139 Kansas Infantry Company F Butler County Kansas

139th KANSAS INFANTRY COMPANY F

BURIED IN FLANDERS FIELD

El Dorado members of the 139th United States Infantry, Company F, were called to the colors by presidential proclamation, on August 5, 1917, and encamped at East Park until September 26. They then left for Camp Doniphan, located of the Fort Sill reservation in the Wichita Mountains, near Lawton, Okla. Here they were combined with Company F of the 4th Missouri Infantry to form a war strength company of 250 men and given six months of intensive training. On April 8, they entrained for Camp Mills, New York, going by way of Canada, and sailed for Liverpool, April 21, 1918 on the transport Coronia, in company with twelve other ships.

After arriving at Liverpool they went immediately to South Hampton for a ten day wait, before they went across the English Channel to Le Havre, France. They were assigned to the British Army and were held in reserve in the En sector. After the German drive on Chambri and St. Quinten had been stopped, Company F was moved to southeastern France in the province of Alsace, staying there three months and holding three sections of trenches while there.

On August 8th they were moved to the St. Mihiel sector, and were held as reserve troops but were not in action in this sector. Going into the Argonne, one of the greatest battles of the war, on September 25, the shattered company emerged October 5 with only 33 of the original 250 men, not killed or wounded. After a three weeks’ rest and reorganization, the company, again at full strength, was moved to the front line of a new offensive in the Metz sector which would undoubtedly have been the greatest battle of the entire war, but before plans were completed, the Armistice was signed.

After spending the winter in Enville, the company sailed from St. Nazaire, landing at Newport News, Virginia on April 21, 1919, exactly one year from the date they sailed from the United States. On May 8, 1919, the company was discharged from the service, at Camp Funston.

El Dorado members of the 139th Kansas Infantry Company F who made the supreme sacrifice and who are buried in Flanders Field beneath the highest military decoration any government can award, the White Cross, are:

Broadbeck, Ernest

Doyle, Delta W.

Ingram, Thomas

Lindsey, Nat M.

Love, Rama S.

Peffley, Elba B.

Richardson, Roy

Ricord, Edwin O.

Sussex, Floyd

Whalen, John P.

Wilson, Walter

Source: Taken from "Butler County's First Eighty Years 1855-1935"

Last Updated 11/15/2007