Oregon Boys in the War

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Oregon Boys in the War

including a Second Series of

Letters from Oregon Boys in France

compiled by
Mrs. Frank Wilmot
Second Book
1918

Glass & Prudhomme Co.
65 Broadway
Portland, Oregon

Foreword

[note: only the letters pertaining to Multnomah County have been abstracted from this book]

Chaplain Mathews writes Mayor Baker, Expressing Appreciation of Generosity
Mr. H. L. Pittock, of Imperial Heights, is the recipient f many letters from France. The two following will prove of interest to Portland friends: Major Adjutant General George A. White, General Headquarters, A. E. f., writes:
Major F. W. Leadbetter of the Signal Service, writes to Mr. H. L. Pittock:
OFFICERS AND MEN PRAISE CITY, Messages Come to Portland Societies from ship in South American Port:
The contents of the following letter from Mr. Tom W. Saul, a Portland man, to his friend and co-worker, Mr. W. H. Guild, of the O. R. & N. Co., though written in May, is of more than passing interest at this date. Mr. Saul enlisted with the 18th Regiment Engineers R.R. Co., was later transferred to the Transportation Division, where he received a captain's commission, later resigning to enter the Tank Corps, where he is now first lieutenant:
Excerpts from letters received by Mrs. Manton C. Mitchell now residing with her mother, Mrs. John F. Carroll at 576 East 15th St. North, give a most vivid word sketch of life at the front. The following is from the pen of Major Manton C. Mitchell, 39th Infantry, A.E.F., who has, until recently, been in an American Cross Hospital in France.
Lieut. Stuart Freeman.
Thomas Emerson Duncan, of Company E, 4th Engineers, A.E.F., in a letter to his mother, Mrs. Bess T. Duncan, 288 14th St., shows just what kind of boys our American soldiers are; men of the finest quality, loyal to home and right and to the principles of democracy. Mrs. Duncan's son, who fell on August 16th, was only 19 years of age, but he played the manly part in the great world crisis. As a monument to the memory of Thomas Emerson Duncan, first member of the First Presbyterian Church to give his life for his country, a gold star was placed on the service flag, signifying sacrifice for the betterment of humanity--unselfish devotion to the highest ideals of mankind. His mother may well be proud of a son that did his part and did it well.
Lieut. Lambert A. Wood. An intimate picture of the thoughts and heart throbs of one of Oregon's undying heroes is given here in the last letter received by Dr. and Mrs. William L. Wood from their son, the late Lieutenant Lambert A. Wood who sacrificed his life for his country soon after these lines were written. We call him an undying hero for his name shall never be forgotten and the great spirit of nobility that inspired him will live forever as a part of the national ideal of America. Lieut. Lambert A. Wood was killed in action July 18, 1918, in the first allied offensive south of Soissons.
The following letter was written to Lieut. Lambert A. Wood while he was on the firing line in France by John P. Wade, Col. of Cavalry, A.G., Washington, D. C. and by Lambert sent to to his mother in Portland for safe keeping, telling her in confidence of the pleasure it had given him to receive from one in high authority such words of commendation unasked and unsought.
Mrs. W. M. Ladd, of Riverside Drive, received from her son, Private Henry A. Ladd, with Base Hospital Corps No. 46, some of the details and word sketches of every day life while on duty in France.
Lieut. Marion Kyle of Portland, son of Mr. and Mrs. George A. Kyle, has been awarded the French war cross as an aviator in the French service on the west front. Since he became an airman, has participated in a number of daring actions, including a bombing expedition over Ludwingshafen. Lieutenant Kyle is a former Jefferson High School student and writes the following letter to Mr. Hopkins Jenkins, principal of Jefferson High School.
The following letter from G. A. Kyle, of Portland, Chief Engineer in charge of construction of the Chinese Government Railways, who was captured by Chinese bandits, tells of his experience in a letter to his wife in this city. Mr. Kyle is the father of Marion and Hugh P. Kyle, who are in the Government Service overseas.
From "Somewhere in France" comes a letter of interest from the son of Dr. John H. Boyd of the First Presbyterian Church, describing in a very interesting and amusing way the quaintness of a "real live chateau in Sunny France." Following the letter of Lieut. Thomas Henry Boyd, Company "F," 364th Infantry, to his wife:
The following letter was received by Mrs. W. A. McKay, of 150 Mirimar Place, Portland, from a Canadian friend who is now held a prisoner in Germany. The regiment to which he belonged was the Winnipeg 90th Rifles. During the North West Rebellion of 1885, the Indians named them the "Little Black Devils," and this regiment is still known by that name. Pvt. Wilson refers to the "Little Black Devils" in the following letter.
An interesting letter from William Scott, a member of the Hdqt. Detachment, 166th Field Artillery Brigade, written to his mother, Mrs. John A. Scott, 632 Tillamook Street, in which he enclosed a greeting from King George to the American soldiers on their way to France. It is as follows:
Rouse Simmons, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Simmons, of 495 Heights Terrace, who has spent the past winter months on the Italian-Austrian front and who is now an officer in the 32nd Brigade of the French Artillery, serving in the Rheimes sector, writes the following letter:
Lt.-Col. George H. Kelly sees France from motor car. Portland lumberman now overseas with 20th Engineers, Forestry, gives graphic account of motor trip across Northern and Eastern France.
The following interesting letter was received by Mrs. Edgar B. Piper, Marshall St., from her son, Lieut. Edgar Piper, Jr., giving details of a brief respite from soldierly duties.
The following letter from W. Robt. McMurray, Second Lieutenant Fifteenth U. S. Cavalry, A. E. F., son of Wm. McMurray, 645 Clackamas St.. was written to his friend, Mr. Hopkin Jenkins.
A visit to the home city of the "Maid of Orleans" was the experience of Sergeant O. C. Hartman, Co. F, 18th Ry. Engrs., A. E. F., as told in a letter to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Hartman, 164 N. 24th St.:
Lieutenant Robert Fithian, son of Mr. and Mrs. O. H. Fithian, who has been in the aviation corps for more than a year in France, has taken many aerial photographs of German troops and territory used to determine the position of the enemy, writes the following letters to his mother:
Lieutenant Joyce R. Kelly, son of Dr. and Mrs. Richmond Kelly, who is with the Twenty-ninth Engineers in France, in writing of the good work the Red Cross is doing, said:
Mrs. Dan J. Malarkey, of Hill Crest Drive, received from her son, Neil Malarkey, 8th Company, 2nd Platoon, Candidates’ School, the following letter, with a touching tribute to his friend and comrade, Lambert Wood. Since the writing of this letter a cable to his parents stated that he received his commission on October 18th.
Eugene K. Oppenheimer, Quartermaster, United States Naval Aviation Corps, has written the following interesting letter to Mrs. N. Loeb, 702 Marshall street.
Mrs. R. A. Stewart, 496 E. 19th North, has received the following letter from her brother, Charles W. Irvine, Company F, 18th Engr. Ry., telling us the American Red Cross train is the finest in all Europe.
Of especial interest are the following four letters, each coming from a member of one family to Mrs. Frederick E. Greatwood, 755 Talbot Road. Mr. F. E. Greatwood, the father of three sons, has been fighting for democracy since 1917—was himself wounded on the battlefields of France. One member of the family, Charles R. Parrott, writes a forceful letter to his friend, Charles Pye. He also is recovering from wounds received "over there" and expects to go back to the trenches at once. A second son, Royce Greatwood, is in the transport service of the U. S. Navy, and H. E. Greatwood is with the British forces in India.
From Theo. C. Bertsch, Co. C, 127th Infantry, 32nd Div., a former student at Hill's Military Academy, comes the following message from "Over There."
Mrs. O. J. Carr, of 143 E. 12th St., is the recipient of a letter from her nephew, Pvt. Daniel B. Curry, Supply Company, 65th Artillery, C. A. C., American Expeditionary Forces, who has for the past few months been writing under difficulties from the front line in France. Pvt. Curry is the grandson of George L. Curry, who was territorial governor of Oregon from 1853 to 1859, and is a lineal descendant of the famous Daniel Boone.
Sheridan M. Berthaiume, a former Portland man and son of Mrs. E. M. Beale, at 568 E. Salmon St., was sent to Italy under the auspices of the National War Work Council of the Y. M. C. A. of the United States at the beginning of the war. He had previously spent seven years in charge of the physical department of the Seattle Y. M. C. A. His mission abroad has been to have full charge of all physical Y. M. C. A. work in Italy. A letter to his family follows:
Fred Lockley, correspondent for The Oregon Journal, gives illustrations of the spirit of gratitude and welcome that exist in the hearts of the French people.
Forest Woods is wounded in action.
Captain Clarence R. Hotchkiss, of Portland, Commander of the Largest American Camp in England, writes Interesting letter to Chester A. Moores, Private Secretary to Governor Withycombe.
C. L. Harbin, employed at Grant Smith-Porter shipyard, has received a letter from his nephew, Roy C. Harbin, Company F., 21st Engineers, who is in France with the American army.