Page:The history and achievements of the Fort Sheridan officers' training camps.djvu/29

 How we helped in emergencies in these camps is illustrated by assistance rendered to the Eighty-sixth Division at the time they w^ere preparing to leave Camp Grant for the Port of Embarkation.

Several regiments of the Division did not have its complement of sec- ond lieutenants, so a hundred second lieutenants who were to graduate from the Fourth Officers' Training Camp the day before the Division departed w^ere ordered to secure equipment and to leave the following day. The Brigade Commanders exhausted every agency at Camp Grant, but could find no means of assistance.

They telegraphed to Chicago on Friday. On the same day the officers of the Association arrived at Camp Grant and advanced $25,000 to the men who w^ere commissioned that day and w^ere allow^ed Saturday only to secure their entire equipment before they entrained on Sunday morning.

Brig. -Gen. Lincoln C. Andrews wrote to the Association, as a result of this service, as follows:

"I feel that 1 must attempt to express officially our deep obligation to your Association for the splendid thing you did for our young graduate officers in coming here and financing them in getting their military outfits. Frankly, I do not see what w^ould have happened without your assist- ance. Three cases have come to my personal notice in w^hich these young men had felt constrained to give up the commissions they had so hardily won because of financial inability to equip themselves to go overseas on such short notice.

"Not only have they been helped out of this serious difficulty, but your Association has done this in such a w^ay as to preserve their self- esteem and to add to their appreciation of the essential value of a bit of mutual consideration and co-operation in this vale of tears.

"So I say your work is splendid, and I hope you may always realize, as I do now, that nothing you could do in Europe would compare in value to our service with what you are doing here in making possible a high morale in our young officers over there."

During the same period the Association was busy organizing local civilian backing for the men w^ho had left their families to go into the service. The plan w^as to have on officer organization or a representation in each of the States from which our men had been selected, to work in co-operation with the central office in Chicago. Well-organized offices w^ere in operation in Wisconsin and Michigan and representatives co-operated in the other States.

The follow^ing constituted the organization:. Detroit, Michigan —

Murray Paterson, Secretary for Michigan.

Miss J. Irene Finn, Detroit, Office Secretary.

Miss J. C. Kershaw, Home Visitor.

Mrs. F. C. Kidner, Representative on Red Cross Board.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin —

Fred Vogel, Jr., Chairman, Board of Directors, Milw^aukee.

Mrs. Robert E. Lee, Secretary for Wisconsin.

Mrs. George Lines, Representative on Red Cross Board, Milwaukee.

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