Ambulance Co. 142, 111 Sanitary Train
Camp Bowie, Texas - February 1918

Contributed by C.L. Willis and Deborah Willis Montgomery

My grandfather, Walter Reed Willis is right above the "T" in Train. (far right in second frame)  My Uncle, C.L.Willis, kept the photo for the last 30+ years. It was sent to me a few years back. My father's families came to Texas between 1846 and 1882. Some of their names are Piper, Willis, Beal, and Matlock.

I know from on-line sources that this unit was in the 36th (Texas and Oklahoma National Guard) that fought at St. Etienne-A-Arnes and then Meuse-Argonne, which historians consider to be the greatest American battle of WWI. My uncle has stated that my grandfather said a lot of men died around him. I guess he wasn't joking.

Check out the "Texas Military Forces Museum" on the internet. It's here in Austin. It mentions the TX National Guard in WWI at Camp Bowie. Look under "36th Division","WWI", "Summary History" by MG W.D. Cope. My grandfathers company is listed in there.

The original photo is 44 x 7.5 in.  The image above is scanned in four sections from a copy to prevent damage to the original.  Click of any of the four frames to view that section enlarged to about 200 percent of the original.  The larger images range from 300K to 400K in size.  Patience is required to view them.

Deborah

Be sure to check out Camp Bowie - Fort Worth - 1917-18, An Illustrated History of the 36th Division in World War I, published in 1975 by Bernice B. Maxfield, B.B. Maxfield Foundation, Fort Worth, printed by Thomason & Morrow Printers/Publishers, Fort Worth.  The book is a collection of stories, articles and illustrations relating to Camp Bowie and the men who served in the 36th Infantry Division during "the war to end all wars."  Sadly, this book has no index.

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