FROM PONCHO VILLA
TO THE KAISER
After several years of cross border raids by Mexican revolutionaries under the legendary Poncho Villa, and failed attempts to stop the raids by the small Regular Army, President Woodrow Wilson nationalized the entire US National Guard on June 19, 1916. Along with the rest of the 1st Oklahoma Infantry Regiment, was Pawnee's company "C". The regiment was moved to South Texas in July where they took up border patrol duties Northwest of Brownsville. After Villa was defeated by other Mexican factions, the Oklahoma Regiment came home and was mustered out on March 2, 1917. A roster of the Company "C" members was printed in the Times-Democrat on June 22, 1916. Members were:
Captain - C.H. Johnson
Lieutenants - William L. Uhl and L.C. Johnson
First Sergeant - Carl Uhl
Sergeants - Ben Grover; Bill Simms, Fred Pappen, Hugh Moore
Corporals - Walace Murie, Harry Richards, George Davis, A. Root, Glen Shepler,
and A. G. Johnson
Musician - Ed LaMotte
Aricficer - William A. Smith
Cook - Clarence Pierce
Privates - Walter Barnside, Tyler Barnum, Harve Bellew, H.H. Bell, William
Bell, George Bennett, Roy Berry, Harold Byers, Carroll Cavner, Louis Coats,
Jess Collins, Clyde Creason, B.L. Drake, Charles Elmore, Orlando Fanning, Ralph
Fletcher, Roy Gilmore, Joseph Grimsley, Thomas Hann, Wendell Harshbarger,
Charles Haun, Isaac Hawkins, Allie Kennard, Eppy Kern, Sol Kraus, Harold
LaBree, Jacob Leader, E.G. Mathers, James Moses, George Norton, George Sample,
John Service, C.A. Smiley, Floyd Teegarden, Henry Tefertiller, R.W. Uhl, Harold
Uhl, Grant White, Robert Whitesarrer, Joe Williams, Charles Wilson, Fred
Wilkerson, and Frank Young-Eagle.
Hardly had the troops arrived home when they were federalized once more for World War I. Because of a lack of manpower, the 1st Oklahoma Infantry Regiment was combined with the 7th Texas Regiment and they became the 142nd Infantry Regiment of the 36th Division. By September of 1917, the 36th was in France and in combat. The boys from Pawnee fought in the Meuse-Argonne, Blanc Mont Ridge, and Ferme Forest. They ended the war near Bar-le-Duc. The troops returned home and were mustered out on July 17, 1919.
Unlike earlier mobilizations, the World War was not without a high cost. In fact, 38 Pawnee men had fallen in battle either with the 36th Division or in other units or sister services. In November of 1922, a memorial to the fallen was erected outside the Pawnee County Courthouse where it stands today. Those who died were as follows:
Walter B. Allen, David L. Berg, Harry W. Bock, Richard S. Booth, Ezra Brown, Howard V. Daniels, George H. Ellsworth, John C. Freeis, Leander L. Green, James Harris, Earnest E. Houston, Howard Lee, James E. Lucas, Graton E. Lucas, Earl Maggart, Chalmers McFarland, Will B. Miller, Lester Moore, Charles H. Perkins, Roy Joseph Perry, Thomas H. Peckenpaugh, Loye B. Peckenpaugh, John H. Ratliff, Arthur Root, John H. Schone, Dudley W. Sawyer, Earl Smith, W. A. Smith, Isaac F. Scott, Jr., Walter E. Spees, Barney Statser, Everett Statser, Harry F. Thrasher, William H. Vance, Samuel F. Warren, Henry White, William E. Wilson
In the event that Joel Orcutt cannot be reached, please e-mail Robert Fender