Kansas

As a freshman in college we were required to read an essay entitled "Kansas" by Carl Becker. The author, a New Englander, was on a train headed west out of Kansas City and two college age girls were in the seat in front of him. One of the pair broke away from their ceaseless chatter and began looking out of the car window. After about fifteen minutes of watching the corn fields and sunflowers go by she turned back to her companion with a contented sigh and said "Dear Old Kansas." Becker wondered why anyone would feel moved to say "Dear Old Kansas." Most members of the 275th, I feel sure, would wonder the same thing.

Kansas has the reputation of being a land of extremes. It is very hot in the summer, very cold in the winter, and is known for severe storms and prolonged dry spells - She has earned her reputation.

I was assigned to one of the howitzer sections in A Battery of the 275th Field Artillery Battalion and billeted in one of the tar paper barracks with the other enlisted men at Camp Philips. Sgt. Gabbard was the chief of section. Raymond Richerson was the gunner and I was the number five cannoneer. Shortly thereafter Howard Gabbard came down with a back injury. Richerson became acting chief of section and I became acting gunner.

In the first few days we saw a training film on the 105 MM howitzer, had gas mask drill and started to learn the General Orders. A notation in my little diary reads "Started to catch on to army life and discipline"

The second week we marked clothing, learned how to pitch tents, received field equipment, drilled, hiked, played ball, had more training films, had inspection and did other things involved in basic training. The little book says "Used to everything, I hope. Really getting to like it."

On Sunday June 6 I went to chapel, washed fatigues, went to a stage show, and "signed up to sing. "Don't remember singing. That week was my first guard duty, first K.P. and we fired loss for the first time. It was at Camp Philips that I first heard Roy Acuff and his "Smoky Mountain Boys." Somebody on guard duty with me had a portable radio and was listening to what I suppose was the "Grand Ole Opry." Actually I like hillbilly music, as it was called in those days, but it wasn't cool as Barbara Mandrell has pointed out. I preferred to be known as a fan of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Glen Miller. Strange but the big bands have gone the way of the dinosaurs and Roy Acuff still rolls along on the "Wabash Cannon Ball." June 14th we learned how to lay a battery. We sampled poison gas that week, saw an aircraft recognition film, and had inspection. Saturday afternoon some of the men played softball, but I tried boxing. I boxed James Jernigan and he knocked me out. I got back up but I was confused for hours afterwards. I boxed some other people both at Camp Philips and Camp Campbell. We were never in a ring and did not have timed rounds or a referee. Some of the men I boxed were: Cotton Cornelison, Cecil Nanny, Carl Tuszynski (who later became a New York City policeman) and Reedus Fountain (several times). The truth is Fountain and I did not like each other very well. He didn't like me because I was a city boy yankee and I didn't like him because he didn't like me. I don't think Fountain has ever come to any of the re-unions. We could probably be friends now. I also boxed somebody named Beaumont.

On June 25th we built a camouflage net, filled in a ditch, and put up a bridge. The following day we drilled under Lt. Kelsey for about two hours. The Lt. I believe, lost his life in the Bulge.

Good news and bad news on July 1st. I missed a hike by being on KP. We went to the movies a lot when we were off duty. If nothing else one could cool off for a couple of hours as many theaters in town were air conditioned and few other buildings were in those days. However at night Kansas usually cooled off in contrast to Texas where we would be later on. Some of the movies I saw in 1943 were: "Crash Dive", "China", "Coney Island", "What's Buzzin Cousin?", "Forest Rangers "Two Tickets to London , all classics. On August 7th the diary says I slept through a double feature.

In early July we lost Capt. Olson as Battery Commander and he was replaced by Captain Newbery. July 12th I was latrine orderly. July 14th we went on RSOP. I don't remember what the letters stood for but I don't think the "P" was for picnic. It was some kind of overnight field exercise. On the 16th we took a 2 hour hike on one of the hottest days I ever saw. -At least one of the men passed out. On the 17th we finished our ninth week of basic training.

The little book shows that I wrote a lot of letters. I think I got more mail than anyone else in A Battery. My mother and father wrote separately every day. It helped a lot.

On the 19th of July we were issued rifles to our battery. What in the world did we use before that? On the 20th we dug foxholes until midnight. How did we see? I think I saw more sunrises in the army than I have seen before or since put together.

In August we were on the firing range a lot. Sometimes we were in the pits scoring targets. Is that where the expression "the pits" comes from? I was a very good shot slow fire but rapid fire was another story. Remember "Maggie's Drawers"?

In early August my little book says "Tied with Richer son for best soldier in the Btry". It is rather surprising that it happened and even more surprising that I forgot it. We both later became ministers and that reminds me of a man I know who is very intelligent and well read in a slanted sort of way who has said to me regarding the Christian faith "How can any intelligent person believe such superstitions?" Well I think I have known my share of intelligent people at: the University of Maryland, Indiana University, Washington University (St Louis), the University of Chicago, and Wesley Theological Seminary and I can say that some of the brightest men I have ever known have been Christian ministers. God calls quality people.

On my 19th birthday I was dining room orderly but the next day we had fun -- canniness hop all day.

On August 20th I worked in the pits (rifle range) and "Helped everyone to qualify". That sounds as if we might have doctored the scores. August 21st was the end of basic training. It was only the beginning.

On August 26th the book says "Heat rash killing me". I think Kestner had the worst case of heat rash in the outfit. We called it "prickly heat."

August 28th says that we passed the test of the 11th corps with flying colors. Aug 31st "Calisthenics, machine gun instruction, obstacles course twice, (once backwards), First Aid Review. Wrote letter home". Don Terrill and I were pretty good friends about this time. I note we went to shows together a number of times. I don't remember seeing him at any re-unions but I missed the one in his home state (PA.)

Sept. 5th I was on guard duty and "Darn near froze" in a rain storm. On Sept. 8th I was a forward scout for Sgt. Bendes. On successive days in September I wrote: "Damn cold night" and "Got sun tan" What did I tell you about Kansas?

Sept 13 "was Sgt. Gab's gunner (no gun)." On the 15th I was chief of section. Sunday Sept. 19th "Latrine Orderly", Sept. 22 --"training film on booby traps", on the 24th I was chief of section and Watson was my gunner.

My first furlough started Oct. 7th. Harry King and I caught the same train. My parents and brother Bert met me at Union Station (D.C.). During the war the railroad stations were busy places; happy sometimes, sad sometimes depending on whether one was coming or going. It is sad to see what has happened to many of them but times have changed and the old steam trains have gone the way of the horse and buggy. Willie Nelson singing about "The disappearing railroad blues" has a nostalgic ring of truth. (from "The City of New Orleans")

The little book says "...good to be home. Miss my boy Bob". My brother Bob was in the Army Air Corps in Texas. Furloughs go by in a hurry. I had three or four dates, visited the place I used to work, went to church twice and in general tried to cram as much into the time as I could. By the 20th I was back on the train headed west. On the 21st I was back at Camp Philips. It didn't seem so bad being back. It was as if there were two worlds, home and the army, and strangely at the time I liked them both. Hold the phone, the little book says, "Hated to come back to camp although it was great to see some of the boys".

Apparently after basic the outfit had to stay in one place and give everyone a chance to go home on furlough.

In November it was getting pretty cold. The first freeze was Nov. 8. About this time we were "starting new schedule of 2nd Army". On Thanksgiving I went to church with Donald Elmore. After a turkey dinner

I went to the hospital to visit R. F. Jones, Sgt. Gabbard, and Donald Terrell who had hurt his knee or leg some time before that.

On December 3 we moved to Camp Funston, Kansas. During free time some of us went to Ft. Riley. The diary says, "This is the best place I have been since I left home." Compared to what? On Dec. 5th I went to chapel with Sgt. Gabbard. We had Bn. tests the next week and I was off 10 mils once and 36 mils on another occasion. I hated that because I always tried to be accurate.

On the 13th we did calisthenics at 150 above 0. The 14th it was 60 below and windy. If the wind chill factor had been invented in 1943 we would have frozen to death. On the 15th we nearly did. We were out in the field at 4 a.m. and it was 150 below, not pleasant but good training for the "Bulge".

On the 16th we started loading vehicles on the train. I finished writing my Christmas cards on the 17th and on the 18th we were on our way to "Sunny Tennessee".

DeLoyd Cooper is the Historian for the 275th Armored Field Artillery Battalion Association.
Copyright © 1999 DeLoyd Cooper. All rights reserved.
Revised: November 4, 2004