MEMORIES OF HEADQUARTERS COMPANY

     If you ask an outsider what the Headquarters Company was you 
will probably be told that it was a sort of disorganization into 
which all the shiftless element of the regiment gravitated. You will 
be told that nobody in the Headquarters Company ever did a stroke of 
work and - well, if you want to hear the worst about anything, ask an 
outsider.
     We who were in the Company will be inclined to agree to the 
appellation of "disorganization." In fact, we never knew just how we 
would function as a unit at the front. When we got there we knew why 
this had never been explained. There was no company at the front. Do 
not think that we stayed behind. We did not do that, but the company 
was distributed over a remarkably large area. It was echeloned in all 
directions. We ran five messes and those who were too far away from 
these messes ate with batteries or anywhere they could. The largest 
unit, which we called the echelon, traveled with the Supply Company 
and shared its fortunes and misfortunes.  The rest of the Company was 
at innumerable places between the Bois des Sartelles and the Boche 
lines.
     As for the accusation of shiftlessness and never doing any work, 
we deny that emphatically. The fact that we suffered more casualties 
than any other organization in the regiment indicates at least that 
we did not shun danger. Communications within the regiment and 
outside to our neighbors were always installed promptly by us and, 
what is more, they were always maintained even under the most trying 
conditions.
     The following is quoted from a soldier's service record as an 
example: "On October 28, 1918, Private (later Corporal) Thomas H. 
White, a member of the 2d Battalion Telephone Detail, was on duty 
with 2d Lieut. Dan M. Robinson as linesman at the Battalion forward 
0. P., which was located a short distance west of the Bois des 
Rappips. Private White was the only lineman on duty on a line about 
three kilometers long and without aid maintained communications only 
by extraordinary effort on his part. He was repairing the line 
continually from 9.30 P. M. until 4.30 A. M. and was in the midst of 
heavy shell fire during the whole period."
     This is one instance which has gone on record. Other members of 
the Company performed equally arduous and perilous work. For them it 
was routine. We rustled ammunition, carried messages, manned 
observation posts, dog-robbed for all grades from Colonel to Sergeant 
and even suffered the greater indignity of hobnobbing with the 
Doughboys. This last was known as liaison work and consisted largely 
of going over the top with the infantry and catching crumbs from 
their mess kits. We also handled the personnel work of the regiment, 
the gas defense, the mail (when there was any) and many other odds 
and ends too numerous to mention, even if we could remember them.
     On November 12th we nearly snapped together like an old elastic 
band that has been badly stretched. Our brass band left Mars for 
Calliope and on the 13th sounds of sweet music floated where shells 
had sped screaming a short time since. Once more we became the 
outwardly despised and inwardly admired and envied Headquarters 
Company.
     Our life before and after the war was quite similar to that of 
the organizations. We really weren't shiftless. We were clever, even 
if we do say so ourselves. Nearly everybody in the Company was there 
because he did something well. We sent more of our members to the 
Officers' Training Schools than any other outfit in the Regiment and 
we had more to send had the war lasted longer. We admit that we are 
sometimes sorry that we had no guns of our own to shoot. Guns are so 
romantic, in an obvious sort of way; but, after all, nothing was very 
romantic at the time.  While the cannoneers were shooting trouble 
into the camp of the Hun we were shooting trouble on our own lines 
and we may state that we were quite active.

(Typed by LINDA FLUHARTY.)