The 2nd Division A. E. F. — History of the Second Engineers 1916-1919

History of The Second Engineers 1916-1919

(inc. personal notes of Herley W. Wilson)

Roll Of Honor
Contents
Illustrations
Preface
Introduction
In Mexico

To The Memory Of Those Whose Names Compose The Roll of Honor

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.

**Captain**
X	Captain Jesse Lowen
	Captain George R. Spaulding
X	Captain Myron H. Peck
	Captain Frank W. Hulett

**First Lieutenant**
	First Lieutenant Malcolm Johnston
	First Lieutenant Robert W. Nolte
X	First Lieutenant James Henderson Spafford

**Second Lieutenant**
	Second Lieut. Stephen P. McGroarty
	Second Lieut. Charles A. Dean

**Master Engineer**
	Master Engineer Hugh G. Middleton
X	Master Engineer Richard I. Rhodes

**Wagoner**
	Wagoner Thomas Duncan
	Wagoner John A. Hamilton

**Other**
	First Sergeant Chauncey F. Yingst
	Supply Sergeant Robert Ronson, Jr.
	Cook Walter L. Crouch
	Bugler Orra L. Snyder

**Sergeant First Class**
	Sergeant First Class George A. Hopp
	Sergeant First Class Floyd E. Roderick
	Sergeant First Class Joseph Geiger
X	Sergeant First Class Earl S. Finley
	Sergeant First Class Alvin W. Dean
	Sergeant First Class Edwin D. Waltman
	Sergeant First Class Willie H. White
X	Sergeant First Class Albert G. Justice

**Mess Sergeant**
	Mess Sergeant John W. Hanley
	Mess Sergeant Patrick F. Crowley

**Sergeant**
	Sergeant Harry T. Corbin
	Sergeant Howard E. Dickerson
	Sergeant John W. Raezer
	Sergeant Boyd F. Mulligan
	Sergeant Marvin N. Howze.
	Sergeant Carl Gilbert
	Sergeant John V. Showers
	Sergeant Patrick Patterson
	Sergeant Leo L. Lane
	Sergeant William J. Cottingham
	Sergeant Fred A. Howard
X	Sergeant Lyle R. Voorhees
	Sergeant Percy D. Cox

**Corporal**
	Corporal Louis M. Holmes
X	Corporal Mart Gentry
	Corporal Charles L. Joy
	Corporal George Bell
	Corporal Jens C. Anderson
	Corporal William Fleming
	Corporal Frank Tucker
	Corporal Ivie L. Rigdon
	Corporal Benjiman J. Hamby
	Corporal Fred A. Sell
	Corporal Clyde A. Smelzer
X	Corporal William P. Gallagher
	Corporal Louis Cohen
	Corporal Stephen P. Grib
	Corporal Gust Kolar
	Corporal Frank S. Lamb
	Corporal John E. High
	Corporal Fred M. Allison
	Corporal Frank Lillis
	Corporal Rudolph C. Mehrtens
	Corporal Earl R. Ridd
	Corporal Walter Hankins
X	Corporal Earl P. Sooy
	Corporal Andrea Oakly
	Corporal Edmund Conway
X	Corporal Algernon S. Neal
	Corporal Joseph H. Beaumer
	Corporal Fred J. Grant
	Corporal Russel Chambers
X	Corporal Martin S. Ward
	Corporal Thomas Van Hoy
X	Corporal John O. Jenkins

**Private First Class**
	Private First Class Charles H. Reeder
	Private First Class William T. Checkly
	Private First Class Mahlen R. Unger
	Private First Class Bayard C. DeHart
	Private First Class Joseph Bowling
	Private First Class Ira H. Justice
	Private First Class James Regan
	Private First Class Arthur Woodham
	Private First Class Frank J. Michael
	Private First Class Thomas J. Powers
	Private First Class Nikoloj Jaworski
	Private First Class Fred B. Jenkins
	Private First Class John H. Barnes
	Private First Class Thomas J. Connelly
	Private First Class Alfred Hutchison
	Private First Class Harry E. Killion
	Private First Class Joseph L. McAvoy
	Private First Class Hiram C. Goodman
X	Private First Class Lloyd H. Still
	Private First Class, Harman R. Tabor
	Private First Class Clarence M. Hickman
	Private First Class George R. Godwin
	Private First Class Harry Allman
	Private First Class Frank C. MeDermott
	Private First Class Leslie D. Chapin
	Private First Class Ernest De Haven
	Private First Class Clarence T. Johnson
	Private First Class Ray H. Moses
X	Private First Class Walter J. Theus
	Private First Class Frank C. Smith
	Private First Class Albert H. Oakley
	Private First Class Paul E. Richardson
	Private First Class Grandville Ayers
	Private First Class Grover Bale
	Private First Class Thomas J. Brady
	Private First Class Pablito Castinado
	Private First Class Eing D. Hughes
	Private First Class Richard M. Raymond
X	Private First Class Roy Crader
	Private First Class Carroll Rowe
	Private First Class Lee Schofield
	Private First Class Noah P. Huffman
	Private First Class John Wells
X	Private First Class Joe R. Pace
	Private First Class Eraclio Charvez
	Private First Class Lerlow E. Howard
	Private First Class Earl R. Williams
—	Private First Class Benjamin Van Kampen Not Killed!
	Private First Class Glen V. Swan
	Private First Class Thomas N. Plunkett
	Private First Class Reuben S. Peterson
X	Private First Class Jay Whitney
	Private First Class Walter H. Tate
	Private First Class Walter Carlquist
	Private First Class Charles S. Hart
	Private First Class Victor Jaworowski

**Privates**
	Private Carlton Bowen
C	Private John C. Cox
	Private James E. Caldwell
	Private Charles Houston
X	Private Conway Skillicorn
	Private Lewis A. Lysak
	Private Frank S. Fuller
	Private Bertice E. Bottler
	Private George W. Manhart
	Private Ottis Morris
	Private Wayne E. Drake
	Private Clemens S. Kreuger
	Private Sam Romcivich
	Private Harold L. Sharp
	Private Rollin G. Freshour
	Private Fred Orange
	Private John Barbarino
	Private Max Belle
	Private Joseph Gallegus
	Private John F. Kemig
	Private George E. Marshall
X	Private Fred W. Nenneman
	Private Antonio Pietromonaco
	Private John Thompson
	Private William J. Whittaker
	Private George L. Tarnes
	Private Arthur M. Drury
	Private John E. Rabineau
	Private Adolph, Tonnetti
	Private Albert Debacker
	Private Walter W. Figgins
	Private John Dale
X	Private Lloyd E. Hutcheson
	Private Floyd H. Wood
	Private Earl M. Mortorff
	Private Ernest M. Larson
X	Private Shelton B. Beaty
	Private Harvey S. David
X	Private Thomas F. Goode
	Private George J. Hendrickson
	Private Louis J. Gasper
	Private George F. Parcels
	Private Dale Hyland
	Private Frank Jamison
	Private Oscar Haugen
	Private Hale Hunter
X	Private George J. Sneberger
X	Private Loren Trotter
	Private Charley E. Willison
	Private Archie L. Coy
	Private Timothy J. Harrington
	Private Daniel Hibbard
	Private Fulton C. Smith
	Private Orval G. Corbin
	Private Philips H. Benton
	Private Theophil J. Goranson
	Private Lawrence F. House
	Private Clarence W. Larson
X	Private Joseph A. Murphy
	Private Edward E. Reutter
	Private Herbert E. Shero
	Private James J. Sullivan
	Private Norman Veith
	Private Richard L. Hintz
	Private Henry H. Jones
	Private Roy C. Kintigh
X	Private David C. Halker
	Private Ernest L. Van Leuven
	Private Hillel Botvinik
	Private Joseph A. Carretti
	Private George T. Hilbert
X	Private Michael Koranda
	Private Rinaldo Caimono
	Private James Glenn
	Private William T. Phillips
	Private Mike Angigliere
	Private Willim G. Brouer
	Private Otto F. Schoeneman
	Private Carl H. Zimmerman
	Private Edward W. Childs
	Private Carl Westberg
X	Private John A. Goetz
	Private Andrew Korwel
	Private Enrico Purgato
	Private Thomas W. Kearns
	Private Clarence F. Billips
X	Private Glen V. Whetstone
	Private George Hayhurst
	Private Lee G. Winslow
	Private John Wales
X	Private Clifford H. Gallert
	Private Thomas A. Umholtz
	Private Leo Theisen
X	Private Francis W. Ciszek
	Private Henry J. Wunnenberg
	Private William J. Heffron
	Private George A. Gresens
	Private Thomas F. Furlong
	Private Pete Williams
	Private William C. Wilson

In France
Training for the Great War	25
Château-Thierry in June 1918	29
Near Soissons July 18th - 20th, 1918	48
The St. Mihiel Salient	53
Blanc Mont in Champagne	56
The Meuse-Argonne	69
In Germany
The Watch on the Rhine	77

CITATIONS, ORDERS AND AWARDS .	89
LIST OF INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Cross	105
Medaille Militaire and Croix-de-Guerre	106
List of Towns Occupied by Regimental Headquarters	109
Table showing the Major casualties of the combatant Engineer Regiments of the A. E. F.	113

LIST OF MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

Brigadier-General James F. McIndoe, Commanding Officer of the Second Engineers from April, 1917, to July, 1918	11
Colonel William A. Mitchell, Commanding Officer of the Second Engineers from July 6th to November 20th, 1918	13
Ruins of the Church in Lucy-le-Bocage	33
Vaux — after the American bombardment	39
Ravine along the southern edge of Belleau Woods	44
Map of the Chateau-Thierry Sector	44 — 45
Map of the Soissons Sector	48 — 49
Ruins of Verte-Feuille Farm	49
Headquarters of the Second Engineers in Vierzy	51
Map of the St. Mihiel Salient Sector	52 — 53
Panorama of the Moselle near the Bois de l'Eveque	56, 57
Repairing roads around crater between Souain and Somme-Py	58
The Py river near Somme-Py	59
Effect of shell fire on light railways	62
Bridge built by the Second Engineers at Somme-Py	63
Map of the Champagne Sector	64 — 65
Mine crater in standard gauge track near Mont St. Remy	65
Light railway bridge built by the Second Engineers in Champagne	66
Bridge drill in Champagne	66
Ruins of the Gendarmerie at Attigny	67
Map of the Meuse-Argonne Sector	68 — 69
Floating foot-bridge thrown across the Meuse by the Second Engineers	71
French prisoners crossing the Meuse, November 11th, 1918	72
Pontoon foot-bridge on the Meuse, near Villemontry, built by the Second Engineers	73
Heavy traffic bridge at Pouilly, built by the Second Engineers	74
A noon day halt on the march to the Rhine	78
Second Engineers passing in review before Secretary Daniels	81
Map of the bridge-head area	83
The Rhine at Engers	84
Headquarters, Second Engineers on the Rhine	85
Pontoon bridge over the Rhine, built by the Second Engineers in 58 1/2 minutes	86
Map showing route followed by the Second Engineers to Europe	112 — 113

Preface

To him who wishes to read this book, let it be known that there is no fiction contained herein; neither is there wit nor humor. In so far as it has been possible to obtain it, only the truth is given here — minimized rather than exaggerated. This is a history of the deeds accomplished by the men of the Second Regiment of Engineers of the Second Division, and is written for them that they might carry to their homes the honest records of their proud Regiment. Words are insufficient to express the honor and praise due those who dropped the pick and shovel and took up the rifle and bayonet in Belleau Woods, Vaux, Soissons and Champagne. Space is too limited to name all the heroes here and it is regretted that their praises cannot be sung.

This Regiment has experienced greater losses than that of any other Engineer or Artillery regiment, and greater than that of many Infantry regiments. It has a record of which every member is very proud, but it is felt that if the war were refought, and this Regiment were called upon as before, it would make a better record still. The morale of the Regiment has always been very high, and its esprit-de-corps exceptionally good. It has never failed to accomplish its assigned missions, and it never lost an inch of ground to the enemy. The deeds of the heroic dead cannot be forgotten, though they sleep in peace. Each in his own conflict with the enemy and death was true to his duty and fought a good fight to the very end.

In the preparation of this work an earnest endeavor has been made to give proper credit to whom it justly belongs. If errors or omissions have been made be lenient in your verdict. Grateful appreciation is extended to those who gave their very able assistance, and to that great body of men who do not wear bars or leaves or eagles on their shoulders whose actions made the book possible.

ALLAN BURTON
Regimental Historian.
Engers-on-the-Rhine,
May 30th, 1919.

Headquarters Second Division (Regular) American Expeditionary Forces.

	In all of the fiercely contested battles in which the 2nd Division participated, the 2nd Engineer Regiment, in addition to cutting lanes through the barbed wire entanglements for the attacking infantry, worked day and night on the roads, thereby making it possible for food and ammunition to be supplied to the troops in the front lines; and at many critical times, it reinforced the regiments of the 3rd and 4th Brigades, and fought by their side. Finally, in the last battle of the war, it threw two foot bridges across the Meuse in the face of a withering machine gun and heavy artillery fire, thereby enabling the advanced battalions of the Division to cross the river and seize the heights on the east bank. Throughout the war, this magnificent regiment fulfilled most efficiently and most courageously its dual mission as a working and a fighting force; and its splendid fighting record is shown by its heavy casualties, which were greater than those of any other Engineer Regiment in the A. E. F.
	John A. Lejune Major General, U. S. M. C. Commanding.
	December 30, 1918 Gen. Lejeune and members of 2nd Engrs. decorated with Croix de Guerre.
	Map showing route followed by the Second Engineers in Europe.

Col. William A. Mitchell

In Mexico — General Pershing's Punitive Expedition

The Second Battalion of U.S. Engineers ceased to be on August 1st, 1916, when the Second Regiment of U.S. Engineers was organized with Headquarters at Colonia Dublan, Mexico. Therefore, as a part of General Pershing's punitive expedition, it has the honor of being the only Regiment of the U.S. Army to be organized on foreign soil.

The principal duties of the Regiment while on this expedition were roadwork and bridge building, although some deep wells were bored and several reconnaissances made. The first road was built from Columbus, New Mexico, to El Valle, Mexico, a distance of 170 miles through alkali deserts and swamps. This road was a great help to the handling of supplies. Holt tractors, which were being tested for Army use, were operated by men from the Second Engineers. Reconnaissance parties often came in contact with the enemy, thus adding a little spice to the monotony of engineer work. One day, two engineers were attacked by a large band of the enemy-fully 50 to 1. The commander of this band was the great bandit Cervantes, whose reputation was known to all. While his comrade went for assistance, one of the engineers held the party with his rifle fire. Through his training, he made the party think there were several men firing at them. When the reinforcements arrived, the band had retreated leaving several dead on the ground among whom were General Cervantes and two of his aides.

After a campaign of almost a year in Mexico, the Regiment marched back across the border into Columbus, New Mexico, on February 5th, 1917, with Regimental Colors flying at the post of honor in the rear guard. It was reviewed by General Pershing as it crossed the border. After two days in Columbus, the Regiment moved in trucks to Camp Stewart, El Paso, Texas, where it was welcomed with a dinner and smoker by the Pennsylvania Artillery. After two months in Camp Stewart, the Second Engineers moved to Camp Baker in the same city, where it did engineer work and some training in Pontooning, Railroading, Sapping, etc. While the Regiment was stationed at this place, Lieutenant Colonel James F. McIndoe took command. In May it was reorganized into the Second and Fifth Regiments, the Eighth and Ninth Mounted Battalions, and the Second Engineer Train.

While at Camp Baker, the Second Engineers went through a period of intensive training in Engineer work peculiar to the European War. The most up-to-date revetted trenches, deep dug-outs, and wire entanglements were drilled in, until August 22nd, when the Regiment left El Paso for Washington, D. C., on the first leg of its trip to France.

United States, and John Archer Lejeune. 1919.
A History Of The Second Regiment Of Engineers, United States Army:
From Its Organization In Mexico, 1916, To Its Watch On The Rhine, 1919.
[Place of publication not identified]: [publisher not identified].