Harry Truman in World War I
The Captain of Battery D, 129th Field Artillery, in the Great War
Aug 28, 2009 William L. Wunder
Truman didn't have to fight. He was a farmer and was needed to grow food for the war effort. He was the sole supporter of his mother and sister. His vision was below military standards. He was thirty-three, two years older than the age limit set by the Selective Service Act. Any one of these was a legitimate exemption from service. But Truman was "stirred heart and soul" by President Woodrow Wilson's call to arms.
Camp Doniphan
After organizing an artillery battery in Kansas City and passing the eye exam by memorizing the chart, Truman was sent to Camp Doniphan in Oklahoma in September 1917 as a first lieutenant. He was charged with training the men in artillery, handling horses, and trench-digging. In the evenings, Truman and the other officers attended classes in artillery fire and field service regulations.
Truman was then promoted to captain and sent to France for more training in the spring of 1918. He was assigned to an elite artillery school near Chaumont, where American Expeditionary Forces commander John J. Pershing was headquartered. Without a higher education, Truman studied hard, fifteen hours daily, on college mathematics, surveying, and astronomy. In the field, he learned about the French 75-millimeter gun. After five weeks, he was teaching other officers.
"Battle of Who Run" in the Vosges
Truman led Battery D in its first taste of combat in the Vosges mountains near the Swiss border. After getting into position four miles from their target of German batteries on August 29th, Battery D was ordered to fire at 8 pm. The battery unleashed 500 rounds in thirty minutes. In the quiet of the rainy night, the battery had to take a new position before the Germans returned fire.
But the soldier designated to bring up the horses to haul the guns was a half hour late. Sure enough, German shells exploded around the area, chasing panicky men and horses away. Truman, meanwhile, fell with his horse into the mud and was pinned down. Helped up by a lieutenant, Truman stood his ground and released a barrage of profanity that rallied the men. Without horses, however, the mired guns could not be moved, so Truman calmly marched his unit back to base camp.
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
After missing the first American attack, victory at Saint-Mihiel, Truman's battery would be part of the all-out American assault from the Meuse River to the Argonne Forest. The 129th marched 100 miles to their assigned position near Neuvilly. On the morning of September 26th, Battery D participated in a massive bombardment involving 2,700 guns, each battery firing 1,000 rounds an hour. "My guns were so hot, that they would boil [the] wet gunnysacks we put on them to keep them cool," Truman wrote.
When the infantry moved forward, the 129th Field Artillery was ordered to follow and only fire at enemy batteries facing the 35th Division. However, Truman saw a German battery setting up on the left flank in front of the 28th Division. Risking court-martial, Truman relayed the coordinates and the battery took out those German guns. His decision undoubtedly saved lives in the 28th Division, according to historian David McCullough.
Overall, McCullough has concluded that Captain Truman transformed Battery D from one of the worst to one of the best batteries in the regiment. He also surmised that Truman improved himself, developing courage and leadership. These qualities would help him as president.
Source
McCullough, David, Truman, Touchstone: New York, 1992.
Harry S. Truman, France, 1918
|
What do you think about this article?
More in History
Latest Articles