Fort Worth and the Military

Camp Bowie and the Flying Fields of World War 1

Ft. Worth has been a “military Town” for years. Support for the Army, Navy, and what was to become the Air Force began to form at an early time In the history of the city.

On April 7, 1917, America declared war on Germany. At that time, Ft. Worth was a sleepy little town of 106,000 citizens. America needed training and mobilization facilities. Thanks to the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce president, Ben E. Keeth (1882-1959) the city secured construction of not only Camp Bowie, but three new military airfields.

Ft. Worth was ideally suited for the task at hand. Mild weather, ample open real estate, and the railroad made the city ideaI for the military effort. Of several potential locations, 1,140 acres in the Arlington Heights area of the city were selected as being “ideally suited for the task.” The new fort was to be located in an area bounded by University Dr. on the east, White Settlement road on the North, Hulen on the West, and roughly 1-30 on the South. Division Headquarters was located within a block of the (then) new Crestview Country Club.

Construction on the fort was started July 18, 1917. At the height of construction, 5,500 workers were employed to erect 1,500 buildings at the then unheard of cost of $2,235,504! (it should be noted that this sum, though enormous for the task, was $69,537 under budget!) The base hospital covered 60 acres, consisted of 70 buildings and had beds for 1,000 patients.

Elements of the first military units began to arrive in August, some five months before the construction at the Fort was completed, Four troops of the First Texas Cavalry were the first to arrive. Elements of the 61st Artillery Brigade began to form in areas around Lake Worth and moved to the Fort when the cantonment area was completed.

Texas National Guard Units
The Road to Mobilization

The road to mobilization for the Texas National Guard began with events as they unfolded in Douglas Arizona in May 1916. On May 9th. Pancho Villa led a band of 1,000 guerrilla fighters in their now famous raid on Douglas, Arizona. Federal troops from around the United States were summoned to stabilize the border and to pursue the bandit gang.

In direct response to that activity, the Governor of Texas mobilized the Texas National Guard on May 9, 1916. In 1916, the Texas Guard consisted of an authorized strength of 158 officers and 3,572 enlisted organized into one brigade. Muster of the units began May 16th. Elements of the Texas unit were spread along the border from the Big Bend Country to Corpus Christi.

By June 3, 1916, the unit had been re-organized as a reinforced Brigade consisting of three regiments of Infantry, One squadron of Cavalry, two batteries of artillery, two engineer companies and a field hospital, Guard strength was set at 216 officers and 4689 enlisted.

Mobilization of the Guard for World War I

By order of the War Department, dated July 18, 1917, the entire National Guard from Texas, as it existed in 1917 was mustered into Federal Service. Soldiers from Texas and Oklahoma were to be re-organized into the 36th Infantry Division. Texas furnished about eighteen thousand officers and men while Oklahoma furnished an additional twenty-five hundred officers and men. Eventually, our friends and neighbors were joined by some eight thousand five hundred drafted men.

Organizations which went to make up the 36th Division were the 1st Infantry brigade (Brigadier General Henry Hutchins) consisting of the 2,3, and 4th regiments, Texas Infantry; the 2nd Brigade (BG John A. Hulen) consisting of the 1, 5, and 6th regiments, Texas infantry and the following separate organizations:

The 7th Texas Infantry, 1st Texas Cavalry, 1st and 2nd regiments, Field Artillery, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Signal Battalion, a Military Police Company, Division
Headquarters Troop, Ambulance Companies 1, and 2, and Field Hospital
Company No. 1.

With the exception of the 1st Brigade, one squadron of Cavalry, A battery 1st Field Artillery, two companies of engineers and the field hospital, all of these units were organized since the declaration of war. The “Old Guard” had recently served along, the Texas border, had been mustered out of active service only to be called back to service five days later! All units Federalized on August 5, 1917 were to immediately report to Camp Bowie.

Transition at Camp Bowie

Training of the new division proceeded with great difficulty. Units had been formed the previous summer, so that few of the men had any military training prior to reporting to Camp Bowie. They arrived at the Camp in civilian clothes, it was weeks before uniforms were to arrive in sufficient quantities to outfit all units. Rifles took even longer to arrive. For some time, soldiers drilled and performed guard duty armed with broom sticks. As elements of the “Old Guard” arrived from duty along the border, the rifles with which they were equipped were redistributed throughout the Division in order that all units would have a chance to familiarize themselves with handling firearms, Rifle ranges and an elaborate trench warfare system was built near Lake Como. From time to time, units were ordered into the trench system. Instructors from both the French and British armies were used to teach the art of trench warfare under conditions approximating the conditions actually existing on the Front at that time.

No unit was more handicapped in the beginning than the artillery which had neither ordinance nor a range for practice. In October, 1917 only four cannons were available for practice. The remaining units practiced with “dismantled wagons, sewer pipes, and logs”.

The four machinegun companies of the infantry regiments and the three machinegun battalions were nearly as disadvantaged. The infantry was also limited by serious shortages of weapons and ammunition. Rifle ranges (at what is now Benbrook) was not finished until November.

Shipments of summer uniforms, tents, and housing items began arriving before all units had closed in at the fort. The Star-Telegram reported that “Soldiers never had it so good. Each infantry regiment comprised a large size town with company streets formed by “strong, canvas tents of pyramidal pattern”. Each tent housed seven privates and a corporal in charge. Each occupant had a cot, mattress, and two blankets. The men refreshed in company shower facilities. They were fed ‘in wooden buildings consisting of a cooking area and a dining hall with two long tables for 250 men.”

As more and more men arrived, without corresponding increases in equipment, nine or ten men were placed into each tent. The first winter storm of the season on September 26 found the men without winter uniforms and without sufficient blankets. The Divisional Headquarters, the Hospital, and half of the units were still without stoves when the second storm of the season hit on October 8.

Cold weather came with extraordinary severity in early November. Great hardship was experienced by the troops owing to the fact that winter uniforms were not available. Conditions were such that the STAR-TELEGRAM went to extraordinary means to solicit winter clothing for the troops. The citizens of Ft.
Worth responded and an amazing array of clothing was observed until December when winter clothing and adequate tentage finally arrived in quantity.

This situation contributed to an outbreak of measles, pneumonia, meningitis. “and other respiratory diseases”. As the epidemic spread during October, rumors spread that the entire camp was sick. This was not the case, but by early November there were 1,867 soldiers in the hospital. Its capacity at the time was 800 beds (normally) and design allowed for 1,000 beds in “emergency” conditions. On November 28, General Blakely imposed a two-week quarantine, Medical personnel ordered troops to avoid large gatherings, and to keep the tent flaps open. However, men refused the Iast order because of the bitterly cold weather. By December 2, 2,900 cases of measles and 409 of pneumonia had been diagnosed.

Between January and April, 1918, rifles, machine guns, trench mortars, carrier pigeons, began to arrive in significant quantities. In April, 75 millimeter artillery for the 131st and 132nd regiments arrived. Soon the heavy 155 millimeter guns for the 133 regiment arrived along with sufficient ammunition.

In January a new artillery range was opened on a large block of land on the Corn and Hildreth Ranches adjoining the Weatherford Road some 15 miles to the west. Rifle ranges were opened near Mineral Wells, Some ten miles of trenches for trench warfare training were erected near Benbrook. Units took turns attacking and defending the trenches, The entire problem became known as the “Battle Benbrook”.

All work and no play makes. . . .

There was little that General Greble and the city officials asked of each other that was not granted. Two matters receiving local cooperation were the illegal sale of liquor and sex to soldiers. With a monthly payroll of $1,675,000, Ft. Worth began to take on the appearance of a boom town. While the number of churches remained at 16, the number of saloons swelled from 178 (when the camp opened) to several hundred, in short order.

Protecting the respectability of the girls proved easier than preventing the sale of alcohol to the soldiers. Many soldiers arrived from the “dry cIimate” of OkIahoma, only to consider Ft. Worth as an oasis! In response, the Army imposed a 10 mile limit prohibiting sale of alcohol within 10 miles of the army camp. The crusade led to raids in Henrietta, west l3th street, upper and lower main street and upper Jones and Calhoun Streets. So thorough were the efforts that Ft. Worth proclaimed that they were “the cleanest city in morality” in the Southwest.

To assist the soldiers, many social and fraternal organizations assisted in tending to the needs of the soldiers. The YMCA, Red Cross, and other organizations pitched in to help. The YWCA Hostess House proved to be a popular place for soldiers to meet visiting female relatives and sweethearts. By February 1918, there were 25 guest quarters and facilities for serving 175 meals daily in operation at the camp.

Everyone loves a soldier

On December 22, 1969 some 175,OOO persons lined Main Street in Fort Worth to welcome Astronaught Alan Bean upon his return from the moon. Fifty-One years earner, some:225,000 persons from Texas and Oklahoma watched the entire 36th Infantry Division parade down Main Street. The Division paraded all 27,OOO soldiers and most of its equipment.

Six months later some 691 of these soldiers lay dead or wounded in one day’s action in Europe.

Today, a memorial honoring these brave men and commemorating the time they spent with us in Fort Worth can be seen near the corner of Thomas Place,
Crestline Road and Camp Bowie Blvd.

The Air Boys

Ben E. Keeth and Publisher Amon Carter also succeeded in arranging for the military to establish a number of airfields in and around the city. This deadly duo determined that the British Flying Corps was looking for a place to locate three training fields. Fort Worth was one of five finalists in the quest for these facilities. In short order, the British decided to locate all three facilities around the Fort Worth area. Eventually Hicks (Flying) Field at Saginaw, Barron Field in Benbrook, and Carruthers Field near Everman were opened to train Royal Flying Corps cadets from Canada.

Records indicate that 101 of the 1,504 students who trained in the area died in training.

In addition to the airfields (above) Taliferro Field located north of Benbrook was used to train aviators for the U S Army Signal Corps’ flying service.