Claude Hewitt Green – Military Service World War 1
This past summer
(2014) Cousin Jean shared with me, Aunt Ina’s genealogy research notes. There are some treasures within. I photographed the documents and photos and a
very old photo album. Admittedly, not
every photo I took is of perfect quality and I am slowly working my way through
them. Of special interest to me was Claude
H Green’s Army Discharge Certificate. It
is a well-worn piece of paper that had been folded down to wallet size for many
years so some parts are no longer there.
Claude H Green enlisted in Brooklyn New York on 2 April 1915
(1) for 6 years (He was barely 20 years old, single, and the US draft would not
be enacted until May of 1917). He was
assigned as a Wagoner in Battery D, Fifth North Artillery, of the Coastal
Artillery Corps (CAC) of the United States Army. Prior to the United States entering WW1, his
unit liked guarded some fortification on the New England coast. He entered “Federal” service in 16 July 1917. <The battalion was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division and sent to France
in 1917. The unit deployed as the 5th Field Artillery Regiment to fight at
Montdidier-Noyon, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1917,
Lorraine 1918, and Picardy. (2)> He returned to the US on 24 January
1919. The end of WW1 ended his military
service “at the convenience of the government’.
At the time of his discharge his character was listed as
“excellent”. The document I reviewed was
a duplicate for a lost or damaged discharge certificate, and was issued 10 Feb
1920. THE DUTIES OF THE U.S. ARMY WAGONER
can be found at Link (3).
As the US first
entered WW1 our army was not prepared for mobile artillery warfare. On arrival in Europe, the US Coastal
Artillery Corps initially used English and French Artillery. In spite of the trench warfare, machine guns,
poison gas and the first use of aerial bombs, most sources believe 80% of WW1 causalities
were the result of artillery fire. The
US Coastal Artillery Corps played a significant role in turning the tide of WW1. Relocating artillery after a barrage and
before the enemy could target a return firing location, or while they were
returning fire, must have been a nightmare for the animals and their wagoners. The 2011 movie “War Horse” leaves the
impression that horses were the preferred draught animal, and the muddy
battlefield scenes were very realistic. That mud made motorized vehicles
useless. In truth, mules were used far more
than horses by the US Army, hence, the seven 1950’s vintage “Francis the Talking Mule” series of movies
(of course a talking Army mule who is also a second lieutenant has always
seemed plausible to anyone who has served).
The history of Battery
D is long and proud and traces back to the Civil War battle of Little Round
Top.
- “April” in 2 April 1915 is a best guess by the position of a descending character; otherwise the month is gone by wear.
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