Wanderers in Wonder

As dawn broke over Columbus, New Mexico (NM) on 9 March 1916, gunfire also broke the silence of the new day. Pancho Villa, born Doroteo Arango, and his Revolutionary Army of Northern Mexico were attacking this little NM town. They were seeking weapons to continue their fight for control of Mexico during the Mexican Revolution 1910 – 1921. The U.S. Army had a garrison at Columbus. Villa wanted their weapons and ammo. Villa had bad intelligence on the Columbus Garrison. He was told there were only 30 U.S. soldiers at the camp, there were actually over 100. Although outnumbered 6 – 1, the American soldiers had far better equipment which included the latest French manufactured machine guns. Ten U.S. soldiers and seven U.S. civilians were killed in the battle. Villa lost over 100 men.

Curtiss Jenny JN-4…the plane which taught America to fly.

An early Tank.

General ‘Black Jack’ Pershing was tasked by President Wilson to hunt Villa down. While punishing Villa for his attack was a goal of the Pershing Expedition into Mexico, the more important goal was to give the American military time to try out the new weapons of war. WWI had been raging in Europe since 1914 and President Wilson, even though he would run for reelection in 1916 on a platform of ‘He Kept Us Out of the War’, knew the U.S. would probably be dragged into the conflict. Tanks, trucks and airplanes were the new weapons of war and Pershing utilized all of them in his search for Villa. The hunt for Villa was called off in early 1917 as the U.S. prepared to enter the fight in Europe. Pershing would be placed in charge of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). Pershing and the initial American forces arrived in France in June of 1917.

Pershing received his nickname ‘Black Jack’ from West Point Cadets who did not care for Pershing and his strict enforcement of rules while he was an instructor at West Point. The cadets at first called him ‘Nigger Jack’ because Pershing had been a commander of the 10th Cavalry Division, the famed ‘Buffalo Soldiers’. Pershing was proud to have commanded these tough soldiers and gladly accepted the nickname ‘Black Jack’.

The silver cup awarded to the 1917 National Champion Crew Team, Syracuse University. Mary Ann’s grandfather, Lloyd Drummond Sprague, was a member of the team. Lloyds rowing cap in front. After graduation in the Spring of 1917, Lloyd joined the Army Air Corp. He trained on Curtis Jenny’s in the San Antonio area…Camp Verde, Kelly Field and in the Dallas area, Love Field. Lloyd was awaiting transport to Europe at Roosevelt Field on Long Island, NY when the war ended.

While Lloyd was training, my grandfather, Corporal Henry Fritz Erickson, was a Doughboy in France. His letter is addressed to his younger brother, Eric Sigfrid.

Eric followed his older brother’s unit’s movement in Europe. Eric would play a major role for the Allies in WWII.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Counterfeit-Traitor

Peace…Wanderers in Wonder.