The 89th Division, A Great Accomplishment

By Owen Wiese, guest writer

In the Military Officers Magazine there was an article about Andrew Carroll, the director of the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University, who began a collection of war correspondence with a single piece of mail.  He had sent a letter to the “Dear Abby” column in 1998, asking if people would send their letters from people in the service into what he called “The Legacy Project.”  Carroll had no idea what kind of a response he would get.  The response was immediate and overwhelming.  It turned out that many people were eager to share their letters from service members telling about their experiences while in the service.

I (Owen) have two letters from my dad, R.P. Wiese, which were written while he was in the Army and serving in World War I.  I copied those two and prepared to send them to Mr. Carroll.  But the thought occurred to me that there was probably a lot more to tell about Dad’s experience in World War I than in just those two letters.

I was right!

The two letters are not very long and don’t tell much about what really happened.  I was aided by a book, “The History of the 89th Division,” which recounts the experiences of the 89th Division from its organization in 1917, through its operations in the World War, the defeat of Germany, the occupation of Germany and finally, to its demobilization in 1919.  It is a very thorough, well-researched history with a great amount of information.  It is a hard cover book, and it was published in 1920 and sold for the price of $5.50.

(As I write about happenings in the book and come to things written in the two letters from R.P Wiese, I will refer to them.)

R.P. Wiese had just started a veterinary practice in Garretson when he received a draft notice in February, 1918.   He reported to Ft. Riley, KS where the 89th Division was being formed and organized under the command of Major General Leonard Wood.

Camp Funston was a new part of Ft. Riley, and was in the process of being built.  It was finished during the time that the 89th Division was being trained.  The Division occupied it as it was being built.

Recruits just joining the Army were paid $30 per month and urged to send allotments home, buy Liberty Bonds, and buy insurance.

After the new division was organized, the recruits were trained in their various jobs.  After they had learned to be soldiers, they were deemed ready to go to Europe and take part in the war.  The French and British had been fighting the Germans since 1914, killing each other by the hundreds of thousands in vicious trench warfare.  It was planned that the Americans would get things moving and bring the war to a victorious end.

The 89th Division embarked for Europe on June 4th, arriving just over two weeks later, on the 16th.  After a few days’ layover in England, they were sent to France, nine days’ travel, from the 20th to the 29^th of June.  While in France they rode in rail cars that were labeled “Hommes 40, Chevau 8.”  Forty men or eight horses. (This is where the Legion organization 40 et 8 got its name.)

The Division was assigned a training area and was billeted in French homes.  The weather was pleasantly cool, a contrast to the high heat they would have had to contend with if they were at Camp Funston.  The troops were given intensive training to acquaint them with conditions they would face at the front.  They staged a very enthusiastic 4th of July celebration, the last of that type of activity they would have.

The troops were issued their combat equipment, the most important being steel helmets and a gas mask.

On July 15th the Germans launched their frontal offensive. The 89th Division was moved

to the Toul area by trucks.  The Division had its first experience of hostile fire and there ensued a period of aggressive patrolling and skirmishing.  On the 7th of August, the Division was subjected its first gas attack.  It took everyone by surprise and there were many casualties.  Gas attacks both kill and disable people and there were many heroic actions taken to get injured people out of harm’s way.  Total casualties were about 600 soldiers wounded or killed.

By the 12th of September the Germans were entrenched in an area which protruded into the American lines.  General Pershing decided that had to be pushed back, and thus began the St. Mihiel battle.  The weather was rainy and the trenches were full of water. The troops had a very difficult time.  After an artillery barrage of unprecedented strength, the troops left their trenches.

Cpl. R.P Wiese wrote, “If you wondered why you didn’t hear from me but you probably saw the cause when you read the papers of the last month.  I will say I have had the supreme experience ‘over the top’ and have been in a drive.  Sufficient to say, it was a wonderful, absolutely indescribable.”

The St. Mihiel battle continued over hilly, partly forested terrain.  There were many casualties, with both sides using all means available to be successful.

Many German POWs were captured.  After a month of hard fighting, the St. Mihiel battle was successfully ended.

Cpl Wiese wrote, “I attended church this morning, the first time in many weeks. It’s queer how men of all ranks meet in a place like that.  This morning not two           feet from me a General knelt on the hard floor the same as the rest of us.”

General Pershing had planned to halt in place and wait until spring to start the Meuse-Argonne offensive.  After the great success of the St. Mihiel Battle, General Pershing decided to launch immediately and defeat the Germans in one final battle to bring the war to a close.

The ground where the battle was to be fought had been held by the Germans for four years.  They had fortified it with many trenches, well-concealed machine gun nests, and had made very refined plans for defense of the area.

Following the St. Mihiel Battle the 89th Division went into reserve to rest and for replenishment of equipment and replacement of men.  Because of casualties suffered in the St. Mihiel Battle by the 89th Division and the other Divisions, a whole Division, the 80th, which had just been brought to the theater, was broken up and its members used as replacements for those soldiers who had been lost by the Divisions that had been in combat.

Planning for the Meuse-Argonne Battle was very detailed and very complete.  It was recognized that the Germans were well-prepared would defend the area very vigorously.  Nine American Divisions took part in the battle.

The terrain over which it was to be fought was hilly, with many forested areas, rivers to be crossed, and was extremely well-fortified.

The Meuse-Argonne Battle started on October 26 with an artillery barrage from several hundred guns.  The troops moved forward in the offense, inflecting heavy losses on the Germans, but taking very heavy casualties in some areas.  There were some maneuver mistakes made, but after forcing crossings of the Meuse River, on November 11, the Germans agreed to an Armistice.

During intense combat such as the Meuse-Argonne Battle there were so many soldiers who were essential to the success of the battle, but may not have been recognized.

Communication between units was so important.  The men in the Signal units were constantly laying the wire on the ground for the telephone communication between units.  That wire was very often cut by artillery fire and it had to be repaired.  If repair of the wire wasn’t possible, the runners became essential.  The runners were men who risked their lives to deliver messages. Other men treated those who had been wounded, and readied them to be taken to the field hospital, most often carrying them on a litter carrier while under fire.  There were the engineers who tried to keep the roads passible and repaired the bridges so the streams could be crossed.  The engineers were also responsible for finding land mines and booby traps in buildings.  There were the soldiers who prepared and delivered the food to the fighting men.  They used small two-wheeled carts pulled by a small truck or a horse.  It takes a large number of soldiers to keep an attack going.

Sgt. Wiese wrote that “on the morning of the eleventh of November, my battalion was astride the Meuse River.  The afternoon of the eleventh the Chaplain held a Thanksgiving service.  It was a scene I shall never forget as the Chaplain stood there with the worn doughboys all around him right in the heart of a French forest.  I tell you men stood there praying unashamed of the tears rolling down their cheeks.  It was a mighty solemn affair for most of us believe me, and I’ll admit I had tears in my eyes for I had just been told that a little chap from Flandreau whom I knew had been bumped off in the drive. Of course we couldn’t have fires while at the front but you should have seen the fires that evening, great blazes lighting up the woods for several hundred yards while across the river we could hear the Bosches singing and yelling and having a gay old time.  Take it from me that if this war hasn’t been a lesson for a man, he can’t be taught, that’s all.”

After the Armistice, the troops stayed in place and prepared for their move into Germany as part of the Army of Occupation.  It was considered an honor to be selected as one of the Divisions to have that duty.  It would be about the 25th of November when they started on that journey.

Just before starting that journey, Sgt. Wiese said that on Thanksgiving he was able to forage a rabbit and a chicken and had them prepared by a French woman. Four of the men were able to have a good meal for Thanksgiving.

On the 25th of November they started their journey into Germany on foot.  The walked across part of Belgium, across Luxembourg and on the 6th of December passed into Germany.

When Sgt. Wiese got into Germany he said, “this is kind of pretty country but the hills, ye God!  Many a time I thought about old areas when I was climbing some hill about four kilos long with about eighty pounds on my back.  If I ever get out of this man’s Army, I’m not going to walk a step because I think I’ve walked at least 50,000 miles in Europe!  It seems that way at least.

“One thing I like about the Army of Occupation and that is that the men are given the best possible accommodations.  They try to get beds for everyone and if that isn’t possible somebody has to be satisfied with a straw tick. The attitude of the German people has been a surprise to me.  With a few exceptions we have been well treated.   The American soldier is a free spender and gets good pay so the merchants are reaping a harvest.

“I’m proud to say that 89th Division received a citation the other day for its work in the Meuse-Argonne offense and for the engagement just previous to that.  In that engagement my company covered itself and incidentally, the battalion with glory.”

After entering Germany each unit was assigned a sector and guarded railroads and installations of value. The 89th had a former munitions factory in its sector and was tasked with dismantling it, disposing of any munitions.

The citizens of the sector were under the control of the occupiers and obeyed all rules formulated.  The German government officials were actually in charge of applying any rules formulated.

The Army planned to be occupying the area for a lengthy period of time, so many educational programs were established for the soldiers to take advantage of.  There were also many athletic activities started.  All the Divisions in the Army of Occupation formed football teams and competed against each other.  They had a championship game at a stadium in Paris.  It was played with great publicity and great attendance. Present at the game were all the leaders, including General Pershing.  After a close-fought game, the 89th Division beat the 36th Division.

Of course, the main thought on the minds of the soldier was, “when do we get to go home?”   That time finally came in May. The bulk of the Division arrived in the U.S. on May 16.  Sgt. R.P. Wiese had been detailed to leave earlier.  His ticket to go from Ft. Dodge to his home was dated May 3, 1919.