By James Patton
The following is an extract from the History of the 353rd Infantry Regiment 89th Division, National Army September 1917–June 1919 by Capt. Charles F. Dienst and associates, published by the 353rd Infantry Society in 1921. It has been extensively edited for length, style, and clarity.
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| Commendation for the Regiment from the French Army |
Song of the 353rd Infantry
At some point over the past ten weeks you’ve probably wondered why I chose to write about the 353rd Infantry. Was there a family connection? No. Was there a local connection? No, unless you count that I used to live in Kansas. Was there a service connection? No. It all started with the song. You remember that at the beginning I mentioned that the 353rd had a parlor song? While researching another article I came across this citation:
Kansas Hymn - Dedicated to the "All-Kansas Regiment" —353rd Infantry
Words and Music: Lillian Forrest
©March 4, 1918 by Lillian Forrest E 418751
Who, I wondered, was she and why did she write this song? More research found that Lillian Forrest (1869–1950) was a single, door-to-door salesperson living in Jewell, Kansas, (1920, pop. 805). She wrote articles for the weekly Jewell County Republican (named after the Republican River, not the party). She composed at least one other piece of music, "Under the Cottonwood Tree" © Nov. 18, 1927 E 678857. She wrote a history of Jewell County and was a life member of the Kansas State Historical Society in Topeka. Jewell is about 100 miles west-northwest of Camp Funston. She seems to have had no personal reason to write this song, so the "why" remains a mystery.
Apparently, at the time her song enjoyed local popularity, judging by this clipping from the Topeka Daily Capital, April 4th, 1918:
"Kansas Hymn" to Be Sung at Native Sons and Daughters' Luncheon. The Kansas Hymn, words and music of which were written by Miss Lillian Forrest, a native Kansan, whose home is in Jewell City, will be sung by Mr. Glenwood Jones at the Native Sons and Daughters' luncheon at the Chamber of Commerce, at twelve-fifteen o'clock Saturday. The song is very patriotic in spirit and is dedicated to the 353rd infantry, "All-Kansas" regiment.
But that’s not the end of this story. Her song lingered in the public consciousness for several decades after the war. In 1915, Kansas governor Arthur Capper, who later spearheaded the campaign to build the 353rd regimental hall at Camp Funston, had begun the search for an official state song. This dragged on for over 30 years, and Lillian’s "Kansas Hymn" was in the running, competing with "My Golden Kansas," "Hymn to Kansas," "The Call of Kansas," and "My Western Home." Here are the first two verses of Lillian’s song:
O Kansas, 'tis of thee,
Sunflower State so free,
I sing in praise;
State where brave soldiers fought,
State where homesteaders wrought,
For all thy domain sought,
In freedoms ways
Thy goal is starward still,
Upward through any ill,
Standing the test;
Thy faith when storms smite thee,
Or when wrongs dare to be,
Aimed at thy loved country,
To fight thy best.
The use of "starward" in verse two is a reference to the inscription on the Kansas State Seal “Ad Astra per Aspera” ("Strive for the Stars"), which was adopted in 1861. You can click HERE to read the rest of the verses and/or listen to a MIDI performance of the music.
In the last go-around, Lillian’s song didn’t stand a chance. In the 1930s, Hollywood had found "My Western Home," and with the title changed to "Home on the Range," it became the quintessential cowboy song. Recorded or performed on film by Bing Crosby (three times), Frank Sinatra, Connie Francis, Gene Autry, Burl Ives, Pete Seeger, Slim Whitman, Steve Lawrence, Willie Nelson, Sons of the Pioneers, and even Bugs Bunny (twice), "Home on the Range" was popularly proclaimed the Kansas State Song on 30 June 1947.
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| Men of the All Kansas |
All Kansas
Was the 353rd really “All Kansas’? The answer is Yes. I’ve already said that it started out that way, with 2,974 draftees from Kansas. The roster of the 353rd as provided in the regimental history lists 412 officers and 6,252 soldiers who served in the 353rd at any point in time during 1917–19. Of these, 41 officers (10%) and 4,294 soldiers (69%) were from Kansas—all 105 Kansas counties were represented. The senior officers were regulars and most of the junior officers came from the Officer Training course at Ft. Riley. The Supply Company had the highest percentage of Kansans (77%), and “B” Company had the lowest at 49%.
Was Kansas a typical state? It was certainly a "Mid-American" state. It lies literally in the middle of America. (The geographic center of the 48 states is in Smith County.) It’s a crossroads of railroads and highways, and statistically it sits in the middle of the rankings: number 16 in geographic size and number 36 in population. It’s fairly rural: number 40 in population density (66 counties have less than 10,000 people), but nearly half of the population lives in the Kansas City, Missouri, metropolitan area.
In 1910, Kansas had 2% of the national population (today it has less than 1%) and also 2% of the national income. It was quite rural, but the country was still rural; 70.9% of Kansans lived outside of cities (54.4% nationwide). In 1910, Kansas was a more typical state than it is today.
Was the 353rd a typical National Army regiment? Many were formed around a geographic nexus. For examples, the 332nd was made up mostly of men from eastern Ohio, the 339th from southeastern Michigan, 354th from Missouri, and the 363rd from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Was the service of the 353rd typical? Maybe. It was typical in two ways: they were never broken up and they saw a fair amount of action. However, their service was also atypical in two ways: they belonged to one of only two National Army divisions in the occupation force, and they belonged to one of only three National Army divisions that participated in the St. Mihiel Offensive.
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| Corporal Kline Is One of the 353rd's Five Missing in Action Remembered on the Memorial Walls at US Cemeteries in France. One Hundred and Fifty-nine of Their Regimental Comrades Are Buried at the Same Cemeteries |
The Record of the 353rd "All Kansas" Infantry
First let’s consider sacrifice. The official record lists 12 officers and 349 soldiers who died while serving with the regiment, 59% of whom were from Kansas. This doesn’t include transfers out of the 353rd who died while serving elsewhere. The total number of wounded were 35 officers and 1,425 soldiers; the severely wounded were 43% of the officers and 31% of the soldiers. The 353rd had the second highest number of casualties among the constituent units of the 89th Division.
Let’s consider valor. The 89th Division received nine Medals of Honor (MOH), first among National Army Divisions (and second among all divisions) out of a total of 92 Army MOHs awarded thus far for WWI, and 148 Distinguished Service Crosses (DSC), third among National Army Divisions. The 353rd accounted for two of these MOHs and 44 of the DSCs (only 13 went to officers). Their personnel were also awarded 34 Division Citation stars (which became Silver Stars in 1932). The foreign decorations awarded individually include four Chevaliers of the French Legion d’Honneur, four French Medaille Militáire (only bestowed on non-officers), 26 French Croix de Guerre, four Belgian Chevaliers de L’Ordre de Leopold and four Italian Croce di Guerra.
Medal of Honor Recipients
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| Lt. Hunter Wickersham & Lt Harold Furlong |
2nd Lieut. John Hunter Wickersham (1890–1918). Familiarly called "Hunter," he grew up in Colorado and attended the first Officer’s Training Camp at Ft. Riley in the summer of 1917. After his commissioning he was sent over to the new 353rd. Wickersham’s heroism on 12 September 1918 has been related in the St. Mihiel chapter.
Lt. Wickersham Citation: Advancing with his platoon during the St. Mihiel offensive, he was severely wounded in four places by the bursting of a high-explosive shell. Before receiving any aid for himself, he dressed the wounds of his orderly, who was wounded at the same time. He then ordered and accompanied the further advance of his platoon, although weakened by the loss of blood. His right hand and arm being disabled by wounds, he continued to fire his revolver with his left hand until, exhausted by loss of blood, he fell and died from his wounds before aid could be administered.
At the time, he was also well known for the poem that he wrote in his last letter to home. It was titled The Raindrops on your Old Tin Hat and was first published on 31 October 1918 in the Colorado Fuel and Iron Co.’s Industrial Bulletin, a "house organ." It was a contribution from Wickersham’s mother, who was an employee. However, she neglected to get a copyright, so the poem subsequently appeared in many newspapers and poetry collections, especially the Fawcett Publications’ popular pulp magazines, including Captain Billy’s Whizbang. Wickersham isn’t known today as a great poet, but he grew up in a romantic age, when poetry was taught in schools and was a popular form of entertainment:
The mist hangs low and quiet on a ragged line of hills,
There's a whispering of wind across the flat,
You'd be feeling kind of lonesome if it wasn't for one thing—
The patter of the raindrops on your old tin hat.
An' you can't help a-figuring—sitting there alone—
About this war and hero stuff and that,
And you wonder if they haven't sort of got things twisted up,
While the rain keeps up its patter on your old tin hat.
When you step off with the outfit to do your little bit
You're simply doing what you're s'posed to do—
And you don't take time to figure what you gain or lose—
It's the spirit of the game that brings you through.
But back at home she's waiting, writing cheerful little notes,
And every night she offers up a prayer
And just keeps on a-hoping that her soldier boy is safe—
The Mother of the boy who's over there.
And, fellows, she's the hero of this great, big ugly war,
And her prayer is on the wind across the flat,
And don't you reckon maybe it's her tears, and not the rain,
That's keeping up the patter on your old tin hat? ”
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| Collar Insignia for the 353rd Infantry |
1st Lieut. Harold A. Furlong (1895–1987) was a native of Pontiac, Michigan and completed officer training while a student at the Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University. He was commissioned in June 1917 and subsequently was assigned to the 353rd.
Furlong’s valorous actions have also been recounted previously. He was decorated in person by General Pershing on 9 February 1919.
Lt. Furlong Citation: Immediately after the opening of the attack in the Bois-de-Bantheville, when his company was held up by severe machine gun fire from the front, which killed his company commander and several soldiers, 1st. Lt. Furlong moved out in advance of the line with great courage and coolness, crossing an open space several hundred yards wide. Taking up a position behind the line of the machine guns, he closed in on them, one at a time, killing a number of the enemy with his rifle, putting four machine gun nests out of action, and driving 20 German prisoners into our lines
He later earned an MD from the University of Michigan in 1924 and practiced Obstetrics in his hometown until his retirement in 1970. He created and headed the Maternity Unit at the Pontiac General Hospital, which was named after him in 1982. In 1921, Furlong joined the Michigan National Guard, from which he retired in 1946 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Called to active duty during WWII, he served as a surgeon in Europe.
In an interview given in 1959, Furlong downplayed his exploits: ″Personally, I’m just happy to be a doctor and would just as soon not be written up in the newspaper as a war hero.″
The Veterans of the All Kansas
Let’s consider the legacy of the men of the 353rd Infantry. After the war, these sons of the prairie dispersed widely. Many became leaders in their communities and their chosen fields. While most went back to their hometown, which was frequently in Kansas, others decided to head elsewhere. They went on to become doctors, a lot of lawyers (at least two were judges), plenty of bankers, teachers (and principals), scientists, politicians (including several mayors), business executives, engineers, retail merchants, auto dealers, civil servants, farmers and ranchers, managers, civic leaders, developers, entrepreneurs and inventors, generals (at least three), ministers, newspapermen, and a hereditary Indian chief. Along with the regulars, a few stayed in the Army, and others came back to serve in WWII. Sadly, several died young as a result of being gassed.
Two who merit special recognition: Capt. Charles Dienst (1886–1980), who produced the regimental history. Trained as a teacher, in 1919 he became a high school principal and later was appointed the director of the Idaho Department of Labor. During WWII he returned to active duty and commanded a training battalion at Ft. Bliss, TX.
Lieut. Colonel James Peatross DSC (1885–1952), previously mentioned several times in this series, rose from 2nd Lieutenant to command of the Second battalion in 13 months. He stayed in the army until 1929, serving as the commandant of R.O.T.C. at the Missouri School of Mines. Subsequently he was the superintendent of the Federal Soldiers Home in St. James, Missouri, and the tax collector for Phelps County, Missouri. During WWII he served as the commandant of the Florida Military Academy, St. Petersburg. For many years he ran the 353rd Infantry Society.
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| Lt. Col. Peatross Even Ran for Office |
Other World War I veterans of particular note from the 353rd include:
• Dr. James Adee DVM, Deputy State Dairy Commissioner, Topeka, KS
• Major General Fred Boschen, Chief of Finance, U.S. Army 1938-42, Washington, DC
• Major General Peter Cannon, Rhode Island National Guard, Providence, RI
• Hubert Carpenter, Lawyer, Louisville, KY—Ran for governor of Kentucky in 1958
• Walter Coolidge, chemistry professor, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH
• Floyd Couchman, Director & Chief Examiner Kansas Soldier’s Compensation Board, Topeka, KS
• Fred D’Amour, Entomologist, Univ. of Denver, Denver, CO—Researcher on black widow spiders.
• Chester Ensign, Founder of ESSCO (electrical parts manufacturer), Greensboro, NC
• Thomas Gowenlock, personal aide to Col. Robert McCormick at the Chicago Tribune, Chicago, IL
• Ruby Hulen, lawyer and US district judge 1943–56, St. Louis, MO—Integrated public facilities in St. Louis in 1950
• Dr. Herbert Laslett PhD (Stanford), psychologist, professor, Oregon State College, Corvallis, OR. (Dr. Laslett was also a member of the 89th Division football team that won the AEF championship after the war.)
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| Clockwise from Top Left: Charles Dienst, Daniel Spurlock, Joe Speer (KIA) , and Floyd Fletcher |
• Harold Leedy, President, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City 1941–1961, Plattsburg, MO
• Roley McIntosh, Hereditary Chief Muscogee Nation, Eufala, OK
• John Newman, botanist, Denver, CO—Developed numerous iris hybrids
• Boykin Paschal, editor, Savannah Daily News, Savannah, GA
• Milton Portman, lawyer, Cleveland, OH—Great-uncle of former U.S. senator Rob Portman
• Leonard Rice, lawyer, city attorney, Jefferson City, MO
• H.H. Robertson, founder HH Robertson Co., Kenosha, WI—Leading maker of steel floor deck
• Major General Maurice Rose DSC, Denver, CO—led the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions in WWII, KIA (1945), namesake of the Rose Medical Center in Denver and USNS Maurice Rose T-AP-126.
• James Scanlon, Indiana state representative, Boswell, IN
• Robert Schutt, Founder of Schutt Sports, St. Louis, MO—Maker of athletic gear, especially football helmets. Schutt introduced the helmet with face guard in 1935.
• Colonel Daniel Spurlock LOM, oil man, Shreveport, LA—Assistant Chief of Fuels, U.S. Army WWII.
• James Tucker, state auditor, Little Rock, AR—Father of former U.S. representative and Arkansas attorney general, lt. governor and governor Jim Guy Tucker, who succeeded Bill Clinton.
• Courtney Turner, Banker and Philanthropist, Atchison, KS—Said to have made the first car loans.
• Albert Wheat, union-busting lawyer, Wheeling, WV
• Errett Williams, aviation Pioneer, Wichita, KS
Let’s consider honors and memorials: As previously mentioned, the regiment was decorated by the French with the Croix de Guerre avec Palme on 4 May 1919. I have reviewed 578 war or veterans memorials in Kansas, none of which commemorates the 353rd Infantry. Below is a simple monument to the 89th Division that was erected in 1948 near the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, MO.
Nevertheless, names of men from the 353rd appear on war memorials throughout Kansas, thereby indirectly honoring the regiment. Of particular note are the memorials at the University of Kansas (KU) and the Kansas State Agricultural College, now Kansas State University (K-State), although it is important to note that most of these college men were volunteers, not draftees.
KU sent 598 officers and 1,883 soldiers off to the war, 818 of whom were undergraduates, and 129 of them died, including two women. To honor all of them the War Memorial Stadium was built in 1921 and the six-story Memorial Union building in 1926. Photographs of all who died are displayed on the top floor of the Union.
Both facilities are still in use, although the stadium has been extensively modified and co-named twice. They were built by public subscription; a foundation called the Memorial Corporation oversaw the project, and it still owns and operates the Union, including its two branch locations, 19 other dining venues, and the bookstore. It also holds the FCC license for and houses the student-run radio station KJHK.
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| Kansas State University's Memorial Wall Features Four of the 353rd's Fallen in the Great War |
K-State sent over 1,200 to serve and 48 died. To honor them, the War Memorial Stadium was built in 1922. Football was played there until 1967 when it was deemed too small; today it is used for club sports and band practice. Four 353rd dead are memorialized at K-State, all rural Kansans—Pvt. Floyd Fletcher from Waldo, Sgt. Lester Hamill from Tonganoxie, Sgt. Joe Speer from Muscotah, and Pvt. George Titus from Harper.
There were poets at K-State, too, and this work seems fitting to include near the close the series. Royal Purple is the title of the yearbook:
Tribute to the fallen
Not unto ancient angry gods,
Nor unto earthly potentates,
We offer honor,
But unto those who lately went out from us,
Being of our kind and kin
And representing us and this our college,
And who, being ours, died in our stead,
Pouring the blood of Kansas on the fields of France.
To them, our comrades now beyond
the veil,
We dedicate this Royal Purple,
The purple still more regal for
their sacrifice,
The pages brighter for their
stars that rise.
— N.A. Crawford
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| The 3-353rd on Parade at Fort Polk, LA |
James Patton
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About Our Contributor
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| In 2011, our contributor for this series, James Patton, traveled with my battlefield tour to the Western Front. At the U.S. Somme Cemetery he honored the memory of fellow Cornell University graduate Lt. Oscar Hellquist of the 27th New York Division, KIA October 1918. |
Thank you, Jim Patton, for this series. Well written and very informative.
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