HANNES THE MIGHTY

AND THE NATIONAL GUARD

By Stephen L. Harris

Editor’s Note: While researching his latest book on ’s National Guard regiments in World War I, the Journal’s Associate Editor, Stephen L. Harris, uncovered the following story about the Finnish Olympic champion, Hannes Kolehmainen, during his salad days in Brooklyn.

When the great Finnish runner, attacks from foreign enemies. At least on paper. In Hannes Kolehmainen, joined the actuality, the National Guard was there to protect neighborhoods from union strikers or to quell riots. Fourteenth New York Regiment They were, for all intents and purposes, the strong- of the National arm of American business. Guard on 10 January 1916, he In 1916, the year when Kolehmainen enlisted in the declared at the outset that he Fourteenth Regiment, the United States was at had enlisted to run not to go to peace with a warring world. In Europe, Britain and war. Although war was raging France desperately wanted America in the war, on throughout Europe at the time, their side against Germany. President Wilson had so far been able to keep his country on the sidelines America had thus far avoided even though many citizens were agitating to join the being dragged into the conflict. Allies in defeating the Hun. As far as strikes and For the moment, Kolehmainen riots were concerned, at least in New York, there felt safe. hadn’t been any since the turn of the century.

In those days, the U. S. National Guard, local But on America’s southern border, civil unrest militias of volunteer citizen-soldiers, recruited threatened to tear apart Mexico (a menace that back outstanding athletes for the sporting teams they in New York would soon threaten the tranquility of each sponsored. These athletes fought for glory, not all of the Empire State’s National Guard regiments.) on the battlefield but inside their regiment’s Still, when Kolehmainen agonized over whether to spacious armories. Among the National Guardsmen, enlist in an American regiment just so he could run, track and field contests were one of the most he feared he would be called on to do more than be popular events. In New York City, where there were a track star. And so he stalled. Even so, most of the more than a dozen regiments, competition was hot, Brooklyn regiments had been after him for some heavy and furious. In Manhattan, the dandy Seventh time. It seemed that wherever he went, enlistment Regiment that protected the posh Upper East Side papers were thrust in front of his nose. In December boasted on its team, the winner of the of 1915, he had finally promised Robertson, a long- 400- and 800-meter runs at the 1906 Olympic time friend, that he would join the Fourteenth. The Games in Athens. The Fighting Sixth-ninth regiment’s armory was conveniently located across Regiment, made up mostly of Irish residents, had the street from his home, where he and his bride of signed Mel Sheppard who succeeded Pilgrim in a few weeks had recently moved. 1908 as 800-meter champion and then won the On 10 January 1916, Kolehmainen innocently 1500. And across the East River in Brooklyn, the crossed the street and entered the armory. He was Fourteenth Regiment, coached by Lawson there simply to train. But company commanders Robertson, later an Olympic coach, claimed quickly circled him like vultures, each pestering Kolehmainen, the long-distance running star of the him to be a part of their outfit. They went as far as 1912 Games, whose Olympic glory days were far to promise that he could be the regiment’s official from over. dancer. Kolehmainen loved to tango. Lt. Hardy In the United States, National Guard regiments had from L Company at last won out. The Finn been formed as home-defense units. As adjuncts to reluctantly agreed to enlist and signed the necessary the professional army, they were ready to repel papers. Before the ink had dried, the lieutenant

12 JOURNAL OF OLYMPIC HISTORY - MAY 2002 triumphantly waved the papers in front of his fellow heard that national guardsmen actually “go out and officers. Now all Kolehmainen had to do was pass shoot strikers.” the physical, and the Fourteenth had got its man. Donovan joked that in twenty-five years he had Because he was in such marvelous shape, the killed only ten strikers. physical did not loom as a problem. He breezed “What! You kill ten strikers?” Kolehmainen was through the exam. Then the regimental doctor aghast. “Nothing doing. No regiment for me!” pulled out a needle and told him he had to be inoculated against typhoid. “Hannes the Mighty,” as The joke almost backfired. But in the end, he was known, blanched. He said he had already Kolehmainen finished his oath and became an been vaccinated official member of fifteen years earlier, the Fourteenth back in Finland. For Regiment. That the next hour, the meant that every doctor cajoled the Wednesday great runner and afternoon he had to finally talked him show up at the into receiving the armory for military shot. With that ordeal drill, toting a rifle. over, he was brought In fact, he never before Maj. T. F. missed a day of drill Donovan to be sworn and often arrived at into the Fourteenth the armory on Regiment. Sunday mornings for rifle practice. Kolehmainen raised his right hand and Almost two months repeated the oath as to the day that Maj. Donovan Kolehmainen delivered it. Midway enlisted in the through the ritual he National Guard, heard for the first Pancho Villa, the time the words that Mexican he would have to revolutionary and serve for three years. bandit, led 1,500 guerrillas across the Kolehmainen border and attacked dropped his hand. Columbus, New “Can’t I get out and Mexico. They go back to Finland slaughtered whenever I want?” “Hannes the Mighty” Hannes Kolehmainen seventeen he asked. Americans. President Wilson ordered Gen. John J. He was informed that he would have to serve his Pershing to Mexico to bring back Villa and his gang full three years. dead or alive. By the time Pershing’s army crossed the Rio Grande River, the War Department had Kolehmainen took off. He ran out of the armory and decided to use National Guardsmen to patrol the dashed across the street to his apartment. Chasing border. him were , Maj. Donovan, Lt. Hardy and another officer. Inside the apartment they And so in June, 1916, New York State’s militia was went to work on Kolehmainen. They almost got him called to duty. Nine New York City regiments to change his mind when he blurted out that he had numbering 15,000 citizen-soldiers were put on

JOURNAL OF OLYMPIC HISTORY - MAY 2002 13 alert. The seriousness of the Mexican crisis was number and quality of social features may be underscored when the state’s top military officer, innocently attractive for getting and keeping Adjutant General Louis W. Stotesbury, declared that members, and though the cultivation of athletic “members of the organized militia must respond to prowess among them can be commended, yet both the call or be tried by court-martial ...” A few days should be strictly incidental to the more serious later he had a young private arrested at the home of business of soldiering.” the soldier’s mother, where he, the private. had been Kolehmainen was eventually allowed to stay home hiding out rather than report to his regiment. The and not go with the regiment to the Mexican border. charge against the soldier was desertion, and it As a reporter for The Brooklyn Daily Eagle put it: carried a jail sentence of eight months. “Hannes Kolehmainen, champion Olympic runner In Brooklyn, Hannes Kolehmainen refused to and one of the best known athletes in the country, assemble with fellow soldiers in the Fourteenth will probably be allowed to run as far as he wants Regiment armory across the street from his from service with his regiment . . The Fighting apartment. He said he had no intention of going off Fourteenth doesn’t want him.” to camp or to war, that his place was at home with Col. Foote’s criticism of the Finn was harsh. “He his wife and one-week-old baby. He claimed that by isn’t the sort for us,” the Daily Eagle quoted Foote. marching off with his regiment he would be in “He’s got a bad case of cold feet and the regiment financial trouble. Enlisted men’s base pay had been ought to buy him a pair of heavy woolen socks. We set at $15 a month. At that salary, Kolehmainen. a won’t worry about him.” bricklayer by profession, just couldn’t afford to be a In time, the Kolehmainen soldier. Then he added that In 1920, Kolehmainen returned incident was forgotten. In the only reason he joined the to the Olympic Games and won 1920, he returned to the regiment in the first place Olympic Games and won was that he had been the marathon with a world-best the marathon with a world- pressured by its officers to time of two hours thirty-two best time of two hours enlist because of his thirty-two minutes and 35.8 “athletic prowess.” Since he minutes and 35.8 seconds seconds. could not read English, he But in the midst of the had no idea what he had signed up for - what his brouhaha over his refusal to march off to the military obligations were to the United States. In Mexican border with his regiment, another Olympic hindsight, he wished an interpreter had been with track star, perhaps taking a cue from Kolehmainen, him that fateful night back in January. also disobeyed orders. Mel Sheppard said he, too, Although sympathizing with Kolehmainen about would stay home with his family. He had two young his financial fears, Colonel John H. Foote, the sons to worry about, and so he quit the Sixty-ninth regimental commander, seethed when he had heard Regiment. the story of the enlistment. He avowed that there Said his wife, “Just now Mel’s country does not was no truth to the Finn’s story. need him and we do.”

Upon hearing the story, in an Sources: editorial called for an investigation. “For Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 11 January 1916 Kolehmainen to compete as a Guardsman when he Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 22 June 1916 was not one in any proper sense of the word was a Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 25 June 1916 Brooklyn Star, 30 June 1916 fraud from the standpoint of sport, and that he The New York Times, 18 January 1916 should be allowed to do so could only happen under The New York Times 19 January 1916 The New York Times 21 June 1916 a complete and dangerous misunderstanding of the The New York Times, 22 June 1916 purposes for which the National Guard exists. It is Overlook Press, New York, NY. not supported to supply young men with clubs, either social or athletic, and though a certain

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