The Kauffman brothers prepare for their service in the army starting at an early age.
Walter enlisted in the Army as a private. His brother, Bart, joined as a Captain on the basis of his college degree.
His registration card shows him as 21 years of age. He claims exemption from the draft because he is in the State of Washington reserve. His rank is Private – 1st Gunner, Coast Artillery Corp. Note that on his Registration Card, he states that he resigned from College to serve in the army.
Walter starts at the University of Washington in September 1913. His college records are not straight As. He dropped out multiple times up to midway thru 1916. In his last year, he gets an E for Physics for the second consecutive time and two more E’s, in Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering.
He joins the Army in July 25, 1917. He states his occupation as Mechanical Engineer. I have no record as to what he did that first year out of college. The US declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. His draft registration is dated June 5, 1917. He lists his occupation as a mechanical engineer.
Judd Fulkner was his closest friend at U of W. They are both listed in the WA Coast Artillery. Uncle Bart is listed in the Quartermaster Cor. Then his reserve unit was mobilized. He is shown as joining on Oct 22, 1917. They nationalized the Guard. Four days later, he is assigned to 3rd Company of the 69th Coast Artillery at Fort Harrison, MT which is outside Helene, MT.
He keeps a comprehensive photo album on his time in the service. It is full of articles in the base newspaper, copies of his special orders, promotions and other interesting tidbits.
Within two days, Pep has passed the tests for 2nd Gunner and 1st Gunner. He is cited for his abilities. Off to a good start.
He is assistant manager of the Canteen.
I read in the “Morning Taps” November 23, 1917, an article about “Pep” Kauffman catching scarlet fever. There is an article that explains how recruits are likely to get the disease from the “Tap” at the canteen. Pepper was the assistant manager of the canteen. He was sent to the hospital to be held in quarantine.
There is more to this story. An article earlier states that Pep had been assigned to run meals over to the Hospital, a duty that he enjoyed. The reason that he is assigned to KP is because “a lack of enthusiasm for physical training.”
The story continues. When that duty was reassigned, he complained to Sgt Von Hindenburg. “Nonsense, Pep, rubbish! You have served your KP. Headache? Rash? Sour throat? We are not going to further chance you getting Scarlet Fever. I bet you have a sour throat already. “
“Not a bit of it!” And Pep stretches his neck to demonstrate its excellent condition.
A half hour later, at the foot of the sick report came a notation from Dr. Stith. Kauffman taken sick Nov 8 to hospital. Rash, no headache, no sour throat.
The sergeant stated: “Well, I’ll be condmned! Pep will have his alibi whether or not anything to get out of regular duty. I wonder where he got that red paint?”
The paper also has an article about the post quarantine for scarlet fever being lifted to allow men to go to Helene on leave. On December 11, 1917, he is arrested. There are two charges. The first is for being AWOL. The second is for disobeying a direct order.
He spends 30 days in the poky. Fortunately, the army records were all burned in the 1930s so we will never know the details however he said he learned his lesson.
Actually, Mary came up with an interesting piece of information from Dad’s papers.
On December 21, 1917, Company C moves to Great Falls, MT.
He finishes his basic training. He later is offered an opportunity to be commissioned as a Lieutenant thru OCS.
From the Youngstown OH newspaper – WLK II, nephew of WLK has been here during the winter in connection with the engineering department of the Sheet and Tube company will leave this week for his home in Tacoma, WA, in order to report May 14 at the officers training camp at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA.. Mr. Kauffman is a corporal in the coast artillery of Washington, having previously served as second and first gunner. The Officer Candidate Schools ran from May 1917 through November 1918 at locations across the nation. Officer candidates, after careful screening, were given three months of intensive training. By May and June of 1918, 57,307 graduates from the first three series of schools had been commissioned and enrolled in the new national army. At the time of the Armistice in November about 46,000 candidates were enrolled in the fourth and last series of officers’ schools. Because of the need for officers of all grades, commissions were granted up to the rank of colonel in the first two series.
He graduates and is commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant.
On July 13, 1918, he is ordered to Fort Monroe, VA to the Coast Artillery School.
On Aug 19, 1918, he is assigned to the coast artillery of Baltimore, MD.
November 7, 1918 finds Kauffman assigned to the 7th Anti-aircraft battery B battalion in France.
The Coast Artillery did not see major action. He says “some action, much discomfort, no real danger”.
Fortunately, the war was over on 11 Nov 1918
He returns from Brest, France on Jan 2, 1919.
He returned in early 1919 to Tacoma. He was discharged from the Army on January 30, 1919. He exits thru Fort Monroe and picks up a friend.
