TRANSCRIBED FROM THE BENTON COURIER MAY 22, 1919 P. 7
On May the 30th, 1917, I enlisted in the 3rd Arkansas National Guard, and was called out August the 5th and was stationed at Camp Brough back of the State Capitol, Little Rock, Ark, and from there went to Ft. Roots, and on September 30, 1917 we went to Camp Beauregard, La., and stayed until July 30, 1918. Then we started for overseas and went by way of New Orleans and stopped at Meridian and we paraded that town. Then we went on to Alabama but did not stop in any towns in that state. We went into Athens, Ga., and as well as I remember the Red Cross gave us eats and refreshments and then we started on our way and at Hamlet, S.C., the Red Cross gave us another treat there, and then we moved on and at Raleigh, N.C., the Red Cross gave us watermelons. We were sure glad to get them. That was the last stop until we got to New Port News, W. Va. We stayed there two days and got our equipment, and on August 6 we were all out with our packs on our way to the far East. We marched down to the docks and stayed there something like four hours and they they gave us some coffee and cookies and then we started to loading on the transport by the name of Zeelandia, and then we pushed out away from the docks and waited something like two hours and then we started off.
For thirteen days I never saw anything but water, and plenty of that. After a few days they put me in charge of a kitchen detail and then from there I was sent to the bow lookout watching for submarines and praying that I would not see any. I stayed there until on the afternoon of the 18th of August, and we sighted the lighthouse, and there were some happy boys as well as myself; and that was at Brest, France. We remained on the boat until the next morning about nine and then we unloaded and started for camp of rest and that was out something like two miles out and we were pretty well given out when we got there. We remained there four days and started for a town named Mehun. We got on one of those French trains and went our way. After two days' ride we got there and were billeted in an old barn built in the year of 1883. We remained there until the 5th of November and then we started for the front, and we landed on another French train and never moved for about six hours and and at 12:30 a.m., November 6th, we stopped at St. Aignan and we went to some barns and stayed that night or rather the remainder of the night.
In the morning we were taken to a classification camp and all classified, and then we were transferred to the 82nd Division and sent up to a little town named Cuddes and stayed there two weeks and went to a town named Cantres and we remained there until the armistice was signed. Then we were transferred to the162nd Infantry and stayed there until the first of January,1919. I was sent back to St. Aignan for interior guard duty and I have been here ever since. I have been doing guard duty for four months and there are others here with me.
That is all.
Corp. Walter Henry.
Interior Guard Co. 1st Regiment Depot, A.P.O. 727, American E.F.
NOTES: Walter Lee Henry was born in Benton County on November 1, 1894 and died on December 20, 1944 in Imperial County, California. He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Imperial County. His military headstone identifies him as a Arkansas Cpt. serving in the US Army.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
On May the 30th, 1917, I enlisted in the 3rd Arkansas National Guard, and was called out August the 5th and was stationed at Camp Brough back of the State Capitol, Little Rock, Ark, and from there went to Ft. Roots, and on September 30, 1917 we went to Camp Beauregard, La., and stayed until July 30, 1918. Then we started for overseas and went by way of New Orleans and stopped at Meridian and we paraded that town. Then we went on to Alabama but did not stop in any towns in that state. We went into Athens, Ga., and as well as I remember the Red Cross gave us eats and refreshments and then we started on our way and at Hamlet, S.C., the Red Cross gave us another treat there, and then we moved on and at Raleigh, N.C., the Red Cross gave us watermelons. We were sure glad to get them. That was the last stop until we got to New Port News, W. Va. We stayed there two days and got our equipment, and on August 6 we were all out with our packs on our way to the far East. We marched down to the docks and stayed there something like four hours and they they gave us some coffee and cookies and then we started to loading on the transport by the name of Zeelandia, and then we pushed out away from the docks and waited something like two hours and then we started off.
For thirteen days I never saw anything but water, and plenty of that. After a few days they put me in charge of a kitchen detail and then from there I was sent to the bow lookout watching for submarines and praying that I would not see any. I stayed there until on the afternoon of the 18th of August, and we sighted the lighthouse, and there were some happy boys as well as myself; and that was at Brest, France. We remained on the boat until the next morning about nine and then we unloaded and started for camp of rest and that was out something like two miles out and we were pretty well given out when we got there. We remained there four days and started for a town named Mehun. We got on one of those French trains and went our way. After two days' ride we got there and were billeted in an old barn built in the year of 1883. We remained there until the 5th of November and then we started for the front, and we landed on another French train and never moved for about six hours and and at 12:30 a.m., November 6th, we stopped at St. Aignan and we went to some barns and stayed that night or rather the remainder of the night.
In the morning we were taken to a classification camp and all classified, and then we were transferred to the 82nd Division and sent up to a little town named Cuddes and stayed there two weeks and went to a town named Cantres and we remained there until the armistice was signed. Then we were transferred to the162nd Infantry and stayed there until the first of January,1919. I was sent back to St. Aignan for interior guard duty and I have been here ever since. I have been doing guard duty for four months and there are others here with me.
That is all.
Corp. Walter Henry.
Interior Guard Co. 1st Regiment Depot, A.P.O. 727, American E.F.
NOTES: Walter Lee Henry was born in Benton County on November 1, 1894 and died on December 20, 1944 in Imperial County, California. He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Imperial County. His military headstone identifies him as a Arkansas Cpt. serving in the US Army.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD