Today on Gus’ Gear, I am going a different direction. My interest in the Great War started with my grandfather, Robert Adams. He died when I was only 6, but many of his stories were passed down in the family, often in a distorted and inaccurate way. When I was 10, my grandmother gave me his relic helmet and his wound certificate as well as a newspaper from November 11th 1918 that my great grandfather saved, with the headline “War Is Over.” I had the wound certificate for over 40 years when Maggie found the letter from the War Department to my great-grandfather informing him that his son was wounded in action. I also was given a newspaper clipping from the Klamath Falls newspaper that reprinted a letter from my grandfather’s brother, William, telling of their meeting on the battlefield during heavy action. Among the same papers was the War Department letter, the original letter from William and a complete front page of the newspaper from which the clipping was taken as well as a number of other cards, letters and documents.
This is the award issued to US servicemen and women who were wounded or killed in action, the Purple Heart was not issued until the 1930s but was issued retroactively to any Veteran who requested one. This document states that Robert S. Adams was wounded but does not give the date. He was shot through the chin, the bullet did not hit bone and he did not want to go to the aid station as he was worried that he would be made a replacement again when he recovered.
This is the letter that my great grandfather received telling him his son was wounded in action. My grandmother’s oral histories were very flawed, as most are, she had told me he had served in the 42nd Division and was wounded in the Battle of Belleau Wood. He actually enlisted in the 41st Division in the Oregon National Guard. The 41st was broken up in France and used as replacements and he ended up in the 26th Division. He served in France in the 101st Infantry, Company A. With the date of his wound given on this document, I was able to find where his company was located on the 26th of October in the Official History of the 26th Division and it was on the edge of a wooded area called Bois Belleau, a Belleau Wood, just not the Belleau Wood.
This is the helmet Robert Adams wore in WWI, it is a relic without liner or chin strap, but is of greater value to me, due to the family connection.
This newspaper was saved by my great grandfather and brought the good news that his sons would soon be returning home.
This is the letter my great uncle sent home to his father telling of his meeting with his brother during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
France
November 6th 1918
Dear Dad,
I received your most welcome letter while at the front and have hardly had time since we have returned to answer. We were moved from the Eastern to the Western front and had plenty of action, but the most important thing was that I got to see Bob even tho I had to go into the very front line trench to see him. We were in the rear of the infantry of course fixing roads as the Germans were being driven ahead very fast, and the roads were full of shell holes and cut up with heavy transportation.
We were under shell fire day and night from the Germans, and our artillery was firing over our heads. Sleep was nearly impossible but the night I did go to sleep, Bob’s outfit went through on its way to the front. They went over the top at daylight, and Bob was in the first wave. As soon as I could, I left the company (without permission) and took some rations and started for Bob’s Division. When I got to headquarters, there was a ration detail there, and they said that it was almost impossible to get to where Bob was but that he was safe. They were going to try and get rations in as the men had had nothing to eat for two days as the shell fire was so intense that they could not get food in or wounded out. I took the chance. Two airplanes flew over us and turned their machine guns on us and bullets were flying all around but no one was hit. They were shooting from the woods at us also. A short distance farther the Germans started a barrage which lasted for three hours and how any of us escaped is a little more than a miracle but we were on the edge of it and not in the middle. There was some gas and we wore our masks for a while. After the barrage stopped we again went forward jumping from shell hole to shell hole as the Germans were shooting star shells and spraying our way with machine gun bullets. When we got up to where Bob’s outfit was they only had a short shallow trench, about 18 inches deep and most of the men were in shell holes. Bob was in the very front and they told me I could not get there but I insisted so one of them went out across No-Mans Land and found the shell hole were he and four others were and told him his brother was there but he was dead tired and did not believe them. One was on guard of course and they were ready for them. They told me where he was so I went out and by accident dropped in where he was. There was never such another meeting between two brothers and if God spares us both we will never forget it. We visited about forty minutes and the Boche gave us a machine gun barrage, kicked quite a lot of dirt on us and we expected a counter attack, but they did not come. I was unarmed as I carried rations and could not carry a gun. One of the cooks from Bob’s company was with us so I came out with him. We were shelled going out and got some good strong gas but took refuge in a dug out which the Germans had built. Bob was feeling fine and as cool as if he were at home in a rocking chair. Too much credit cannot be given to the American Infantryman, both officers and men as they are all the same on the front. Bob has been over three times, I don’t suppose he told you because it is not like him to say very much. Many were wounded and quite a few killed but the Germans are whipped and on the run and past their strong places of defense.
There were many German prisoners passing us each day. We were only about 2 ½ miles in the rear. Bob’s division has been relieved at about the same time as we were and I doubt if we will ever again be taken into action, especially Bob’s outfit as they certainly done their bit. You will probably hear from him soon.
The letter ends without a closing, it was written by William W. Adams. He was Bob’s oldest brother and I am sure he felt a responsibility to look after his younger brother.
This is a photo of Cpl. Robert S. Adams on his return from Europe, the insignia of the 26th Division can be seen on his left arm and two service stripes for 12 months overseas service as well as a wound stripe on his right arm
William W. Adams served with the 29th Division, also a replacement from the 41st Division. He was in the Engineers. His collar discs, dog tags Victory medal, with two bars, and a personal pocket knife are the only artifacts I have of his other than the letter of his meeting with Bob in the heat of battle and a letter after he returned from France.
These are Robert Adams’ Victory medals the one on the left is the U.S. Victory Medal, with bars for the Aisne-Marne, St. Michiel, Meuse-Argonne Battles and a Defense Sector, and the on the the right is the Oregon Victory Medal. Below is Bob’s personal sewing kit, smaller and more compact than the standard housewife, made of plastic with his service number and Co. A 101st INF written on it.
This is a U.S. Army canteen and carrier with the unit marking of Company A of the 101st Infantry. For several years I tried to acquire a piece of equipment marked to Company A, this was during the early years when internet auction sites did not have privacy for buyers. I was always out bid and when checking the history of the high bidders, I always found that they were collectors of 101st Airborne items.
J. Frank Adams was a Stockman who lived near Merrill Oregon, he raised horses for the US Army and when the war started he sold horses to the French Army as well as beef cattle to feed the French. He had 4 sons, Will, Bob, J. Frank Jr. and Martin. Bob was an excellent horseman and helped green break horses that were sold to the US Army before the war. This photo is of a rodeo in Klamath Falls, Oregon in 1912. J. Frank is on the horse at the far left and Bob is on the ground beside him getting ready to remount the horse. Bob’s hat can be seen at the far right on the ground. The hat looks out of place as it is the only thing in sharp focus. It was the only thing not moving when the photographer took the photo. Family history says that Bob would ride the green broke horses through the sales ring as a young boy, as it improved the price the Army would pay if a child could ride the horse, supposedly an Army trooper should have not problem.
When Will and Bob joined the Army J. Frank wrote a letter to his Senator to try to get them in the Cavalry.
The Poplar Farm
J. Frank Adams, Proprietor
Breeder of Percheron Horses and Hereford Cattle
Merrill, Oregon
June 27th, 1918
Senator Geo E. Chamberlain
Washington D.C.
Sir and friend am writing to you at the suggestion of my sons who are serving in our Army and they would like your influence to have them transfered in same branch of the Service where they think they would fit and could be of more service than where are now serving,
they as you know were both Born on a horse Ranch and are both experts in anything that pertains to the Horse either in riding Shipping or handling the wild Horse
If I do say it I do not think there is two better horse men in our Army to day and they both want to get in to the Cavalry or some place where they can be used to the best advantage they have been serving in other branches but are getting lonesome for the Horse and as they say they think they could be of more service among them than any other branch of the Army
My son Will W. Adams has been in the Aviation Branch but did not like it there he went to the Officers training camp at Brooks Field Texas but lately got transferred to the Co, H 104 Engineers but would sooner be where he would be with Horses,
The younger Robert Steel Adams is in Company L, 162 ond U.S. Infantry A.E.F. and he wrote me that the Captain is a Friend of yours and a word from you might help him where he wrightfully belongs as he is sure a thorough Horse man and he does not like the walking and you know he was born and raised on Horse Back
Punctuation and spelling of this carbon copy of a letter to Senator Chamberlain is not the best and the letter did not have the desired effect. Will stayed in the Engineers and Bob learned how to walk in the Infantry. An excerpt from a letter from Bob was printed in the local paper.
Life in front trenches proves real interesting
Safe back again from the front line trenches for a rest, Robert S. Adams writes to his father, J. Frank Adams, that he would just as soon be back fighting, as it gets real sort of interesting, and one is not compelled to walk so much. That the “cootie” is by no means a mythical animal, is indicated by the tone of Bob’s letter. He says he would like to be back in Oregon, where he could see one whole week with out rain.
Here is a photo taken in France during one of the rest periods with friends. Bob is standing on the far right. The photo was sent to him in 1957 by Alfred “Butch” Gernan of Denver, Colorado, he wrote;
Hello Bob, you probably don’t remember me but here is a picture we had taken in France it isn’t in very good condition but that’s me in the middle, so if you find time drop me a line
Butch
I do not know if my grandfather replied to Butch’s letter, I hope he did. Butch would have been another soldier who had served as a replacement in a well established unit, they had the feeling of being outsiders and it would be natural for replacements to bond in such circumstances. When I was younger, I had been told that my grandfather was a heavy drinker, it was not until much later I understood more about his drinking. He would have had to deal with PTSD at a time when it was not really well understood, and even up to the time of the First Gulf War, the prescribed treatment for PTSD was to have a drink and try to forget.
Today, instead of a kitten photo, we have a photo of a baby Mallard duck. This duckling appeared in the driveway suddenly and I barely managed to grab it before the dog retrieved it for me. The nearest duck nest is a eighth of a mile from the yard and the chick is no more than a few days old and could not have made it here under its own power. The only explanation is a crow, magpie or hawk had grabbed it and dropped it as it flew over the house. We drove to town to get some baby duck chow from the feed store, for some reason the smallest bag was a 50 pound bag. Maggie asked if I told them I only had one baby duck. I told her “No, when you walk into a feed store dressed as a stockman, you say (in a husky voice) ‘I need some duck chow!’ not (in a timid voice) ‘I have one baby duck.’”