TRANSCRIBED FROM THE COLUMBIA BANNER MAY 1, 1918 P. 1
Camp Bowie, Tex.
April 21, 1918,
Editor Banner,
Dear Sir:
If you will allow me the honor of seeing this in print in your paper, I will thank you in advance and try harder to be a very efficient soldier. I adopt this method of writing to my friends of Columbia county and adjoining counties, for to write a personal letter to each of them would be impossible now as we have all the work that we can handle.
I will introduce myself as Darius Craine, a soldier by choice and pride. I enlisted on the 18th day of September, 1916 and was one of the first to do duty on the Mexican border in 1916 and 1917, and did my duties with honors. We were shipped to San Antonio, Tex. with the 14tth Texas Infantry about Feb. 13th, 1917 and mustered out of the Federal service on the 24th day of March 1917. Then we were mustered back into Federal service on the 2 nd day of April, 1917, reporting to Company 14th Texas Infantry at Leon Springs for guard duty at the first officers’ training school. After doing our duty there, we were transferred to Camp Travis to do guard duty for Stone and Webster, the contractors for all cantonments at Camp Travis and Kelly Field. Camp Travis is now one of the largest National Army training camps in the United States and Kelly Field one of the best aviation fields. After being detailed as military police at Stone and Webster’s main office building about three weeks. I was relieved and on duty at the Battallion canteen as sale clerk and served in this capacity about six weeks when the battalion was ordered to Camp Bowie, Texas and consolidated with Company H, of the 6th Texas Infantry and made what is now Company M of the 144th Infantry. I was selected as one of six men to report at the Base Hospital No. 1, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas for First Aid and Clinical Records instructions, and after attending all lectures and classes for 70 days, I was given the rating of Surgeons’ Assistant, First Class, and sent to Company M, of 144th Infantry at Camp Bowie. After reporting to Company M for duty, I was entered on the pay roll as Private Craine and had to serve as same in the infantry for about three months before I could be placed in a position as Surgeons’ Assistant. After transferring to the Sanitary Department, 144th Infantry, I served there three days and was put on duty in the Dental Office as Dental Surgeon Assistant which position I now hold.
If any of the Columbia county people were in Ft. Worth during the 36th Divisional Review which is called the Panther Division, I hope you were able to place yourself where you could see all of the review, for we pride ourselves as the best division this side of the Hindenburg Line,
Just a few words in behalf of the Third Liberty Loan. I do not know what progress you are making, but I insist that you do not deprive yourselves of the honor of flying the Third Liberty Loan Flag at all times, whether here in the United States or across the Rhine.
I am counting on Columbia county doing its bit.
Perhaps by the time this is in print, I will be on my way across the Pond, but should some one choose to write me a few lines you will address me as below. I also wish to say that if any one from Columbia county visiting here in Ft. Worth will only let me know by coming out to the Dental Office, 144th Infantry, or calling me from the city, I will take great pride and pleasure is escorting you over the Camp.
I bid you an affectionate AuVoir,
L. Darius Craine,
Dental Office, 144th Infantry,
Ft. Worth, Texas.
NOTES: Luther Darius Craine was born in Columbia county, Arkansas on October 18, 1895 and died in Kilgore, Texas, December 17, 1967.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Camp Bowie, Tex.
April 21, 1918,
Editor Banner,
Dear Sir:
If you will allow me the honor of seeing this in print in your paper, I will thank you in advance and try harder to be a very efficient soldier. I adopt this method of writing to my friends of Columbia county and adjoining counties, for to write a personal letter to each of them would be impossible now as we have all the work that we can handle.
I will introduce myself as Darius Craine, a soldier by choice and pride. I enlisted on the 18th day of September, 1916 and was one of the first to do duty on the Mexican border in 1916 and 1917, and did my duties with honors. We were shipped to San Antonio, Tex. with the 14tth Texas Infantry about Feb. 13th, 1917 and mustered out of the Federal service on the 24th day of March 1917. Then we were mustered back into Federal service on the 2 nd day of April, 1917, reporting to Company 14th Texas Infantry at Leon Springs for guard duty at the first officers’ training school. After doing our duty there, we were transferred to Camp Travis to do guard duty for Stone and Webster, the contractors for all cantonments at Camp Travis and Kelly Field. Camp Travis is now one of the largest National Army training camps in the United States and Kelly Field one of the best aviation fields. After being detailed as military police at Stone and Webster’s main office building about three weeks. I was relieved and on duty at the Battallion canteen as sale clerk and served in this capacity about six weeks when the battalion was ordered to Camp Bowie, Texas and consolidated with Company H, of the 6th Texas Infantry and made what is now Company M of the 144th Infantry. I was selected as one of six men to report at the Base Hospital No. 1, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas for First Aid and Clinical Records instructions, and after attending all lectures and classes for 70 days, I was given the rating of Surgeons’ Assistant, First Class, and sent to Company M, of 144th Infantry at Camp Bowie. After reporting to Company M for duty, I was entered on the pay roll as Private Craine and had to serve as same in the infantry for about three months before I could be placed in a position as Surgeons’ Assistant. After transferring to the Sanitary Department, 144th Infantry, I served there three days and was put on duty in the Dental Office as Dental Surgeon Assistant which position I now hold.
If any of the Columbia county people were in Ft. Worth during the 36th Divisional Review which is called the Panther Division, I hope you were able to place yourself where you could see all of the review, for we pride ourselves as the best division this side of the Hindenburg Line,
Just a few words in behalf of the Third Liberty Loan. I do not know what progress you are making, but I insist that you do not deprive yourselves of the honor of flying the Third Liberty Loan Flag at all times, whether here in the United States or across the Rhine.
I am counting on Columbia county doing its bit.
Perhaps by the time this is in print, I will be on my way across the Pond, but should some one choose to write me a few lines you will address me as below. I also wish to say that if any one from Columbia county visiting here in Ft. Worth will only let me know by coming out to the Dental Office, 144th Infantry, or calling me from the city, I will take great pride and pleasure is escorting you over the Camp.
I bid you an affectionate AuVoir,
L. Darius Craine,
Dental Office, 144th Infantry,
Ft. Worth, Texas.
NOTES: Luther Darius Craine was born in Columbia county, Arkansas on October 18, 1895 and died in Kilgore, Texas, December 17, 1967.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT