Hello Halfway Brook friends, It has been a long time since I posted, but we are doing ok here in Cave Creek. Abby, Laurilla, and Mary Ann, the book about my Hickok ancestors (1600–1900), is hopefully in the last stages. … Continue reading
The Meuse-Argonne Cemetery covers 130 acres and holds the largest number of American dead—14,246—in Europe. Most of those buried in the cemetery died during WWI’s Meuse-Argonne Offensive. A short distance from the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery, just where the Romagne-Cunel Road turned … Continue reading
It was a custom of families of servicemen to hang a service Flag in the window of their homes. The Service Flag had a star for each family member in the military. Living servicemen were represented by a blue star, … Continue reading
Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France, October 12–17, 1918 McKinley’s outfit arrived in the vicinity of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon on October 12. They suffered casualties from the heavy shelling of enemy guns the next day. That evening the 11th Infantry took up a position around Ferme … Continue reading
Cunel, France, October 11, 1918 On October 11 the attack was renewed early in the morning…Progress was bitterly contested by heavy machine-gun fire and by flanking artillery support, as on previous days. During the night of October 11-12, the relief … Continue reading
McKinley (Mac) Austin’s brother was serving in the Panama Canal Zone. Raymond Austin, Balboa, Canal Zone, to Mort Austin, Eldred September 27, 1918 Dear Father, So you will be glad when the last battle is fought. I think we all … Continue reading
Meuse-Argonne: First Phase September 26 to October 3, 1918 It was foggy around 5:30 a.m. Thursday, September 26, when about 600,000 American troops (most of them inexperienced) and their 2,700 artillery guns opened fire on 60,000 well entrenched Germans. The … Continue reading
McKinley Austin, 11th U.S. Inf. A.E.F., to Aida Austin September 22, 1918 (received Oct. 23) Dear Aunt, I am writing to let you know I am well. So far I have received all your letters. They did not come in … Continue reading
11th Infantry On September 6, 1918, the 11th Infantry left for St. Mihiel. My grandfather Irwin Briggs, a medic, went to the front lines to get the wounded and the dying during the St. Mihiel battle. He would also help … Continue reading
Hunt for Slackers New York’s draft cleanup, the detection and putting into uniform of young men who fooled themselves into thinking that they could save their precious skins by evading the selective service law, started on a prodigious scale. More … Continue reading
