This article is from the Fort Wayne Sentinel of Monday, February 25, 1918, as found on Newspapers.com
"Enter Signal Corps
(Special to the News.)
Columbia City, Ind. Feb. 25-
Shelley Stemen and Alex Cordill of this city, and Harmon Walker and Grover C. Harshbarger of near here, who are draft registrants but whose numbers would throw them in the second or third quota, left Monday for Fort Leavenworth, Ks., where they will enter the land service signal corps. They desired to enlist before being drafted and accepted the chance to enlist voluntarily through the local draft board. They will be credited to Whitley County on the second quota. The Whitley county draft board received notice Saturday from the war department that any draft eligible no matter whether he belong to the current quota, or to a future quote, may enlist and be sent at once to whatever camp he desired, he having, in other words, the right to choose from the lines of military work yet open."
I was unable to find any information clarifying the "second or third quota" phrase, but apparently these men had missed the earliest draft but were classified as the equivalent of 1A and knew their numbers were coming up soon.
I'm not sure what the men expected or hoped to be doing by going into the land service signal corps. The corps was devoted to communications, whether by radio, radar, telegraph, or even aviation for the early part of the war. So they could have been radio or telegraph operators, or they could have been stringing wires for telephones, or any number of other ssignments.
Grover, however, didn't get to complete his training. He was one of the many who were infected with "Spanish influenza" in the time before antibiotics, and was so ill that he was discharged from Camp Lejeune later in 1918.
The line of descent is
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Showing posts with label World War I. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World War I. Show all posts
Friday, April 22, 2016
Friday, December 19, 2014
Harshbarger line: Grover Harshbarger and the Spanish Influenza
Grover Harshbarger enlisted in the US Army on February 29, 1918 and was sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas for his initial training. This was during the time period that troops were being rushed through training and sent overseas as quickly as possible, to fight in France and Germany primarily, in what became known as World War I. Of course, these men didn't know that. They thought they were fighting "The Great War" or "The War to End All Wars." Because he enlisted rather than waiting to be drafted, Grover, along with three other Whitley County men, was allowed to choose to serve in the Land Signal Corps. We know that this included weather observers, radiotelephone operators, and other communication services, but we don't know what he was being trained to do.
After basic training at Fort Leavenworth, he was transferred to Camp Lejeune, NC. He was nearing completion of his specialized training when he was attacked by an enemy on this side of the ocean, the Spanish influenza. The camp suffered an epidemic and Grover was one of the soldiers who fell ill. It was a very serious illness. Millions of people world wide died from it, and many soldiers died, too. Many of those Army members who survived were ill too long, and weakened too much, to be returned to their units, and so they were discharged. Grover was discharged on July 29, 1918, and we know it took several months for him to regain his strength. Fortunately his parents were both still living, so he returned home to Whitley County, Indiana and his parents, Emmanuel and Clara Harter Harshbarger, took care of him until he could take care of himself.
This is a hard post for me to write, because I could have written a better one if I had taken advantage of the opportunities I had. I remember talking with Grover about his military service, and I remember that he was proud of what he had done and sorry he couldn't go to the European theater with his unit. I wish I had asked him more questions, taken notes, and had a real story to tell here. Grover was good at telling stories so I must have been a poor listener.
Regardless, I wanted to write what I do remember so his descendents will know at least this much. The only documentation I have for this post is from the US Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010, which gives his enlistment date and his release date, and an article in The Fort Wayne Sentinel, dated Monday, February 25, 1918.
If you have an older person in your family who served in the military, and you will see them over this holiday season, I encourage you to learn their story (record it if possible) and then write it down and let others in your family have copies. Then you won't have to write a blog post from 35 year old memories.
The line of descent is:
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
After basic training at Fort Leavenworth, he was transferred to Camp Lejeune, NC. He was nearing completion of his specialized training when he was attacked by an enemy on this side of the ocean, the Spanish influenza. The camp suffered an epidemic and Grover was one of the soldiers who fell ill. It was a very serious illness. Millions of people world wide died from it, and many soldiers died, too. Many of those Army members who survived were ill too long, and weakened too much, to be returned to their units, and so they were discharged. Grover was discharged on July 29, 1918, and we know it took several months for him to regain his strength. Fortunately his parents were both still living, so he returned home to Whitley County, Indiana and his parents, Emmanuel and Clara Harter Harshbarger, took care of him until he could take care of himself.
This is a hard post for me to write, because I could have written a better one if I had taken advantage of the opportunities I had. I remember talking with Grover about his military service, and I remember that he was proud of what he had done and sorry he couldn't go to the European theater with his unit. I wish I had asked him more questions, taken notes, and had a real story to tell here. Grover was good at telling stories so I must have been a poor listener.
Regardless, I wanted to write what I do remember so his descendents will know at least this much. The only documentation I have for this post is from the US Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010, which gives his enlistment date and his release date, and an article in The Fort Wayne Sentinel, dated Monday, February 25, 1918.
If you have an older person in your family who served in the military, and you will see them over this holiday season, I encourage you to learn their story (record it if possible) and then write it down and let others in your family have copies. Then you won't have to write a blog post from 35 year old memories.
The line of descent is:
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, September 27, 2013
Wilbur Beeks, member of the Michigan Polar Bears
Wilbur Beeks was born in Lagro Township, Wabash County, Indiana on August 8, 1895. His parents were John and Elizabeth Wise Beeks. He married Gretta Cleo Aldridge November 29, 1914, in St Joseph, Michigan. (Note: I have not yet found documentation for the marriage. They would have been young: he was 19 and she was not quite 18.) They had a large family, 16 children in all, of whom eight lived to adulthood. So far, the story of Wilbur could be the story of many other young men from the area, who married young and spent the rest of their days supporting their families as best they could.
Wilbur, however, had an experience that only a few thousand other people shared, and only a few of those people were from Indiana. When he was drafted into the Army in World War I, he was one of a few who were "chosen" to join that unit that became known as the Michigan Polar Bears. Their official name was the 339th Michigan Infantry, and he was in Company K. All during his training he and the others assumed they were going to France. However, after the ship left England, the men learned they were going instead to Russia, near Archangel, where a small second front would be opened to distract the Germans from the trench warfare in France and to secure the port for the Allies. Compamy K, along with the rest of the 339th Infantry, arrived in England in late July, 1918, where they stayed in "English rest camps" for a short time, and they arrived in Russia September 4, 1918.
Wilbur was wounded in action shortly after he arrived, on September 27, 1918, on the north bank of the Emsta River, 3 versts nort of Kodish, Russia. He spent several weeks in the hospital recuperating from a wound to his throat, and eventually rejoined his unit and continued fighting. Needless to say, the men were cold, wet, and miserable during much of their time there.
Due to the long winter, political ineptness, and perhaps even forgetfulness, the men of the "Michigan Polar Bears were no returned home after Armistice Day, November 11, 1918. Instead, they fought on, and on, and on, eventually fighting the Bolsheviks while trying to give what little support they could to the White (anti-Communist) Russians. It took a letter writing campaign from home and a Congressional hearing to put enough pressure on the military to get the troops home.from Russia. The soldiers were at Camp Ponanezen, near Brent, France by early June, and arrived "home" to a magnificent July 4 welcome in Detroit. (Most of the men who made up this unit were from Michigan, but there were at least two members of the unit from every state in the union, by design.) Wilbur was "transferred" July 12, 1919, and soon after was back home in Indiana.
The rest of Wilbur's life was more mundane. He and his wife raised their children, and often there were other family members living with them. They lived outside of Andrews for several years, but moved to Andrews by 1940 so the children could attend the nearby school. He retired on veteran's disability at about the age of 55, and lived quietly until his sudden death on January 9, 1970.
At the time of his death, he was survived by 7 children, 42 grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. Many of his grandchildren are grandparents now, so there are probably even great great great grandchildren of Wilbur and Cleo Beeks now. I hope every one of them gets to know this ancestor story, so they can tell it to their children. It is remarkable.
For those who are interested, there was a PBS documentary about this unit called "Voices of a Never Ending Dawn" which may still be available. Googling "Michigan Polar Bears" will give you a lot of sites related to this unit, and there are even on line diaries from a few of the men who served with the Michigan 339th. There is a Memorial Day service every year at the White Chapel Memorial Cemetery, Troy, Michigan. The public is invited to attend this, and it would be a great way to pay tribute to an ancestor.
Wilbur, however, had an experience that only a few thousand other people shared, and only a few of those people were from Indiana. When he was drafted into the Army in World War I, he was one of a few who were "chosen" to join that unit that became known as the Michigan Polar Bears. Their official name was the 339th Michigan Infantry, and he was in Company K. All during his training he and the others assumed they were going to France. However, after the ship left England, the men learned they were going instead to Russia, near Archangel, where a small second front would be opened to distract the Germans from the trench warfare in France and to secure the port for the Allies. Compamy K, along with the rest of the 339th Infantry, arrived in England in late July, 1918, where they stayed in "English rest camps" for a short time, and they arrived in Russia September 4, 1918.
Wilbur was wounded in action shortly after he arrived, on September 27, 1918, on the north bank of the Emsta River, 3 versts nort of Kodish, Russia. He spent several weeks in the hospital recuperating from a wound to his throat, and eventually rejoined his unit and continued fighting. Needless to say, the men were cold, wet, and miserable during much of their time there.
Due to the long winter, political ineptness, and perhaps even forgetfulness, the men of the "Michigan Polar Bears were no returned home after Armistice Day, November 11, 1918. Instead, they fought on, and on, and on, eventually fighting the Bolsheviks while trying to give what little support they could to the White (anti-Communist) Russians. It took a letter writing campaign from home and a Congressional hearing to put enough pressure on the military to get the troops home.from Russia. The soldiers were at Camp Ponanezen, near Brent, France by early June, and arrived "home" to a magnificent July 4 welcome in Detroit. (Most of the men who made up this unit were from Michigan, but there were at least two members of the unit from every state in the union, by design.) Wilbur was "transferred" July 12, 1919, and soon after was back home in Indiana.
The rest of Wilbur's life was more mundane. He and his wife raised their children, and often there were other family members living with them. They lived outside of Andrews for several years, but moved to Andrews by 1940 so the children could attend the nearby school. He retired on veteran's disability at about the age of 55, and lived quietly until his sudden death on January 9, 1970.
At the time of his death, he was survived by 7 children, 42 grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. Many of his grandchildren are grandparents now, so there are probably even great great great grandchildren of Wilbur and Cleo Beeks now. I hope every one of them gets to know this ancestor story, so they can tell it to their children. It is remarkable.
For those who are interested, there was a PBS documentary about this unit called "Voices of a Never Ending Dawn" which may still be available. Googling "Michigan Polar Bears" will give you a lot of sites related to this unit, and there are even on line diaries from a few of the men who served with the Michigan 339th. There is a Memorial Day service every year at the White Chapel Memorial Cemetery, Troy, Michigan. The public is invited to attend this, and it would be a great way to pay tribute to an ancestor.
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