thedrifter
08-20-02, 02:26 PM
PRIVATE FRANK LAST (Transcribed by Rick Riehl)
Pvt. Frank J. Last survived his war experiences and, although 50% disabled as a result of being gassed and having a shell inoperably lodged in his abdomen, led a life of service to his country. He received the Silver Star, two Purple Hearts, and special commendations for extraordinary bravery while in captivity.
He joined the administration of the VA Hospital in Washington during the early 1920's and eventually retired as the vice president of the VA Hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan in the early 60's. He passed away in 1976.
This original account was a combination of trench notes, and later memoirs that Pvt. Last compiled during his military convalescence in 1919. They sat in a drawer for three quarters of a century. Rick Riehl
Entry One
For most of 1917 I was at Lehr, North Dakota working as a rural mail carrier. In September, when the first draft was called, I was at the depot to see the boys off. Mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of the boys were there also. There was crying, praying, yelling and the band was playing. It was an awful sight. Every mother, father, sister and brother who was there thought that the one who was leaving was sure to be killed at once—no chance whatever of his coming back. It was on a Wednesday. That evening while waiting at the barbershop to have some work done, I found a chance to sell my outfit to Mr. C. J. Rott, who also carried the mail. I got into the chair when my turn came and said to Kowan the barber (better known as “Kelly”), “What do you say about enlisting?” Kelly said to me “You’re on!” I asked him if he meant it and he said he did. The doings at the depot that day had gotten our “goats” and we thought this would be a good time to show our colors. When “Kelly” finished working on me he commenced putting his tools away and some of his customers who were waiting wanted to know when they were to be shaved. “Kelly” said: “I am through barbering; we are going to enlist.” The people there and a great many more about town thought that we were trying to play some kind of joke on them. Thursday morning I carried the mail for the last time and at noon that day we boarded the train for Bismarck. When we got there we could not find the recruiting officer and later on that evening we talked to a member of Company A, who told us all about the company. Next morning we met him and he started over for Mandan (where the company was maneuvering at a fair) to see the commanding officer, Capt. Murphy. We had our first army feed that day and watched the boys drill. We wanted to get in worse than ever then and the next morning (Saturday, September 22) we were enlisted at Ft. Lincoln by Capt. Murphy. We boarded the Saturday train back to Lehr in our uniforms. A great many of the people there came to us and in German told us how crazy we were for going “frei willig”, meaning volunteering.
That night the Americans of the town gave us a reception and a farewell party, as we were to leave Monday. A great many who were not Americans were very angry about this party, as they thought that we should not have anything like that. Think of it! “Going to fight our Vaterland frei willig!”
Monday came and twenty minutes before train time we received a call from Capt. Murphy telling us that we could go to our homes in Wisconsin and catch the Company on their way to Camp Greene, North Carolina. A few of our friends went to the depot with us, but there was no crying, yelling or band playing. We said goodbye and left in a hurry. We arrived at our homes Tuesday afternoon.
Saturday morning I received a telegram from Capt. Murphy telling us to meet the company in St. Paul. We thought it would be impossible to reach St. Paul in time, so we went to Chicago that evening and stayed there until Monday, when we rejoined our Company. After a few days we reached Camp Greene, where we remained until the first part of November, and then moved from there to Camp Mills, Long Island. Here we received our overseas equipment and were sent to Camp Merritt, New Jersey, to await transportation.
On December 14th we sailed on the giant steamship Leviathan (formerly the Vaterland; an interned German ship. This was her first voyage sailing the seas flying the American flag. There was something like thirteen thousand aboard, including 500 Red Cross nurses. We reached Liverpool, England on Christmas evening and from there went directly to Wischeser to a rest camp. We rested at this camp-and also rested our stomachs. We were put on English rations and they weren’t very good. Ask some of the boys who have been there.
New Years Day we went to Southampton and boarded another boat that sailed up the channel to Le Havre, France.
http://www.fylde.demon.co.uk/riehl.htm
Copyright © Chris Mills, January, 1997.
Sempers,
Roger
Pvt. Frank J. Last survived his war experiences and, although 50% disabled as a result of being gassed and having a shell inoperably lodged in his abdomen, led a life of service to his country. He received the Silver Star, two Purple Hearts, and special commendations for extraordinary bravery while in captivity.
He joined the administration of the VA Hospital in Washington during the early 1920's and eventually retired as the vice president of the VA Hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan in the early 60's. He passed away in 1976.
This original account was a combination of trench notes, and later memoirs that Pvt. Last compiled during his military convalescence in 1919. They sat in a drawer for three quarters of a century. Rick Riehl
Entry One
For most of 1917 I was at Lehr, North Dakota working as a rural mail carrier. In September, when the first draft was called, I was at the depot to see the boys off. Mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of the boys were there also. There was crying, praying, yelling and the band was playing. It was an awful sight. Every mother, father, sister and brother who was there thought that the one who was leaving was sure to be killed at once—no chance whatever of his coming back. It was on a Wednesday. That evening while waiting at the barbershop to have some work done, I found a chance to sell my outfit to Mr. C. J. Rott, who also carried the mail. I got into the chair when my turn came and said to Kowan the barber (better known as “Kelly”), “What do you say about enlisting?” Kelly said to me “You’re on!” I asked him if he meant it and he said he did. The doings at the depot that day had gotten our “goats” and we thought this would be a good time to show our colors. When “Kelly” finished working on me he commenced putting his tools away and some of his customers who were waiting wanted to know when they were to be shaved. “Kelly” said: “I am through barbering; we are going to enlist.” The people there and a great many more about town thought that we were trying to play some kind of joke on them. Thursday morning I carried the mail for the last time and at noon that day we boarded the train for Bismarck. When we got there we could not find the recruiting officer and later on that evening we talked to a member of Company A, who told us all about the company. Next morning we met him and he started over for Mandan (where the company was maneuvering at a fair) to see the commanding officer, Capt. Murphy. We had our first army feed that day and watched the boys drill. We wanted to get in worse than ever then and the next morning (Saturday, September 22) we were enlisted at Ft. Lincoln by Capt. Murphy. We boarded the Saturday train back to Lehr in our uniforms. A great many of the people there came to us and in German told us how crazy we were for going “frei willig”, meaning volunteering.
That night the Americans of the town gave us a reception and a farewell party, as we were to leave Monday. A great many who were not Americans were very angry about this party, as they thought that we should not have anything like that. Think of it! “Going to fight our Vaterland frei willig!”
Monday came and twenty minutes before train time we received a call from Capt. Murphy telling us that we could go to our homes in Wisconsin and catch the Company on their way to Camp Greene, North Carolina. A few of our friends went to the depot with us, but there was no crying, yelling or band playing. We said goodbye and left in a hurry. We arrived at our homes Tuesday afternoon.
Saturday morning I received a telegram from Capt. Murphy telling us to meet the company in St. Paul. We thought it would be impossible to reach St. Paul in time, so we went to Chicago that evening and stayed there until Monday, when we rejoined our Company. After a few days we reached Camp Greene, where we remained until the first part of November, and then moved from there to Camp Mills, Long Island. Here we received our overseas equipment and were sent to Camp Merritt, New Jersey, to await transportation.
On December 14th we sailed on the giant steamship Leviathan (formerly the Vaterland; an interned German ship. This was her first voyage sailing the seas flying the American flag. There was something like thirteen thousand aboard, including 500 Red Cross nurses. We reached Liverpool, England on Christmas evening and from there went directly to Wischeser to a rest camp. We rested at this camp-and also rested our stomachs. We were put on English rations and they weren’t very good. Ask some of the boys who have been there.
New Years Day we went to Southampton and boarded another boat that sailed up the channel to Le Havre, France.
http://www.fylde.demon.co.uk/riehl.htm
Copyright © Chris Mills, January, 1997.
Sempers,
Roger