TRANSCRIBED FROM THE NEWARK JOURNAL OCTOBER 4, 1917 P. 1
Dear Editor:
I’ve just been wondering if you people would be interested at all in knowing something about the Rainbow Division, which I am a part of?
I expect at this particular time when the boys selected to go with the national army are leaving home you have lots news of a military nature right at home, but since this is the next division to go to France everybody is more or less interested in it.
This division is composed of what the War Department thinks is one of the best equipped units in the National Guard Service.
The service on the Mexican border gave the War Department an opportunity to note the organization and efficiency of the different national guard units, and from this information the Department has picked out about 27,000 of the most efficient of the Guard and classified them as teh rainbow division. The division was to leave here, the selected place of mobilization September 15. All the organizations are here, and with the exceptions of one or two regiments they are all fully equipped and anxious to start. Just yesterday Secretary of War Baker and Major General Bliss reviewed the division and pronounced it in fine shape. So far as we know, (and we are not expected to know much) we will probably soon be on our woy to France to help pay tahe debt we owe her in the world war for liberty and democracy. It will very likely be time for spring to arrive before this division will be ready for actual service for they have to be trained in methods that are entirely new to fighting forces of the nations that have not yet taken part in the war. It takes about as long to get the extras as it does to get the fundamentals over here. Our camp is to be in North Central France.
The unit that I belong to is composed of men of a very fine type. Tulsa is the home of the company and most of its personel came from Tulsa. There men representing nearly every walk of life; about 50 college graduates and practically all of them successful men of character and integrity while in civil life. The organization made a very fine record on the border with its old personel and teh new personel is much better than it was at that time, so there is no reason why we should not have a brilliant record behind us when the war is over and won for civilization, liberty and democracy---Prussianism, militarism and autocracy having been dethroned forever.
Our company is fully equipped with the exception of a few things which we will receive in France, such as helmet etc., so I am going to tell you what we have in the way of personal equipment. Bunk with bed sack and three blankets, which will be increased if necessary; one harversack and belt---the harversack contains our eating utensils and the belt has all the equipment necessary for first aid work---two pairs of shoes, one hob nail, the other the regular service shoe, one hat, two shirts, three suits of wool underwear, six pairs soxs, one pair leggings, one overcoat, one swearet, one pair hip rubber boots, housewife (don’t be surprised its neuter gender) two blouses and two pairs of trousers, all O. D. wool; last but not least one suit of blue denim or fatigue clothes which we wear when doing extra fatigue for officers too numerous to mention. Such things as soap, comb, brush, etc., and if we don’t have them they give them to us. Yes, there’s a raincoat too.
Our motor ambulances will be furnished us when we debark in France. So will our side arms.
Our trip from Fort Sill, Okla to Long Island was wonderful. We had the conveniences of pullman cars and were routed through some of the biggest cities of the U. S. winding up with New York city which is now the largest city in the world, and I suppose the most wonderful. Since we’ve been here I have seen some great sights for a country boy like me without much experience.
The most interesting rides I have taken have been on the aeroplanes which fly over our parade ground as thick as sparrows in Nwark (nearly) and in the tube at the rate of 60 to 100 miles per hour. Such things as sub-ways, elevated car lines as high as five story buildings, aeroplanes and all the other destructive modes of travel are very common to me now-a-days. The interesting things of history, artistic and scientific nature, which I have seen are too numerous to mention, much less describe them, even if I had the vocabulary to do so.
Broadway with her much spoken of bright lights, in reality is just as conspicuous as she is in print. Between the commands “watch our step” and “move lively” I just rested my self in a very unsoldierly manner and took in old Broadway that I had read so much about, and asked myself this question, “does this fill the description; is this the crowd, the bright lights and the hub bub?”
I answered my own question in the affirmative, fully convinced that the description, no matter how elaborate was not exaggerated in the least.
The famous races at Sheep Head Bay are now on. Teddy flew over us a day or so ago in a machine propelled by that wonderful new engine which is a marked improvement over anything used at the front today. Coney Island furnishes lots of fun for teh soldiers and ailors and is truly a great place of amusement the madri gras performances closed there a week ago. The famous shows of the city, which have the world beaten are in full blast. Bill Rogers, the famous trick roper, and comedian of international fame from Claremore, Okla., invited the Claremore and Afton boys to be his guests at Siegfeld-Follis. He is playing there this year at the sum of $750 per week. We went.
If I knew what you people were interested in, I might make this instructive. Not knowing this, however, I have just taken a general shot and talked about everything in general and nothing in particular. If you are interested in particular let me know what it is and I’ll try to find out something about it and write and let you know. Now since I started to write until “taps” which means all lights out and everybody in bed and it is now nearly that time. I’m going to close. Wishing all of you the very best of luck.
Sincerely,
Ben C. Arnold
Long Island, N. Y.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
Dear Editor:
I’ve just been wondering if you people would be interested at all in knowing something about the Rainbow Division, which I am a part of?
I expect at this particular time when the boys selected to go with the national army are leaving home you have lots news of a military nature right at home, but since this is the next division to go to France everybody is more or less interested in it.
This division is composed of what the War Department thinks is one of the best equipped units in the National Guard Service.
The service on the Mexican border gave the War Department an opportunity to note the organization and efficiency of the different national guard units, and from this information the Department has picked out about 27,000 of the most efficient of the Guard and classified them as teh rainbow division. The division was to leave here, the selected place of mobilization September 15. All the organizations are here, and with the exceptions of one or two regiments they are all fully equipped and anxious to start. Just yesterday Secretary of War Baker and Major General Bliss reviewed the division and pronounced it in fine shape. So far as we know, (and we are not expected to know much) we will probably soon be on our woy to France to help pay tahe debt we owe her in the world war for liberty and democracy. It will very likely be time for spring to arrive before this division will be ready for actual service for they have to be trained in methods that are entirely new to fighting forces of the nations that have not yet taken part in the war. It takes about as long to get the extras as it does to get the fundamentals over here. Our camp is to be in North Central France.
The unit that I belong to is composed of men of a very fine type. Tulsa is the home of the company and most of its personel came from Tulsa. There men representing nearly every walk of life; about 50 college graduates and practically all of them successful men of character and integrity while in civil life. The organization made a very fine record on the border with its old personel and teh new personel is much better than it was at that time, so there is no reason why we should not have a brilliant record behind us when the war is over and won for civilization, liberty and democracy---Prussianism, militarism and autocracy having been dethroned forever.
Our company is fully equipped with the exception of a few things which we will receive in France, such as helmet etc., so I am going to tell you what we have in the way of personal equipment. Bunk with bed sack and three blankets, which will be increased if necessary; one harversack and belt---the harversack contains our eating utensils and the belt has all the equipment necessary for first aid work---two pairs of shoes, one hob nail, the other the regular service shoe, one hat, two shirts, three suits of wool underwear, six pairs soxs, one pair leggings, one overcoat, one swearet, one pair hip rubber boots, housewife (don’t be surprised its neuter gender) two blouses and two pairs of trousers, all O. D. wool; last but not least one suit of blue denim or fatigue clothes which we wear when doing extra fatigue for officers too numerous to mention. Such things as soap, comb, brush, etc., and if we don’t have them they give them to us. Yes, there’s a raincoat too.
Our motor ambulances will be furnished us when we debark in France. So will our side arms.
Our trip from Fort Sill, Okla to Long Island was wonderful. We had the conveniences of pullman cars and were routed through some of the biggest cities of the U. S. winding up with New York city which is now the largest city in the world, and I suppose the most wonderful. Since we’ve been here I have seen some great sights for a country boy like me without much experience.
The most interesting rides I have taken have been on the aeroplanes which fly over our parade ground as thick as sparrows in Nwark (nearly) and in the tube at the rate of 60 to 100 miles per hour. Such things as sub-ways, elevated car lines as high as five story buildings, aeroplanes and all the other destructive modes of travel are very common to me now-a-days. The interesting things of history, artistic and scientific nature, which I have seen are too numerous to mention, much less describe them, even if I had the vocabulary to do so.
Broadway with her much spoken of bright lights, in reality is just as conspicuous as she is in print. Between the commands “watch our step” and “move lively” I just rested my self in a very unsoldierly manner and took in old Broadway that I had read so much about, and asked myself this question, “does this fill the description; is this the crowd, the bright lights and the hub bub?”
I answered my own question in the affirmative, fully convinced that the description, no matter how elaborate was not exaggerated in the least.
The famous races at Sheep Head Bay are now on. Teddy flew over us a day or so ago in a machine propelled by that wonderful new engine which is a marked improvement over anything used at the front today. Coney Island furnishes lots of fun for teh soldiers and ailors and is truly a great place of amusement the madri gras performances closed there a week ago. The famous shows of the city, which have the world beaten are in full blast. Bill Rogers, the famous trick roper, and comedian of international fame from Claremore, Okla., invited the Claremore and Afton boys to be his guests at Siegfeld-Follis. He is playing there this year at the sum of $750 per week. We went.
If I knew what you people were interested in, I might make this instructive. Not knowing this, however, I have just taken a general shot and talked about everything in general and nothing in particular. If you are interested in particular let me know what it is and I’ll try to find out something about it and write and let you know. Now since I started to write until “taps” which means all lights out and everybody in bed and it is now nearly that time. I’m going to close. Wishing all of you the very best of luck.
Sincerely,
Ben C. Arnold
Long Island, N. Y.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON