"In May of 1918, at the close of the school year, I was the first school teacher drafted to leave for the Service June 1. So, the school board gave me the last two weeks off from teaching that I might get ready to go to war. The night before I was to leave, my friends gave a party for me, and they gave me a wonderful camera as a gift. I got to bed about 12:00 midnight, and was supposed to be at the Heber Depot before 7:00 a.m. the next morning, as the train left that early."
"About 3:00 a.m. in the morning, I woke up with a severe pain under my jaw. I called my mother, and she said, "It looks like it might be the mumps." She immediately called Dr. Wherritt, and he came over and diagnosed it as the mumps and said that I would have to be quarantined for one month. In that case, my cousin, Elmer Huber, was the alternate and was ready to go in my place and leave on the train at 7:00 a.m. He was in the 145th Field Artillery, a unit from Utah. He went overseas and fought all the way up through the Aragon Forest in combat against the Germans and was very fortunate in returning home safely."
"On the other hand, I was quarantined for one month and left July 1. By this time, Clarence, my cousin was also drafted. We left together for the University of Utah where we studied for eight weeks as carpenters and builders of bridges. While at the U. of U. we both got into the Military Band which was led by Claud Cornwall. I was selected as assistant band leader and had the experience of playing a trombone solo in the old Salt Lake Theater, (the solo was "Just a Baby's Payer At Twilight," with band accompaniment), the night before we left for Camp John Wise in Texas. I will never forget how frightened I was to look out over that vast audience in the gallery and main floor."
"The next morning, we left for Texas, traveling on the train east as far as Topeka, Kansas and then south through Oklahoma for Texas to our destination in San Antonio. We were met there by three large army trucks, and the men in charge ordered us to get in. We had a suitcase and barracks bag that would hold all of the belongings a man could think of to get along."
"We traveled about three miles to get to Camp John Wise which was a balloon camp. Until now, we thought we were carpenters and going to build airplanes. As they were just having mess or supper as we came in through the front gate, all of us standing in those three trucks (there were about thirty Utah boys) as we passed along, the men made all kinds of snide remarks about us such as, "Where are you from?" "Where are your horns?" "Look at the ears on that one." We just kept on going down the main road in the camp and passed all the other soldiers and landed at the far end of the camp about one mile from the mess halls. They ordered us out of the truck then. We set down our suitcases, and they marched us up away to a straw stack and gave us a straw tick and said, "Boys, fill them up," which we did. Then, we went back down to where our other belongings were and spread out for the night. They said, "But be careful and shake your socks in the morning and empty your shoes to be sure there aren't any rattlesnakes or tarantulas in the area." Then, they marched us up to get our supper and back again where we reported in for the night with the open sky above. In the morning, one of the boys found a tarantula in his sock."
"We stayed in this location for about two weeks. Then they moved us up nearer the main barracks and gave us a cot to sleep on. We stayed here two or three weeks and then they moved us into a tent with cots. Still later, they moved us up into a barracks where we had a wooden floor, and it was a much better place. It was all a process of evaluation. We had some wonderful experiences in this camp. We had to serve on balloon duty. It took fifty-eight men to handle a balloon, and they were organized into two groups to take care of each balloon. Every man had a place and knew exactly what to do. Some jobs were much easier than others. We took these balloons out in the morning by holding onto large ropes seventy feet long, and there were about six of these on each side with three men to the rope. Some carried the basket; others carried the rip cord. Others carried the metallic V cord. These were easy jobs, and you were lucky if you got one. We came in at night with blisters on our hands in taking this balloon clear across country and back again. At noon time while we ate our lunch, the balloon was fastened to a winch in a big army truck. The basket was fastened on; two cadets or officers would get in it, and the balloon would be allowed to ascend up about 5,000 feet. While up there, these officers drew maps and watched for positions and activities of the enemy. The average life of a balloon in a front line was only an hour. I was privileged to go up in a balloon with a commanding officer just before being discharged from the army."
"When we arrived at Camp John Wise, there were several posters up wanting musicians to sign up for band. There were several of us Utah boys who signed up when we first got there, but months dragged on and we were never asked to play in any band. One morning as we were ready to go for balloon drill, the Sargent said, "Private Karl L. Probst, you are wanted up at headquarters." I couldn't imagine what I had done or what it was all about, but he said, "Shave, and dress up your very best, and go up to the Adjutant's office." I went up and saluted him and told him why I was there, and he said, "Major Lambert wants to see you just across the aisle." I went in and saluted and said, "Private Karl L. Probst reporting, Sir." He said, "oh, yes, sit down there." He was a rather old man about seventy-five years, wore large thick glasses with a very kind and pleasant look on his face. I learned later that he was a millionaire and was volunteering his services to the Unites States Government because he was a chemist and an expert authority on ballooning. I also learned that he was the inventor or discoverer of Listerine that had made him so much money. He was a very kind, sympathetic man, with a great deal of understanding. He said, "I have a record here that shows that you were assistant band leader at the U. of U." Then, he asked me a lot of questions about my musical experience and playing in bands and orchestras, which I gave him gladly."
"He said, "I think you are the man we have been looking for for a long time. How would you like to organize a camp band?" I told him I would like that very much, so he gave me a list of about 300 names of men who had signed up as band members. Some had gone overseas; some were still there. By giving them an audition, I picked out about thirty-eight men, eight of whom were Utah boys. Then he said, "there is a good set of band instruments down in San Antonio Music Company. We will buy them if they meet with your approval." Then he ordered his sports model convertible car out in front, and together we went to the San Antonio Music Company to look over these instruments and to get some music. The instruments were okay, and he ordered them brought out to the camp that afternoon, and gave us a large place to meet and practice in. With about a week's practice, we gave a little concert in one of the barracks, and the Commanding Officer, Col. Bowers, and Major Lambert, sponsor of the band, and most all of the officers of the camp, numbering about 150, came to hear us play and were very enthusiastic and pleased with the results after just one week's practice. From then on, the band served a very important part in our camp. We played guard mount every afternoon, gave about three concerts a week and went with the football team on Sunday. I had a saxophone quartet organized within the band and we played for many entertainments."
"The war ended November 11, 1918. I was discharged at Ft. Logan, Colorado, the latter part of February, 1919. They gave me $50.00 and a pair of shoes."
"About 3:00 a.m. in the morning, I woke up with a severe pain under my jaw. I called my mother, and she said, "It looks like it might be the mumps." She immediately called Dr. Wherritt, and he came over and diagnosed it as the mumps and said that I would have to be quarantined for one month. In that case, my cousin, Elmer Huber, was the alternate and was ready to go in my place and leave on the train at 7:00 a.m. He was in the 145th Field Artillery, a unit from Utah. He went overseas and fought all the way up through the Aragon Forest in combat against the Germans and was very fortunate in returning home safely."
"On the other hand, I was quarantined for one month and left July 1. By this time, Clarence, my cousin was also drafted. We left together for the University of Utah where we studied for eight weeks as carpenters and builders of bridges. While at the U. of U. we both got into the Military Band which was led by Claud Cornwall. I was selected as assistant band leader and had the experience of playing a trombone solo in the old Salt Lake Theater, (the solo was "Just a Baby's Payer At Twilight," with band accompaniment), the night before we left for Camp John Wise in Texas. I will never forget how frightened I was to look out over that vast audience in the gallery and main floor."
"The next morning, we left for Texas, traveling on the train east as far as Topeka, Kansas and then south through Oklahoma for Texas to our destination in San Antonio. We were met there by three large army trucks, and the men in charge ordered us to get in. We had a suitcase and barracks bag that would hold all of the belongings a man could think of to get along."
"We traveled about three miles to get to Camp John Wise which was a balloon camp. Until now, we thought we were carpenters and going to build airplanes. As they were just having mess or supper as we came in through the front gate, all of us standing in those three trucks (there were about thirty Utah boys) as we passed along, the men made all kinds of snide remarks about us such as, "Where are you from?" "Where are your horns?" "Look at the ears on that one." We just kept on going down the main road in the camp and passed all the other soldiers and landed at the far end of the camp about one mile from the mess halls. They ordered us out of the truck then. We set down our suitcases, and they marched us up away to a straw stack and gave us a straw tick and said, "Boys, fill them up," which we did. Then, we went back down to where our other belongings were and spread out for the night. They said, "But be careful and shake your socks in the morning and empty your shoes to be sure there aren't any rattlesnakes or tarantulas in the area." Then, they marched us up to get our supper and back again where we reported in for the night with the open sky above. In the morning, one of the boys found a tarantula in his sock."
"We stayed in this location for about two weeks. Then they moved us up nearer the main barracks and gave us a cot to sleep on. We stayed here two or three weeks and then they moved us into a tent with cots. Still later, they moved us up into a barracks where we had a wooden floor, and it was a much better place. It was all a process of evaluation. We had some wonderful experiences in this camp. We had to serve on balloon duty. It took fifty-eight men to handle a balloon, and they were organized into two groups to take care of each balloon. Every man had a place and knew exactly what to do. Some jobs were much easier than others. We took these balloons out in the morning by holding onto large ropes seventy feet long, and there were about six of these on each side with three men to the rope. Some carried the basket; others carried the rip cord. Others carried the metallic V cord. These were easy jobs, and you were lucky if you got one. We came in at night with blisters on our hands in taking this balloon clear across country and back again. At noon time while we ate our lunch, the balloon was fastened to a winch in a big army truck. The basket was fastened on; two cadets or officers would get in it, and the balloon would be allowed to ascend up about 5,000 feet. While up there, these officers drew maps and watched for positions and activities of the enemy. The average life of a balloon in a front line was only an hour. I was privileged to go up in a balloon with a commanding officer just before being discharged from the army."
"When we arrived at Camp John Wise, there were several posters up wanting musicians to sign up for band. There were several of us Utah boys who signed up when we first got there, but months dragged on and we were never asked to play in any band. One morning as we were ready to go for balloon drill, the Sargent said, "Private Karl L. Probst, you are wanted up at headquarters." I couldn't imagine what I had done or what it was all about, but he said, "Shave, and dress up your very best, and go up to the Adjutant's office." I went up and saluted him and told him why I was there, and he said, "Major Lambert wants to see you just across the aisle." I went in and saluted and said, "Private Karl L. Probst reporting, Sir." He said, "oh, yes, sit down there." He was a rather old man about seventy-five years, wore large thick glasses with a very kind and pleasant look on his face. I learned later that he was a millionaire and was volunteering his services to the Unites States Government because he was a chemist and an expert authority on ballooning. I also learned that he was the inventor or discoverer of Listerine that had made him so much money. He was a very kind, sympathetic man, with a great deal of understanding. He said, "I have a record here that shows that you were assistant band leader at the U. of U." Then, he asked me a lot of questions about my musical experience and playing in bands and orchestras, which I gave him gladly."
"He said, "I think you are the man we have been looking for for a long time. How would you like to organize a camp band?" I told him I would like that very much, so he gave me a list of about 300 names of men who had signed up as band members. Some had gone overseas; some were still there. By giving them an audition, I picked out about thirty-eight men, eight of whom were Utah boys. Then he said, "there is a good set of band instruments down in San Antonio Music Company. We will buy them if they meet with your approval." Then he ordered his sports model convertible car out in front, and together we went to the San Antonio Music Company to look over these instruments and to get some music. The instruments were okay, and he ordered them brought out to the camp that afternoon, and gave us a large place to meet and practice in. With about a week's practice, we gave a little concert in one of the barracks, and the Commanding Officer, Col. Bowers, and Major Lambert, sponsor of the band, and most all of the officers of the camp, numbering about 150, came to hear us play and were very enthusiastic and pleased with the results after just one week's practice. From then on, the band served a very important part in our camp. We played guard mount every afternoon, gave about three concerts a week and went with the football team on Sunday. I had a saxophone quartet organized within the band and we played for many entertainments."
"The war ended November 11, 1918. I was discharged at Ft. Logan, Colorado, the latter part of February, 1919. They gave me $50.00 and a pair of shoes."
No comments:
Post a Comment