Frank L. Smith, Wagoner
U.S. Army 604th Engineers
American Expeditionary Forces ( A.E.F.)
World War I
Frank Smith was drafted into military service on 3 April 1918. He was working as an appraiser for Farm and Home Savings and had just moved from his childhood home in Washington, D.C. to take a new job in Chicago, Il. , when he received the call to service from Uncle Sam. He returned to D.C. and to his draft board. ( Draft induction) and was assigned to the 604th Engineer Regiment. As you can see from the photo on page one, he was a wagoneer ( or caisson driver ) in the mounted section of the 604th.
The regiment was trained at Camp Leach, D.C and Camp Glen Burnie in Maryland.( postcard)
Photo at left : The mounted section. Sergeant Hughes on horseback near Dead Man's Hill.
According to William Falknor's research:
The 604th Engineers were a part of 6A-V Corps and the unit
was sent to France arriving at Le Havre Harbor in France. It was created as a
temporary unit but the unit was on the front lines during the Meuse-Argonne
Battle. V Corps was located in the center of the battle line. The
name Meuse is from the Meuse River and Argonne from the Argonne Forest which
created a salient between them. The unit may also have been fought previously in
the Battle of Belleau Woods. This battle was the first battle for the newly
arrived A.E.F. soldiers.
The
Meuse-Argonne offensive started on September 26, 1917 and ended on
November 11, 1918 with an A.E.F. Allies victory. The German Army
surrendered shortly after the battle and the Armistice, Treaty of Versailles was
signed on November 11, 1918.
After the Armistice was
signed, the 604th Engineers Regiment returned to
the United States at Newport News, Virginia aboard the ship U.S.S. New
Hampshire.
Aboard the
USS New Hampshire (who was on her last of 4 voyages transporting home
veterans of World War I) the troops enjoyed a daily newspaper called the
Range Finder and according to that Frank performed many comedy skits to
entertain his fellow soldiers on their long journey home.
According to the Ranger
Finder Newspaper published on board the battleship USS New Hampshire on June
16 1919 that nights Smoky Hour, the entertainment program featured
a Wagoner Smith and Pvt Fraiken in a comedy sketch.
His notes say: "This
was a great success put on in the middle of the Atlantic before 1700 soldiers
and 1100 sailors" Range Finder
The ship arrived back in the U.S.
on June 22, 1919 where the unit disembarked and marched in parade fashion up the
main street of Newport News.
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