Oranizations We Have Been With and Their Insignia
If proof were needed of the old army saying that good field artillery can go anywhere and deliver the goods any time, it could be found in the official record of our manifold affiliations after leaving the States. We belonged to a good many organizations overseas and none could say we didn't BELONG any time we got a new assignment. Our regiment was complimented everywhere it went on the health of its men, its all-around good training and discipline and the excellence of its paper work. We make no bones about being proud of the good old 329th.
During training in the States we belonged to the 85th (Custer Division). This division was Custer's first and best and was originally under the command of Major-General Dickman, destined later to become commanding general of the U.S. Army of Occupation. His successor was Major-General Parker, now retired. Major-General Kennedy was in command of the 85th when we sailed and remained so until our return.
Upon reaching the A.E.F. we were detached from the 85th Division and classified as Army Artillery. (In other words, artillery that must be prepared to go anywhere). In this status we served under orders from the 4th, 5th and 6th Army Corps. This was during our period of training at Camp Coetquidan.
At the front our regiment was divided, the 1st Battalion being attached to the 7th Division and the 2nd Battalion to the 28th Division. Thus it was that the 1st Battalion saw action with the 20th F.A. regiment, Colonel Paynes commanding, and the 2nd Battalion strafed the Hun with the 341st Field Artillery, Colonel Davis commanding.
When we moved to Pont-a-Mousson, after the armistice, the 6th Army Corps again took us under its wing. But presently we were reattached as a unit to the 7th Division and remained under that command until February 1st, 1919, when we were attached to the 91st Division "for return to the United States." O joyful sound!
But we were not destined to go home with the "Wild West" Division. Upon reaching St. Calais on our homeward journey, we were returned to our parent Division---the 85th--- and proceeded on our way rejoicing. The reason for this last move was said to be the excellent condition of the records of our brigade.
85th Division--Regular Army of Michigan and Wisconsin. Insignia: Red CD. Known as Custer Division. Activities: Part of the infantry served in Russia, and part saw action at the Thiaucourt and Pouvenelle sectors. Artillery, rated among the best; 329th saw nine days' action in Thiaucourt and Pouvenelle sectors; 328th, eleven days in Toul sector; 330th did not see action.
7th Division--Regular Army. Insignia: Two triangles in black on red base. Design supposed to have been developed out of numeral seven, one numeral up and the other down. Activities: October 9th to November 11th in Pouvenelle sector and ditto sector extended.
28th Division--National Guard of Pennsylvania. Insignia: Keystone of red cloth. Activities: June 30th to November 11th, sector southeast of Chateau-Thierry, Vesle sector, Argonne-Meuse offensive, and Thiaucourt sector.
91st Division--National Army of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming and Utah. Insignia: Green fir tree---emblematic of the far west. Known as "Wild West" Division. Activities: September 20th to November 11th, Argonne-Meuse offensive, Belgium.
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Our Commanding Officer, Colonel Tillman Campbell
Colonel Tillman O. Campbell, commanding officer of the Three Hundred and Twenty-ninth Field Artillery, began his military career in the army of the United States Volunteers as a first sergeant in the company of infantry mobilized in his native state of Arkansas.Previous to his first honorable discharge in February of 1899, he was promoted from first sergeant to sergeant major, and to the rank of second lieutenant, U. S. V. In July of 1900 Colonel Campbell re-enlisted in the same organization as a first lieutenant, serving until April of 1901 as battalion adjutant and regimental commissary officer of the Thirty-third Infantry, U.S. V.
In May of 1901 he enlisted in the regular army of the United States as a second lieutenant in the artillery corps, and was assigned to duty in the Coast Artillery as a commissary officer. After seven months of service in this capacity he was transferred to the Field Artillery, where he was commissioned a first lieutenant in the second battery.
Until November of 1905 Colonel Campbell remained with the Field Artillery. He was returned to service in the Coast Artillery, receiving a commission as captain in January of 1907. In the same year, and as a captain he was returned, this time with permanent assignment to the Field Artillery.
Between 1907 and 1917 Colonel Campbell served with the Second, Third and Sixth Artillery in the commissary and quartermaster departments. It was during this period of service that he was advanced to the rank of major.
When the Three Hundred and Twenty-ninth Field Artillery was organized Colonel Campbell was chosen to command the regiment. He was commissioned a colonel on August 5th, 1917, and assigned to and joined the regiment on September 12th, 1917, remaining in command until its demobilization at Camp Custer in April, 1919.
Of the twenty years of service seen by Colonel Campbell five were spent on foreign soil. In September of 1899 he was ordered with his company to the Philippines, where he remained on active duty until his recall a year later. Again, ten years later, he was ordered to the scene of action in the Philippines and remained until September of 1914.
From the time of 329th sailed to France, Colonel Campbell remained always with his regiment. Through the training period in French camps and to the front he was always with the men. Be it said in behalf of the leadership we have had, from comment by those competent to judge, our regiment when weighed in the balance was never found wanting.
Major George Lothrop
Some are born officers, some achieve commissions and some have commissions thrust upon them. That was true in this man’s army, anyway, and Major George V. N. Lothrop was an officer of the first variety—he was (and is) a "born leader" of men. To say that the regiment would have followed him to hell in the toughest STRAFING that Heine ever laid down is not a high-sounding statement but a fact.
We loved this quiet, clean-cut master of artillery. Although he never figured on it, he had the range and deflection for a direct hit on our affections. We pulled the lanyard on him ourselves.
Back in the pioneer days, when the Major (he was Captain Lothrop then) first took the report of Lieutenant Carnahan as Acting Top Kick and bade us snap to attention, we opined, "That man’s a SOLDIER! You can see it and sort o’ feel it." As time wore on,, this first impression never faded but strengthened into the aforementioned affection, universally. Here was our idea of a soldier, a gentleman and a scholar.
It was Major Lothrop who gave us a talk when we were altogether in old Barracks 399 and said:
"Our country, for a number of years, has been getting more and more a hodge-podge of nationalities. This army is going to change all that; to show you that you are all Americans. Why, I know two men right up the line from here, one worth two millions, the other stony broke. The one who hasn’t any money is going to learn that the rich one isn’t any piker, and vice versa. You are going to be better men when you go back home. This war is going to bind you together. This nation is going to be unified after the war into the greatest, best nation the world has ever seen."
It was this same Major who told the papers when we got back that there "never was anything like the way our boys put their shoulders to the wheel and carried on in dust or mud, and without show or complaint."
We ask you, could we help being strong for a man like that?
He gave the Other Fellow credit.
That was his natural style. Came as natural to him as figuring firing data. He had a good word for every worthy project that came up. His share in making this book possible is a noteworthy one. He was a booster without a band.
Speaking biographically, George V. N. Lothrop was born about 36 years ago in Detroit. He graduated from Princeton, where he distinguished himself scholastically and on the crew. He went to Fort Sheridan at the first call for officers (leaving some sort of business they write novels about) and qualified for a captaincy right off the bat.
He was the ranking officer at the time all the skeleton organizations were housed under one roof and later commanding officer of Headquarters Company. In November, 1917, he went to Fort Sill and came back a major.
He was a student of everything—the time, the job and the men. And he took to artillery like a mud hen to the Mississippi. If there was anybody who knew more about the American and British pieces—and the way to tame them—than he did, you’d find him out looking for that individual. Same thing applied to the French 75's and methods on the other side. He was a genuine learner, and as such he made an admirable teacher.
Absolutely fearless under fire, he went out to help some linemen fix a wire one night when things were hotter than they’d ever been—and recommended them for a decoration, later on.
He’s all man—and we wouldn’t want to forget him in after years, even if we could.
Our Adjutant, Captain Oscar Brady
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"Well, Captain, as a man who had a lion’s share in bringing the Good Ship 329 safe into port, what have you got to say for yourself?"
"Nothing."
"You could have answered that in more words."
"Right. But words are not my business."
"Very well; we’ll leave that to the ‘Barrage’ staff. How do you plead to the charges of being the best known and most popular officer in the regiment?"
"Not guilty."
"The court of General Opinion will decide that—a court made up of de-chevroned noncoms, brig regulars, scared sergeants of the guard, possible and impossible orderlies and all the rest who like you in spite of hell. That’s all—except you might leave an account of your military activities before you light the pipe again."
Name—Captain O. Brady—O. For Oscar
Born—Yes.
Occupation—Soldier. (Insert by the editor to the effect that they don’t make ‘em any better, any snappier, or of any more soldierly bearing. At guard-mount it makes you straighten your shoulders to watch him.)....
...He’s an old military man, all right; he’s been through the mill—several of them—in the course of that twenty years’ continuous service. He served in Cuba, with the Army Cuban Pacification; he was in the Philippines during the Insurrection Period—part of the time in the fire-eating Moro country, where he helped Colonel Scott gain immortality.
Captain Brady was in the engagement of Laksawana Usop and also took part in the Cotta of Pang-Pang; another get-‘em-fore-they-get-you encounter of the Insurrection. His outfit used the light Vickers-Maxim Mountain Gun. A man named Hassan was the Villa among the Filipinos and he caused a lot of trouble before Uncle Same disposed of him.
Later, under General Pershing, he went into Mexico after Villa himself.
Now for a word about the man as we size him up. We have always had profoundest admiration for the man who could handle dignity as though it didn’t bother him, and lay it aside on the right occasion. Such a man must either be a genius or a royal good fellow. Captain O. Brady is "considable of both," as our cullud neighbor would put in.
Witness the time the cows came to guard-mount—back in the old round square at Pont-a-Mousson. Dignity fell that day but came up standing at parade rest. Picture the solemn occasion. The Captain, in his immemorial manner, had gone through the ceremony he always loved best in super-military fashion. Things were going smoothly. No false moves had marred the scene. Everything was ready for "Sound OFF!" as only the Captain can give it. He gave it. And straightway with the music of the band there ‘rose a fearsome medley! A Frenchman had driven his herd of cows upon the scene of action. Squarely between the guard and the adjutant they straggled, mooing inelegantly the while. Curiously they nosed the O.D.’s Sam Browne as he stood at fancy parade rest. Lumberingly they passed in review.
Did the Captain falter? Did he explode? He did not. He held his post with a look as though to say, "Brother in blue, it’s luck a ceremony like this has no meaning in your life. You’d owe Uncle Sam—from now on."
Even when the band countermarched directly into some bovine countenances and halted, he stuck it out. And when the cows moved on, so did the guard-mount, just as though nothing had happened. Quite a feat to carry martial dignity through so trying a test! No? Try it.
Of the humor and human-ness of this man a volume could be written. A record of the "hot ones" he pulled in court would convulse a continent. Here let’s recall the wit of him, the infinite patience and understanding of him under a mask of military severity. His utter impartiality; his wealth of army experience. Up through the ranks he came to a point where the making or breaking of a good many young Americans was in his hands. He never fell down for Uncle Sam or for The Boys. He could "loosen up" and read a New Year’s joke about himself with as much relish as any; he could—and would—answer any question in the spirit it was asked. He could even sing a tuneless solo at a party and get away with it—could Captain O. Brady. Which moves us to warble:
"You’ll never miss the Army,
But remember when you’re old:
This hard-boiled SEEMING soldier
With the heart inside of gold."
Cadman of the Croix de Guerre
Ever know that the good old 329th came home with a genuine Croix de Guerre man in its midst? You probably didn't if you waited for LE CAPITAINE to advise you of it himself. He's so doggone modest that we couldn't even catch him wearing his decoration. Someone tipped us off, however, and we tracked Captain Cadman to his lair in Camp D'Auvours and got the dope---all he'd give us anyways.
You'll probably recall that Captain Paul F. Cadman joined us early in January, 1919, as 2nd Battalion Adjutant. Nobody knew much about him, except that he handled French like a native and must have seen considerable service---beaucoup, as it turned out. For he started in way back in March, 1917, with the French Army. He served with them for 8 months in the T. M. U. 133 (heavy artillery) and saw action during that time at Verdun on through Soissons. He held the rank of ASPIRANT.
On November 1, 1917, Uncle Sam claimed him and he joined the 2nd Division, U.S.A. immediately as a 2nd Lieutenant. He was up front with the 2nd from February until the last of October, 1918; from the Troyon Sector to Voisdevelleau to the American attack south of Soissons, and from St. Mihel (he was in the famous St. Mihel drive) on to the Meuse-Argonne offensive. He was made a First Lieutenant in February, 1918; and a Captain in July, taking added responsibilities as operations officer on the staff. Verily he had been through the mill when Fritzie decided enough is too much.
Here is a translation of the order Marshall Petain put through in December, awarding the celebrated Cross of War to Captain Cadman:
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General Headquarters of
the French Armies of the
East Staff
Order no. 12,569 "D" (Extract)
Upon the approval of the General, Commander-in-Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces in France, the Marshall of France, Commander-in-Chief of the French Armies of the East, cites to the order of the Army Corps,
Captain Paul F. Cadman, of the 2nd Artillery Brigade:
"During the attack on Blanc-Mount and during the days following he obtained important information on the situation of the enemy, and evidenced a remarkable devotion. He served as an example to all those around him."
At General Headquarters, 26 December, 1918,
The Marshall of France
Commander-in-Chief of the French Armies of the East
PETAIN
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