History of the 324Th Field Artille United States Army J 4" 0 Ttq. Ashburn
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CO L O N E L T S O O O O 9 9 1 . Q . A H B U R N C TE DE T A L U CT BE R T H 1 8 , , , — a M e h 324 . E of the e N o f e th e lac e f t e th . st us , orth V rdun p rom which F A “ ” a a k M i a o s e d tt c ed ollv lle F a rm . Two obs e rvation b ll on w re shot own by Boche a irpl ane s while he w a s e ating this simple meal HI ST O R Y O F T HE 324 th FI E L D A R T I L L E U N I T E D S T A T E S A R M Y J 4" 0 TT SHB RN Q . A U O LONE L 394 m F . A . C , A , U s LI EU TENANT CO LO NEL. RE GU LAR ARMY" NE W YO RK GE O R E H D A MPA Y G . OR N CO N “ Q M k o fl DE DICATE D TO M Y C O M R A D E S I N A R M S OF THE 324th F. A.. U . s. A . ESPECIALLY TO THOSE O F THE R EGIMENT W HO SLEEP BENEATH THE BLOOD-STAINED FI ELDS OF FRANCE T . Q. A. PAGE U NITED STATES U NITED STATES I L L U ST RA T I O N S PAGE T . ASH N COT D LO O TO T . A 9 COLONEL Q BUR , E E U, C BER m, 1918 Fron ti spiece T o S M D T IN THE ARGONNE : NO HILL o TEEP, No U oo ” F 324TH DEEP, OR THE FO ASTL OF TH ST SH ON H H TH REC E E LEICE ER IRE, W IC E REGIMENT W E NT To E NGLAND BAIN-D -B TAGN RO TE D CHAT A IANT E RE E , U E E UBR GERMAN PRISONERS PASSING THROUGH O U R POSITION NORTH OF VERDUN THE M N S N C T O ARCH I TO PO ITIO AT OTE DE ALOU, CTOBER 4TH 1 1 , 9 8 . HE LL-S PT COT D S RO H S E AST OF TH M S T HE W E E E C E , E EU E, OCCUPIED BY THE REGIMENT FROM OCTOBER 1OTH To O TO 29TH 1918 C BER , I F ONT OF TH BOIS D B G NOV M 5TH 1918 \N R E E EU E, E BER , THE JAM AT V LOSN S NOVE M 10TH 1918 E E , BER , ’ B N N B S D E CU RE Y N V ATTERY I ACTIO AT OI , FRA CE, NO EM 1 1 TH 1918 BER , THE REGIMENT C ROSSING THE SAUER RIVER FROM X M G To G MANY AT E HT NA H DE M LU E BUR ER , C ER C , CE 1ST 1918 BER , TARGET PRACTI CE IN GERMANY E NT A N NG AT E NG S G MANY FO OM R I I ER , ER , R H E 1 TR 1 1 B . S AY 8 9 9 N C N N U . S . A D O CERT O S EATTLE, M , HI STO RY OF THE 324th FI E LD ARTI LLE RY, U . S. A . HISTO RY O F THE 324th FIE LD A RTI LLE RY ORGANIZATION AND SE RVICE The organization of the 324th Field Ar tillery as a horse m a A 22 1 drawn regi ent beg n on ugu st n d, 19 7, the day of of T an d the arrival Colonel . Q. Ashburn the first only m m , regi ental com ander . 0th -fiv a Ar August 3 , eighty e Officers of the Regul r my, ’ National Army an d Officers Reserve Corps were assigned t . A . to the regiment, which w as part of the 158 h F 3 . a Brigade, 8 rd Division Additional Officers were ssigned to from time time thereafter . A Medical Department of four Offi cers an d twelve enlisted men were attached to this regiment per verbal a r order Commanding General . This department w as l te a an d a a a an d a incre sed, in ddition, dentists, ssist nts, c a a e a nl a a h pl in w re dded to it . E isted men beg n to rrive September 3rd an d continued to arrive in increasing l numbers until the regiment w as nearly ful . It w as never up to full strength until a f ew d ays before its departure f r F m o rance, when somewhat over two hundred en joined K it from a entucky draft . The organi zation board of the 83rd Division had as a m m e A all e b r Colonel T . Q. shburn representing the a e an d a he s a hi a rtill ry, s w a native O o n, in the selection of the territory from which to draw the drafted men he e h S etc . chos central O io , including Columbus , pringfield, for the reason that primarily he did not wish men from ow n of a s his section the State ( the Southern) , whose p rent 1 1 ’ 12 HISTORY O F THE 324th FIE LD ARTILLE RY e e a a an a a a H would se k p rson l f vors from cqu int nce . e the e m be m e O f all men did not wish r gi ent to co pos d , city , an d he sought the happy medium whereby to secure for the regiment men representin g all the trades an d pro e an d n . A an a e e e f ssions of both city cou try s rtill ry r gim nt, he e e the e e e he knew, would r quir s rvic s of verything from a m n a a experts of every cl ss to a u l l borers . The reputation made by the regiment justified the choice of central Ohio as the place to get everything necessary . The problem of organi zi ng a regiment U nder Such f a e n . o me an d u e . unus al conditions , i , dr ft d , untrained w as n e a e ma officers , o that c us d the com nding officer a m many Sleepless nights . Str nge as it ay seem to the n ow e e e di a regiment , th r wer in c tions from the very first a e e w as be e i a th t th r going to littl discipl n ry trouble . Groups O f the first men to arrive were somewhat awed b the a a e had ee a e e had e y f ct th t th y b n dr ft d , th y be n e i e e of a e an d e a given every possibl p c dvic , th y rrived l an of an d a with a l sorts d conditions clothing, , wh t w as f r an d the e had ee better o them country, th y st led them selves to endure a number of hardships they were never m A at ni a a m en un e a . to co t r in c p rriving ght , in r instor , m m on e a f or m a a as any did , finding so e w iting the , pl ce e an d a e a e e f or the e e to sle p , w rm food, pr p r d th m b li f that some on e w as there to make them as comf ortable as possible . It w as a w 1se provI SI O n of the W ar Department to send them in small groups at first ; for the reason that the men m e e h got more individual attention fro th ir offic rs, ad m a e an d had a ee an d a ti e to st biliz , ch ry front kind word f or the e e a the a e a a n xt f llows , so th t l t r rriv ls , looking w as ea I n e around , saw that there nothing to f r this sudd n transition fromcomfortable homes to camps ; no martinets a m u a f e w ho a e e to browbe t the , b t group of of ic rs m d it th ir business to see that they became of the utmost value to their country I n the shortest possible time . The policy of the commanding Officer firmly impressed “ ll O fi c r w as a ea e e a upon a his e s, th t l ding is b tt r th n 14 HISTORY OF THE 324th FIE LD ARTILLE RY e an d a devices for t aching pointing iming, loading an d fir an d ea of e f or ing, the cr tion instrum nts tire control r a e of .