Valor Magazine - Volume 2, Number 1

THE GEORGE S. ROBB CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF THE GREAT WAR AT PARK UNIVERSITY VOLUME 2, NO. 1

VALOR COLOR SERGEANT SING LAU KEE The Colonel of Cantigny Chemical Warfare Valor magazine is sponsored by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation

VALOR

CONTENTS There's no expiration on valor.

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Message from Interim President Smeed 4 Message from Robb Centre Director Westcott 5 The Colonel of Cantigny 13 National African American History Month 14 National Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month 15 National Jewish American Heritage Month 16 First Division Museum Launches Travel Program 17 Color Sergeant Sing Lau Kee 24 Adopt-A-Book Program 25 Chemical Warfare

17 Color Sergeant Sing Lau Kee Company G 306th Infantry Regiment 77th Division, U.S. Army

30 Adopt-A-Hero Program 31 Sponsorships 32 Contacts VALOR MAGAZINE | 2

MESSAGE FROM INTERIM PRESIDENT SMEED

Base Hospital Number 31

John Adams, on July 3, 1776, wrote his wife Abigail, “The Second Day of July…will be the most memorable epocha, in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary.”

Adams continued his letter, “It [July 2nd] ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”

Park University celebrates our nation’s birthday with remembrance that brightens a solidarity of our citizens. The past 245 years have brought 13 fledging independent colonies and commonwealths to the world’s most powerful and engaged nation. Our democratic and republican ideals have marched amidst many fields, hamlets and countries over these centuries carried by men and women in service to others.

Park University has been united in those marches since 1875 with missionaries, educators, business persons, and military personnel.

One World War I Park University alumnus is William Jennings Bryan Bohannon (1897-1979).

Bohannon was born to Thomas (1842-1911) and Mary Elizabeth Cattron (1850-1946) in Fulton County, Ill., the youngest of 13 children. Bohannon was accepted into Park College in 1916 and was a member of the football team (1916) and track team (1917) before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1918. Bohannon served as private, later private first class in Casual Company 2727, Base Hospital 131, Medical Detachment.

Bohannon left New York City on Oct. 12, 1918, aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship Ortega, arriving in Brest, France, on Oct. 19. Bohannon left Brest on July 17, 1919, aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship Martha Washington, arriving in Hoboken, N.J., on July 27, 1919. He returned to Park College, graduating in 1920 and served as president of Parchevard Literary Society.

After graduation, Bohannon became a physics instructor at Purdue University. While there, he met and married fellow faculty member Grace King (?-1928) and they had two children, Robert (1923-38) and William (1925-95).

After Grace’s untimely death due to diphtheria, Bohannon married Helen Anderson (1900-2000) in New Jersey and they had three children, Richard (1933-), Elizabeth (1935-2000) and Thomas (1942-79).

In the 1930s and 1940s, Bohannon was an instructor at Knox College and served as an engineer for Western Electric Co. Bohannon resided in Westfield, N.J., into the 1970s, where he died following a lengthy illness on June 14, 1979. He is buried in Fairview Cemetery in Scotch Plains, N.J. I invite you to read this issue of Valor to read more about Park University’s connections to World War I and the continuing Valor Medals Review efforts by staff and students in the University’s George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War. Shane B. Smeed Interim President Park University

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MESSAGE FROM ROBB CENTRE DIRECTOR WESTCOTT Placing our research in current perspective The past six months has engaged Park University’s George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War staff with a new website design and content. The staff is excited to share a more inclusive and engaged platform at https://gsr.park.edu. The sections of the website include: About: This section includes a general history of the Robb Centre, information related to our joint projects with the University’s Frances Fishburn Archives and Special Collections, and a list of organizations that have assisted with research. Additional links include information on Robb Centre staff, a biography of George S. Robb, partners and sponsors, and a history of Park House, the home of the Robb Centre.

Valor Medals Review Project: This section features a short video regarding the project, an executive summary, project objectives and frequently asked questions. Additional links include background on previous systematic reviews and the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorized the Robb Centre’s systematic review. Most important is the servicemember database which contains a page on each servicemember that currently meets the review criteria. The database can be searched by service branch, home country/state, race/ethnicity or last name.

Collections: The collections section contains military-related information, including divisional, campaign, maps and photo galleries. These pages are highly detailed in relationship to operational and unit engagements.

(L) Private Calvin Atchavit (R) First Lieutenant Jacques Swaab

The Great War Institute: This section promotes the Robb Centre’s public and educational outreach, scholarship and teaching regarding U.S. and international involvement in the Great War. Additionally, the link provides information related to our annual lecture series.

News & Events: This section furnishes information related to upcoming events across the nation. In addition, links to recent news stories and events are highlighted. An archive of media stories is linked to the Robb Centre’s YouTube channel.

The link also contains previous Valor magazine editions.

(L) Captain William Crawford (R) Private Samuel Johns

The Robb Centre team hopes you enjoy visiting its updated website.

Timothy Westcott, Ph.D. Director George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War Park University

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THE COLONEL OF CANTIGNY: Robert R. McCormick in the Great War

by Kyle Mathers, Director of Curatorial Affairs, First Infantry Division Museum at Cantigny Park

Col. Robert McCormick pictured in uniform, 1918. Photo courtesy of Robert R. McCormick Research Center, First Division Museum.

"He could not help but wonder as he set forth . . . when he would see that home again and what experiences he would meet with in the mean time but he could not help but feel that what ever they might be he would move equal to them.

He must move equal to them for his home folks sent him forth with expectations and full confidence that he would be a real soldier and home folks are under no circumstances to be disappointed."

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Col. Robert R. McCormick served in the U.S. military and was involved in military affairs throughout much of his life. These experiences led him to advocate for soldiers, veterans and civil service during his time as copublisher and president of the Chicago Tribune. Forming a key part of McCormick’s identity, these experiences were expressed through his actions and editorials during his life and in the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and First Division Museum after his death.

McCormick was born on July 30, 1880, in Chicago to Robert Sanderson McCormick and Katherine Medill McCormick. His father was once the U.S. ambassador to Austria-Hungary, France and Russia. His mother was the daughter of Joseph Medill, the driving force behind the Chicago Tribune in the second half of the 19th century.

McCormick attempted to start his military career in 1898 when he tried to enlist for the Spanish-American War after his 18th birthday, but was unsuccessful. He went on to graduate from Yale University in 1903 and attend Northwestern University’s law school. McCormick was active in Chicago civic affairs, serving on the city council, as president of the Sanitary District and on the Chicago Plan Commission. He also worked at the Tribune as a correspondent. McCormick would eventually take over as co-publisher and president of the paper in 1911 until his death in 1955.

However, McCormick continued to study military history and follow military affairs. Through family connections, he was able to visit the Eastern Front in 1915 during World War I as a Tribune war correspondent. For McCormick to meet with high-level foreign officials and move freely around the front lines, he needed an official status. After an uncharacteristically friendly editorial about Democratic Illinois Gov. Edward Dunne appeared in the stanchly Republican Chicago Tribune, the governor temporarily appointed McCormick a colonel in the Illinois National Guard.

After visiting politicians and dignitaries in France and Great Britain, including then-First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill, McCormick visited various combat units of the Tsarist Russian Army and observed several battles. He also met with several Russian leaders and commanders, including Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich. McCormick wrote several articles about his observations and experiences, which he compiled into the book With the Russian Army.

Robert McCormick grasping a large shell during his 1915 trip to Russia. Photo courtesy of Robert R. McCormick Research Center, First Division Museum.

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In October 1915, McCormick was commissioned as a major in the Illinois National Guard. The following year, his unit, the 1st Illinois Cavalry, served along the Texas-Mexico border under Gen. John J. Pershing in response to the Pancho Villa raid on Columbus, N.M. McCormick and the 1st Illinois Cavalry established quarters in Brownsville, Texas, where he purchased several field kitchens, machine guns, 500,000 rounds of ammunition, horses and other supplies for the under-equipped regiment with his own money.

Figure 3 McCormick seated near a machine gun he likely purchased during the Mexican Punitive Expedition in 1916. Photo courtesy of Robert R. McCormick Research Center, First Division Museum.

When the U.S. entered World War I in Europe on April 4, 1917, McCormick was eager to serve his country.

After he learned that his National Guard unit would not be federalized and sent to Europe, McCormick wrote a letter to Pershing asking for an appointment to the Army and active duty overseas. In a letter dated May 17, 1917, McCormick wrote “I did not join the National Guard in order to wear a uniform or to attach a military handle to my name. I joined the National Guard because this was the only way in which I could personally follow the advice that The Tribune was giving to increase and improve our military system." [1] Later that same day, McCormick received a letter from Maj. J.G. Harbord on behalf of Pershing inquiring about his military status and if he would like to serve on Pershing’s staff in France. McCormick quickly replied via telegram, “I should be delighted to accompany him” and that he would begin packing immediately. [2]

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On July 12, McCormick was ordered to report to the chief of staff in Paris for general staff duty. However, McCormick did not remain on Pershing’s staff long. On Sept. 5, he was assigned to the 5th Field Artillery, 1st Infantry Division.

The 1st Infantry Division is the country’s oldest combat division and was the first American division sent to France in World War I. It has served as part of the Army continuously since 1917, playing a central role in most of America’s wars.

McCormick commanded the 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, 1st Division (1-5 FA) which was comprised of 155mm howitzers. The 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery can trace its lineage to the American Revolutionary War and is the oldest Army unit on active duty. The unit’s nickname, “Hamilton’s Own,” traces its origin to the American Revolution.

McCormick’s first combat experience of the war occurred when the 1st Division was deployed to the Ansauville sector, north of Toul, France, from January to April 1918. During this period a war correspondent from the Chicago Examiner, Raymond Carroll, visited McCormick’s unit. While the article never mentions McCormick by name, what other “…Chicago millionaire, used to every comfort at home, lolling calmly in a dugout and directing artillery fire within sight of Metz” would be deployed with the 1-5 FA? [3] The reporter found McCormick in the street helping equip some horses with gas masks while a German barrage exploded nearby. McCormick used the attack to demonstrate his advanced knowledge of German artillery and emphasize its importance to surviving an enemy barrage. Carroll followed McCormick into the battalion headquarters where he ordered counter-battery fire against the Germans.

“Fire every thirty seconds for twenty minutes. Use our gas shells. That ought to put the Germans back into bed.” [4] Carroll observed McCormick gave orders “…in the nonchalant manner of a man ordering dinner at a restaurant.” [5]

1st Division artillery signal station in the Ansauville sector, 1918. Photo courtesy of Robert R. McCormick Research Center, First Division Museum.

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This time on the front lines allowed McCormick and the 1st Division to gain valuable combat experience and put their French training, which McCormick highly praised and valued, to use. McCormick later recalled “The Germans did all they could to assist our training” by bombarding the American lines and launching frequent trench raids. [6] McCormick distinguished himself during this period by firing on the German lines to stop an attack without direct orders. He was called to see his commanding officer, the 1st Field Artillery Brigade Commander, Brig. Gen. Charles Summerall. McCormick arrived at Summerall’s headquarters believing he was going to be reprimanded for acting without orders; rather Summerall commended his quick thinking and leadership skills.

Summerall would go on to command the 1st Division (July to October, 1918, and October 1919 to June 1921), multiple corps and eventually as chief of staff of the Army. McCormick liked and admired Summerall, even though he disagreed with and was often critical of his decisions. In 1941, when Summerall was president of The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known as The Citadel, McCormick gifted him the 32-acre Whitehall estate located in nearby Aiken, S.C. In April, the 1st Division was moved to the Cantigny sector to help stop a German offensive. As the Division was preparing for battle, McCormick was promoted to lieutenant colonel on May 9. On May 28, the Division fought at the Battle of Cantigny, the first major American battle and offensive of World War I. However, McCormick would not be present for the entire battle.

Several days prior, McCormick fell severely ill but refused to leave the front. His illness became so severe that he had to be carried to briefings. He was admitted to the hospital during the battle on May 28th. In the weeks leading up to the engagement, he documented the progression of his illness in his diary. On May 13, McCormick noted “3 men sent to the hospital…feeling very rotten…caught in heavy fire…shells and fragments all around. Was not wounded. [7] A week before he was hospitalized, McCormick wrote “A number of officers + men are down. I think it is because…too much unnecessary work," [8] Unknown to McCormick, he and several other soldiers in the 1st Division were suffering from the flu in the 1918 pandemic.

Even though McCormick was evacuated the day of the battle, the 1-5 FA benefited from his planning and preparation. The village of Cantigny was decimated by artillery and mortar fire during the struggle. In his history of the war, McCormick commented that “Batteries of trench mortars were installed to destroy all life above ground in the village of Cantigny…" [9]

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Village of Cantigny in ruins on May 28th, 1918. Photo courtesy of Robert R. McCormick Research Center, First Division Museum.

Cantigny's destroyed main street after the battle, May 28th, 1918. Photo courtesy of Robert R. McCormick Research Center, First Division Museum.

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Ariel view of the destroyed village of Cantigny and the surrounding farmland pock-marked with shell holes. Photo courtesy of Robert R. McCormick Research Center, First Division Museum.

After spending more than a month in the hospital, McCormick was released on July 6. At the request of the regimental commander, he was transferred to the 122nd Field Artillery Regiment, 33rd Division.

However, he did not serve with the 122nd long. On July 30, he was promoted to colonel and on Aug. 2 was ordered back to the U.S. McCormick was sent home with other experienced officers to begin training the next group of soldiers who were to arrive in France the following year.

McCormick was briefly given command of the 61st Field Artillery Regiment before he was appointed commandant at Fort Sheridan, Ill. In September, he was transferred to the training camp at Camp Jackson, S.C. However, the Armistice was signed on November 11th, dashing the McCormick’s hopes of returning to France. He was honorably discharged from the Army on December 31, 1918. However, he remained a colonel in the Illinois National Guard until he retired in 1929.

Despite his illness, McCormick performed well during his time with the 1st Division. Summerall commended McCormick, later writing “At all times, he displayed ability, courage, loyalty, and devotion to duty which were in the highest degree commendable…He exemplified the best of American citizenship…”

[10] Maj. Gen. Robert Bullard, commander of the 1st Division during the war, later recalled that McCormick was “…doing his duty up to the notch.” (emphasis in original message). During his military service, McCormick earned the Distinguished Service Medal, the Mexican Punitive Expedition Medal and the World War I Victory Medal.

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In 1920, he authored his second book, The Army of 1918, that contained some recollections of the war, but was mostly a collection of his policy recommendations and opinions on the Army, National Guard and select politicians. While not a reliable history of World War I, the book reveals McCormick’s thoughts and feelings on military service, the duties of American citizens and politicians, and his opinions of the nations involved in the Great War. The First Division Museum is located in Cantigny Park because of McCormick’s military service during World War I. He was so moved by his time with the 1st Division that he renamed his estate, originally called Red Oaks Farm, “Cantigny,” to honor the May 1918 Battle of Cantigny. McCormick devoted the remainder of his life to honoring and advocating for veterans. He endowed Cantigny as a public park with a museum and library.

Today, we enjoy the First Division Museum as part of McCormick’s legacy as a citizen soldier.

By: Mr. Kyle Mathers, Director of Curatorial Affairs, First Division Museum at Cantigny Park.

NOTES [1] Letter to General John J. Pershing from Robert R. McCormick May 17, 1917, Northwestern University Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives, Chicago Tribune Collection, Box 63, Folder 4.

[2] Telegram to Major J.G. Harbord from Robert R. McCormick, May 17, 1917, Northwestern University Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives, Chicago Tribune Collection, Box 63, Folder 4.

[3] Raymond G. Carroll, “Chicago Millionaire Directs Gun Fire in Sight of Metz,” Chicago Examiner, April 14, 1918.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Robert R. McCormick, The Army of 1918, (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Howe, 1920), 70.

[7] Robert R. McCormick’s Diary, May 13th, 1918, Northwestern University Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives, Chicago Tribune Collection.

[8] Robert R. McCormick’s Diary, May 18th, 1918, Northwestern University Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives, Chicago Tribune Collection.

[9] Robert R. McCormick, The Army of 1918, (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Howe, 1920), 87.

[10] Letter to Mr. Waring, from Charles P. Summerall, undated, Northwestern University Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives, Chicago Tribune Collection, Box 63, Folder 7.

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In 1915, Carter Godwin Woodson and five colleagues founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, an organization dedicated to the study of African American culture. Intended to preserve and promote materials on Black Heritage, the organization quickly rose to prominence with its widely distributed magazine, The Journal of Negro History. It was through this organization that Mr. Woodson requested a week of observance of African American titans- authors, activists, politicians, and cultural icons that had long deserved proper recognition. This first Negro History Week, in February of 1926, would prove a massive success, prompting its continued celebration for the next fifty years. In 1976 the Week was given official national recognition with a Presidential Proclamation from President Gerald Ford, stating, “The last quarter-century has finally witnessed significant strides in the full integration of black people into every area of national life. In celebrating Black History Month, we can take satisfaction from this recent progress in the realization of the ideals envisioned by our Founding Fathers. But, even more than this, we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history”.

Proclamations from Presidents James Carter and Ronald Reagan continued the tradition, with Congress following suit in February of 1986 with Public Law 99-244, To provide for the designation of the month of February, 1986 as National Black (Afro-American) History Month.

Annual celebrations in public schools, churches, and organizations around the country have continued the legacy of prominent Black leaders from history, and reminds each of us of the incredible strength and fortitude of those who came before us. The continued observance has prompted the creation of some of our nation’s greatest collections and archives, like the W.E.B. DuBois collection at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. The George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War at Park University is honored to participate in African American History Month with the Valor Medals Review, in which dozens of veterans of World War I are honored for their service. Coming from 19 states, these servicemembers have qualified for investigation of their acts of valor to determine if their actions merit a potential upgrade to the Medal of Honor.

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On October 5, 1978, Public Law 95-419 was passed in Congress requesting the President to proclaim May 4 to May 11, 1979 as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week”, encouraging the country to commemorate the contributions of Asian/Pacific Americans to American culture and history.

Celebrating Americans of Asian, Pacific Islander, Micronesian and Polynesian background, the Week traced its legislative roots to Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, who lobbied for a resolution in 1977. Inspiration for the month of May came from two key events in Asian American history; the date of the first Japanese immigrants arriving in the United States in 1843, and the completion of the Pacific Railroad in 1869, much of which was built by Chinese immigrants.

By 1990, the week was expanded to encompass the entire month of May, soon officially declared “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month” by Public Law 102-450 on October 23, 1992. Presidential Proclamations beginning yearly in 1979 have continuously praised the role Asian/Pacific Americans have had in the shaping of our nation, President Bill Clinton saying in 1997, “Along with a vast array of skills, Americans of Asian and Pacific Island ancestry brought their remarkable traditions of hard work and respect for family and education to their new country. Their belief in the American Dream, of equality and opportunity enabled them to face the challenges of adversity and discrimination and achieve a record of distinguished service in all fields, from academia to government, from business to the military, and medicine to the arts. These people and their children managed to preserve the rich legacy of their homelands while also embracing the best values and traditions that define our Nation”.

The George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War at Park University is honored to participate in Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month with the Valor Medals Review, in which veterans of World War I are honored for their service. These servicemembers have qualified for investigation of their acts of valor to determine if their actions merit a potential upgrade to the Medal of Honor. We are extremely proud to be the home of this endeavor, and are continuously reminded of the immense responsibility we have to continue the legacy of these servicemembers.

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On April 24, 1980, Public Law 96-237 was passed by Congress to designate one week in April as “Jewish Heritage Week” to celebrate the contributions of Jewish Americans upon American culture and history. The intended week, April 21 to April 28, highlighted several events as its date of inspiration, including the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of April 19, 1943, Israel Independence Day on April 14, 1948, and Passover Celebrations between April 1 and April 8.

President Carter’s first Proclamation of Jewish Heritage Month in 1980 asked for the people of the United States to appropriately reflect on and honor those who contributed to the American identity, “American Jews have made their heritage a heritage of struggle for freedom, knowledge, and human dignity part of the inheritance of all Americans”. Upon the anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, Public Law 102-30 passed by Congress in April of 1991 issued a second week of celebration due between May 3 and May 10. Jewish Heritage Month would now be celebrated in April and May to properly acknowledge the country’s gratitude to generations of American Jews.

For the following decade, Presidents would regularly announce a Proclamation in April or May to celebrate. President Clinton stated in 1998, “Acutely conscious of the dangers of racism, prejudice, and political oppression, American Jews have been strong and effective advocates in the cause of social justice.

They have dedicated their energies, talents, and resources to ensure that our Nation lives up to its promise of equality, making a lasting impact in the struggle for civil rights, labor reform, and women’s equality”.

Starting in 2006, a set month-long period of observance began with President Bush’s Proclamation 8006, renaming the period of remembrance to Jewish American Heritage Month.

The George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War at Park University is honored to participate in Jewish American Heritage Month with the Valor Medals Review, in which over one hundred Jewish veterans of World War I are honored for their service. Coming from 15 states and 7 countries, these servicemembers have qualified for investigation of their acts of valor to determine if their actions merit a potential upgrade to the Medal of Honor.

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FIRST DIVISION MUSEUM LAUNCHES TRAVEL PROGRAM The First Division Museum at Cantigny Park has introduced “Footsteps of the First,” a small-group travel program combining cultural exploration and military history in partnership with Academic Travel Abroad.

The new program offers powerful learning opportunities packaged with the lure of comfortable, hasslefree overseas travel. Destinations will include battlegrounds, museums, cemeteries, monuments and other venues important to the history of the U.S. Army’s illustrious 1st Infantry Division, to which the First Division Museum is dedicated —with a solid mix of local culture weaved into the trip.

“We believe ‘Footsteps of the First’ is an ideal way to leverage the expertise of our museum professionals and extend the First Division Museum’s reach,” said Krewasky A. Salter, who joined the museum in 2019 as executive director and previously served as a Smithsonian Journeys expert. “This is an exciting new direction for us and something we are uniquely qualified to do. Having worked with ATA before, I am confident we’ve secured the professional travel planning that’s essential to an outstanding experience. ATA and our selected expert for this inaugural 'Footsteps of the First’ will collectively offer an enlighten and memorable experience.”

Salter envisions the First Division Museum hosting a trip annually or every 18 months. “Footsteps of the First” is intended for audience enrichment, engagement and public outreach; the program does not benefit the museum financially.

Our initial “Footsteps” destination is Western Europe, September 5-16, 2021. With First Division Museum historian Jacquelyn Gillaspie serving as expert guide, travelers (limited to 25) will explore sites where the “Big Red One” made history during World War II, leading the way to Allied success. “The trip will be educational, but also deeply meaningful for all of us who believe in freedom and want to experience the places where so many brave soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice to protect it,” said Gillaspie. “Some days, we’ll literally be standing on hallowed ground."

Highlights of the 12-day journey include Omaha Beach in Normandy; the city of Aachen, Germany; the Hürtgen Forest; and several key Battle of the Bulge sites. Impressive war cemeteries, monuments, cathedrals and museums are on the itinerary, too, many located in spectacular settings.

“Footsteps of the First” offers well-rounded travel, with time set aside for enjoying local attractions and culture. The trip begins and ends in Paris. Along the way, travelers will enjoy special dining experiences, 4star accommodations and ground transportation via luxury motor coach. A full itinerary, travel details and pricing are posted online at FDMuseum.org. Reservations are now being accepted.

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COLOR SERGEANT SING LAU KEE Sing Lau Kee (Low Young Sing Kee) was born to Cheung Lau (Low, 1870-1920) and Mary Low (1876-1955), January 25, 1896, in Saratoga, Calif., the eldest to sisters Kung (1898-?) and Hazel (1903-55), and brothers Albert (Low Young Yuoy Kee) (1906-69), John (Low Young Wo) (1907-84) and William (Low Chung Kee) (1909-88).

The family moved to San Jose, Calif., in the early 1900s, to an area known as Market Street Chinatown, where Cheung was a merchant and labor agent. The children attended San Jose public schools. Kee graduated from high school between 1914-15, then traveled to China where he met and married his wife, Ina Chan (1900-70). Kee returned to the U.S. in November 1916 without Ina, and moved to Chinatown in New York City. He was briefly unemployed before enlisting in the U.S. Army on June 5, 1917, and inducted into service at Fort Hamilton, N.Y., on Dec. 5, 1917. Perhaps out of ease for registration precinct staff or his commanding officers, Kee shortened his name to Sing Kee. Initially assigned to Company G, 306th Infantry Regiment, then Private Kee departed from Camp Upton, N.Y. on April 16, 1918, aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship Kashmir for Brest, France. The 77th Division (excluding the 152nd Field Artillery Brigade) moved to the Eperlecques and Recques training areas and was attached to the British 39th Division for training. Training that American soldiers received in the Allied trenches did little to prepare them for what they would face in engagements in the summer and fall of 1918. An American soldier stated: “What the infantry learned of trench warfare was of no practical value to it in carrying on open warfare in the Argonne.”

Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander, commander of the 77th Division, agreed with the sentiment that the training his soldiers received was subpar: “An occasional trench raid and routine gun fire [in the Vosges Mountains] had been the limit of their warlike activity” and that “this in no way prepared the [77th Division] for the ugly and unrelenting combat it faced shortly thereafter in the Oise-Aisne offensive.” An infantry regimental commander in the 77th Division complained in October 1918 that, “it was practically impossible to handle these men over the present terrain. They had no idea what it meant to extend [the formation] and would have to be led around from place to place…[their leaders] were practically strangers to them…made them very difficult to handle them…They were continually getting lost and straggling.”

The 306th (153rd Infantry Brigade) would participate in the following regions in 1918: Baccarat Sector, France (June 21 to August 4), Vesle Sector, France (Aug. 12 to Aug. 17), Oise-Aisne Offensive, France (Aug. 18 to Sept.

16), Meuse-Argonne Offensive, France (Sept. 26 to Oct. 16) and Meuse-Argonne Offensive, France (Oct. 31 to November). The Division spent a total of 68 days in combat. No other American division was as close to the German frontier than that of the 77th.

Background into Kee’s actions during the Oise-Aisne Offensive begins with the following. On March 21, 1918, the Germans launched the first of their great offensives in efforts to decisively win the war before the American forces could reinforce the Allied lines. The German attack drove a deep salient into the Allied lines at the junction of the British and French forces, which greatly threatened the important railroad center of Amiens, France.

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Above Photo: Sing Lau Kee at ten years old (1906), courtesy of the Kee Family.

Left Photo: Review of the 77th Division, Camp Upton, New York. Courtesy of the Kee Family.

The lines in the area had scarcely stabilized when the Germans launched their second offensive strike on April 9 farther north, which drove the salient into the British lines along the Lys River near the town of Armentières.

The Germans directed another blow against the French forces on May 21 when they attacked between Berryau-Bac, France (approximately 17 kilometers northwest of Reims, France), and the Oise River. The Germans rapidly advanced south and west, reaching the Marne River in the area of Château-Thierry, France, before being stopped. When the offensive was complete, the Germans had driven a salient into the Allied lines bound roughly between Chateau-Thierry, Reims and Soissons, France. On June 9 and July 15, the Germans unsuccessfully launched strong attacks in efforts to widen the salient.

Although the German offensives had failed to accomplish their true purpose, it strained the Allies to the limits of their reserves and made it absolutely necessary for the American divisions to be sent to the front for immediate service with the British and French forces. On July 18, aided by American divisions, the Allies launched a counter-offensive against the Germans in the Marne salient. This operation, known as the AisneMarne Offensive, was terminated on Aug. 6; however, the Germans had been driven beyond the Vesle and Aisne rivers.

At the conclusion of the Aisne-Marne Offensive, the French 5th, 6th and 10th armies held the front from just east of the Reims to the Oise River. The French armies attempted to establish bridgeheads north of the Vesle River against strong German opposition to establish a line of departure for a new offensive, as well as to engage the Germans on the front in conjunction with the British forces launching of the Somme Offensive farther to the northwest. The mission of the French 6th Army was to establish bridgeheads north of the Vesle River, make offensive reconnaissance on the plateau between the Vesle and Aisne rivers, as well as organize the south bank of the Vesle River for defense.

On Aug. 10, the French 6th Army’s front was held by the American III (on the left) and I Corps (on the right). The American I Corps (on the right), the American 4th Division and French 62nd Division were established north of the Vesle River on the railroad east and west of Bazoches, France. The American III Corps (on the left) and the American 28th Division held a foothold north of the Vesle River at Fismette and Château du Diable, France.

During the night of August 11 and the morning of Aug. 12, the American 77th Division relieved the American I Corps (American 4th Division and elements of the French 62nd Division) along the Vesle River, in the area of Bazoches. On Aug. 13, the American 77th Division relieved elements of the American 28th Division, American III Corps at Château du Diable. In the early days of the Oise-Aisne Offensive (beginning on Aug. 18), there was little activity on the 77th Division’s front. On Aug. 22, a German attack pushed back elements of the 77th Division that were located north of the Vesle River near Château du Diable and Le Grant Savart, to the southern bank of the Vesle River.

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Following the German withdrawal to the Aisne River, the 77th Division advanced on Sept. 4 and occupied the ridges north of the Vesle River. The following week saw frequent local action and resulted in minor changes to the 77th Division’s front lines. On Sept. 14, the 307th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division, attacked in conjunction with French forces (located on the 307th Infantry Regiment’s right flank) and made slight gains. The next day, German forces attempted a counter-attack to reclaim the 307th Infantry Regiment’s slight gains from the day before; however, the Germans were repulsed. On Sept. 16, the 77th Division was relieved by the Italian 8th Division at 8 a.m.

The 153rd Infantry Brigade (306th Infantry Regiment, assigned to the Vesle Sector from Aug. 12 to Aug. 17, 1918) had held a portion of the line on the Vesle River. This kept all American troops of the brigade constantly in action during its time in the Vesle Sector while parts of the units within the brigade were kept in reserve and support. The 77th Division’s actions in the Vesle Sector fell into two parts. Phase one hammered away at the German positions north of the Vesle River for approximately four weeks. The Germans, in return, hammered away at the 77th Division and as a result, no true gain was made despite the high number of casualties for the 77th Division, resulting in much hand-to-hand combat in fights over bridges as well as raids in German and American lines. Phase two took offensive action to drive the Germans back to the Aisne River.

Before dawn on August 12, the 2nd Battalion, 306th Infantry Regiment, relieved a part of the Vesle Sector from the French 62nd Division and reached a road junction just south of Mont-Notre-Dame, France. The 2nd Battalion, 306th Infantry Regiment, came under heavy German artillery fire, with some men wounded and a few being immediately killed. The 2nd Battalion, 306th Infantry Regiment, had needed to pass the town of Mont-Notre-Dame to reach its objective; however, the town was under direct shelling of German gas and high explosive artillery shells. At daybreak, the relief by the 2nd Battalion, 306th Infantry Regiment, for the French 62nd Division was held up — it was accomplished in the evening of Aug. 13.

The 77th Division’s observation balloons, floating just above the trees of Forêt de Nesles, France, were fired on “point blank” by German artillery. The fragment of a shell had punctured the gas bag of one of the observation balloons and forced the observer to parachute down. Just before noon, the balloon patrol of the 77th Division warned the winchmen that a German airplane was approaching. A 77th Division anti-aircraft machine gun began firing on the German plane; however, it had already begun circling over a 77th Division observation balloon. The German plane began dodging the anti-aircraft fire, making dives and dips while simultaneously dropping a phosphorous bomb on an observation balloon, forcing the observer to parachute down. The German plane successfully escaped. During the night of Aug. 12, the 77th Division was bombarded and gassed

by German artillery.

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Left Photo: "An artillery spotting balloon goes into the sky above Ypres".

World War I Centennial Podcast Article, "Observation Balloons".

On Aug. 13, the 77th Division relieved elements of the American 28th Division, American III Corps at Château du Diable, where they were holding a foothold north of the Vesle River at Fismette and Château du Diable. The relief began on the night of Aug. 12 and was completed after dark the next night. The 119th Field Artillery, American 32nd Division was attached to the 77th Division and remained in support. At 8 a.m., pursuant to the orders of the French 6th Army, the American I Corps (77th Division attached) turned over command of the Vesle Sector to the American III Corps.

The mission of the American III Corps was to organize for defense, conduct aggressive reconnaissance and establish bridgeheads with a view to a further advance. These operations were to be performed by patrols; the III Corps was not to commit to a general attack. The 1st Battalion, 305th Infantry Regiment, was ordered to extend the 77th Division’s line to the right via relieving the American 28th Division, and did so, taking over Château du Diable, a portion north of the Vesle River and the woods to the southwest. On the evening of Aug. 13, the 2nd Battalion, 306th Infantry Regiment, accomplished its relief of the French 62nd Division.

Most of 2nd Battalion, 306th Infantry Regiment, had dug in on the south side of the Vesle River, behind the railroad parallel to the river and connecting the town of Bazoches with the towns on the 2nd Battalion, 306th Infantry Regiment’s left. The only means of supply or communication with the 2nd Battalion was a path leading up from the river bottom into Mont-Notre-Dame, where heavy losses of runners and carriers were sustained.

Company E (306th Infantry Regiment), Company F (306th Infantry Regiment) and Battalion Headquarters were located on the north side of the Vesle River, with the river to their rear. Headquarters was established at Ferme des Dames, France, where the greater part of the 77th Divisional Artillery was placed. Ferme-desDames was unwelcoming and consistently shelled by the German artillery. During the night of Aug. 13, the 77th Division was bombarded and gassed by German artillery. The Germans established themselves along the north bank of the Vesle River, with artillery concentrated in the Valley of Perles, Vauxcéré, France, toward the Aisne River, and constantly bombarded with gas and high explosives in the Vesle Sector.

As a result, the Vesle Sector was never free from gas during the entire time the 77th Division occupied the sector. Mustard gas was most commonly used in this situation due to its ability to linger as well as sink into low depressions. It could reach the infantry within the woods, valleys and low-lying positions, which were the conditions along the Vesle River.

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On Aug. 14, the 77th Division ordered the 154th Infantry Brigade (306th Machine Gun Battalion, 307th and 308th Infantry Regiments) to take over the right portion of the Vesles Sector from the 153rd Infantry Brigade (305th Machine Gun Battalion, 305th and 306th Infantry Regiments) into the next morning. The boundary between the 153rd and 154th Infantry Brigades was to be a line extending southwest from a point on Route Nationale No. 31, 800 meters west of Château du Diable. Brigade sectors were to be held with their regiments in column, the 154th Infantry Brigade was to take command of the right brigade sector at 8 a.m. on Aug. 15.

On the morning of Aug. 14, a daylight patrol was sent out from Company F, 2nd Battalion, 306th Infantry Regiment. The patrol penetrated German lines and snuck up on a German post from the rear. The patrol then struck a second post that put up firm resistance; they attacked the German machine gun nest and destroyed it with hand grenades.

The 306th Infantry Regiment, 153rd Infantry Brigade, headed to Mont-Notre-Dame during a relief on Aug. 14.

During this time, Kee operated a message center in the village of Mont-Notre-Dame while the Germans were bombing and gassing it at a rate of 30 shells per minute. Kee’s companions were wounded, and although Kee was gassed himself, he refused to leave his post by running the message center himself for a period of 24 hours (August 14 to Aug. 15). It was for this act that Kee received the Distinguished Service Cross: “The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Private Sing Kee (ASN: 1702357), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company G, 306th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division, A.E.F., near Mont Notre Dame, west of Fismes, France, August 14 - 15, 1918. Although seriously gassed during shelling by high-explosive and gas shells, Private Kee refused to be evacuated and continued, practically single-handed, by his own initiative, to operate the regimental message center relay station at Mont Notre Dame. Throughout this critical period, he showed extraordinary heroism, high courage, and persistent devotion to duty, and totally disregarded all personal danger. By his determination he materially aided his regimental commander in communicating with the front line”. Awarded DSC by CG, AEF, Sept. 25, 1918.

Published in G.O. No. 99, W.D., 1918. Kee also received the French Croix de Guerre with Gilt Star for the same action, under Order No. 16/098 “D,” dated April 16, 1919.

(L) French Croix de Guerre with Gilt Star (R) Original Distinguished Service Cross Citation Courtesy of the Kee Family.

During the night of Aug. 14, the 2nd Battalion, 308th Infantry Regiment, 154th Infantry Brigade began taking over the outpost zone north of the Vesle River in the area of Château du Diable. German artillery shellfire delayed the 2nd Battalion, 308th Infantry Regiment, from completing its task until the night of Aug. 15.

Throughout the night of Aug. 14, the 77th Division was bombarded and gassed by German artillery.

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On Aug. 15, 2nd Battalion, 308th Infantry Regiment, 154th Infantry Brigade, had completed its task of taking over the outpost zone north of the Vesle River in the area of Château du Diable after being shelled by German artillery. Along the road, between Ville-Savoie and Chery-Chartreuve, France, was a cave known as “Cemenocal Cave” where members of the 2nd Battalion Headquarters Platoon were located. 2nd Battalion, 308th Infantry, were under a heavy German artillery barrage when Capt. Whittlesey, the 308th Infantry Regimental Operations Officer (located at Regimental Command Post in Chery-Chartreuve) had sent a message and a squad of men armed with a 37mm gun from the Regimental Headquarters Company to support the 2nd Battalion, 308th Infantry Regiment. During the night of Aug. 15, the 77th Division was bombarded and gassed

by German artillery worse than they had on the nights of Aug. 12 and Aug. 13. The French 164th Division entered the line on the left flank of the 77th Division.

On the night of Aug. 15 and morning of Aug. 16, 3rd Battalion, 306th Infantry Regiment, 153rd Infantry Brigade, took over the outpost zone of Saint Thibaut, France, and west of Bazoches. On the night of Aug. 15, a patrol of one officer and two men stumbled over a shell hole which turned out to be a German sniper’s post with two German soldiers with automatic rifles, hand grenades and two other rifles stacked against the sides of the hole. Hand-to-hand fighting ensued where one German was wounded and the other escaping. Ten minutes after this engagement, Allied light artillery began firing on the area with gas and high explosive artillery rounds to clear any other sniper posts that may have been in the area. The 152nd Field Artillery Brigade, 77th Division, was located in Nesles Wood, France, preparatory to moving into position, was subjected to aerial bombing on two occasion on the night of Aug. 15.

On Aug. 16, the 4th Field Artillery Brigade, American 4th Division, discontinued support and detached from the 77th Division. The next day, the frontline liaison between the 77th Division and the 28th Division was established on the highway west of Fismes through the morning of Aug. 18.

Kee was severely wounded on Aug. 17 due to the gas attacks. He was promoted to color sergeant — the keeper of the regimental colors — a rank no longer issued by the U.S. Army, and moved to Headquarters Company in November 1918. Kee departed from Brest on April 17, 1919 aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship Mt. Vernon, arriving in Hoboken, N.J. on April 25. Kee was honorably discharged on May 9 at Camp Upton, N.Y

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Upon his return to the U.S., Kee moved to Cleveland where he worked as an interpreter. By the mid-1920s, Kee had moved back to New York’s Chinatown. In 1924, his wife Ina immigrated to the U.S., arriving through Seattle. The couple had five children, Margaret (1925-?), Norman (1927-2017), Florence (1928-2005), Herbert (1930-2018) and Beatrice (1931-), raising all of them in New York. Kee’s mother lived with the family into the 1950s; his father had returned to China sometime before then and died on an unknown date.

Kee ran a travel agency and restaurant, as well as acted as an interpreter and immigration agent. In 1957, he was taken to federal court for conspiracy to violate passport and immigration applications (United States v.

Sing Kee, 250 F.2d 236 (2d Cir. 1958). He was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison. Afterward, he retired in Staten Island, N.Y. Kee died on June 3, 1967, and is buried in Arlington (Va.) National Cemetery with his wife.

Our greatest thanks are given to the Kee family, who have been ardent supporters of the Valor Medals Review and have assisted greatly with resources related to his life and service.

(Lower Left) Kee (Third from left) leading a 77th Division Victory Parade, 1919.

Courtesy of the Kee Family.

(Top Right) Kee in Uniform, unknown location, 1918-1919.

Graf Collection-Kee Collection-Public Domain.

(Top Left) Kee with the DSC (L) and Croix de Guerre with Gilt Star (R).

Courtesy of the Kee Family.

By: Ashlyn Weber, Associate Director, George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War

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ADOPT-A-BOOK PROGRAM

Thomas Jefferson once commented that "Books constitute capital. A library book lasts as long as a house, for hundreds of years. It is not, then, an article of mere consumption but fairly of capital, and often in the case of professional men, setting out in life, it is their only capital."

Researching the lives of servicemembers, military unit histories, official government publications and general World War I history encompasses the necessity of past and present scholarship. The Robb Centre's team invites our friends and supporters to consider donating needed resources through our “Adopt-A-Book Program.” We have calculated that the average resource cost is $50. Donors will be recognized by a special designed book plaque placed inside the front cover. Certain selections purchased will be featured on the Robb Centre Facebook page and Twitter account. A monthly display of selections will be exhibited in the Robb Centre and listed in the forthcoming Valor magazine.

The library is named after Cpl. Howard Russell Votaw. Born on August 12, 1891, to Lyman and Olive Buchanan Votaw, Howard was the youngest of three children. Raised in the small town of Neoga, Ill., his parents operated a profitable furniture business and were active in local affairs, including the Neoga Presbyterian Church. After graduating in a class of nine from Neoga High School in 1908, Votaw attended Park College in Parkville, Mo., graduating in 1912. He then lived in Chicago, with his aunt, working at one time as a traveling salesman, later for Darling & Co., U.S. Stockyards in Chicago. Howard enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on July 28, 1917, as a private with the 120th Company, 1st Replacement Battalion, stationed at the U.S. Marine Corps Barracks in Quantico, Va.; by fall of 1918, he was a corporal with the 97th Company, 6th Regiment, AEF in France. Cpl. Votaw fell in the Argonne Forest, Argonne, France, on October 4, 1918; his remains were returned to the U.S. and buried in Neoga Memorial Cemetery in 1921. The Neoga American Legion Post 458 is named for Cpl. Votaw, as well as Cpl. Ralph Swank, who was also killed in action in France during WWI. Donations may be completed online at http://advancing.park.edu/valormedals. Please note in the “Leave a comment” box Adopt-a-Book. The Robb Centre team greatly appreciates your support.

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CHEMICAL WARFARE World War I was the combined archaic styles of warfare against new weaponry designed to kill on a scale not yet seen. Various technological advances played a new role in creating these weapons of war, such as the airplane that successfully flew only 11 years prior to the outbreak of war. Other terrifying technology such as the machine gun, tank and flamethrower made their appearance on the battlefields of Europe.

However, there is no weapon more synonymous to the Great War than that of gas warfare.

In 1905, Fritz Haber, a German scientist, published a book on the thermodynamics of technical gas reactions. Haber’s experiments and findings helped establish the Bosch and Mittasch, of the Oppau and Leuna Ammonia works, which helped enable German warfare a decade later.

Although forms of toxic smoke had been used on battlefields in warfare since ancient times, Haber perfected the method of controlling catalytic reactions at high pressures and temperatures to produce desired reactions for specific purposes. [1] Haber’s findings led to his appointment as a consultant to the German War Office while he simultaneously continued his work between the front and the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry. Haber helped organize gas attacks and defense against them, while developing new chemical agents to be used. [2] Ironically, his works led to him serving on the League of Nations Committee on Chemical Warfare and win a Nobel Prize in 1918. [3] Contrary to popular belief, Germany was not the first belligerent to use gas on the battlefield in WWI. In August 1914, France deployed tear gas against the German lines; however, the quantity of gas used was so insignificant that the German soldiers didn’t even notice. [4] Germany made claims that the Allies had been using poison gas mines and saw that it was only appropriate to use similar strategy against their foes. [5] On April 22, 1915, gas warfare made its first step into establishing itself as one of the most feared and ignominious forms of warfare known to mankind, but for the Germans it proved its worth when they launched their only major offensive of the year during the Second Battle of Ypres. [6] The German offensive began with an intense artillery barrage that battered the Allied lines. After the bombardment, the Allied defenders waited for a German charge. In the quiet of the late afternoon, members of a special unit in the German army opened more than 6,000 cylinders of gas along their perimeter at Ypres, Belgium. [7] Instead of men running through the muddy and shell-holed battlefield, a mist innocently approached across no-man’s land.

Suddenly, panic ensued among the French and Algerian troops as more than 160 tons of chlorine gas entered their trenches, decimating two divisions in its path. [8] Two days later, the Germans used chlorine gas against a Canadian division and pushed the Allied lines into a retreat. [9] The German High Command was enamored with the results of its new weapon. Subsequently, gas warfare became a standard means of fighting and harassing the enemy by the Allied and Central Powers alike.

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To counter the adverse effects of the chemical weapons, soldiers were told to told to take cotton pads, socks or anything they could get their hands on during a gas attack and soak them in a chemical compound, water or even urine, and place them over their mouths and noses to protect themselves.

[10] Within the first three days of the April 22 attack, British women were asked to produce replicas of the German cotton-cloth masks they had used.

More than 30,000 masks were produced and issued to British troops by May 1915. [11] However, various types of gas were used throughout the war, such as sneeze and tear gas designed to hinder and harass the enemy, but had rapidly developed into more malevolent purposes of killing and maiming the enemy in the use of chlorine, bromine, phosgene and perhaps the most infamous of all, mustard gas. [12] Likewise, delivery systems for the gas rapidly evolved throughout the war. The original system comprised of opening cylinders and relying on the wind to blow the gas into the enemy lines. However, this method was often ineffective and dangerous when a change of wind would blow the gas into friendly lines. [13]

In 1916, gas began being delivered mostly in the form of artillery shells, which allowed for much more effective attacks at longer ranges. [14] To further protect troops, armies were developing new systems of protection against the increasingly devastating chemicals. Subsequently, gas masks evolved with the new chemicals and delivery systems. However, they developed at a slower pace and armies had difficulties keeping their troops safe and effective on the battlefront, as when troops were subjected to gas attacks, confusion, misdirection and disorder occurred with communications being limited or entirely cutoff. [15] It was soon found that the cotton wool pads issued to the soldiers would dry out too quickly, be easily oversaturated with chemical solution or fall off the soldier’s face. Out of desperation, soldiers would shove the chemical- or urine-soaked rags directly into their mouths. As a result, armies almost immediately began developing countermeasures to protect their troops from any belligerent attacks. Black veil respirators were issued, sometimes with a pair of goggles, but were fragile and fell off the face too easily, resulting in the soldier having to restrain himself from movement during a combat situation. [16]

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The endeavor for a contraption that soldiers could wear while fighting was quickly undertaken. The earliest gas masks produced included a respirator and goggles that slid or tied over the head. The idea of a gas mask in the form of a helmet came from a Canadian sergeant who had been exposed to gas at Ypres and saw German troops wearing sacks over their heads. This would eventually turn into the hypo helmet, also known as the smoke helmet, which was a bag chemically treated with glycerin and sodium, but was cumbersome and blinding. [17] The earliest of these contraptions were poorly ventilated hoods with tiny eyepieces that would often crack, fog, fall-out or become blurred. [18] Moreover, these masks continued to be inadequate and were only partly effective in protecting against chemicals such as chlorine, or completely ineffective against tear gas. Various designs continued to be implemented, such as the tube helmet, which harbored glass eye pieces and a rubber tube the soldier used for breathing against phosgene gas. [19] As the war raged on, the chances of encountering a gas attack dramatically rose. Eventually, box respirators treated with charcoal or chemicals to neutralize the gasses commonly found on the battlefield were attached to variously designed masks that allowed for a better fit to a soldier’s face. [20] In late 1916, the British found a design made for a mask that could be carried in a haversack, easily accessed and quickly put on. The mask, commonly known as the M1917 small box respirator, was made with a rubberized face mask and mouthpiece that was connected by tube running to a cannister filled with various combinations of granules and active charcoal inside a metal box to filter the air for the soldier. [21] The SBR had an original design consisting of a large box respirator attached to the hose and mask, however, the box was so large it had to be carried on the servicemember’s back. [22] Subsequently, the respirator was downsized and the SBR became the most widely used gas mask of WWI. It was first introduced on the frontlines in August 1916, becoming standard issue to the British and U.S. forces by the spring of 1917. The SBR proved to be a practical design with its adjustable head straps and replaceable eye pieces, and it could be worn on the chest in an “alert position” without causing hinderance to the wearer in comparison to its predecessors. [23] The mask clipped the wearers nose to ensure that only the filtered air from the mouthpiece would enter the lungs. It was also light, weighing in at a mere 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds), and effective at protecting from some of the most heinous of gasses used. [24] Regardless of its revolutionary design in protective equipment, the SBR had many setbacks in that it caused an unnatural breathing method during heavy activity and was not large enough to fit all the men who wore it. [25] Although it had to come in six different sizes, the SBR’s effectiveness depended on the wearer. For example, in the case of the 92nd Division during their stay in the Saint Die Sector, the division was subjected to German gas attacks. It was quickly found that the SBR’s issued to the division were ineffective due to their ill-fit to the soldiers faces, worn-out eyepieces without replacements causing limited vision, as well as inadequate training the unit received prior to deployment to the sector. [26]

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Another problem found with the SBR was in the delicacy of the corrugated tube that carried the filtered air to the wearer. If the tube became damaged, the SBR would become ineffective against the airborne chemical agents. As a result, the SBR was often inspected and repaired by rear-line and mobile testing stations. Improvements to the SBR continued throughout the war, but its design was left unchanged, excluding minor tweaks in the construction and materials. The SBR was used until 1942 when a new model of masks were introduced by the British and Commonwealth armies. [27] Although masks, such as the SBR, continued to be modified throughout the war, they could not protect the wearer from certain chemical agents designed to attack the body as well as the breathing and sight of the servicemember. Some attacks would be combined with different chemical agents and gases, such as combining diphenyl chloroarsine or stannic chloride shells that emitted a fine dust which penetrated the filters and caused sneezing and coughing. The “mask breakers” caused enough irritation to force the wearer to take off the mask and breathe in the deadly chemical agents, such as phosgene or mustard gas used in combination with it. [28] Although chemical warfare in World War I caused less than 1% of the total deaths, the psychological and long-term effects associated with it made it one of the most formidable weapons of the war. In 1925, chemical warfare was prohibited by the Geneva Conventions, and although chemical weaponry has been used since the ban, it has never been used in the quantity or effect as it was in the Great War. [29] By: Joshua Weston, Senior Military Analyst, George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War. Image Credits: Fritz Haber. Photo credit: “The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1918.” NobelPrize.org. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1918/haber/biographical/.

“A German soldier from the WWI.” Photo Credit: Miklós, Vincze. “An Illustrated History Of Gas Masks.” Gizmodo. Gizmodo, December 16, 2015. https://gizmodo.com/an-illustrated-history-of-gas-masks-504296785.

Windswept gas spreads across a battlefield in Europe. Photo credit: Patton, James. “Gas in The Great War.” University of Kansas Medical Center, April 8, 2019. https://www.kumc.edu/wwi/medicine/gas-in-the-great-war.html.

German Yellow Cross mustard gas shell for 105mm howitzer. Photo Source: Jones, Simon. “Yellow Cross: The Advent of Mustard Gas in 1917.” Simon Jones Historian, February 25, 2021. https://simonjoneshistorian.com/2014/02/04/yellow-cross-the-advent-ofmustard-gas-in-1917/.

Black Veil Respirator. Photo Credit: “Black Veil Respirator: British Army.” Australian War Memorial. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL31825.002.

Tube Helmet. Photo Credit: “10 Things That Could Have Saved Your Life In The Trenches.” Imperial War Museums. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-things-that-could-have-saved-your-life-in-the-trenches.

NOTES [1] “The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1918.” NobelPrize.org. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1918/haber/biographical/.

[2] Fitzgerald, Gerard J. “Chemical Warfare and Medical Response during World War I.” American journal of public health. American Public Health Association, April 2008. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2376985/.

[3] “The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1918.” NobelPrize.org. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1918/haber/biographical/.

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[4] Patton, James. “Gas in The Great War.” University of Kansas Medical Center, April 8, 2019. https://www.kumc.edu/wwi/medicine/gas-in-the-great-war.html.

[5] “Military Technology in World War I: Articles & Essays: Newspaper Pictorials: World War I Rotogravures, 1914-1919: Digital Collections: Library of Congress.” The Library of Congress. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.loc.gov/collections/world-war-i-rotogravures/articles-and-essays/military-technology-in-world-war-i/.

[6] “Germans Introduce Poison Gas.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, February 9, 2010. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-introduce-poison-gas.

[7] Fitzgerald, Gerard J. “Chemical Warfare and Medical Response during World War I.” American journal of public health. American Public Health Association, April 2008. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2376985/.

[8] Ibid.

[9] “Germans Introduce Poison Gas.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, February 9, 2010. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-introduce-poison-gas.

[10] Patton, James. “Gas in The Great War.” University of Kansas Medical Center, April 8, 2019. https://www.kumc.edu/wwi/medicine/gas-in-the-great-war.html.

[11] “View of Through Clouded Eyes: Gas Masks and the Canadian Corps in the First World War: Material Culture Review.” View of Through Clouded Eyes: Gas Masks and the Canadian Corps in the First World War | Material Culture Review. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/17732/22197.

[12] “How Gas Became A Terror Weapon In The First World War.” Imperial War Museums. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-gas-became-a-terrorweapon-in-the-first-world-war.

[13] “How Gas Became A Terror Weapon In The First World War.” Imperial War Museums. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-gas-became-a-terrorweapon-in-the-first-world-war.; Patton, James. “Gas in The Great War.” University of Kansas Medical Center, April 8, 2019. https://www.kumc.edu/wwi/medicine/gas-in-thegreat-war.html.

[14] Patton, James. “Gas in The Great War.” University of Kansas Medical Center, April 8, 2019. https://www.kumc.edu/wwi/medicine/gas-in-the-great-war.html.

[15] “View of Through Clouded Eyes: Gas Masks and the Canadian Corps in the First World War: Material Culture Review.” View of Through Clouded Eyes: Gas Masks and the Canadian Corps in the First World War | Material Culture Review. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/17732/22197.

[16] “View of Through Clouded Eyes: Gas Masks and the Canadian Corps in the First World War: Material Culture Review.” View of Through Clouded Eyes: Gas Masks and the Canadian Corps in the First World War | Material Culture Review. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/17732/22197.; “Black Veil Respirator: British Army.” Australian War Memorial. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL31825.002.

[17] “View of Through Clouded Eyes: Gas Masks and the Canadian Corps in the First World War: Material Culture Review.” View of Through Clouded Eyes: Gas Masks and the Canadian Corps in the First World War | Material Culture Review. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/17732/22197.

[18] “10 Things That Could Have Saved Your Life In The Trenches.” Imperial War Museums. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-things-that-couldhave-saved-your-life-in-the-trenches.

[19] “View of Through Clouded Eyes: Gas Masks and the Canadian Corps in the First World War: Material Culture Review.” View of Through Clouded Eyes: Gas Masks and the Canadian Corps in the First World War | Material Culture Review. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/17732/22197.; “10 Things That Could Have Saved Your Life In The Trenches.” Imperial War Museums. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-things-that-could-have-saved-yourlife-in-the-trenches.

[20] “How Gas Became A Terror Weapon In The First World War.” Imperial War Museums. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-gas-became-a-terrorweapon-in-the-first-world-war.

[21] “Respirator, Small Box Type & Haversack: British.” Imperial War Museums. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30013603.

[22] Suciu, Peter. “World War I Fact: Millions of Gas Masks Were Made (And They Were Terrible).” The National Interest. The Center for the National Interest, November 3, 2020. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/world-war-i-fact-millions-gas-masks-were-made-and-they-were-terrible-171803.

[23] “Respirator, Small Box Type & Haversack: British.” Imperial War Museums. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30013603.

[24] “View of Through Clouded Eyes: Gas Masks and the Canadian Corps in the First World War: Material Culture Review.” View of Through Clouded Eyes: Gas Masks and the Canadian Corps in the First World War | Material Culture Review. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/17732/22197.

[25] Ibid.

[26] “The 92nd Division in the Marbache Sector: October 1918.” Indiana University Bloomington. Gas Warfare in World War I study number 16. Maryland: Army Chemical Center. 1959. Accessed June 16, 2021. http://bl-libg-doghill.ads.iu.edu/gpd-web/historical/acchs/acchs16.pdf.

[27] “Small-Box Respirator.” Canadian War Museum. Accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.warmuseum.ca/s3/supplyline/assets/teacherresources/CWM_SupplyLine_SmallBoxRespirator_EN_FINAL_20140922.pdf.

[28] Jones, Simon. “Yellow Cross: The Advent of Mustard Gas in 1917.” Simon Jones Historian, February 25, 2021. https://simonjoneshistorian.com/2014/02/04/yellow-crossthe-advent-of-mustard-gas-in-1917/.

[29] “1925 Geneva Protocol – UNODA.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed June 17, 2021. https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/bio/1925-geneva-protocol/.; Patton, James. “Gas in The Great War.” University of Kansas Medical Center, April 8, 2019. https://www.kumc.edu/wwi/medicine/gas-in-the-great-war.html.

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ADOPT-A-HERO PROGRAM There is no expiration on valor. Every servicemember, that meets the legislation criteria, shall be researched and their descendants contacted. If interested in sponsoring an individual servicemember for research, please contact the George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War at gsrcentre@park.edu.

Adoptions will be recognized on individual servicemember web pages, sponsorship webpage and Valor magazine.

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SPONSORSHIPS Nathan Marticke, Chief Advancement Officer

Research Investors The George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War invites research investors to join the Valor Medals Review effort to properly recognize our servicemembers. While the research is supported by legislation (S. 1218/H.R. 2249) signed within the National Defense Authorization Act on December 20, 2019, no federal appropriations are funding the project.

To discuss investing in the project, please contact: Nathan Marticke, Chief Advancement Officer Park University (816)-584-6844 nathan.marticke@park.edu Give Today! advancing.park.edu/valormedals Strategic Partners Partners are critical to advancing the mission of the Valor Medals Review. Endorsement, research support or other non-financial support of the successful completion of the Valor Medals Review is invited.

The American Legion Army Aviation Association of America AMSUS, the Society of Federal Health Professionals Association of the United States Navy Commissioned Officers Association of the US Public Health Services, Inc. Congressional Black Caucus Veterans Braintrust Fleet Reserve Association Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Jewish War Veterans of the USA Marine Corps League Military Officers Association of America Military Order of the Purple Heart Naval Enlisted Reserve Association Reserve Officers Association Service Women's Action Network The Military Chaplains Association of the USA Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors The Retired Enlisted Association USCG Chief Petty Officers Association US Army Warrant Officers Association Vietnam Veterans of America Wounded Warrior Project

To discuss becoming a strategic partner, please contact: Dr. Timothy Westcott, Director, George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War at Park University (816)-584-6364 or tim.westcott@park.edu

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CONTACTS

Dr. Timothy Westcott Director Park University 8700 NW River Park Drive, CMB 117 Parkville, MO 64152 Email: tim.westcott@park.edu Telephone: (816)-584-6890 Website: https://gsr.park.edu Facebook: George S Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War LinkedIn: George S Robb Centre at Park University Twitter: @CentreRobb YouTube Channel: George S Robb Centre

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