Sidney D. Light's WWI Diary, Postcards & Letters, 329th Battery Book Accounts

         Along in the early part of 1918, a first lieutenant, Paul M. Bowen, found the single silver bar on his shoulder changing to two and at the same time the immediate scene of his activities shifting from temporary command of B Battery in Captain Frazier’s absence to the newly created personnel section of the regiment. No one knew what the duties of this office were to be, but in time it developed that the thousands or more daily reports sent to various parts of the A. E. F. originated here, and although this part of the work in the regiment contained less of interest and less of excitement than any other line, Captain Bowen and his capable assistants made this branch the object of more than one complimentary remark from those higher in authority.

        The establishment and maintenance of the regimental headquarters while in garrison, on the march, or in the field was the duty of the regimental non-commissioned officers’ staff. We made our camps under adverse circumstances. We frequently accepted as a matter of necessity the discarded buildings for our billets and it may be remembered that at times we made our beds on the ground for want of a better place.

        Taking up a position was always attended by excitement and fatigue, but the one section of our regiment which was always first was the regimental headquarters, and in spite of the difficulties they always had an office, whether in tent, cellar or attic, that handled the administrative end of the work, just as well as though they were in their old office back in Custer.

        Speed in getting into working order was the long suit of our regimental non-commissioned officers’ staff. When it came to "Opening Station" we hand it to them—they were there.

        Their work pertained always to the administration. Snap and accuracy is the keynote of success in operation and it was not less vital to their end than to any other in the army. We have but to look back to our arrival in St. Calais for a bit of news that proves they recognized that fact.

        We were transferred again to another division, back to the 85th. Why transferred again? Because we were ready to go home as far as that most important and most difficult task was concerned, the completion of paper work; and the division to which we had been attached for return was not up in their paper work. Who was responsible for our being up to that work? The honors are divided but the regimental non-coms’ staff comes in for its big half. It was on the job or we would not have sailed when we did.

        Back in the old days at Custer before we took up foreign travel the staff was composed of but four men. Stg.-Major Balkwell, Stg.-Major Convery, Personnel Sergeant Burkhardt and Color Sergeant Crook. Shortly after we reached France the two Sergeant-Majors forsook the regiment for the Saumur Officers’ Training School. Their places were filled by Stg.-Major Stafford, Stg.-Major Gritman and Stg.-Major Rich. Sergeant Burkhart was made Personnel Stg.-Major. At Cöetquidan the staff was enlarged, Color Sergeant Charbneau and Personnel Sergeant Pippen being added.

        When the regiment began actual training on the range at this camp the work of the Stg.-Major doubled. We were training for actual combat and in action the Stg.-Majors head the Operations Detail. Their training there was scheduled with actual field work and from then on until the armistice was divided between their details and the office at headquarters.

        Whether the influence of the Headquarters Office or just the natural tendency is responsible for the conduct of these men is hard to tell. We grant that no opportunity came to know them on the outside, because their time was wholly consumed by their duties. But the few times we did come into contact with them we formed an opinion.

        Unlike many busy offices theirs was never too busy to grant information. A great deal of experience in the army was not necessary to learn that one of the most embarrassing and disgusting experiences in the life of a fellow is to walk into an office and salute, ten stand there for an hour or so and no one pay attention to him. What would you think about a fellow who is so inconsiderate would never do to tell, but such a thing never happened in the office of the Three Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Field Artillery. We were in the army and at war and that is enough said, but while things disconcerting threw other parts of the organization off balance at times, there was never a time when the Regimental Non-commissioned Officers’ Staff did not have the administrative end of the deal well in hand.