detached). They were issued new gas masks and rehearsed infantry drills. But rail transportation to the front was unavailable. Before an alternative could be arranged, the front stabilized. On March 31, the Regiment was released and ordered back to their previous assignments.

Adjutant of the 1st Battalion. He died as a result of a motorcycle accident. The Engineers knew that their secondary role was to fight as infantry. On March 27 the situation required that. The Allied front had been pressed by waves of assaulting German forces in the vicinity of Humes. With infantry reserves virtually nonexistent, a German breakthrough appeared imminent. The th soldiers of the 107 were the nearest troops to the beleaguered front. They were alerted to prepare to move into the lines. Typical for the Engineers, the Regiment had been

A Complete hospital built by the 107th in Chateauvillain, France. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

had worked for the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 13th Division. After completing a series of projects for the 3rd Infantry Division, the Division Commander attempted to have the Regiment reassigned to his unit. However, his plot to 'steal' the 107th failed and the Regiment remained with the 32nd.

The Regiment continuously shifted its’ units from location to location and task to task. During this period the 107th is credited with constructing not less than five complete hospitals. Assigned to the 32nd Division, the 107th was principally charged with supporting the Division. However, the 107th projects carried them far and wide. Frequently they were found working for other units. Eventually they

On May 18, the 32nd Division moved to the Alsace Sector. The 107th was still engaged in various high priority projects. They didn't join the Division until June 26. 47

The move to the front was conducted in typical fashion. The troops were jammed into the famous French 40 and 8 boxcars. By regulation, the cars could hold 40 troops or 8 horses. The men were packed tightly together in hot, unventilated cars. They bitterly complained that horses got the better treatment.

flares, they succeeded in blowing a 15-foot gap in the wall of bristling wire. Rushing through, the Engineers charged the enemy trenches. They expected at any moment to be joined by the infantry raiding party. The infantry never arrived! In the dark and confusion, the infantry missed the gap. Nonetheless, the Engineers reconnoitered the enemy trenches and returned with vital information. Two of the Engineers were separated from the group. They were forced to remain hidden in a shell pocket in the middle of no-man's land until the following night. Then, they snuck back to friendly lines.

As soon as they arrived in the sector the Regiment moved into billets just to the rear of the front lines. They were immediately tasked to construct vital roads, emplace wire entanglements, dig bunkers, camouflage weapons, and map defensive positions. They worked under German artillery fire. Weapons, helmets and gas masks were carried at all times. The sector was considered a 'quiet one;’ one where there was little action and the troops could adjust easily to trench warfare. However, the Americans had other ideas. They soon began to liven the sector up, with raiding parties and harassing artillery fire.

Life at the front wasn't only hazardous from the enemy action, disease also took its' toll. At one time half of the Regiment was ill as a result of trench fever. Fortunately, no fatalities were recorded from the fever. In response to the heavy German offensive at the Marne, the 32nd Division with the 107th was shifted to that sector, arriving on the 25th of July.

Movies frequently portray World War I infantry attacks as being no more complicated than thousands of troops 'pouring over the top' of the trenches to rush the enemy lines. Yet there were careful planning and preparation that went into each attack. Before the actual assault, it was necessary to either cut or blow paths through the vast network of enemy wire. This was an Engineer task. On many occasions the 107th was sent out at night as wire cutting teams, all made up of volunteers. Usually more men volunteered than were needed.

MARNE Arriving in the sector, the 107th was greeted by what seemed like an endless drizzle of cold rain and an unending sea of mud. The first night was spent in the deserted village of Fleurines. Troops were huddled in rain soaked pup tents. The following day the Regiment boarded a convoy of trucks. They moved through to the front. They passed through one shell-torn village after another. The 107th was still a green outfit. At every opportunity many of the men eagerly hunted for souvenirs. By late that night they arrived at the central square of Chateau Chierry. The men were billeted everywhere and anywhere. Some men ended up in cowsheds. The lucky ones enjoyed the

During a raid, on the night of July 14, a team from the 107th moved into no-man's land. They were to blow a gap through the wire for a raiding party of infantry. Although frequently interrupted by bursts of probing machine-gun fire and brilliant overhead

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When the 32nd was in the lines, the 107th was constantly engaged in heavy road clearing operations. There was only one road to the front. The critical flow of supplies had to move forward. Casualties needed to be brought to the rear. The crucial task was important indeed. Bridges were continually either being repaired or rebuilt, culverts dug, and shell holes filled. The Engineers were under the constant harassment of enemy artillery fire. They were even strafed occasionally by German aircraft. Fortunately, casualties were few. As was normal for Engineers, the Regiment was spread over the entire Division area. There was a Battalion here, a Company there, a platoon over beyond the hill. But, all were working toward the same goal, keeping the road network open.

comforts of the Hotel DuCygne, with, of all things, clean towels! In the morning the unit again moved forward another 14 miles. They were now on foot. They eventually halted in the early hours of the 20th in a patch of woods near Jaulgonne. The Engineers had little sleep that night. There were no less than eight separate gas warnings. The constant firing of a French artillery battery, only a mile, away wasn't exactly a lullaby.14 During the movement forward, the 107th passed through areas of increasing devastation. They plodded along the shelltorn road leading to the front. The men were only a small part of the heavy traffic moving up. The entire 32nd Division was on the march. They were to replace the 3rd Division on the line. By July 30, the 32nd had completed the relief of the 3rd.

The bridge at Coulonges being rebuilt by the 107th. The original bridge destroyed by the Germans is visible on the foreground. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

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A natural obstacle to the advance of the 32nd was the River Vesle. Plans were drawn for the assault crossing with a pontoon bridge. In anticipation, the Regiment kept a 14-truck convoy of bridge material ready. To prepare for the river crossing, the Engineers continuously conducted bridging reconnaissance missions. Frequently these dangerous missions involved the deep penetration of the enemy lines. Three Distinguished Service Crosses were awarded to members of the special recon teams.

The bridge of Coulonges best typifies their remarkable effort of keeping the road open to the front. It had been a 25 foot steel girder bridge before being completely destroyed by the enemy. Within 18 hours after 32nd's advancing infantry reached the demolished bridge, the Engineers had replaced it. Normal construction supplies were not available. They salvaged material from nearby destroyed buildings. The hastily built bridge was strong enough to carry not only all the Division traffic, but also a train of 20 ton artillery pieces!15

The Engineers waiting along the roadside to attempt to force a pontoon bridge crossing of the Vesle River. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

constructed two dugouts. In addition they had maintained a detail of ten officers and 30 men for daily Engineer reconnaissance. This detail had produced seven maps, that were copied 535 times.16

On August 7, the 28th Division relieved the 32nd. However, the 107th was kept in the lines for a river-crossing attempt that night. It failed when the infantry were unable to secure the near side of the river. The 107th was withdrawn on the 9th.

Resting in the rear, the Regiment was heartened by the arrival of Company D. They were only recently released from the Langres Engineer School. Drills in wire, recon, infantry tactics and trench warefare were conducted in preparation for the next spell at the front.

During the 107th Marne campaign, they had built six bridges; repaired five; had built five culverts; filled three large mine craters; had cleared three bridges and culverts of landmines; constructed one kilometer of new road and repaired 32 kilometers of old road; had cleared three towns of debris; and

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It is important to realize that there really were no 'rest periods' for the Engineers. When the Division was at the front, the Engineers were busy with combat missions. When the Division moved to the rear for rest, the Engineers were charged with establishing ranges, bivouacs, maintaining roads, etc. Just as the old adage states 'there is no rest for the wicked,' neither was there rest for the Engineers!

considered the 'Gemultlichkeit boys' of the 32nd to be among the best in the AEF.18 During the night of September 1, the 1st Moroccan Division relieved the Division. Most of the 107th went to the rear with the Division. However, a detachment had a special mission. They remained at the front. The Regiment had kept a number of wagonloads of bridging material ready for the expected river assault of the Ailatte River. The Division had been relieved before the crossing could be accomplished. The material was to be delivered to the French. The point of delivery was not in a safe rear area, but rather right at the shore of the river, in an area under enemy fire.

OISE AISNE On August 24, the 32nd was ordered to relieve a French Division in the Oise Aisne sector. The 32nd would become the first and only American Division in the French Tenth Army. By August 26th, the 107th had begun its long, slow march to the front. They moved through torrents of cold rain and a living sea of thick mud. Again, the roads were clogged with the heavy traffic of one Division relieving another. Relief of the French Division was completed during the late hours of the night of August 27.

The approach route was difficult and dangerous. Each wagonload had to be driven to the foot of a French bunker. On the way they had to move down a relatively protected draw and across an open field that was swept with machine-gun and wellregistered artillery fire. On the dark night of September 5, the Engineers moved forward one wagonload at a time. By the end of the night the draw was littered with dead horses, and equally dead men, but the mission was accomplished. The French Division Commander congratulated the Colonel of the 107th for the bravery of his men. He remarked, ‘all men of the detachment displayed the very greatest composure and bravery in accomplishing their mission under the most difficult conditions and under violent enemy artillery fire.'19

Close liaison was required between the attacking infantry and the Engineers. During the night of August 30, part of the 107th went 'over the top' with the 32nd Division's 64th Brigade. The resulting Engineer intelligence reports were delivered to the Division Head quarters. They were very accurate and arrived faster than the infantry reports. The attack was part of a general assault by the French Tenth Army. The casualties were appalling. Company B was pressed into service as stretcher-bearers. Braving enemy sniper fire and machine guns, the men dashed across the battlefield hauling wounded comrades to the rear. The 32nd's part in the attack drew high praise from General Pershing. He noted in his diary that 'our 32nd Division has done splendid work in the attack...'17 Pershing

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protection of a heavy artillery barrage, the Division advanced directly through the town of Avocourt. They reached positions on the far side. For four years Avocourt had been in the center of no-man's land. As a result there was practically nothing left of the town but rubble. To supply the Division, the town's road network had to be opened. The impossible task was given to the Engineers.

MEUSE ARGONNE Sunday, September 22 saw the 107th again on its way to the front. Again in the gray drizzle of a French rain, but they were now leading the way. They were blazing the trail for the rest of the Division. On the night of September 25, the 32nd initiated a strong offensive. Under the

The destruction of war. An approach road to Avocourt littered with debris. (Credit: Battalion Archives)

road. All the work was in cold driving rain. Slowly the worst sections were repaired. The road was then widened and finally completely opened.

Heavy fall rains had reduced the entire area to one vast ocean of nearly bottomless muck. The retreating Germans dug 25 square foot pits that were 6-foot deep. These left the main road impassable. These were in areas where detours were impossible. As a result desperately needed supplies were tied up in traffic jams that stretched for miles.

During this time, part of the Regiment was assigned to other important tasks. Recon parties were especially active. They were tasked to map roads, locate bunkers, defensive positions, and billets. They also evaluated captured supply dumps. Removing enemy mines was another important Engineer task performed during this period.

The Engineers worked with a will. Roads were 'corduroyed' with any available material on hand; the pits were bridged with rough timber. Where hard bottom could be located, mud was scraped off the roads. Within seven hours, the road was barely open. For four long, hard days, the 107th worked on the

During the early and middle of October, under the threat of an impending enemy offensive, the Regiment laid out two separate 52

rain fell nearly every day. Fires of any kind were out of the question. They only provided a bright target for enemy artillery.

Division defensive lines. This included the excavation of all fighting positions. The work was done entirely at night and under probing enemy shellfire. During this period, cold hard

Part of a 1,800-foot plank road built through a sea of mud. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

The bridge in question had originally been of the masonry arch type; with seven 50-foot spans some 20 feet above the river. The French had blown two spans on the west end during a retreat. When the Germans retreated, they again blew the bridge. When Company C arrived on the scene, the bridge was located in no-man's land, one kilometer in front of the lines and 200 yards beyond the farthest Division outpost. The bridge was actually under the control of neither side. As is, the bridge was useless and had to be repaired before the American attack could

On October 19, the 9th Division relieved the 32nd. The 107th withdrew some three days later. Although in theory resting, roadwork and other projects went on as usual. To solve the mud problem, a plank road 1,800 feet long and 12 feet wide was constructed. This was done mostly under strafing enemy aircraft fire. On November 6, Company C was called on to perform a particularly difficult bridge construction mission at the village of Sassey.

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great effort, they rebuilt the bridge. With no lights, they worked all night. Under the threat of being discovered by enemy patrols, the work was extremely hazardous. When completed, the spans safely carried 15-ton loads.20

resume. The Germans were well aware of the importance of the bridge. They kept constant patrols in the area and had registered their artillery. To solve the problem, Company C prefabricated the missing spans. They moved in under the cover of darkness. With

The Sassey Bridge. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

While working at Sassey, the Engineers were not solely occupied with the bridge construction. Some distance away they spotted a German machine gun nest. The Germans in the nest evidently had not yet sighted the Engineers. In the best John Wayne tradition, a Company Engineer team of two officers and eight men stormed the nest. They captured the position. Because of the shortage of construction materials, and the problems inherent with night construction, it required three nights of work to repair the bridge. A short distance in front of the masonry arch bridge was another destroyed bridge. This was over the Sassey Canal. The same night the first bridge was completed the Company hauled another prefabricated bridge. They worked to span the Canal. Work on the second bridge

continued during the day under enemy sniper fire. It was completed rapidly.21 Although the Armistice was signed on November 11, there was no rest for the 107th. Roadwork continued. New construction projects were added. OCCUPATION With the defeat of Germany, the 32nd Division was selected as part of the occupation forces. On November 17, the long march to Germany began. The 107th sent recon teams far in front of the advance guard. During General Pershing's parade into Luxemburg, the Regiment acted as military police. The Regimental Commander was the Parade Marshall. The German Border was crossed on December 1. The

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Division advance was finally halted on January 24.

32nd met and vanquished 23 German Divisions, took 2,153 prisoners and gained more than 38 kilometers of ground without surrendering a meter. Casualties for the Division were high, in excess of 14,000 troops.

During the occupation the 107th was given a tremendous amount of responsibility. They were charged with the maintenance of 200 kilometers of roads. 120 kilometers of this had to be completely rebuilt. They supervised public utilities in 80 towns. They constructed and installed a complete set of road signs in the Division Sector. At the same time, they constructed various mess halls, stables, barracks warehouses and hospitals.

As a vital and integral part of the 32nd, the 107th took its share of losses. They were roughly equal to ten percent of the Regiment's strength. The 107th also took its share of honors. They received two Distinguished Service Crosses, ten Legion of Honors, 38 French Croix de Guerres and eight special individual citations. In addition the Regiment earned Campaign Streamers for Aisne-Marne, Champagne, Alsace, OiseAisne and Meuse-Argonne.22

Leaves during the occupation were granted frequently. The officers usually went to the south of France or England. The enlisted went to any number of Corps Recreational Centers. Boxing, wrestling, basketball and football contests were often held to relieve the monotony of the occupation duty. Finally on April 8, the Division was relieved. They started the long trip home. The 107th, however, was the last of the Division to leave. They stayed until the 23rd.

Colonel Bond, the ex-107th Commander, paid special tribute to the Regiment when he stated in a letter to Lt. Colonel Callan That: 'to have been separated from command of the best Regiment that ever went forth to battle was the most disagreeable experience of my life and one that I shall never cease to regret.' 23

They departed France on May 5 on the steamer HAVERFORD. The Regiment arrived at Fort Dix, New Jersey on the 18th. At Fort Dix all Regimental soldiers from the east and south were discharged. The remainder was sent to Camp Custer. By the 28th, the Regiment was demobilized. The men were discharged and sent home. They traveled on a special train sent directly from the Upper Peninsula. The 107th Regiment no longer existed. The 'war to end all wars' had been fought and won. Never again would the nation need the Guard, or so it was thought!

Because of space limitations and a lack of specific verifiable historical information, many of the best 107th exploits have been omitted from this report of World War I. It was clear they performed with uncommon ability in a war that called for a heavy emphasis on military Engineering. Midnight requisitioning was a common Engineer supply method used to obtain such sundry items as tents, blankets, generators, gas and even complete shower baths. But the favorite target seemed to be motorcycles. At the beginning of the war, the Regiment had been issued eight Indian motorcycles. By the time the 107th reached Germany, the Indians had completely disappeared. They

During the Great War, the 32nd Division spent six months under fire. They had a mere ten days in the rear rest area. The

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Engineers had to first go ahead to blow the wire entanglements, construct bridges and recon enemy positions. The importance of maintaining the vital supply network of roads is self-explanatory. In this case, it was really 'follow the Engineers,' for they lead the way!

were replaced by 45 Harley-Davidsons, all liberated from 'undeserving' units.24 The infantry motto may well be 'Follow Me', but in the static war situation of World War I, the infantry was powerless. The

'THE RED ARROW'

The famous Red Arrow insignia of the 32nd Infantry Division signified that the Division shot through every line the enemy put before it. Following World War I, the 32nd Division was the primary National Guard unit of Michigan and Wisconsin.

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CHAPTER VI For the 107th Regiment, the activations started in 1937 with the First Battalion. The units received Federal recognition as follows: Headquarters, First Battalion, Detroit, April 26, 1937; Company A, Calumet, April 26, 1937; Company B, Sault Ste. Marie, April 5, 1937; and Company C, Detroit, April 19, 1937.

WORLD WAR II THE LULL BEFORE THE STORM Following World War I, the 32nd Division, like nearly all of the National Guard Divisions, was largely mothballed. However, the war clouds again began to gather America would need the Guard. The 32nd Division was reorganized and brought back into an active status.

Company A in 1937. The officer in front is William Milford, the Battalion Commander from 1946 to 1951. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

Second Battalion, May 21, 1940 and Headquarters, First Battalion, May 24, 1940.1

In 1938, the following two units received Federal reorganization. Medical Department Detachment, First Battalion Calumet, on June 13, 1938. Headquarters and Service Company (less Band Section), Detroit on May 4, 1938.

During the 1937-1939 period, the Regiment performed summer training at Camp Grayling. Special emphasis was placed on assault boat drills and float bridging.2 In spite of the ominous signs of the impending war, the Regiment was ill equipped. They were short of men and without a single vehicle. The equipment they did have was of World War I vintage. Years of neglect and inactivity could not be remedied overnight.

The reorganization of the Regiment was completed in 1939 and 1940. The following Federal recognitions were granted: Company D, Marquette, October 26, 1939; Company E (redesignated from Company A), Escanaba, October 27, 1939; Company F, Calumet, December 4, 1939; Regimental Headquarters, December 29, 1939; Band Section, February 19, 1940; Headquarters,

In 1939, the stateside training was intensified by the outbreak of war in Europe.

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The National Guard units began to fill. On the Axis side was a fantastic array of military power. The German Army had 300 plus divisions. The Italians had 70 divisions. The Japanese had 120 divisions. Standing against this tide was the American active Army, and 18 National Guard Divisions. They were both terribly under strength.

activation was only possible after the passing of special legislation. The new law allowed for the call-up of selected Guard units. The 32nd Division was mobilized in the second of what were eventually 22 mobilizations. President Roosevelt had signed the new Selective Service Act. At the same time the first Guard units were mobilized. Eventually, 299,045 Guardsmen, in 3,717 units were called-up. Many new draftees found their way into under strength Guard units six months after the initial call.

By law, National Guard troops were not required to serve for a period of more than a year. They also were not required to serve anywhere outside of the Western Hemisphere. This law was not repealed until August of 1941. That was ten months after the 107th was federally inducted. It was passed by a squeaky 203-202 House vote. Not well received by the homesick troops, as characterized by the bitter expression: 'Ohio,' over-the-hill-in-October!

When the 107th Regiment was mobilized, the unit locations were as follows: Detroit, Regimental Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company, Company C; Sault Ste. Marie, 1st Battalion Headquarters, Regimental Band, and Company B; Escanaba, Company A; Marquette, Company D; Calumet, 2nd Battalion Headquarters, Medical Detachment, Company E and F.4

MOBILIZATION In the summer of 1940, the under strength Regiment moved by train to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. They were sadly equipped and foot powered. They participated in the Second Army war games. The soldiers remembered the backbreaking, full pack (50lb.) loads carried on endless foot marches. They were killers for the illconditioned civilian soldiers. It was evident from their performance and the performance of rest of the units involved that America was not prepared for war. An extended period of active duty training would be required. On October 15, 1940, the Regiment with the rest of the 32nd Division was activated. It was only intended to be for one year.3 This

The Regiment's first active duty post was Camp Beauregard. This was an old post, located deep in the hot Louisiana swamps. Again, the unit’s movement was via rail. After becoming acclimated to the miserable Louisiana weather and red clay gumbo, the Regiment went to work with a will. In addition to a full training program, they constructed rifle and pistol ranges, a 30-foot bridge and ¾ mile of roadway. The Regiment's work was outstanding enough to warrant special commendations from the Commanding Generals of the 32nd Division and the Army Corps.5

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Camp life at Camp Livingston, circa 1941. Archives.)

(Credit: Battalion

months of field duty in it looked like home to the men of the 107th. In late October, the Regiment attached some Engineers to a Division combat team to participate in special war games in the Carolinas. Compared to the hardships two months in the Louisiana 'war,' the men reported the Carolina 'war' was just a piece of cake.7

On January 26, 1941, the entire 32nd Division, including the 107th Engineers, moved to the newly constructed $22,000,000 Camp Livingston. This was about fifteen miles northeast of Alexandria, Louisiana.6 Alexandria was the center of a military complex which, in addition to Camps Livingston and Beauregard, included Camp Claiborne (station for the 34th Infantry Division of Minnesota), Camp Polk and Barksdale Air Field. During the months of April and May, 1941, over 300 selectees from all over the U.P. were assigned to the Regiment. It was far short of the number needed for war.

While in Louisiana, the Regiment performed a variety of construction projects. These were done in addition to normal Engineer and infantry training.8 During the period, the Regiment was slowly equipped with vitally needed Engineer equipment and vehicles. Items received included new helmets to replace the World War I 'flat tops,' and the 'hot' M-1 Garand semi-automatic rifle. Initially only ten of the M-1's were issued per company. It was the bridges they built that drew high praise from the Corps Headquarters. The praise was in a letter commending the Regiment with the statement, 'Your 107th Engineer Regiment proved equal to the task and their two bridges over the Comrade Creek was an achievement of which we are all proud.' 9

The 107th was still an integral part of the 32nd Infantry Division. In August of 1941 they participated in the largest peacetime Army maneuvers ever held. Over 500,000 troops took to the field for two months. The maneuvers covered over 16,000 square miles. Camp Livingston was never much of a post. The Louisiana swamps were filled with chiggers, wood tics and poisonous coral, rattler and water snakes. But, after two

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Bridging the gap in Louisiana. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

decking. The 'book' record was 57 minutes for 72 linear feet. The 107th’s time stood at 22 minutes! The last bridge in the inventory was the ten-ton pontoon bridge. The Regiment constructed this at the rate of 6½ feet per minute. This was twice as fast as they were supposed to be able to do. These record-setting times weren't achieved merely by constant practice. Company officers and NCOs spent many long nights trying to figure out how to save precious minutes and seconds.10

During this period, there generally were three types of bridges in the Army inventory. The first was an assault bridge. This was designed to pass troops quickly over creeks and streams. The 'book' said well trained troops should be able to erect it at the rate of 40 linear feet per minute. The 107th did it at the rate of 50 feet per minute. The next type of bridge was known as an H-10. This consisted of two prefabricated steel girders supported by a mud sill on each bank. It was then covered with three-inch thick planks for

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The 107th Engineer Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, passes in review at Camp Livingston. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

the 131st Engineer Battalion. The 131st was reassigned.

American entered World War II, on December 7, 1941. The 107th was shipped by train to Fort Dix, New Jersey. They left Camp Livingston on January 2, 1942. They were to prepare for immediate overseas deployment.11 The rest of the 32nd was shipped to Fort Devins. The 107th was intended to ship ahead as an advance party for the 32nd Division. They were to prepare the overseas camp for the Division's arrival. Shipping Division Engineer units ahead of their divisions was common practice. However, in the 107th's case, fate intervened! First, the 32nd was triangularized from the old square Division organization concept. This resulted in the loss of one infantry and one field artillery Regiment. The Engineers were reduced from a Regiment to a Battalion.12 The 1st Battalion was designated the 107th Engineer Battalion. The 2nd Battalion was designated

The 107th was in the mid-Atlantic heading to an unknown European destination (Ireland) as the Division vanguard. Fate struck again. Due to pressing Japanese advances in the Pacific, the 32nd was diverted from its European assignment to the southwest Pacific. As it was impractical to recall the 107th, the Battalion was relieved from its 32nd assignment. This ended a long and happy relationship. The 114th Engineer Combat Battalion from New England was substituted for the 107th and assigned to the 32nd Division. The Battalion departed the Brooklyn Navy Yard on U.S. Naval Transport GEORGE F. ELLIOTT on February 18, 1942. The Transport soon dropped her anchor at Halifax, Nova Scotia. A large horizon-to61

horizon convoy formed. The battleship U.S.S. NEW YORK, heavy cruiser U.S.S. PHILADELPHIA and a large number of destroyers provided escort for the massive fleet. The men of the Battalion doubtlessly thought they were to be considered passengers during the trip. However, the men of the weapons squad were assigned to man the ship's anti-submarine guns. The duty ran for four hours on and eight off for the entire 13-day trip.

U-boat alarms and subsequent depth charges were almost continuous. Fortunately, the 107th's gun crews had no opportunity to show off their gunnery skills. The troops were jammed in quarters five high. They wore 'Mae West' life preservers constantly. For those who could eat, the chow lines were hours in length. IRELAND The Battalion debarked in Belfast, Northern Ireland on March 3, 1942. Immediately they were transported by rail inland to quarters in small British Nissen hut camps. Veterans remembered that the quarters weren't all that bad. However, the British Army rations and heavy wool underwear and socks created problems. This was until the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps units were operational and capable of supporting standard rations. The 107th was one of the first U.S. units sent to the ETO (European Theatre of Operations). Such problems were expected. The Battalion was assigned to V Corps as a Corp Engineer unit.

For protection the ELLIOTT mounted a total of three guns. There were two 3-inchers on the aft deck and one 5-incher on the forward deck. To man these weapons the Navy provided a total of 31 men, which was only enough to man them for one watch. The guns were required to be manned at all times. The gun crews had to be beefed up by so-called passengers! At the time the 107th's Table of Organization included a weapons squad in each platoon. Normally they were tasked with the mission of furnishing security for work parties. The squad was equipped with a half-track armored vehicle towing a 37 mm anti-tank gun, two .30 caliber heavy (water cooled) machine guns, one .50 caliber (air cooled) machine gun, and Thompson submachine guns.

The 107th was initially engaged in various construction projects. These included building an entire general depot at Moneymore. This was the largest military installation ever built in Northern Ireland. The depot task was massive and consisted of railroad tracks and sidings, warehouses, living quarters, mess halls, etc. This was everything required for a complete base.

Most of the additional gun crews were provided from weapons squad personnel. Under the direction of the Navay, the men 'crewed' their way across the Atlantic.

On June 5, 1942, the work was 99 percent complete. The Commanding General of the Service of Supply inspected the depot. The comments received were extremely favorable. He stated: 'the job was an outstanding example of efficiency, neatness and speed’.14

It was an extremely rough mid-winter crossing. The 107th was a seasick outfit, except for the men assigned to the gun crews. They were just too busy, cold and tired to be bothered by such a minor item.

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During its’ 11 month heavy construction period, the soldiers had an intensive training 'tour' in the Ulster counties of Ireland. The counties had names like Belfast, Balymena, Coleraine, Carrickfergus, Enniskillen, Holywood, Moneymore, Larne, Cookstown, Portadown, and Portrush. They endeared themselves to the homesick troops. When shillings and half-crowns were plentiful, they were spent on Old Bushmills or Johnny Jameson's Irish Whiskey with a Guiness Stout chaser.

About this time the Battalion was given a unique opportunity to demonstrate the British floating Bailey bridge. The European theater brass believed the bridge was fine for dry gap work, but took too long to erect in its floating mode. Colonel Loveland, with the Chief Engineer's office, thought differently. He was instrumental in setting up the Wallingford Bridge School for Thames River water crossing training. Various British and Canadian Engineer units took timed cracks at the crossing. A company of the 1st Battalion of the 112th reduced a Canadian record time of three hours down to an unbelievable hour and 10 minutes. Then came the 2nd Battalion 112th's (107th) turn. After several days of hard practice, Company E went against the clock an turned in an astounding 42½ minute crossing (timing stopped when a 6 x 6 truck successfully negotiated the bridge).17 Impossible claimed the brass. Prove it! An with most of the tactical brass in the European Theater of Operations looking, on Company E did just that with a 40 minute crossing. Captain Cecil F. Clark, Company Commander and later Battalion Commander of the 146th Engineer Combat Battalion, treated the proud men of the unit to a keg of ale and a half day off. The success of the demonstration was the principal reason the floating Bailey bridge saw extensive use during the war.18

At this time, Colonel Ralph Loveland was relieved of command of the 107th. He was reassigned as the Corps Engineer. Lt. Colonel Loren W. Jenkins assumed active command and led the Battalion throughout the remainder of the war. An officer of unusual ability, Lt. Colonel Jenkins had been a First Lieutenant in Company A (Escanaba) when the Regiment was mobilized in 1940!15 Fate soon struck the 107th again. Much to the chagrin of the Michiganders, on June 1, 1942, the 107th was joined with the 112th Engineer Battalion of Ohio. They combined to make the 112th Engineer Combat Regiment. The 112th became the 1st Battalion and the 107th the 2nd Battalion.16 The 112th gained ascendancy as its lineage dated to the Civil War. The 107th officially had no lineage. Even the links to the 107th of World War I were not yet official. As a result of the reorganization, all of the official records gave credit for the 107th's work to the 112th Regiment. It was a cruel blow to the proud men of the Battalion.

On August 11, 1942, Company F, 112th Engineers was transferred to the North African Theater of Operations.

It was a sad departure from Ulster. Duty called. The 112th Regiment was transferred to England via a ferry movement to Scotland. With a train transfer to Wiltshire, England, they arrived at a fine British Army camp.

On September 7, 1942, the Company was attached to the Allied Security Command and moved to Glasgow Scotland. They arrived on November 23.19 There they immediately embarked for Algiers, North Africa. Landing on December 6, 1942, they occasionally came in contact with the enemy while

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company E, 107th Engineer Regiment for a brief period at For Dix. At the same time, both the 112th and 254th Battalions were organized into the new group. Then the 146th Engineer (C) Battalion (Kentucky National Guard) was attached. The treadway bridge, light pontoon bridge and light equipment companies were the basic organization of the 1121st Engineer (C) Group throughout the war.

conducting various security and reconnaissance missions. On January 25, 1944, the Company was designated as 522nd Engineer Company. Later the unit fought in Italy and eventually was organized into the Regular Army. Currently the Company is stationed at the Armored School at Fort Knox, Kentucky, as the School Engineer Company.20 For the next year, the 2nd Battalion of the 112th (the old 107th) was engaged in intensive training and construction projects in the north of Ireland. This included additional depot work. However, another game of musical chairs was in store for the Battalion.

Engineer Combat Groups are interesting outfits. An organization first used in this war. The purpose of the organization was to make available more skills than could be supplied by the old style Combat Regiment. At the same time, they were a flexible organization that was intended to promote a more efficient use of manpower than was before possible. A Regiment consisted of two fixed Battalions. In the Engineer Combat Group the only fixed component was the Headquarters staff, consisting of 17 officers and 64 men. When the Corps gives it a job to do, the Headquarters does all the planning (and design if any). The various types of special units at its disposal are called in. Usually there are three to five Battalions and a number of special companies; dump truck, bridging, topographic, heavy equipment, etc. The Group may, and probably will, be handling a number of different jobs at once.

On August 19, 1943, at Saunton Sands Camp Braunton, England, the Battalion was designated as the 254th Engineer Combat Battalion. It was under this designation that the 107th would fight through the remainder of the war. The Battalion now consisted of Headquarters and Headquarters Company plus three letter companies. They had a total strength of 29 officers, 3 warrant officers and 632 enlisted men (authorized).21 Why the Battalion was not designated as the 107th has never been made clear! The 112th Regimental Commander (later the Commander of the 1121st Engineer Group) stated that they were the 'best construction unit I saw during the war. They were a well disciplined, highly competent combat Engineer unit, whom it was a pleasure and a honor to command.' 22

The group can be 'tailor-made' for any mission it is assigned. The setup is like a general contractor-subcontractor arrangement. The headquarters is the general contractor, and the Battalions and Companies are the subcontractors, called in when needed. Incidentally, the group concept is also applied to general service Regiments. This provided the sought-after flexibility and wide use of special skills.23

The Regimental Headquarters of the 112th was organized into 1121st Engineer (C) Group Headquarters. Colonel Robert K. McDonough (West Point) was the group commander. Lt Colonel Gerald Feidt was the Group Executive Officer. Incidentally, Colonel Feidt was Company commander of

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Constructing the assault-training center near Slapton Sands. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

were extremely realistic. The buildings were exact duplicates of German fortifications known to exist at Normandy. The sites for the centers were carefully chosen. It was a must that they resemble the Normandy beaches.

From September through October of 1943, the 254th (old 107th) was actively engaged. Along with support from other units, they were constructing an assault-training center at both the sand dunes on the West Atlantic coast of Cornwall at Barnstable and on the east coast at Slapton Sands. These facilities

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Company B pouring concrete for a training pillbox. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

Africa, was in reality the old 107th Company C. When the 254th was formed from the 112th's 2nd Battalion, it was short Company C. In the reorganization, Companies A and B were broken down for cadre and personnel for the new Company C. All of which left the new 254th terribly shorthanded! Platoon Sergeants acted as Platoon Leaders due to a shortage of officers.

Included in the assault training center were roads, bridges concrete walls, landing craft mock-ups, pillboxes, assault courses, wire entanglements, demolition courses and various special mockups.24 The amount of material used by the Battalion was staggering. The men poured 3,800 cubic yards of concrete; used 90,000 board feet of lumber and strung nearly 1,800 miles of barbed wire! Later, numerous U.S. infantry units assaulted the mockups. They used artillery preparation, strafing, and live ammo as the final rehearsal for the Normandy invasion.25

Following the completion of the training center, the Battalion maintained it. This included site support for the infantry units when they cycled through the courses. Additionally, repair of live fire damage had to be conducted at night. The next day all courses had to be operational! There were 53 separate ranges. The work volume was immense.26

Remarkably, the assault training center project was accomplished when the Battalion was nearly 30% under strength! Company F of the 112th Regiment that went to North

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In November, the Battalion was relieved from V Corps assignment. They found themselves assigned to the First Army. The 146th Engineer Battalion assumed the training center mission. After a motor march to Nequay, Cornwall, the Battalion began an arduous training program. This included mine warfare, assaulting fortified positions, river crossing operations, gun and crew training, roadblocks, chemical warfare, night operations, and landing craft embarkation.

directly attached to V Corps. The platoon served as a special security guard for the Corps. They went ashore during the first wave of the invasion.28 NORMANDY AND HEDGEROWS Late in the afternoon of June 7, the Battalion, less one platoon from Company A, was loaded into LCT's (Landing Craft Transport) at Southampton. By June 8, they were ashore at Normandy. There they were engaged in general combat Engineering tasks. This work was performed under enemy sniper fire. The Battalion was tasked to: blow obstacles, repair vital roads, and breach and clear minefields. This was a difficult period. Although the Battalion came ashore in one of the later waves and didn't 'storm the beaches in a ‘deadly hail of enemy bullets,' they did soon come under heavy fire.

Earlier, the Battalion was under strength. Now new replacements arrived. The Battalion was now 19% over strength in officers and 10% in enlisted men. Company A was also assigned an additional task. The removal of 6,000 British mines on the Thurlestone beaches. The mines had originally been laid as a defensive measure against an expected German invasion. Because of deterioration, the mines were reduced to an ultra sensitive condition. It was while removing the mines that the Battalion took some of the first American casualties in the European Theater.27

As Corps Engineers, the 254th was under the effective control of the 1121st Engineer Combat Group. During the Normandy Beach assault, each of the Group Engineer Battalions were assigned a different task in the Corps area. The 146th Engineer Battalion had the job of clearing underwater obstacles. This was to allow the assault landing craft to reach the beach safely. The 112th Engineer Battalion was to clear the beach area of any mines. These two Battalions suffered many casualties going in ahead of the infantry. The 254th was considered the best of the three Battalions and therefore given the most critical task, of constructing vital bridges across the Isigny causeway. This facilitated the link-up of the reinforcing units, with the airborne assault troops.

It was business as usual for the Battalion until March 23, 1944. It received an alert order for Operation Overlord, the invasion to Fortress Europe. Training for the Battalion stepped into high gear. The V Corps Headquarters was pleased with the progress. They were especially impressed with the high interest displayed by the troops and by their excellent sense of duty. Morale was very high, in spite of the fact that 50 percent of the men had been overseas for more than two years. The prospect of action against the enemy had given new meaning to training.

The battlefront situation was critical in the hours and days that followed. Obstacles impeded the flow of supplies and troops. These obstacles included cratered roads and

On May 16, Companies B and C left Newquay for the invasion marshalling area. A day later one platoon from Company A was 67

destroyed bridges. Directly between the V Corps area (Omaha Beach) and the VIll Corps area (Utah Beach) was a destroyed bridge over the river Vire. The retreating Germans had completely destroyed the stone superstructure. Fortunately, the foundation was still sound. Motivated by the urgency of the situation, one Company of the 254th built a 70-foot, class 40 Bailey bridge over the old abutments. This was done in record time. During this construction, they were being subjected to sporadic enemy small arms fire and raging artillery fire.

Engineer tasks. They blew hedgerows, filled road craters, and cleared minefields. At 0400 hours on July 16, the order came down for the Battalion to reorganize as infantry. They were to move to the front lines to take part in the famous Battle of Saint Lo. There they occupied hedgerow foxhole positions vacated by the First Battalion, 9th Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. The Battalion had a mile long front opposed by elements of the elite 5th German Parachute Division. The Battalion's mission was to hold their front and deliver preplanned heavy machine gun fire into the enemy. They were to hold important road junctions. This happed while adjacent units of the 9th Infantry attacked in a wide pincer movement on their right and left flanks. It was a small part of the breakthrough to spring General Patton's armored units loose out of the beachhead.

Later the Battalion upgraded the bridge to a class 70. This was to handle the increased load of armor units reinforcing the front. Eventually, the Bailey was replaced with a permanent timber I-beam bridge. Construction of the timber replacement bridge was anything but easy. Being a tidal river, the Vire's depth varied from five to eighteen feet. Other than at the ebb, the current was always heavy. The primarily rock river bottom proved extremely difficult to drive the bent piles into. The constant blasting progress was slow. In the end the Engineers were successful.

While the machine gun crews were busy, the remainder of the Battalion was largely employed in probing the German front. They were to determine the enemy strength, positions and if they were withdrawing. During much of the time, the enemy shelled the Battalion's positions with artillery and mortar fire. They swept them with machine gun and small arms fire. The enemy fire, along with numerous s-mines, accounted for 8 killed in action (KIA). 22 men were also wounded in action (WIA). Here, Private Ernest Zanen of Company B became the Battalion's first KIA during the war.

By late June, the Battalion was again building bridges. They built four class 40 bridges over the L'Aure Interfievre under enemy fire. These were desperately needed to bring ammunition resupply to the sorely pressed 115th Infantry Regiment. The 29 Infantry Division Commander gave them an oral commendation for the rapid construction of these bridges under such difficult conditions. Later, three of these bridges were replaced with ones the Battalion captured from the retreating Germans.

The Battalion returned to their bivouac sites 'sadder, wiser, dog-tired and with much greater respect for the Queen of Battle, The Infantry’. 29 They were relieved of the infantry mission on July 28.

The 254th changed bivouacs frequently. They continued to accomplish normal

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A triple single Bailey Bridge. (Credit: National Archives.)

Divisions. Missions included repairing an arch bridge, bridging dry gaps with captured bridge equipment, and road maintenance.

From August 1 - 9, the 254th operated in close support of the rapidly advancing 35th Division. Coming up to the winding River Vire once more, the Battalion built an 80-foot double single Bailey bridge and four treadway bridges. These allowed the Division to cross the river. The Engineers were again in front of the unit they supported. During this period, routine tasks such as repair of road craters and sweeping roads for mines were continuously performed. The 1121st August rapidly

On August 20, the 254th was again under the 1121st Group. They were in support of the 4th and 90th Divisions. This period saw very rapid movement forward. Engineer missions increased. Work in removing obstacles and maintaining the roads grew. They also had the familiar job of minesweeping. The Battalion's water points were constantly being shifted to keep up with the rapidly advancing units. During the month of August alone, over 234,110 gallons were pumped.

Battalion was detached from the Group to the 1171st Group from 10 – 19. They were to support the advancing 2nd and 29th Infantry

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One of the many water point locations. (Credit: National Archives.)

Notice the 'snortin bull' sign.

During August, one platoon of Company B was attached to the 102nd Calvary. The Cav kept in close contact with the retreating enemy. The Engineers were divided into small groups to support the Calvary's different columns. They had the job of clearing mines in front of the attacking tanks!

Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. In addition to the expected road repair, the 254th also repaired two bridges at LaFere. They shifted on from the 8th in general support of the 4th Infantry Division. A treadway bridge at Fumay was repaired and later removed by Company A.

The Battalion entered Paris in support of the 4th French Armored Division. Unlike World War I, their duty was to clear enemy obstacles and recon bridges.31 The pursuit of the disorganized enemy was rapid.

On September 11, the Battalion was under the direct control of the V Corps Engineers. They were to repair roads and bridges for the 5th Armored Division. Briefly, two officers and 41 enlisted men were attached to the V Corps Military Government Police Battalion.

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The 254th was constantly being shifted from unit to unit. They were used as reinforcements for any difficult Engineering task facing the Divisions within the V Corps. This was typical throughout the end of the war. In fact, it is the same mission assigned to the Battalion today!

The Battalion was directly attached to the 5th Armored Division on September 15. They were assigned to work under the direction of the Commanding Officer of the 22nd Armored Engineer Battalion. The Engineers destroyed 43 enemy pillboxes. In the process, they captured 103 enemy prisoners. These were part of the Siegfried Line, in the vicinity of Wallendorf, Germany. They also

During the early part of September 1944, the Battalion was in support of the 8th 70

constructed a class-40 timber bridge across the Our River. 24 feet of Treadway Bridge, including approaches, were also constructed at Niedersgegen, Germany. This marked the 254th's first entry into Germany.

A Sherman tank crossing a timber trestle bridge built by the Battalion. (Credit: National Archives.)

19th, enemy Engineers prepared charges and attempted to demolish the bridge. Fortunately, the men from company B drove them off.

On the morning of the 22nd, the enemy destroyed a timber bridge and mined the approaches. An American vehicle was destroyed by one of the mines and blocked the road. Under the leadership of Captain Ames Minor, Company B responded. They removed the vehicle and cleared the mines. This action allowed the armor to move through. All the work was performed under sharp small arms fire. For his gallantry, Captain Minor received the Silver Star.

A stronger effort by the enemy was expected. The bridge was critical. The entire Battalion was ordered to Wallendorf with the mission of protecting the bridge. The Battalion dug hasty positions on the hill above the river and town. During the night of the 20th, the enemy again made a strong attack on the bridge. The enemy was supported with mortar and heavy machine gun fire. Company C received the worst of the enemy onslaught, suffering 14 casualties. But the determined resistance drove the Germans away. They kept the bridge intact!

While attached to the 5th Armored Division, elements of the Battalion came into frequent enemy contact. The situation at the front was so unstable that security had not been posted along the FEBA (Forward Edge of the Battle Area). Enemy units often infiltrated during the dark night.

On September 22, the Battalion was relieved from the 5th Armored Division. They were now with the 1121st Group. They were under alert for infantry reorganization. The brief attachment to the 5th Armored was a

On the nights of September 18 and 19, one platoon of Company B was ordered to guard a bridge built by Company A at Wallendorf. In the predawn hours of the

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costly one. casualties.

These were items of increasing importance to the unit. The Battalion's three water points broke all previous records, pumping 732,026 gallons!

The 254th suffered 31 combat

Ironically, the Germans did finally blow the hotly contested Wallendorf Bridge, but only after the 254th turned its protection over to the 28th Infantry Division.32

Road maintenance was always a Battalion mission and although it isn't glamorous, it was vital. When the roads weren't passable, the advance stopped. Nothing moved, infantry or armor! It is difficult to imagine just how much road the Battalion maintained. In October it was a mere 109 miles. In September events moved so fast, no accurate estimate could be made!

October was a comparatively quiet month for the Battalion. The 254th was back in support of the 4th Division (under the direction of the 1121st Group). The primary work was road maintenance. Additionally, they filled craters, dug ditches, constructed minor bridging, and installed culverts. Unit trucks and drivers were organized into Provisional Truck Companies. They were detailed for transportation support to other units. The last part of the month saw selected men receive training in heavy float bridging, along with mines and booby traps.

The maintenance of roads required a close and adequate supply of rock and gravel. The Battalion operated its own shale and rock quarry! The quarry produced over 5,200 cubic yards. The amount was used by the 254th for road maintenance.33

A replacement timber bridge built next to a Bailey Bridge. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

AAA Group and conducted miscellaneous roadwork.

Most of November passed quickly. The 254th operated in support of the 4th and 99th Infantry Divisions. Heavy rains washed out two bridges near Wirtzfeld. A major task was to replace these with class 40 timber bridges. They also dug emplacements for the 11th

While bivouacked in an area termed 'Buzz Bomb Alley', a disaster occurred on November 29. At 9 p.m., a German V-1 'Buzz Bomb' came thundering and roaring into the 72

Battalion area. It exploded at treetop height in the center of the Company C, Headquarters and Service Company Command Posts. Large trees were uprooted and splintered like matchsticks. Shacks in which personnel had been living were leveled and torn to bits. Tents and tarps were ripped and punctured from flying debris. An impromptu lighting system, utilizing a captured German generator, was destroyed. This forced the medics to work on the injured in the dark. Miraculously, no one was killed. 25 men were evacuated to the hospital and 42 received lesser wounds.34

the road junction of St. Vith and bivouc roads in Bullingen. The line companies dug in on the south and west side of the town. The rear echelon, under the command of Captain Reginald Fairfax of Headquarters and Service Company, moved to the rear in the vicinity of Warmes, Belgium. By 6 a.m. the forward units were in position. Company C was in the north, A in the center and B in the south. The movement to battle forced the men to evacuate their comfortable ‘dug-in-forthe-winter’ bivouac positions. As usual, the move was done in the dark of night. As soon as the Battalion established the command post (CP) at Bullingen, other units of the 254th were notified of the situation. Runners were sent to locate the tanks and tank destroyers they were suppose to protect. When the runners returned, they reported none could be found! Regardless, the Battalion's mission was to defend and defend they would!

THE BULGE The Battalion earned its bread and butter as an Engineer unit. However, it was as infantry that it experienced its finest hour. This was in the action that was later called the 'Battle of the Bulge.' At midnight, December 16, the Battalion command post received a message from the 1121st Group. The Group put the 254th on a two-hour alert for an infantry mission. They directed the Battalion Commander to report to the G-3, 99th Infantry Division. Lt. Colonel Jenkins left at once. The roads were jammed with traffic, mostly light tanks and AAA (AntiAircraft Artillery). Lt. Colonel Jenkins couldn't report until 1 a.m. on the 17th.

All around the 254th's positions swirled the confused American Army. They were fleeing from the unexpected German onslaught. Company B brought one straggler into the CP, a sergeant from a tank destroyer unit. He reported that he had escaped from the enemy after being captured near Honsfeld. The wild-eyed NCO reported that enemy armor was headed to Bullingen in full strength. He had counted 12 German tanks and could hear more!

The G-3 briefed the Commander that the enemy breakthrough occurred to the southeast. The axis of advance was up to the Honsfeld - Bullingen highway. The 254th was to move immediately to form a defensive line south and east of Bullingen, Belgium. Their mission was to protect U.S. tanks and tank destroyers. The vehicles were clogging the area roads.

A while later, a Lieutenant from a tank destroyer outfit came into the CP to warm up. When questioned, he replied he had a platoon of armored infantry with him in halftracks. When further questioned where his own CP was, he replied, 'I'm mobile. The Germans are coming and I'm leaving.' With that comment, he left.

When the Commander returned, the Battalion was formed into two echelons. The forward echelon set up a command post at 73

At approximately 6 a.m., four flares, blue, white, red and white appeared to the right of Company B. Five minutes later, tracked vehicles could be heard approaching. Since the noise could be from friendly units front of the Engineer's positions, fire was held. In spite of the dark, armored vehicles could be seen moving towards the waiting Engineers. When shouts in German were heard, there was no longer doubt. The 254th opened fire with rifles, grenade launchers and machine guns. Immediately, German infantry leaped from the Panzers and half-tracks. The vehicles withdrew. The German infantry pressed their attack forward. Before being driven back, they stormed to within 15 yards of the Battalion's positions! Later, the Germans were identified as part of the elite 9th Parachute Division and 1st SS Panzer Division!

'Snake' Senical. But the men stayed in their foxholes. They waited for the fearsome tanks to pass through. The men then delivered a deadly fire on the approaching infantry. Their fire was too intense. The German infantry withdrew. The enemy then maneuvered around the Company's flank. In the desperate fighting, one Panzer was knocked out by bazooka fire and two more damaged. The area forward of the position was littered with dead and wounded infantry. Simultaneously, Mark IV enemy tanks drove Battalion Headquarters out of Bulligen. The Battalion was overrun. The G-3 of the 99th Division ordered them to fight a delaying action. They were to fall back on Butgenbach. Company C, the northern most unit, was ordered to fight out of town, northwest along the railroad tracks. Company A back towards Wirtzfeld. Company B and Headquarters down the Bullingen-Butgenbach road. This all was easier said than done!

Twenty minutes later, the German infantry again charged forward. They were now under the close support of their tanks. Large caliber shells exploded on the hastily dug in Engineers. 20mm rounds and machine gun fire swept their positions. Despite the heavy fire, the Battalion again repulsed the surging German infantry. In both attacks, the Germans suffered heavy losses. This was due to the sustained and accurate fire of the men of the 254th.

After a sharp action, Company C managed to fight its way through the town to new positions north of Bullingen. During the fight, the unit had been cut in two. Many of those that reached the new position arrived in groups of 'two and three’. Many others were killed or captured! Company A, through a communications problem, hadn't received the order to move. Since the unit was still holding its original positions, it stayed in place.

There was a brief delay of ten minutes before the Germans renewed their attack. It was just enough time for the Battalion to evacuate its wounded. The dawn was now breaking.

Company B, however, had a far more difficult time. When the Germans overran the Battalion, the unit was cut off and consequently couldn't be withdrawn from the Bullingen-Butgenback road. They simply disappeared in the German surge.

The third German assault surged forward like a firestorm. A dozen heavy Panzers and Tiger Tanks led this assault. Since the 254th had no anti-tank weapons, the tanks swept on and over-ran Company B's positions. They crushed two machine guns along with Company B's fine Platoon Sergeant Charles

Headquarters and Service Company was able to quickly form a new defensive line 74

west of the town. To give the appearance of having more strength than it actually did, men were constantly shifted from position to position!

his Company and successfully rejoined the Battalion. They were withdrawn to Camp Elsenborn to reorganize. The Battalion was given the mission of digging defensive positions. They dug slit trenches, gun emplacements and emplaced barbed wire entanglements. The job was done in record time during the foul winter conditions. Doubtlessly, they were urged by the German shelling of the area! The Battalion prepared obstacles including minefields, craters and abatis(timber obstacles.) Since the enemy advance was halted, none of these were executed.

The 254th Battalion Headquarters used any and all available men to hold the new line. This included cooks, drivers, clerks, and a motley collection of stragglers from the 99th Division Headquarters. They were also joined by two tank destroyers. The Headquarters line was clearly visible from the town. When the German lead vehicles arrived around 8 a.m., they recognized the line of positions. The Germans turned south on the St. Vith road. The Battalion mission of turning the enemy advance was achieved!

The Battalion rear echelon didn't get away without a scratch. During the heat of the action, German panzers drove them out of Waimes. They forced the rear echelon to move to Spa.35

After working their way through the woods, two platoons of Company B reached the Headquarters positions around noon. As soon as the men were positioned into the new line, three mobile anti-tank guns from the 612th Tank Destroyer Battalion moved into the hastily defended line. The tank destroyers immediately opened fire.

The 254th had taken a terrible beating in personnel and equipment. However, their tenacity in blocking the German advance had prevented the capture of important supply dumps. They had saved the vital north shoulder of the Bulge. They prevented a drive into Liege, Belgium. It was the action of the Michigan Engineers that destroyed the German timetable. This allowed the subsequent defense of the Bulge to be successful.36 For their furious combat without support and against overwhelming odds, the 254th received the U.S. Distinguished Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star.37 The cost, however, was high. There were 28 casualties and 54 men missing in action. For their gallantry during the battle, three members of the Battalion received Silver Stars. 11 more were awarded Bronze Stars.38 Fifty German soldiers were also captured during this action.

The Germans saw the danger of the Engineer’s line. They brought up artillery and swept the positions with shellfire. At 1 p.m., under the cover of several arriving light tanks, the Engineers slipped out of their positions. They established a new line at the crossroads. At 3 p.m., the 26th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division quickly moved up from a rear rest area to relieve the Battalion. Company A was still holding the original forward positions. They had been by-passed by the advancing enemy. Now they were subjected to shelling and strafing by their own troops. The unit was so far forward that everyone thought they were Germans. Under his own authority, the commander withdrew

Mostly due to battle losses, the Battalion was operating about 15% under strength in

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base. Over 1,100 yards of corduroy were eventually constructed. Additional jobs included clearing several minefields, destroying enemy pillboxes and bunkers and removing enemy demolition charges for an abatis.40 In another mission, Company B removed 2,375 pounds of enemy charges from two railroad bridges in Rotgen. An odd mission required Company A to construct a special ramp. This allowed the unloading of heavy artillery tractors from railroad flatcars.

January. The Battalion was now engaged in routine road maintenance. Recent heavy snowfalls forced the men to use D-7 dozers to plow some sections of the MSR (Main Supply Route). They also cleared airstrips and dug artillery emplacements. The 254th had another encounter with a V1 'Buzz Bomb.' On January 1, one struck 300 yards south of the CP (Command Post). Luckily, there were no casualties. It only burned. It didn't explode. The same day a German fighter (ME 109) crashed and burned next to the Company A area. Although the bombs on the burning aircraft exploded, no one was injured.39

During part of the advance, a roadblock was encountered on a hairpin curve at Dedenborn near the Roer River Dams. This roadblock consisted of large craters in depth. Company C breached one crater with rock blown from the cliffs above it. They bridged the next one with 70-feet of class 40 Bailey bridge. The curve was extremely tight. Great difficulty was experienced in getting the Bailey material into the site.

During most of February, the Battalion operated in close support of the 78th Infantry Division. The 78th was advancing through large sections of the once impregnable Siegfried Line. They required not only normal MSR road maintenance, but also sweeping roads and shoulders for mines. The cold weather had caused severe frost heaves. Special attention to the roads was needed. In some critical points, the road was impassable and required a new corduroy

The Battalion did have enemy contact. While on a reconnaissance mission at the Dedenborn roadblock, an eight man enemy patrol was surprised and captured! 41

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To bridge the Rhine River the Battalion built the 1,370-foot Victor Bridge and set a record that still stands for the longest tactical floating bridge ever constructed. (Credit: Battalion Archives.)

bridge construction took a mere 12 hours. There was a two-hour delay waiting for material! In the process they constructed world's longest tactical floating bridge. At 1,370 feet, it stood as a marvel of combat Engineering. The bridge saw extremely heavy use. Within five days of its completion, 6,378 vehicles had crossed. Along with the normal traffic, various convoys including many Sherman and medium tanks crossed the bridge.42

BRIDGING THE RHINE The battalion came to the forefront of history in March of 1945. The advancing Allied armies arrived at the wide barrier of the Rhine River. On the near side were the Allies, on the far side were the Germans and in between stood the river. It was a nearly impossible obstacle. The bridge at Remagen had been captured. Unfortunately, its' half destroyed condition and imminent collapse prevented its use as a supply line. The only choice was to build bridges. One of the bridge missions fell on the 254th.

In England, the 254th had practiced until they were able to construct the floating bridge at a rate of 220 feet in 42 minutes. Actual bridge construction started early in the morning on March 22 when Company B

The Battalion performed admirably. They bridged the Rhine at Niedersbrseig (Honningen) in less than 14 hours. Actual 77

installed the critically important upstream cable.43

‘Victor Bridge’ to pursue the ever-changing front.

Two days before, Company A had started building the approach roads. They did much of the work at night with searchlights borrowed from a tank Battalion.

March could be called the 'month of bridges' for the men of the 254th. Besides the world record ‘Victor Bridge’, they also built a 110 foot triple single Bailey bridge and two 80-foot double singles over the Urft and Oleg rivers at Germund. A 110-foot double single reinforced to a class 40 was also built over the Weid River at Neiderbreit. This bridge had a unique use of a timber bent. Sufficient bridging material was unavailable to construct a ‘pure’ bridge of the proper classification.

The work of actually constructing the bridge proceeded rapidly. The material was supplied by the 990th, 994th and 998th Engineer Treadway Bridge Companies and Detachment 1 of the 508 Engineer Light Pontoon Company.44 Heavy interference by the enemy was expected. To prevent this, the airspace above the bridge site was well guarded by patrolling Allied fighters. An entire Battalion of infantry was also used to secure the ground. Fortunately, all the enemy was able to muster was an occasional round of artillery or mortar fire on the far shore.

The previously mentioned 110-foot Bailey at the Oleg River caused some special problems. Before and after the destruction of the original bridge, the near and far banks of the river were heavily mined with both Riegel and Teller mines. These mines were now embedded in the pavement of the approaches. They were now covered with debris. Because of the reinforcing steel construction of the original bridge, mine detectors were useless. Hand probing and clearing was necessary. When it was thought that all mines were cleared, the new Bailey was built. Unfortunately, five hours later, an explosion occurred under one of the near shore base plates. A medium tank was in the middle of the bridge. The bridge buckled in the center and the approaches were damaged. The Engineers salvaged a potentially disastrous situation. They first repaired the approaches and then erected a 24-foot treadway span over the damaged Bailey center. Soon, the critical bridge was again open for traffic.46

When the bridge was nearly threequarters complete, disaster occurred. The entire bridge was almost lost. The upstream cable sagged due to the heavy current. Several of the kedge anchors were accidentally installed over the sagging cable. When the cable was drawn taut, the anchors pulled loose. The bridge threatened to break away. Fortunately, several Navy LCVP's were available. They were able to secure the snaking bridge back into position until repairs were made.45 When completed, the center pontoons had a mere ten inches of freeboard. Roundthe-clock maintenance was required to keep the structure operational. Crossing armor units were a special problem as they continually attempted to accelerate. This resulted in damage to the anchors and treadway. The Battalion only stayed with their marvelous bridge for a short period. A day after its’ completion, they crossed the

In addition to their bridging, they also found time to maintain 190 miles of road, supervise the removal of roadblocks by civilian laborers, destroy two enemy

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ammunition dumps and remove numerous minefields.

The '254th Railroad' hauled a variety of freight. To the front they carried gas, oil, and food. This was critical to stabilize and bring a degree of order to a country ravaged by war.48 To the rear went German and liberated Allied POW's.

March also saw a much-deserved honor for the Battalion when Lt. Colonel Jenkins was awarded the French Croix de Guerre 'for exceptional services rendered in operations for the liberation of France.' 47 During this critical period from December to March, Major Jesse D. Kelsay, a Regular Army Master Sergeant, was the Battalion Executive Officer. Major Albert Wynot, was its' S-3 (Operations) Officer.

The Battalion eventually finished the war in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, as part of Patton's Third Army. There they supervised German POW's clearing the city of bomb debris and restoring utilities. The 254th was one of the first units to meet the Soviet Army. While the Americans occupied the western part of Pilsen, the Russians occupied the eastern part.

April saw the men of the Battalion rapidly moving forward. They pushed their way through the destruction of war. Since they were Engineers, they also had the job of sorting the mess out.

On May 7, 1945, the Germans surrendered. For many units, their jobs stopped with the fighting; for the Engineers there was no such luck. They had time for a brief celebration. Then, they went back to work as usual!

They performed reconnaissance on railroads; searched bypassed villages and towns for enemy troops; cleared mines; received surrendering Germans; destroyed recently captured ammo supplies; transported newly freed Allied prisoners; guarded a local winery; and operated a 134 mile long railroad!

After a week of duty in Pilsen, the Battalion was ordered to make a three-day motor march to Maille-LeCamp, France. There it immediately went to work constructing one of several redeployment camps. Known as Camp Lucky Strike, its purpose was to sort personnel. From there, units and troops were sent back to the states or to the Far East where there was unfinished business with the Japanese!

The railroad job started on April 16, 1945. It lasted until April 30. The Battalion had the mission of repairing and operating the railway. The railway ran from Killeda to Naumberg. It was later extended westward to Muhlhausen and eastward to Leipzig.

Again, it was German POW's doing the heavy bull work. They were supervised by the Battalion and guarded by Polish displaced soldiers. It was here that some of the 'high point' 254th veterans were transferred to the 234th Engineer Combat Battalion. They were now under the command of Lt. Colonel Philip C. Satterthwaite, the old Commander of Headquarters and Service Company in Louisiana!

They replaced rails, cleared track blockages and removed damaged engines. They also rolled stack and installed 1,790 feet of new track. The railroad stations were also repaired. They were ready to serve as railheads. Civilian laborers did most of the bull work. The actual operation of the railway was by civilian personnel. However, it was all under the supervision of the Battalion.

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On December 22, 1945, the Battalion was officially deactivated at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts. On December 10, 1946, the 107th designation was regained. The 254th and 107th were consolidated, reorganized and federally recognized as the 107th Engineer Combat Battalion Michigan Army National Guard. During World War II, the Battalion spent five and a half years on active duty. It completed eleven continuous months in a combat zone. It engaged in five campaigns from the Normandy beachhead to Central Europe. To commemorate these actions, the Battalion colors proudly carry campaign streamers for Normandy, Ardennes Alsace, Belgium, Rhineland, Northern France and Central Europe.

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CHAPTER VII Baraga, Calumet, Gladstone, Ironwood, Ishpeming, Kingsford, Iron River, Marquette, Manistique and Sault Ste. Marie.

POST WORLD WAR II Following the War, the Battalion was organized as the Division Engineer Battalion for the 46th Infantry Division, Michigan Army National Guard. As earlier with the famous 32nd Division, the Battalion was once again an integral part of a functional combat Division.

Today the Battalion organization is: 1

The Battalion's historic home station is officially the Upper Peninsula and it seems that at one time or another, has had units in most every major U.P. town to include:

HHC

Ishpeming

Company A

Calumet

Detatchment 1 Company A

Baraga

Company B

Ironwood

Detachment 1 Company B

Iron River

Company C

Gladstone

1437 Bridging Company

Sault Ste. Marie

As they were 40 years ago, the men of the Battalion are still proficient in erecting the Bailey Bridge. The bridge is still considered critical to the unit's mission. (Credit: SP4 Ron Hess.)

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Although the M4T6 raft is considered technologically obsolete, large stocks of the bridge assure its wartime use, and they require the 107th to continue to be proficient in its construction. (Credit: SP4 Hess.)

The Battalion Construction Section has a limited construction capability. Above they are assembling a steel warehouse at Camp Grayling. (Credit: SP4 Ron Hess.)

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The Battalion is still a 'combat' Battalion. After carefully installing the demolition charges, an Engineer squad 'cooks them off' and completely destroys a set of bridge abutments. (Credit: SP4 Ron Hess.)

To prepare for the State mission of riot control, annual civil disturbance exercises are held. (Credit: SP4 Ron Hess.) An Engineer squad installs a concertina wire barrier. (Credit: SP4 Ron Hess.)

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MOBILIZATIONS The Guard has always had a dual role, that of a reserve for the Army in time of National war and as a State force that the Governor can use in a variety of emergencies. The strike duty in the 1890's was a classic case in point. Following World War II, there have been a number of state activations. Those that follow are the most prominent: DECEMBER 26 - 29, OPERATION MONA LAKE As a result of an ice jam in the channel between Mona Lake, near Muskegon and Lake Michigan, nearby residents were threatened with severe flooding. The huge ice jam had blocked up 300,000,000 tons of excess water in the lake. The jam extended 400 feet out into the Lake Michigan. In some places was 10 to 12 feet thick. After a call-up by the Governor, the men of the Battalion placed 1,000 pounds of dynamite and ammonium nitrate into selected charge holes and blasted a clear channel into the open lake. The flooding was relieved and the operation a complete success.2

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Members of the Battalion on patrol in Detroit.

JULY 23 - AUGUST 6, 1967, DETROIT RIOTS The Battalion saw dangerous duty during the infamous Detroit Riots. Like nearly all of the Michigan National Guard, the 107th was just starting the second week of Annual Training when the order for the call-up came. After a long motor march to the city, the Battalion performed critical duties that eventually led to controlling the roving mobs. These mobs had been smashing, looting and setting fires. The men of the 107th rode fire trucks to protect them from sniper fire, protected vital utilities, guarded police stations and manned roadblocks. In many areas, the only buffer between rioting and order was the 107th! 3 NOVEMBER 13,1975, ONTONAGON WOOD CHIP FIRE Elements of the Battalion rendered vital support in battling a persistent fire in the wood chip piles of the Hoerner-Waldorf Company in Ontonagon. Fed by high winds, sparks from the fire endangered the entire town, threatening a repeat of the 1896 disaster.4 AUGUST 25 - OCTOBER 25,1976, GREAT SENEY FIRE

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The Battalion's longest activation was the Seney fire. The fire started by a lightening strike in the Manistique State Forest, just south of Seney Wildlife Refuge. As a result of extremely dry conditions and high winds, the fire eventually spread to the Seney Refuge, where it became a full-fledged forest fire. In spite of the full efforts of approximately 1,100 fire fighters from the State and Federal governments, the fire burned nearly 76,000 acres, making it the worst in Michigan in nearly 63 years! The 107th assumed the mission of forming a guard task force, providing critical motor transport for fire fighters into the fire area, feeding the entire crew, hasty combat construction of roads and bridges in the fire zone, and controlling guard helicopter assets for aerial inspection and monitoring. At the fire's height, 147 men of the 107th were on duty, and by fire's end, 550 men of the Battalion had seen fire duty.5 JANUARY 14 - 16, 1978, AU TRAIN ICE JAM The Battalion repeated its Mona Lake success in blasting ice jams again, now at the AuTrain River on Lake Superior's south shore. A severe lake gale had forced large blocks of ice into the mouth of the river, causing an ice jam that threatened to damage railway and highway bridges as well as caused inland flooding. Within hours of being activated, elements of the Battalion put 5,200 pounds of ammonium nitrate slurry in 116 charge holes to blast an underwater channel through ice windrows 30 feet thick. As with the Mona Lake mission, the results were successful.6

JANUARY 26 - 28, 1978, SNOW EMERGENCY During a heavy blizzard, elements of Headquarters Company and Company C rendered critical assistance to the citizens of their local communities. Guard trucks transported police, fire, hospital and other emergency personnel over roadways rendered impossible to other than clawing four-wheel drive heavy trucks.7

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A test shot determines the explosive charge requirements. (Credit: SP4 Ron Hess.)

The ice windrows at AuTrain frequently exceed 25 feet. The threatened M-28 highway bridge is in the upper left. (Credit: SP4 Ron Hess.)

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A helicopter delivers the demolition charges as the troops prepare 116 charge holes. (Credit: SP4 Ron Hess.)

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THE 107th ENGINEER HIGHWAY There are many unique ways of commemorating the accomplishments of an organization. Surely one of the most unique is the 107th Engineers Highway (M107). It runs from Silver City into the heart of Porcupine Mountains. In 1954, the highway was dedicated to memory of the 107th during a special ceremony. At approximately the midpoint of the seven-mile long highway stands a historic memorial to the organization. When the highway was dedicated, one veteran recalled that 'we like the thought that is small in length, but passed through a rugged terrain. It fits our outfit perfectly, as while we were small in numbers, we were big in rugged Engineering accomplishments.'

The memorial as it stands today. Inscribed on the plaque reads: “THE 107TH ENGINEER MEMORIAL HIGHWAY DEDICATED TO THE COMBAT ENGINEERS OF WORLD WAR 1 AND WORLD WAR 2 1954” (Credit: Sgt. Ross Stevens)

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The Griffin at the top symbolizes all units of the Michigan National Guard.

across the Rhine River and which was the longest tactical bridge built.

The colors are red and white, which are traditional of the Corps of Engineers. The figure at the top of the crest is, in Indian language, a calumet. It signifies our origin as the Calumet Light Guard. It also means peace pipe, war pipe or treaty pipe, and indicates the various conditions under which we have served.

The castle is taken from the design of the Spanish-American War Campaign Medal and is that of the Morro Castle, a famous Cuban landmark. It signifies our service during that War. The floral design is that of a fleur des lies...a design well known and used throughout France. It alludes to our service in France during World War I, when as a part of the 32nd 'Red Arrow' Division; we broke every line the Germans held.

The center design is symbolic of a floating treadway bridge. It represents our service in World War II and specifically refers to the Victor Bridge, which our organization built

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Our motto is a simple one. 'Good As Done.' It is how we accept each task given to us.

'107th SNORTIN' BULL' The famous 'Snortin Bull' typfies the hardworking, hard-fighting spirit of the Battalion. Originally designed by a member of the S-2 section during World War II, older versions carry the 254th logos. This example is a special version for the 107th Engineer Association.

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THE ENGINEER SONG A member of the unit wrote the Engineer song around WWII. Michigan Technological University subsequently adopted a similar version for their school song. It is sung to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. A rendition of it is a mandatory part of most every Battalion function especially reunions.

We are, we are, we are, we are, we are the Engineers. We can, we can, we can, we can demolish forty beers. So come, so come, so come, so come, so come along with us, for we don't give a damn for any old man who don't give a damn for us. Godiva was a lady who through Coventry did ride, a'showing all the villagers her lovely lily-white hide. But the most observant villager, an Engineer of course, was the only one who noticed that Godiva rode a horse. CHORUS I've come a long, long way she said and I would go as far for the man who'd take me off my horse and lead me to the bar. And the man who took her off her steed and led her to her beer was a blurry eyed surveyor and a drunken Engineer. CHORUS The Engineer and his lady were spooning in the park. The Engineer and his lady were spooning in the dark. His scientific manner was a wonder to behold for his left hand took the readings while his right hand turned the knobs. CHORUS We did a piss-poor job on the timber trestle bridge. We lost the fourth platoon out a'fighting on the ridge. We zeroed in our rifles with precision and with care, but when we fired for record Maggie's drawers were in the air. CHORUS The Engineers and the Infantry were downing a gallon can. The Infantry said to the Engineers, "Out-drink us if you can." The Infantry took three drinks and died, their faces a ghastly green. But the Engineers kept drinking, it was only gasoline. CHORUS My father was a miner on the Upper Malamute. My mother was a hostess in a house of ill repute. My brothers all were fairies and my sisters all were queers. So I told them all to go to hell and I joined the Engineers. CHORUS

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17 Mining Journal (Marquette), July 7, 1894.

CHAPTER ONE-FOOTNOTES

18 Ibid. 1 Calumet Light Guards, Our Boys in the SpanishAmerican War (Houghton: Gazette Company, 1900), pp. 5 - 11, 23 - 24, 38.

19 Ibid. 20 Ibid. 21 Mining Journal (Marquette), July 21, 1894.

2 Ibid. pp. 20-24.

22 Ibid.

3 United States Department of the Army, Lineage and Honors, 107th Engineer Battalion.

23 Mining Journal (Marquette), July 28, 1894. 4 Kenyon Boyer, 'Early Military Companies,' (unpublished radio talk for WDMJ, Marquette, Michigan, March 4, 1956), no pagination indicated.

24 Letter, to Major Winthrop Alexander, October 21, 1896, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182.

5 Mining Journal (Marquette), June 4, 1892. 25 Mining Journal (Marquette), July 28, 1894; Ironwood News-Record, July 28, 1894.

6 Boyer, 'Early Military.' n.p.

26 Mining Journal (Marquette), May 4,1895; Telegram, William S. Green, Adjutant General, to Colonel B.S. Kaufman, May 2, 1895, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182; Telegram, William S. Green, Adjutant General, to Captain Ball, May 2, 1895, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182.

7 Mining Journal (Marquette), June 4, 1892. 8 Ibid. 9 Boyer, 'Early Military.' n.p. 10 Letter, William S. Green, Adjutant General to Brigadier General Charles King, August 29, 1895, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 1132.

27 Kenyon Boyer, 'Early Strikes in the Marquette County Area,' (unpublished radio talk for WDMJ, Number 245, Volume 111, June 26, 1959), p. 5.

11 Letter, G.W. Green, Assistant General to Colonel Frank B. Lyons, June 11, 1892, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182.

28 Boyer, 'Early Strikes,' p. 6. 29 Boyer, 'Early Strikes,' p. 6.

12 Kenyon Boyer, 'Early military Companies,' (unpublished radio talk for WDMJ, Marquette, Michigan, March 4, 1956), no pagination indicated.

30 Boyer, 'Early Strikes,' p. 6. 31 Telegram, W.W. Cook, Assistant Adjutant General, to John Broad, Sheriff of Marquette County, August 31, 1895, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File Volume 182.

13 Telegram, Charles S. Eaton, Adjutant General, to Colonel F.B. Lyons, July 3, 1894, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182.

32 Telegram, W.W. Cook, Assistant Adjutant General, to Governor Rich, August 31, 1895, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182; Telegram, W.W Cook, Assistant Adjutant General, to Colonel F.B. Lyon, August 31, 1895, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182.

14 Telegram, Charles S. Eaton, Adjutant General, to Captain W.S. Winslow, July 3, 1894, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182. 15 Telegram, C.S. Eaton, Adjutant General to Captains E.S. Gierson, Chester, Millan and Ball, July 3, 1894, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182.

33 Telegram, W.W. Cook, Assistant Adjutant General, to Colonel F. B. Lyon, August 1895, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182.

16 Telegram, W.W. Cook, Assistant Adjutant General, to Colonel J. E. Fymell, July 3, 1894, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182.

34 Telegram, J.J. Rich, Governor, to Robert Miller, General Superintendent M.C.R.R., August 31, 1895,

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Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182; Telegram, W.W. Cook, Assistant Adjutant General, to Captain W.S. McArthur August 31, 1895, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182. 35 Telegram, W.W. Cook, Assistant Adjutant General, to Lt. Commander Gilbert Wilkes, August 31, 1895, Michigan State Archives, Military Letter File, Volume 182 36 Mining Journal (Marquette), September 7, 1895. 37 Ibid. 38 Mining Journal (Marquette), September 14, 1895. 39 Ibid. 40 Ibid. 41 Mining Journal (Marquette), September 16, 1895. 42 Ibid. 43 Boyer, 'Early Military,' p. 5. 44 Calumet Light Guards, Our Boys in the SpanishAmerican War (Houghton Gazette Company, 1900), p. 25. 45 Op cit. Our Boys, p. 25. 46 Op cit. Our Boys, p. 32. 47 Op cit. Our Boys, p. 32. 48 Robert W. Wells, Daylight in the Swamp. (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Co., 1978).

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22 Op cit. Descriptive Rolls, n.p. CHAPTER TWO – FOOTNOTES 23 Camp Alger was named for Russell A. Alger, the current Secretary of the Army and a Michigan native. Alger County was also named for him.

1 Robert Leckie, The Wars of America (New York: Harper & Row, 1967).

24 Ironwood News, May 5, 1898. 25 Annual Reports of the War Department (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1898), p. 357.

2 Letter, to Charles C. Phillips, Chairman, Military Investigating Committee, from the Assistant Adjutant General of Michigan, dated January 14, 1899. 3 Copper Country Evening News (Calumet), April 22, 1898.

26 Ibid, p. 357.

4 Ibid, April 24, 1898.

27 Ibid, p. 360.

5 Ibid. April 25, 1898.

28 Copper Country Evening News (Calumet), July 27, 1898.

6 Descriptive Roll of Company, Field and Staff, 34th Regiment, Michigan Infantry Volunteers, 1898 – 99

29 Op cit. Annual Report, p. 360. 30 Ibid.

7 Copper Country Evening News (Calumet), April 29, 1898.

32 Ibid. 8 Calumet Light Guards, Our Boys in the SpanishAmerican War (Houghton: Gazette Company, 1900), p. 7.

33 Daily Mining Journal (Marquette), May 2, 1914. 34 Letter, Pvt. John Miller to Mr. Joseph Bosch, dated August 14, 1898.

9 Ironwood News, May 21, 1898.

35 Ibid.

10 Copper Country Evening News (Calumet), April 17, 1898.

36 Ibid. 11 Ibid, April 29, 1898. 37 Our Boys, p. 5. 12 Ibid. 38 Our Boys, p. 5. 39 Our Boys, p. 13

13 Ibid, May 2, 1898. 14 Op cit. Descriptive Roll, n.p. 15 Copper Country Evening News (Calumet), May 9, 1898. 16 Ironwood News, May 5, 1898. 17 Copper Country Evening News (Calumet), May 10, 1898. 18 Ibid, May 14, 1898. 19 Op cit. Descriptive Roll, n.p. 20 Ironwood News, May 7, 1898. 21 Ibid, May 28, 1898.

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CHAPTER THREE- FOOTNOTES 1 Lineage and Honors Certificate, 107th Engineer Battalion, Department of the Army. 2 Archives, Headquarters, 107th Engineer Battalion, Ishpeming, Michigan. 3 Ibid. 4 Report of the Adjutant General of Michigan, December 31, 1912 – December 31, 1914, pp. 1 - 12. 5 Ibid.

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CHAPTER FOUR – FOOTNOTES 1 General Order Number 9, Adjutant General's Office, Lansing, Michigan, June 19, 1916. 2 Letter from Major General U.S. Grant III to CW4 Leonard Lorge, dated February 6, 1959.

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17 Major General Blakeley, 32nd Division in World War II. (Madison, Wisconsin 1952). CHAPTER FIVE – FOOTNOTES 1 32nd Division Historical Association, 'History of the 107th Engineer Regiment,' 1979-1919. 2 Michigan College of Mines Catalog, 1916 -1920.

18 Frank E. Vandiver. Black Jack, the Life and Times of John J. Pershing. Texas A M University Press: College Station, Texas. 19 Letter from Commanding General, 64th Division (French) to Commanding Office 107th Engineer Regiment, dated September 16, 1918.

3 Michigan College of Mines Alumnus, Volumes 5 - 9, January 1918. Michigan College of Mines, Houghton, Michigan.

20 Op cit., Historical Report, p. 209.

4 107th Regimental Training Report, submitted by Colonel P.S. Bond, Commanding Officer, December 15, 1917.

22 Op cit., 'History of the 107th.'

21 Op cit., the 32nd Division.

23 Letter, Colonel Bond to Lt. Col. Callan, dated February 15, 1919.

5 Ibid, p. 9. 6 A.J. Stump. 'Hold That Tiger.' American Legion Magazine, January, 1981.

24 Letter from A. Owen Ayres, former 107th Regiment Supply Officer, undated.

7 Op cit., 'History of the 107th.' 8 The Cleveland News, February 7, 1918. 9 Op cit., '107th Regimental Training Report.' 10 Joint War History Commission of Michigan and Wisconsin, The 32nd Division the World War (Milwaukee, 1920). 11 In World War 1, 42 U.S. combat divisions were sent overseas, but without any the required service support units. As a result the 'Tooth-to-tail' ratio was unmanageable. Eventually, 12 of the 42 combat divisions were broken up to serve both replacements and service support troops. (Hankee, William P. 'Implications the Peacetime Combat-to-Support Ration on the U.S. War Fighting Capability Military Review. June 1979). 12 Historical Report of the Chief Engineer, A.E.F. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 1919). 13 Staffs can never make up their minds! 14 Corporal Joseph A. Movements.' 1917 - 1919.

Hardlick,

'Record

of

15 Op cit., Historical Report, p. 182. 16 Op cit., Historical Report, p. 182.

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16 General Order Number 28, Department of Military Affairs, State of Michigan, dated April 24, 1975.

CHAPTER SIX – FOOTNOTES 1 32nd Division Historical Association, 'History of the 107th Engineer Regiment, 1917-1919. 2 Ibid. 3 Executive Order 8551, dated September 25, 1940. 4 Bull Sheet. Issue no. 21, 107th Engineer Association, Ishpeming, Michigan. 5 Op cit., History. 6 Camp Livingston was named for Edward Livingston, a Louisiana politician who served as an Aide do Camp to General Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans. Livingston was twice cited for bravery. 7 Major General Blakely, 32nd Division in World War II. (Madison: Bureau of Purchase). 8 Letter from Company F, 107th Engineer Regiment, dated October 7, 1941. 9 Letter from Chief of Staff, Headquarters V Corps dated December 15, 1941. 10 Letter from Major General Loveland to Lt. Colonel Ward dated April 23, 1952. 11 It was at Fort Dix that Calumet's Company E was redesignated as Company A. 12 All of the Guard's 18 divisions were of the square type, large, unwieldy, and difficult to manage in combat. The Army had developed the 'triangular' division, about one-third smaller and far more flexible and organized the regular divisions in this new matter. Although the Guard had long asked that their divisions also be converted, the Army had refused until after Pearl Harbor. The foot-dragging by the Army caused massive problems in reorganizations as well as deep resentment among Guardsmen. 13 The GEORGE ELLIOTT would later be sunk by Japanese action off the Solomon Islands. 14 Letter from Base Engineer (Colonel Donald Adams) to Commanding Officer, 112th Engineer Regiment, dated June 8, 1942. 15 Historical and Pictorial Review of the National Guard of the State of Michigan, 1940 (Baton Rouge: Army and Navy Publishing Company, 1940), pp. 118 141.

17 Old Company D 107th Regiment, Marquette Company then commanded by Captain Cecil F. Clark, dated Lt. Colonel Clark, Commanding Officer of the 146th Engineer (C) Battalion one of the three Combat Engineer Battalions of the 1121st Engineer (C) Group the other two being the 112th Battalion and the 254th Engineer Battalion. 18 Letter from Major General Loveland to Colonel L.C. Ward, dated April 23, 1952. 19 As the 107th became the 2nd Battalion, its companies were designated as D, E, F, in effect the old A, B, C; notes, Colonel Loveland, undated, National Archives. 20 Unit History of the 522nd Engineer Company, dated June 14, 1968. 21 Headquarters, V Corps, Letter dated August 19, 1943; With the effective loss of Company F to North Africa, another Company was organized from the Battalion to take its place and brought to strength by replacement officers and men. 22 Letter from Colonel Robert McDonough to Colonel Austin Lindberg, Commanding Officer 107th, dated April 4, 1962. 23 Waldo G. Bowman, American Military Engineering in Europe (New York: McGraw Hill, 1945), pp. 88 - 89. 24 World War II Operations Report, 254th Engineer Battalion (C). 'S-3 Periodic Report, July - December, 1943.' National Archives and Records Service (NARS), Washington, D.C. 25 World War II Operations Reports, 254th Engineer Battalion (C), 'Battalion History, Month of July 1944.' NARS. 26 World War II Operations Reports, 254th Engineer Battalion (C), 'Report - U.S. Assault Training Center Project, January 22, 1944.' NARS. 27 Op cit., 'S-3 Periodic Report, July - December, 1943.' 28 Captain William W. Bainbridge was awarded the Silver Star for action on the coast of France, June 6, 1944. 29 Op cit., 'Battalion History, Month of July, 1944.'

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30 The unit was under the command of 1st Lt. Arlan Bond. 31 World War II Operations Reports, 254th Engineer Battalion (C). 'Battalion History for the Month of August, 1944.' NARS. 32 World War II Operations Reports, 254th Engineer Battalion (C). 'Engineer Operations Report for the Month of September, 1944.' NARS. 33 World War II Operations Reports, 254th Engineer Battalion (C). 'Engineer Operations Report for the Month of October, 1944.' NARS.

41 World War II Operations Reports, 254th Engineer Battalion (C). 'After Action Report, February, 1945, Daily Journal.' NARS. 42 Op cit., 'V Corps in ETD.' 43 To remain in position against the pressure of the flow of the river, a floating bridge has to be anchored. Usually this is accomplished by a series of kedge anchors on the river bottom and by attachment to a steel cable firmly anchored on each shore and stretched across the river parallel to the bridge. As the cable is always upstream of the bridge, it is usually referred to as the upstream cable.

34 World War II Operations Reports, 254th Engineer Battalion (C). 'Engineer Operations Report for the Month of November, 1944.' NARS.

44 Dozer Blade, Volume 1, Number 7, 1121st Engineer Combat Group, March 24,1945.

35 World War II Operations Reports, 254th Engineer Battalion (C). 'After Action Report, December, 1944.' NARS.

45 Op cit., Dozer Blade. 46 World War II Operations Reports, 254th Engineer Battalion (C). 'Combat Operations Report, December 8, 1944 - June 22, 1945.' NARS.

36 V Corps Operations in the European Theater of Operations, January 6, 1942 1945. NARS.

47 World War II Operations Reports, 254th Engineer Battalion (C). 'After Action Report, March 1945, Daily Journal.' NARS.

37 The actual citation read:

48 Ibid.

By the action of the President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic, the 107th Engineers is also awarded a streamer in the colors of the French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star embroidered 'BELGIUM' with the following citation: 'A splendid unit, which distinguished itself in the Bullingen region (Belgium) on December 17, 1944. It was thrown into a breach opened by the enemy and assigned the mission of closing off three roads of vital strategic interest. After furious combat, it blocked the adversary, causing them severe losses, thus showing the finest qualities of courage and Military Valor.' BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY. 38 SSG Charles L. Senecal (posthumously) 1 Lt. John R. Huff SSG Donald M. Doguette 39 World War II Operations Reports, 254th Engineer Battalion (C). 'After Action Report, January, 1945, Daily Journal.' NARS. 40 An abatis is an obstacle created by falling trees across a road in an interlocking pattern.

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CHAPTER 7 - FOOTNOTES 1 Updated at time of printing 2001. 2 Michigan National Guardsman, February 1952, Volume VI, No. 3 Michigan National Guardsman, August, 1967. 4 House Resolution No. Representatives, Michigan.

262,

House

of

5 After Action Report, Seney Fire, 107th Engineers. 6 Michigan National Guardsman, February, 1978. 7 Michigan National Guardsman, March, 1978.

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DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY Lineage and Honors

107th ENGINEER BATTALION BATTALION Organized 8 August 1881 in the Michigan State Troops as the Calumet Light Guard and mustered into state service as Company B, 2d Battalion of Infantry Redesignated in 1883 as Company H, 3d Infantry Regiment Redesignated 28 November 1891 as Company D, 5th Infantry Regiment (Michigan State Troops redesignated 31 December 1894 as the Michigan National Guard) Mustered into Federal service 25 May 1898 at Island Lake as Company D, 34th Michigan Volunteer Infantry; mustered out of Federal service in December 1898 at Calumet Reorganized 10 July 1899 in the Michigan National Guard as Company E, 3d Infantry Converted and redesignated 1 June 1906 as Company A, Michigan Engineer Corps Mustered into Federal service in June 1916; mustered out of Federal service in March 1917 Expanded, reorganized, and redesignated in 1917 as the 1st Engineer Battalion Drafted into Federal service 5 August 1917 Reorganized and redesignated 23 September 1917 as the 1st Battalion, 107th Engineers, an element of the 32d Division Demobilized 25-28 May 1919 at Camp Custer, Michigan Reorganized and Federally recognized 26 April 1937 in the Michigan National Guard as the 1st Battalion, 107th Engineers, an element of the 32d Division Expanded, reorganized, and redesignated 29 December 1939 as the 107th Engineers with Headquarters at Detroit Inducted into Federal service 15 October 1940 at home stations Regiment (less 2d Battalion) reorganized and redesignated 16 January 1942 as the 107th Engineer Combat Battalion and remained assigned to the 32d Division (later redesignated as the 32d Infantry Division) (2d Battalion concurrently reorganized and redesignated as the 2d Battalion, 131st Engineers -hereafter separate lineage) 107th Engineer Combat Battalion inactivated 1 June 1942 in Northern Ireland and relieved from assignment to the 32d Infantry Division; personnel concurrently transferred to the 2d Battalion, 112th Engineers (concurrently constituted in the Army of the United States and activated in Northern Ireland) Reorganized and redesignated 19 August 1943 as the 254th Engineer Combat Battalion Inactivated 22 December 1945 at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts 107th and 254th Engineer Combat Battalions consolidated, reorganized, and Federally recognized 10 December 1946 as the 107th Engineer Combat Battalion with Headquarters at Ishpeming; concurrently assigned to the 46th Infantry Division Redesignated 1 March 1953 as the 107th Engineer Battalion Relieved 1 February 1968 from assignment to the 46th Infantry Division HOME AREA: Northern Michigan (Upper Peninsula)

CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT War with Spain Santiago World War I Aisne-Marne Oise-Aisne Meuse-Argonne Alsace 1918 Champagne 1918 World War II Normandy (with arrowhead) Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe

DECORATIONS DECORATIONS Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered BELGIUM Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered 1993 French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star, World War II, Streamer embroidered BELGIUM

Although it is very rare for a single company to be honored by official Army awards, Co A. (Calumet) has earned additional distinctions. The recording of the history of these actions is extremely scarce. A transcription verifying this follows on the next page.

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DAMH-HSO (15 Apr 75) 7th Ind SUBJECT: Lineage and Honors Certificate HQDA (DAMH-HSO) TEMPO C BLDG, WASH, DC 20315 TO: HQDA (NGB-ZA), WASH, DC 20310 1. Records available in this office indicate that the additional honors indicated on the Lineage and Honors Certificate issued to the 107th Engineer Battalion for Company A (Calumet) indicating participation in the Northern Solomons and Luzon campaigns, and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, are correct. 2. In accordance with paragraph 10-R, AR 870-5, lineages prepared for battalion-sized units do not show the individual lineages of separate lettered companies which do not follow the same general history as the battalion as a whole. Company A had a history during World War II which was distinct from that of either the 107th or 254th Engineer Combat Battalions and earned different honors. 3. The present Company A, 107th Engineer Battalion, was organized and Federally recognized 26 April 1927 at Calumet as Company A, 107th Engineers. It was reorganized and redesignated 1 April 1940 as Company E, 107th Engineers, and inducted into Federal service 15 October 1940 at Calumet. On 16 January 1942 it was again reorganized and redesignated as Company E, 131st Engineer Combat Regiment, and at this time passed out of the history recorded in the Lineage and Honors Certificate. As part of the 2d Battalion, 131st Engineer Comabt Regiment, it was sent to the Pacific Theater, and was reorganized and redesignated as Company A, 1279th Engineer Combat Battalion at Bougainville on 15 May 1944. As such, it served in New Britain and in the Philippine Islands, and was inactivated on 17 January 1946 in Japan. It was reorganized and Federally recognized 11 December 1946 at Calumet as company A, 107th Engineer Combat Battalion. At this time its history again merges with that of the battalion as a whole. This element has remained Company A since 1946 FOR THE COMMANDER:

WALTER L. MCMAHON Colonel, Infantry Chief, Historical Services Division

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