Women in the US military

[stevie boy]

Same source as above ... "Two members of the Motor Corps standing next to a Navy ambulance [ca. 1919]"

Many thanks Cpl Coleman, for all the recent posts are fascinating, to say the least.

It is too late after a hard day to read the Camp Kearney article now. but a very quick skim sets me pondering yet again.

Please forgive me going off topic yet again, but there is reference to the YMCA at Camp Kearney. The brothers and sister did enlist (but I accept Mabel was most likely Motor Corps) but their family relation and fellow countryman did not (from what I recall from way back). Instead he was involved/instrumental in raising a Bond Issue of $35 000 000 to fund the US Army preparation for WW1. The money was raised under the auspices of the YMCA to fund all sorts from recreation, to education, to equipment, to tables and chairs, writing paper and so on. This money was used to fund facilities at the construction/expansion of Camp Kearney. (From your link it is apparent Camp Kearney was a new facility)

I do not know if the YMCA had key people in certain towns for this, or key people in regions/States. The man I am aware of was John Albert Poytress and he was based in Fresno.

The brothers wrote offering thanks for what John had financed/been instrumental in achieving. I sense the YMCA worked separate from the Military so perhaps they built their own facilities there? Or the brothers were involved in building these facilities?

Over to you experts in the USA to see if there is anything here and, if so, to put some flesh on the bones.

Many thanks once again.

[Cpl Coleman]

I do not know if the YMCA had key people in certain towns for this, or key people in regions/States. The man I am aware of was John Albert Poytress and he was based in Fresno.

The brothers wrote offering thanks for what John had financed/been instrumental in achieving. I sense the YMCA worked separate from the Military so perhaps they built their own facilities there? Or the brothers were involved in building these facilities?

I think this is your man ...http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=76168475&ref=acom

[Loader]

The YMCA had establishments near most military bases if not actually on the post . These are often call the YMCA HUTS. They provided a refuge from the barracks & the duty of the day for the men. They couold go ther for a cup of coffee, maybe a meal & relax & read or play games or write letters home. Many letters survive on YMCA stationary from various camps both here & abroad. They did womderful work & helped men with problems & advice & as I say a refuge from duty. I've read there was no rank in the huts or very little & everyone behaved themselves. In WW 1 many could not read or write so there were workers there who would write letters home for the men & read them ones they had recd.

The SALVATION ARMY had similar huts & both those organizations were a God Send to the troops many away from home for the first time.

The funds raised by the gentleman you mentioned would have gone to making sure such places were properly stocked & staffed. The RED CROSS too had such places. They gave many men a place to go instead of a bar or saloon or other not so "polite" places where they could get into trouble of all kinds!! To have raised that much money he must've been quite dedicated.

Yes, far as I know the pension check would arrive once per month to be cashed so the recipient in UK would have to have arangements as you suggest for such financial transactions. The military offered life insurance too for a small sum deducted from the monthly pay, a man was issued a policy for $10,000.00 if he died in service with his named beneficiary to ge tthe money. It was sent in monthly pyts too over the yrs so it was not all given in a lump sum. This to protect in many cases those who might not be able to handle large sums of money & this insured a steady income for yrs. I read once a man's 15 yr old daughter was his beneficiary & she would get some $50.00/month til it was paid off over the yrs & she would have income. It was a real innovation in the process & to avoid cases such as Civil War widows & orphans having littel or no funds after the soldier ws killed.

[stevie boy]

I think this is your man ...http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=76168475&ref=acom

Thanks Cpl Coleman

That is my man! I will do some delving into the history here. I do not know how big, or how significant, this chap's role was in YMCA. Plus, after all these years, I might not get answers to this.

Ever optimistic, I will go forward.

[stevie boy]

The YMCA had establishments near most military bases if not actually on the post . These are often call the YMCA HUTS. They provided a refuge from the barracks & the duty of the day for the men. They couold go ther for a cup of coffee, maybe a meal & relax & read or play games or write letters home. Many letters survive on YMCA stationary from various camps both here & abroad. They did womderful work & helped men with problems & advice & as I say a refuge from duty. I've read there was no rank in the huts or very little & everyone behaved themselves. In WW 1 many could not read or write so there were workers there who would write letters home for the men & read them ones they had recd.

The SALVATION ARMY had similar huts & both those organizations were a God Send to the troops many away from home for the first time.

The funds raised by the gentleman you mentioned would have gone to making sure such places were properly stocked & staffed. The RED CROSS too had such places. They gave many men a place to go instead of a bar or saloon or other not so "polite" places where they could get into trouble of all kinds!! To have raised that much money he must've been quite dedicated.

Yes, far as I know the pension check would arrive once per month to be cashed so the recipient in UK would have to have arangements as you suggest for such financial transactions. The military offered life insurance too for a small sum deducted from the monthly pay, a man was issued a policy for $10,000.00 if he died in service with his named beneficiary to ge tthe money. It was sent in monthly pyts too over the yrs so it was not all given in a lump sum. This to protect in many cases those who might not be able to handle large sums of money & this insured a steady income for yrs. I read once a man's 15 yr old daughter was his beneficiary & she would get some $50.00/month til it was paid off over the yrs & she would have income. It was a real innovation in the process & to avoid cases such as Civil War widows & orphans having littel or no funds after the soldier ws killed.

Thanks for this.

Thinking of pensions I assume there were two types. One for old age and another to compensate for war injuries. With the latter I guess there were preset rates for different injuries? Say $x for the loss of an arm. But did this rate change according to Rank?

The brother had worked in agriculture, so his injury rate would have reflected this? But if he had been a Doctor would he have received more? In essence, did the payment reflect lost earnings, but also did it cover loss of enjoyment of life? After all there is more to life than just working, and there will be suffering/disability outside of work hours.

With the brother I am uncertain, But I think he returned to agriculture but could not cope with the manual work. His stamina was suffering/there was weariness. Around this time there was an Army/Government scheme to train up those with war injuries. So the brother learnt furniture making, I do not know which came first - perhaps there was a waiting list for the furniture course, or the rehabilitation courses took a while to come into being. Hence the return to agriculture, or did the Army want people to return to their old employment and if they could not cope, then request rehabilitation?

From what I can gather he never returned to agriculture in the manner of pre WW1, but neither did the furniture making come to anything. Clearly the gas injuries created a life long disability.

Any general points you can add about procedures, and so on, would be most welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

[Cpl Coleman]

stevie boy

US WW1 veteran's benefits evolved in the years after the war from demob payments to payments, annuities and pensions for service and/or disability.

"Old age pensions" came about under the Social Security Act that was signed into law by President Roosevelt on August 14, 1935. In addition to several provisions for general welfare, the new Act created a social insurance program designed to pay retired workers age 65 or older a continuing income after retirement.

A Social Security death claim was made for Wesley John Hawksworth at his death in 1964 (Probably by his widow.) He apparently registered for US Social Security even though he appears to have never returned to live or work in the US after 1919. The claim was probably a one time "burial" amount as I doubt he would have regularly paid into the Social Security fund since all his post 1935 earnings would have been in the UK, and thus he probably would not be eligible to receive a SS monthly retirement payment. The 1964 Report of Death of American Citizens Abroad for him (On Ancestry) shows his Veteran's Administration Pension number as XC 01 781 598.

William A Hawksworth claimed his Social Security pension in California in 1955 (At age 65.) He would have received payments until his death in 1961. The 1961 application for his veteran's headstone shows his Veteran's Administration Pension number as XC-467 005.

Hope this helps

Edited 27 May , 2016 by Cpl Coleman

[Cpl Coleman]

Thinking of pensions I assume there were two types. One for old age and another to compensate for war injuries. With the latter I guess there were preset rates for different injuries? Say $x for the loss of an arm. But did this rate change according to Rank?

Any general points you can add about procedures, and so on, would be most welcomed.

Everything you want to know and more about the history of US veterans benefits here:

http://www.va.gov/op...ry_in_brief.pdf

[stevie boy]

My research progresses a little. It appears the brothers enlisted at Fresno in July 1917, but the date given is 3 August. I do not know why the dates vary.

From Fresno they went to Tanforan, but I do not know the purpose of this Camp. Perhaps initial selection/medical checks/forming the Battery? Does anybody know about this location please?

There was a move to Camp Kearny, and Cpl Coleman points out the Battery was organized there in September.

Mabel may not have followed to Tanforan, unless this had a YMCA attached to it. I say this because it is becoming likely that Mabel was at Camp Kearny with the YMCA. Perhaps she went there with, or at the same time as, the brothers? She was involved with this, and had an interest in it. However, was it YMCA staff who ran all the YMCA facilities. Or did YMCA employ others? I am guessing they were not volunteers because one had to earn a living in life.

I suspect Mabel stayed with the YMCA during the brothers time there. Did she follow them to Europe with the YMCA? My intuition is no.

A puzzle to me is how the US Army utilized the brothers. They were Privates in the Battery until the moment they left the Camp. Then they were made wagoners - a different role, and with different colleagues. This suggests to me they did not go through training as a wagoner. If they had training, or rank of Wagoner I would have expected them to have transferred to the Supply Company during their time at the Camp. Perhaps they had ample skills gained hauling gun carriages, shells and the like.

The history of Camp Kearny is a fascinating attachment - without the wonders of the internet and this Forum I would never have found it. In particular, the YMCA is becoming an interest. Do any of their Camp newspapers exist in an archive, or digitized, somewhere, please?

Lots of questions and few answer!. If anyone can add anything to my ramblings I would be highly appreciative.

[stevie boy]

I am bewildered by a poor quality photocopy of a postcard one brother sent. This is a "Carte Postale" so I assume it was printed in France. (That is unless the term was used in the USA in around 1918.)

The date is June 24 - the year is not there. My puzzle is in 1917 the brothers had not yet enlisted - but there appears to be a query over enlistment, so perhaps they were in the "Army"? So perhaps the postcard was at the time of their stay at Tanforan?

In 1918 they were at Camp Merritt and due to leave for Europe in a few days time. So had a postcard been sent from here I would expect a Camp Merritt franking.

In 1919 they were in Germany, so again they were not in Fresno.

I do not know how the military mail system worked. If a postcard was sent from Europe what postage was paid? I guess US because it was a military system separate from the civilian postal system of the relevant country. If so, what franking was done and at what Post Office?

Could a US 2 Cent stamp book have been carried and the stamps used anytime, anywhere, in Europe to mail back to USA?

Any help would be most appreciated, and many thanks in advance.

[Cpl Coleman]

My research progresses a little. It appears the brothers enlisted at Fresno in July 1917, but the date given is 3 August. I do not know why the dates vary.

From Fresno they went to Tanforan, but I do not know the purpose of this Camp. Perhaps initial selection/medical checks/forming the Battery? Does anybody know about this location please?

There was a move to Camp Kearny, and Cpl Coleman points out the Battery was organized there in September.

During the initial stages of the US mobilization for World War I, the Tanforan Racetrack in San Bruno, California was used as an assembly and training camp. The 1st and 2nd California Field Artillery Regiments of the California National Guard (renamed 143rd and 144th Field Artillery Regiments at Camp Kearny) are known to have been mobilized at Camp Tanforan. It looks like your Hawksworth brothers joined the California National Guard at Fresno, were mobilized and trained with the Guard at Tanforan in San Bruno and then moved to Camp Kearny near San Diego where their state Guard unit was Federalized.

The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper edition of 24 October 1917 has an article 'Citizens of San Francisco and California - Read This Role of Honor' about supporting the men of the 2nd California Field Artillery by urging the public to buy Liberty Bonds. In the list of the 1268 members of the regiment, Privates Wesley J and William A Hawksworth are shown as members of Battery E.

Hope this helps in your research

San Francisco Chronicle

(San Francisco, California)

24 Oct 1917, Wed • Page 9

[stevie boy]

During the initial stages of the US mobilization for World War I, the Tanforan Racetrack in San Bruno, California was used as an assembly and training camp. The 1st and 2nd California Field Artillery Regiments of the California National Guard (renamed 143rd and 144th Field Artillery Regiments at Camp Kearny) are known to have been mobilized at Camp Tanforan. It looks like your Hawksworth brothers joined the California National Guard at Fresno, were mobilized and trained with the Guard at Tanforan in San Bruno and then moved to Camp Kearny near San Diego where their state Guard unit was Federalized.

The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper edition of 24 October 1917 has an article 'Citizens of San Francisco and California - Read This Role of Honor' about supporting the men of the 2nd California Field Artillery by urging the public to buy Liberty Bonds. In the list of the 1268 members of the regiment, Privates Wesley J and William A Hawksworth are shown as members of Battery E.

Hope this helps in your research

San Francisco Chronicle

(San Francisco, California)

24 Oct 1917, Wed • Page 9

Thank you for this. Pondering on it I am thinking the following:

1) Will and Wesley sign the Draft on 5 June, and both say "no previous military experience".

2)Immediately/almost immediately they both join the National Guard, which is a militia organisation, or like our UK Territorial Army. (Is there payment/wages for being a member?). They join together.

3) Military experience starts then, but is not considered enlisting. (Enlistment is not processed until 3 August in Fresno.)

4) Will and Wesley travel to Tanforan to get kitted out and start training. They may not have returned to Fresno to enlist on 3 August because they were based at Tanforan.

5) Alternatively, the National Guard service was not full time - perhaps they still did some paid employment. Full time military service and wages occurred once enlistment had been completed. Hence with the part time nature it was straight forward to enlist at Fresno - this was where they worked.

6) After enlistment they are still at Tanforan. The Battery is being formed/trained and then goes to Camp Kearny. The move was in September(?) when Camp Kearny had been completed.

7) Battery training ticks along, but the Army become aware of the brothers ability with wagons, horses, mules. They get transferred to wagoner rank, at the time they all pull out of the Camp in mid 1918.

How does this sound to all you experts out there please?