I L L U N 0 1 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN PRODUCTION NOTE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Brittle Books Project, 2012. S COPYRIGHT NOTIFICATION In Public Domain. Published 1923-1977 in the U.S. without printed copyright notice. This digital copy was made from the printed version held by the University of lllinois at Urbana-Champaign. It was made in compliance with copyright law. Prepared for the Brittle Books Project, Main Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by Northern Micrographics Brookhaven Bindery La Crosse, Wisconsin 2012 Scki 5 ::: :: j:::': '::::i: I~I~Fa~P .I t4~~L T:EE 7-IISTORY OF FORT S.IER IDAN, ILTINO IS Januar:- 1, 1944 John T. Rhett, Colonel, In-antry, Com1.anding Prepared by Robert Sc.all, 2nd Lt. AUS For the Public Relations Office Published by The Clericai Sclhool and the Visa,.l Training Aids Section 1672nd Service Unit jc/ /I CO AN~DING OFFICRS AT FORT SHEID.N I'jor W illiam Lyster Lt. Col. Richard F. O'Beirne Capt- Chambers MIicKibbin Co.l. Robert E. A. Crofton Col. oamuel Ovenshine Col. Robert E. A. Crofton Col. Robert H. Hall Capt. Silas A Wolf Capt. RA P. Page WMainwright Major Stephen B.er Brig. Gen. Robert H. Hall Major Charles Coolidge Capt. Frank Thorp Lt. Col. LMott Hobton Col. Richard Comba Lt. Col. Mott Hooton Col. William I. Van Horne Lt. Col. Theodore F. Forbes Major Alexander D& Schenck Col William S6i cCaskey IMajor Charles G& oodward Lt. Col, Richard T. Yeatman Col, St R. Whitall Lt4 Col. Richard T. Yeatman Col. S. R. WIitall Lt. Col. Richard T. Yeatman Major alter H. Chatfield Col. William L. Pitcher Major Augustus C. acomb Iajor WJalter H. Chatfield Lt. Col. alter L. Finley Ma.jopr Thomas 5. Lewis Major Walter H. Chatfield Col. W4illiam L. Pitcher Lt. Col. Hoel S. Bishop Col, William L, Pitcher Lt. Col. Hoel S. Bishop Ist Lt. Harry E. Comstock ol. Edward T. Brown Col. Wiilliam L. Pitcher Col. Edvward T. Brown ' Col. William L, Pitch'er Col. Edward T. Brown Col. M ilard F. Waltz Col. Hoel S. Bishop Col. William L, Pitcher Col. HOel 3. Bishop Col, Robert N. Gettv Col. Hoel S. Bishop Col. Robert N. Getty Lt. Col. W. H. Chatfield November 1887-September 1890 September 1890-December 1890 December 1890-January 1891 January 1891-December 1894 December 1894-April 1895 April 1895-October 1896 October 1896-April.1898 April 1898-August 1098 August 1898-September 189$ September 1898-December 1898 December 1898-January 1899 January 1899-May 1899 May 1899-October. 1899 October 1899-December 1899 December 1899-July'1900 . July 1900-March 1901 March 1901-Octoben 1q01. October 1901-February 1902 February 1902-1March 1902 lharch 1902-otavember 1903 Novemboer 1903-December 1903 December 1903-July 1904 July 1904-April 1905 April 1905-July 1905 July 1905-June 1906 June 1906-July 1906 July 1906-September 1906 September 1906-October 1905 October 1906-April 19.07 Apmril 1907-July 1907 July 1907-May 1908 May 1908-February 1909, February 1909-April 1909 April 1909-October 1909 October 1909-November 1909 November 1909-May 1910 May 1910-July 1910 July 1910-August, 1910 August 1910-September 1910 September 1910-December 1910 December 1910-January 1911. January 1911-1arch 1911 March 1911-April 1911 April 1911-June .1911 June 1911-August 1911 August 1911-Septenimber 1911 September 1911-December 1911 December 1911-June 191 June 1912-October 1912. October 1912-November 1912 November 1912-December 1912 N2~ Col. Robert N. Getty Major Michael I. McNamee W.ajor Frederic H. Sargent Major MicLichael II. McNamee Ist Lt. John Cocks Capt. Theodore B. Taylor vIMajor Selah R. H. Tompkins Lt. Col. D. L. Tate Col. William JE,.N$cholson Lt. Col. D. L, Tate Major 'William F. Grote Major William F. Grote Col. William J. Nicholson Lt. Col. James A Ryan Col. Samuel Burkhardt, Jr. Lt. Col. L. i. T, Chapman Major Gill McCook Col. Robert R. MicCormrick MIjor George Dany 1ajor John N. Robinson- Col. William N, Bispham Brig. Brig, Brig. iMajor Gen. Eli A. Helmick Gen. Fred WI. Sladen Gen. George VanHorn Moseley Henry A. Boots Lt. Col. Alvan C. Gillem Col. Frank B, Watson Brig. Gen. George VanHorn lMoseley Major Henry A. Boots Major Ralph R. Glass Major Henry A. Boots Major Ralph R. Glass: Major Roger B. Harrison Brig. Gen. George VanHorn MLoseley Col. Cromwell Stacy Brig. Gen. Gebrge VanHorn Moseley Col. Cromwell Stacy Major Roger B. Harrison Najor Herbert E. Taylor 1st Lt. Alfred A MIcNamee Capt. Peter P. Rodes Capt. Percy L, Sadler Col. Cromwell Stacy Brig. Gen. Benjamin A. Poore Col, Cromwell Stacy Brig, Gen. Benjamin A, Poore Major William W. West, Jr, 1st Lt. Herbert E. Baker December 1912-February 1913 February 1913-July 1913 July 1913-October 1913 October 1913-1ovember 1913 November 1913-December 1913 December 1913-April 1914 April L914-June 1914 June 1914-March 1915 Iarch 1915-November 1915 November 1915-March 1916 MIvarch 1916-November 1916 *December 1916 (See note at ,end) January 1917-April 1.917 May 1917-August 22, 1917 August 23, 1917-:Decemer.7. 1917 December 9, 1917-July 1918 July 1918-August 1918 August 1918-SeptQmber 1918 September 1918-October 17, 1918 October 17, 1918-December 20, 1918 December 21, 1918-April 30, 1919 May 1919-September .1920 *October 1920 (See note at end) **November 1920-March 1921 (See note at end) *April 1921 (See note at end) IMay 13, 1921 -- (See note at end)** October 1, 1921 -- (See note at end)*' IlMarch 22, 1922 to, (See. no.te at end)**: ---- to August 19 1922 (See note at end)*** August 20, 19.2-September 13,.1922 September 14, 1922-September 29, 1922 September 30, 1922-May 19, 1923 May 20 1923-Juiy 3, 1923 July 4, 1923-July 15, 1923 July 16., 1923-August 4, 1923. August 5, 1923-September 6, 1923 September 7, 1924-September 15, 1923 September 16, 1923-February19, 1924 February 20, 19,4 February 21, 1924-May 17, 1924 May 18, 1924-1May 27, 1944. May 28, 1924-June 11, 1954 rune 12, 1924-August 23, 194 August 24, 1924-September 1, 1924 September 2, 1924-September,7 1924 September 8,. 1924-September 13, 1924 September 14, 1924-November. 12, 1924 November 13, 1924-March 23,.1925 March 24 1925 March 25, 1925Jne 1, 1925, June 2, 1925-June 2Q, 1925 June 21, 1925-June 23, 1925 M1 jor Casey H. Hayes LM, jor William vrest, Jr. Miajor Lil lter S. Drvysdale Brig. Gen. Benjamin A. Poore Lt. Col. Morris K. Keck Brig. Gor. Michael J. Lenihan Col. Perry L. Miiles Lt. Co'. Ir .is . Kock No record found of Ccn ianding Col. Erdsiard Da.vis Bri:. Gen, Fr.ank C. B.;lles Briet Gen. Dana T. Merrll Col. Philip B, Pecyton Brig. Gca. Krl Truesdell Lt. Col. John L, Hoier Brig. Gcn. Lloyd Fredendall Cc, Johr, L, Honoer Bri.; Gen. Clyde R. Abraham Bri,. Gen. John L. Homer C.4. Frederick C. Rovers Lt. Col. Froed I, Distelhorst Col. TchLn T. Rhett June 24, 1925-Jilly i, 1925 July 2, 1925-Au ,ust 15, 1925 August 16, 1925-August 31, 1925 September 1, 1925-October 9, 1925 October 10, 1925-November 6, 1925 November 7, 1925-December 15, 1927 December 16,1927---(Se a oto at end)*** June 25, 1928-Jly I, 1928 **aJ'uly CJ,1928-Au::ust 3, 1928 ***'Aurust; 3,1928-Se teober 11, 1928 ****J'January 20, 1929-A3ril 30, 1930 Officers from A:'ril 30,1930 to :.y 1931 May 193-A. Lst 1931 Aiu ust 1931-Mlarch 1935 March 1935-Av,;ust 1937 Aur:ust 1937-A:ril 1938 April 1938-0ctober 1939 October 1939-July 1940 July 1940-October 1940 October 1940-Novb.er 1940 November 1940-Docember 1940 Dcu ,ber 1940-June 1941 JTime 1941-NMLy 1943 May 3943J' fne 1943 Jtune 1943 to Prc~oent NOTE: * No record of Cor O..nding Officer found. ** While the returns of Hi.Ft.Shoridan,1 ., for Nov.1920 to hIr.1921, show L j. Goo.R.Byrd as HQ.Coiaandant, a few S.0.'s found on file for 1920 and 1921 issued from the H .Ft.S oridan,Ill.,are signed by command of Mijl Gen. Luonard H. Wood (t:c C.O. of the 6th Cr' Are, the Hq. of which was located at Ft.Sheridan,Ill.) *** Dates UJkinown ****T:e C.0.'s of the Poct are :not founmd of record for the period July2,1928 to Juary 20, 1929, however, the Commanding Officers of the 12th f. Bri statione dt Ft. So:.id.', Ill., :ay ]ave been in cormmand of the Pc.t H. for thip period. Thir nna es are as follows: Colonel Pcrry L. Ii-o July , 1,V to Au.uLt 3, 1928 Colonel Fr-"ric, . u~. S.to. br 1,198; to January 19, 1929 Brig,Gon. as'or -.Conr . ,3Jr. January 20,1929 to A-ril 30, 1930 Birth. The f6rtuitous kick of Mrs, O'Leary's cow propelled Fort Sheridan into , be'ng,. Chica'oans are often charged with over-eribroidering their days .as "Bfdr e(or A ter) the Great Conflagration," But if there had been no.0hi- cago Fire, there would have been no Fort Sheridan -- at least np. Fort Sheridan until a nuch later date, h-nh before that fateful day in October, 1871, Chicago had bocone a Mecca for pioneers. Extending railroads had found it a natural hub. It was an idal distribution point for the fast expanding est, both by rail and by water'. I,.mic ants from Scandinavia, Germany, and other European countries gave se-arcel'y a thou!ght to older Boston and New York when they disem-.barked from trhs?.Atl nti'c voa;;ces. They pressed on to Chicago, the city on the mud flats and the streets paved with gold -- readily available gold. The 'fiery 'fCatAstrophe kindled by Mrs. O'Leary's kerosene lantern on Octob:r-8, 1871, did nothing to shake the determination of Chicagoan s .to make their c'rty the industrial and economic cynosure of the Middle West. Rather;- it stinulated both purpose and progress, Citizens rolled up their. sleeves and set to Vtork to build a nore dignified edifice out of the still snoking bches6:"b an u ly aid unsanitary past, The world knows of their succoss, But the period was an inauspicious one for the undertaking. American labor was about to, have growing pains. Chicago roared with . uncoraon bustle and turoil. Citizens were engrossed in their own person- al plans- f6r ieconstruction. iA great army of buildinr laborers invaded the city to help, Railroads added nore wdorkers to reopen and maintain lines of supply. For two years Chicago became Laborer's Paradise -- and a fallow field for their unions, which had been inactive since organizing some twenty years previouely. - 1 - The Panic of 1873 lighted the fuse. The financial structure of the city and the country tottered, and acute unemployment followed. The army of building laborers in Chicago found themselves walcking the streets. RailS road and industrial workers were jobless, The fallow field became a fertile one for unions and less principled agitators alike, The result was to be expected. Whipped into action, the great maeasof workers became defiant. Disturbances and street brawls occured with increas- ing frequency. Riots and bloodshed became the order of the day, week, and month for a period of almost twenty-five years. During the railroad riots in 1877 conditions reached the point where "more substantial citizens" of Chicago and Illinois felt sufficient cause to call upon the Federal. government for immediate aid in protecting their persons and their properties. The government was willing enough to lend. sach aid; bub the 4d was not at immediate hand. To be sure, General Phil Sheridan and his Indian fighters were in the midst of one of their famil- iar campaigns on the Great Plaies, and those demanded the General's ues- tained attention. On the other hand, u4less Chicago received some atten- tion that part of the country patroled by the Indian fighters miht be subject to even greater hardships because of the bottleneck in transportation. General Sheridan went to Chicago and helped to restore a reasonable facsimile of peace and quiet. A facsimile was 41 that it was, Uprisings and outbreaks recurred during the years that followed. The Federa4 government was obliged to intervene a. second time in the early Eighties when railroad strikers attempted to stop trains and side- track cars carrying the United States mail. On this.occasion troops were stationed at Fort Snelling, near Minneapolis, But trains had stopped run- ning between the two points because of the strike, Transport plYes, motor conveys, an.d miiacaCm roads were unknown. T. . .ni(o j had to 'imair-o tho trip by horseb.ck, which took . very long time--far too long, Finally, in 1886, an explosion occuzed in Chicago which attracted world- wide attention, Members of the labor party were airing their grievances at a rally in Haymarket Square when an ove3rzealous patrolman imprudently demanded that the meeting dpband. He threatened to use force; someone threw a bomb into the crowd; seven were killed. As a result eight men were arrested, of whom four were executed arid one committed suicide. By this time Chicago citizens were suffering from prolonged nervous prostration and emotional fatigue. The only sedative to relieve their psychosis was to have' a permanent garrison of Federal troops in the vicinity who could go ,into action without any delay. One group of Chicagoans fixed upon the most expedient course to get what they wanted. They offered to give the Federal government a six hundred acre tract of. land, twenty-six miles northwest of the Loop on the shores of Lake Michigan, if the. government would put it to the desired use. By joint resolution of Congress, March 3, 1887, the government accepted the offer. The necessary deeds were drawnv up the following October. The first troops arrived on November 8. Although still unchristened, Fort Sheridan was born. II. Early Years Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of-.the United States in Congress assembled., That the Secretary of WJar be, and is hereby, authorized .and directed to accept deed and conveyance of-a certain tract opfland, iwhen the State of Illinois. shall. cede .juris.diction of the same to the United Statesi described as follows: Known as the Highwood tract, in Lake .County,. Illinois, containing fiv6' hundred ninety-eight. and one-half acres, lying on Lake IMlichigan, north of the city of Chicago, and distant twenty-firve miles;.this tract being a tract donated by' the Comrerpjal uclb.oQf Chicago (represented by John A. Doane, C.B. Farwell and Alexander P. Mc Clurgl for militar y plrposes: .Provided, .That the title proposed to be coinveyed shall be approved by the Attorney-General of the United States as sufficient to vest the fee-simple of-the said.above described land in the United .States, free of incumbrance, before the Secretary of War shall formally accept the same. Such was the resolution taken by the Forty-ninth Congress in March, 1887, which cleared the way for the actual grant later in the .same year. The three members of the Coimmercial Club mentioned therein were. prominent citizens of that city. Doane was a president' of the club; Farwell-was United J.. States Senator; McClurg had boen a captain inthe 89th Regiment in -the Civil War and was later promoted to the rank of general.. The club itself, to judge by a r6cord '-ofits achievements, resembled a Twentieth Century city planning commttission, They had brought. influence to bear in the founding of Chicago's riual Training-High School;inspired logis- lation in behalf of the Drainage Canal; advocated and supported the Columbian Exposition and similar projects. The actual owners of the tract were three other--well known citizens: Adolphus C. Bartlett, merchant, direct~or of: corporations, trutee of civic in- stitutions and patron of arts; Charles L. Hutchinson, treasurer and later president of the Chicago Board of Trade; and John , Janes, an original member of the Commercial Club. Their names and the names of their wives are the only ones to appear on the deed, now: recorded in the court house at Waukegan, Illinois, * NOTE: Coy y of original deed contained in Ap cndix.; -4,- - The wording of the Congressional resolution above is somewhat ambiguous in describing the land as 'donated by the Commercial Club". That phrase, to- gether with the words, "For military purposes", was in later years to lend gen- eral credence to captious critics of the government's use of a "military" area. However, no limitations at all are set forth in the deed itself, nor is the Commercial Club mentioned. So disgrutled threats that Fort Sheridan would "revert to its original owners, the Chicago Chamber of Commerce, if the WJar Department does not watch its step"' have always been largely a matter of bluster. To the safety seeking citizens of Chicago the establishment of Fort Sher- idan was an unalloyed godsend. In the village of Highwood, however, it was greeted with mixed feelings,. Flanked on either sdeQ to the north and south by Lake Forest and Highland Park, two rich and thriving suburban communities, Highwood had ambitions of be- coming a third Elysium for prosperouscozmmuters. Real estate operators dreamed of resplendent mansions and rich coimmissions as wealthy homesteaders would take over the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. On November 19, 1887, the tract of land was accepted by the Secretary of War and golden hopes of mansions and commissions went up in a puff of smoke. Indeed the lake front, an asset to all North Shore communities, was lost to local property promoters, too, bpcause the reservation lay between the village and the water. This may have spelled disaster to a few of the local citizenry. Others took a more optimistic attitude -- ;"Highwood would be a garrison town, and garrison towns were always prosperous." Still others viewed with alarm-- "Garrison towns were dens of iniquity, retreats for the rowdy." On the whole immediate neighbors adopted a.philosophical attitude and made the best of the situation. One.local realtor rhapsodied in 1890: "In beauty of situation of grounds and of buildings, this post will have no equal in the United States and no superior in the world. O'er its broad expanse pure and beautiful breezes ever blow, and every white-capped wave that -5 breaks upon the beach vill be music restful as well as pleasing. "The site of Fort Sheridan) was chosen by the United States authorities be- cause of its delightful'and healthful location. The climate is bracing, but not severe. In summer cooling breezes ever blow from o'er the lake. Small ravines and gorges, spanned by rustic bridges, add.beauty and picturesqueness to the scenery. "What with the magnificient Sheridan drive and the attractions of the Post, the young town on the bluff is certain' to become a place of great and permanent attraction and resort." The first troops to arrive -- Compranies "F and " K" of the 6th Infantry, under Major William Lyster, found no suclh paradise ready made for them. The tract virtually was one vast expanse-of forest and underbrush in which they had to clear an area for a company street. ~They cam e in November. inter,3hich had been lurking around the coriner,lost .no time in joining them. "Cooling breezes blew o'er the lake" with unusual vehemence.that season, while men shivered and quaked in tents until the first.build.ngs were crected--temporary frame huts, one story high. The cost of the original .cantornment was only ,9,384. Construction of the first permanent bullings was authorized in 1889 by Quartermaster General Holabir who divided up the ,300,000 appropriation to provide an establishment for six companies of infantry. Nor was the 'constructionof. these early buildings straight sailing. The original contractor started the.-work, and. .becme involved in financial difficul- ties. He tried to arrange for a partial payment from the government, was refusec and the responsibility fell utpqn theshoulders of the bondsmen who had guaran- teed completion of th! contrac.t. .They ca4led in another contractor, John Jeffrey who agreed with some reluctance: to-finish the job. The famous Tower -- familiar to every one who knows Fort Sheridan.-- had been built; but two field,officers' houses, four captairns' ,houses,: twenty-one -lieitenLantsI houses, two non- commissioned officers' houses, a guard house, commissary store house, bakery, stables, workshops and the five hundred feet of barracks west of the Tower were yet to be accounted for. Even by that late date conditions on the reservation were not conducive to efficiency in such an undertaking. Tae original road cleared out by the men in the first garrison penetrated the tract only to the site of the present Tower. It was far from a good road. The area was covered with scrub oak and thick under- brush, so thick that a tape-line could not be stretched straight for as much as fifty feet. 'hat large clearings existed were later turned into parade grounds. General Mud was on active duty too. While the Chicago and North 'estern Railroad had installed a switch to expedite the unloading of building supplies, the difficulties began, when it ume to transport the supplies from the spur to the construction sites. Heavy, gray clay, turned into a soupy muck, made the roads almost impassable. A long mile lay between the two furthermost buildings. Foremen and superintendents would make their rounds on horseback to escape the churned-up mire beneath, only to sink in up to their shoe tops when the time came to dismount. Most of the bricklaying had to be done in the winter. There was no water supply except that -which was pumped from the lake and hauled in horsedrawn tanks to the buildings. The pump was run by a sma ll, temporary engine. Pipes were laid on top of the ground. But it was necOssary to connect the pipes in such a way that they could be emptied every evening and reconnected every morning for use the next day, Otherwise, as frequontly happened, the water would freeze and the pipes burst. Labor also presented a problem. Bricklayers, hodcarriers, carpenters and the rest c me from neighboring villages or from Chicago. Transportation was difficult. The Ohicago & NorthlJestorn was a single-tracked line until late in 1889. There was no North Shore Line. So barracks were built to house and feed fifty or more of these workmen -- a temporary boarding house. In order to be -7- on the job each morning the men stayed on the premises du'ring the week and went to their homes for the weekends. On many a Monday morning at six.. a.m. fore- men and superintendents started walking the railroad tracks from Winnetka, six miles away, to reach Fort Shoridan by the time the whistle blew at eight. These first permanent buildings wore completed in 1891 in loss than two years' tim.o, which was. satisfactory enough considoring the obstacles. They woro immediately occupied by. the first permanent garrison -- two battalionsw of the 15th Infantry and Light. Battery "E' of the First Artillory. .The. following year, with more space available, Troops "B" and "K" of the 7th Cavalry joined them. During this same time, from 1889 on, Indians were also quartCred on the post -- prisoners sbized in frontier uprisings. Descriptions of them vary. Moro romantic racoatcurs. rocalling early days 6'f'thefort, paint them as fer- ocious looking savages, bedocked in braids, beads and feathors. More objective reporters picture them as drab and dirty, in ovc6rals instead of war paint, which was more probably the case. Sitting Bull, historc chief of the Sioux tribe, was unofficially rumored to be -among thoso presont.: By 1892 Fort Sheridan -- so named by Presidential-ordor in 1888-- had be- come definitely established. So much so that even by that time it had become a bold target for the explosive barbs of the inspect0r Gonoralls Office. The fo]- laing report on the garrison was rendered on April 15 of that year: ".., the men were nat and clean in appoaranco; th.e arms and accoutrements in good condition. "The grounds are in an unsightly condition oWing lto the large quantity of debris, undorbrush, old boxes on lawns, and broken bottles in rear of barracks. The entire command should be turned out for several days to police the grounds and put them in proper condition, "The transportation sent to moeet me at the Station was not in good shape. The mules did not look properly cared for; the harness was dirty and not fitted ~ 8' r to the mules; and the driver wore an old suit of clothes covered with grease spots and a'dirty campaign hat. I also noticed on several occasions conlistod men at the Railroad Station dressed in a slouchy manner. "Both officers and enlisted men wearing full boards should be required to keep them neatly trimmed in a military style. 1'No doubt much of the unfavorable comment against the troops at this post is due to lack of neatness and good conduct of enlisted men traveling from Fort Sheridan to Chicago and return, and about the stations and Highland Park. "The companies seemed to be fairly well instructed in the new drill reg- ulations, but they lack spirit and vigor in movements, 'The men need setting up and a thorough gymnasium training. It is re- commended that the room over/tir grn.r. - i. h is . no: u-sd by th.icyc. ClUuh b fitt d Vp .s aym8naium It is also recommTended that each company be required to make practice marches of not less than ten miles a day, notwithstanding the condi'tion of the weather, and that all officers and men be required to make the march w -ith their companies. "I vould recommend that Capt. be ordered hfore a retiring board. As long as Capt. remains in the regiment the service will suffer by constant news-aper attacks on his record. There is no doubt that much of the discontent and insubordination among the men is due to Capt. 's presence at the post, He is practically socially ostracized. It is thought also that Capt. 's physical condition is not such as would enable him to perform arduous field ser- vice in the event of his regimanth being ordered to take the field. "Three enlisted men of the 15th Infantry have been running saloons and gambling dens just outside the reservation fence. These men were arrested by the civil authorities and are now in jail in Waukegan, Illinois. I have been informed that there are three other enlisted men of the 15th Infantry engaged in the same business outside the reservation fence, ,g*t "An effort should be made to break up these dens. They havo a very de- moralizing effect upon the garrison. I would recommend that any enlistod man found engaged in this business be dishonorably dischrged from the service, or transferred to some other post. I would also reco r;nd that no enlisted man be pornitted to reside outside of the post, and that when the family of an enlisted man resides outside of the garrison the man be discharged. "It is apphrent that there are a number of meen in the 15th Infantry who are only serving for the purpose of running saloons and gambling dens after pay days. I have also been credibly informed that the game of 'Faro' is openly dealt in company barracks after every pay day, The men conducting these games are nothing more than professional gamblers and should be discharged. They not only ruin young recruits, but are the cause of much dissatisfaction and desertior." There followed a long irray of verbatim complaints about the mess in gen- oral and in particular. The Inspector observed: "It will be noticed that under- lying these complaints there seems to be a spirit of insubordination due to lack of proper discipline and want of proper employment. It will c]so be noted that there v,,as not one complaint from the men of the Light Battery. These men are kept constantly emplbyed in caring for and exercising their horses, This employment is the- secret of their contentment." About the hospital he reported: "I found the hospital in excellent con- dition, clean, orderly, and well arranged, considering the temporary character-- a portion of the barrack building being occupied pending the continuation of the permanent hospital. "There were thirteen enligted man in the hospital (mostly cases of venereal diseases) and one Indian (consumption). The Post Surgeon recommends that the Indian be returned to his reservation." And in closing; "Kicking Bear states that he wants to go back to Pine - 10 - Ridge and v.ork. on.4,s farm. He states he has th"re trunks full of clothing for his wife and children and wishes to send them to.Pine Ridge." Disregarding the.beards and allowing.for a few standards of conduct un- known today, how like an Inspector Gcaoral's report in this day and time: "Physical hardening", "policing of grounds", ",care and prcservation.of leather equipment", 'lack of discipline" -- always grist for the inspector's mill, yesterday and today,.. But ppeerhaps his harsh 'words paint a distorted pict ures' Perhaps Fort Sher- idan was atually'6n its wy to.becoming the unquestioned beauty spot -it is today. One cannot demand perfection in infancy; and those were infantodays for the Camp at Highwood- Illinois. -11 - III Retween Two Wars Fort Sheridan se.ttle dowrnto tho.placid pastime of: watching itself mature and t. wooing the neighbors along Chicago's swank North Shore. Once, in.1894,.the trgops helped to quell the Pullman strike riots in Chicago--the only time the fort was, called, upon.to carry out the.mission for which it was originally ,established. In 1896 the 15th Infastry Regiment was replaced by the 6th Infantry Regiment, That and the strike caused momentary flutters; but the garrison quiily r.eadapted, itself.to watching and wooing again. .. . : Not for long, On February 15, 1898, the battleship "Maino" was blown up in the harbor of Havana, Ouba. The garrison was jolted into sudd q.vigilance. Events moved quickly, The men remained at the fort while the contro- versy of War vs. Peace raged in newspaper columns, in the halls of Congress, and among cracker-barrel strategists in every town, village and hamlet in the country. More than two months passed after the sinking of the "Maine" before war was actually declared. Training wao.s intensified on the post. It was no undue hardship to the men; they were even too preoccupied to grumble in the usual G.I. manner, As the war fever mounted, so did their restless impas- tience. Things were happening; when were they to step in and take a hand? John J. Halsey describes the start of real activity in his "Hiistory of Lake County, Illinois": "Once again Fort Sheridan was a center of interest and of busy move- ment. Our own Fourth Regiment under Colonel Hall, and the squadrons of Cav- alry, under Major Wainwright,* were ordered to the front, *NOTE: Major Wainwright was later killed in the philippnac Insurrection. He was the father of Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwrigh~, hero of Bataan in World War II, who spent his boyhood at Fort Sheridan. nother junior alumnus of the same decade was Mark Olark. The General excelled in studies at the Jighland Park school and was, incidentally, a master had at getting involved in embarrassing situations.- "Those dsys in April saw many visitors and much enthusiasm; but the day when the call came was the one to be remembered. Nearly all the officers had gone to Chicago for a conference, and the spirit of fun and mischief ran riot 'in their absence. Every unwary masculine visitor who wandered too far from the safe environment of the women was tossed in a blanket. The athletic college boys from Lake Forest took the treatment cat-fashion; but certain less experienced men of'older years suffered some detriment at the hands of the rough and ready soldiers, who thus expressed their joy at the probability of going into action." The'day of entrainment finally came on April 19. An account appeared in the Chicago Dyilm Tribune the following morning: "The long passenger train pulled out of t1e siding at Fort Sheridan a few minutes after 2 p.m. and the 600 men of the 4th Infantry were added to the Army hurrying to the Southern points of rendezvous. "It was a day of unrest and excitement at the fort. All the usual routine was suspended, At 10 minutes past 1, a natty bugler blew Assembly, and the groups of girls6some to take part in the romance of soldiers': fare- wells tbund themselves forsaken. "The men fell in with alacrity, there were a few moments of taptics, and then with the band playing, "CThe Girl I left Behind Me,f" changing quickly to 'iAuld Lang Syne," their regiment was marching away to the train and the war. "It took but a few minutes for the troops to scramble aboard, and then there was a wait while everyone said good bye to everyone else. There were hundreds of women standing beside the cars, and some of' them wept, but 'most of them smiled bhavely and cheerfully. But the final kiss broke more than one of the waiting woments reserve, an# the tears of the officers' wives and daughters were flowing freely as the train moved away. "The 4th left 35 men behind it in'charge of Capt. Silas Wolf, to care for the Government property, The post was fairly populous last night, because the battery and two troops.of cavalry were still there.. These will leav this afternoon . " hen the train left Fort Sheridan at 2 o'clock, it was. thought there would be a swift transfer from the Chicago and Northwestern to the Pan-H and.le rpadj but half a dozen things interfered, anu.d not until three hours had passed were there indications that final details had been perfected., 7en the train of 14 cars pulled into the yards it was split into sections, aqd guards from each car dismounted and began to walk beats. This was for the ostensible purpose.of preventing desertions, "The delay did not seem to be Altogether satisfactory to Capt. Webster and Lt. McQuesten, who were in charge .The two officers walked.up and down in,a highly perturbed state of mind, The first delay came from the failure of two extra Pullman cars to arrive promptly. A.7W. Gitzow, Pullman superintendent at the Union Depot, hustled around, and theq tro missing cars were fip.4lly put in place about 5 otcleck. Then they had to be cleaned inside and out. By this time the soldiers were hungry and a swift order was. spnt to the Gault House for 60 gallons of coffee. During th.e interim, the soldiers ;hewed. hard tack and threwpieces at small boys, who dodged and then p icked them up and ate them. "There was a saloon a few yards arway and .o~e venturesome infantryman-had several times eluded th guard, and made trips. to the place. kt the end of his. fourth trip the soldier was in a highly talkative condition and was telling an admiring crowd of Kinzie Street citizens of the frightful .inroads which would be made into .the Dons on his arrival in Cuba,. "On the fifth trip, Lt. EcQuesten caught sight of the soldier.dodging among freight cars as he spedtoward the beer .dispensary. Lt, McQueston sent two orderlies after the man and he was placed u der arrest,. He-had a foaming glass in his hand when he was "'tipped" that the guard was after him. He dodged behind the counter, but it was too late, He was caught in the very midst of his misdeeds, Two hundred small boys formed 4he procession back to the train,. v14* "But then came another delay,. There was too much. sag in the tubing of. the airbrakes between the engine andthe first.car. P. 1, ,cGraw, the superintendent at Curtis Str(:et, ,Jas 0ooking after tlhe making up of the^ train personally and did not like the looks of the airbrakes. He W;as making an examination of the connection when he was accoqted by Lt. lcquesten., ho strode up in a fiQrce mannert "I want this train to pull out iimeditely," said the Lieutenant abruptly. '"The train can'.t go until the airbrakes are in proper condition," said ir. McGraw. "I don't care anything about that," said Lt, . .c .uesten, looking at his watch. "I want this train to start at once." "It will not go until I am satisfied of its safety," repl.ed Vr.MicGraw, sharply, looking with amazement at the uniformed officer, "You are under arrest, sir," said Lt. ',c'.uesten, grasping the arm of the railroad official. With this Lt.McQuesten began leading Mr.McGraw down the tracks. He took h.im around to the other side of the train and walked for some distance towards the officers' cars. The Lieutenant finally reconsidered his decision, and the. railroad man was released. "The nerve of the fellow, putting me under arrest," remarked Mr. McGraw, as he hustled back to the engine and gave the signal to pull out." The Fourth Infantry departed from Chicago proper at .:57 p.m. The cheers and yells of 400 or 500 s.rall boys and the discordant whistles of 20 switch engines gave the regulars a parting salute as the train pulled out from the Pan- Handle yard at Curtis Street, This tooting was mistaken for the advertised signal that war had been declared and the newspaper teiephones were usad liberally to learn if such was the case, Later the tug "Bob Teed"' bleow a long blast for the Northwestern bridge over the North Branch of the river. iA whistle in a nearby mill let go at the sace timc. This racket was also taken as the war signal, and other mills and vessels joined in the din. - 15 From the copiousness of the tears, the garrison must have been highly successful in wooing thei-r North Shore neighbors during the preceding months. They were not so successfulkn finding the immediate action they sought. Fate dealt a large part of the Sheridan cont.ngent a grievous blow when they reached. Tampa, Florida, their port of' embarkatin. They fell victims to the most lethal of all the weapons in- that war -- fever. Many of them were already aboard transports; but the ships never veintured out of domestic waters. They lay in Tampa Bay, already boiling in the Florida sun, parched and stifling, 'huddled together in common misery. The Lth Infantry paid the price of war I-ithout sharing in the glory. Meanhile, Fort Charidan had been all but abandoned by the regular garrison. Its population ebbed and flowed like the restless tide until the turn of the century. An average of one hundred mehi a month fro-m the hospital corps were thrown into the war.- Volunteer and National Guard units used the area for training as they, too, ,repared to' enter the conflict. And they,too,would vanis) into the night- into the field or back to their homes. The Highland Park News remarked on July 7, 1898, that the arrival of four hundred Engineers under the commarind of Colonel Young "makes the Fort look like old times"* Eix days later there w'ere over a thousand to cheer the announced fall of Santiago.. Another month later and it; ,was reported that 'the range is deserted again" as eight companies of volunteers moved east to Montauk. So it went. Then the soldiers of the 4th Infantry started returning home. They came in driblets at first. On oeptombr 1,WW,a h .spit"al train arrivwd,rflpringyrith &ok md woundcd.By the sixteenth of the month all who remained of the original regiment had returned, weak and fa vr stricken- about one-half of those who had left in such glory on April 19, But never mind how weak or stricken they may have been. The Highland Park News took stock of the village maide cs and dutifully reported, "Many hearts, - 16 - which have been sad for so long, are soothed." The fort's population continued to fluctuate with the start of the insur- rection in the Philippines. Troops wer constantly moving in and out, in and out-- to Cuba, to. the Philippines, to China.. At the beginning of 19CCO heridan1 was garrisonedn by the 7th Infan 1ry, Light Battery "D" of the 5th Atillery, Troops ""' of the 3rd Caval'ry and one bat- talion of the 5th Infantry. But not many months passed before the post settled down once more into a .peaceti1.e status of waiting and wooing the nei'-hbors. A civilian's, eye-view of the Fort is given in a travel folder published by the North Yestern Railroad in the early part of the Trntieth Century: "Fort Sheridan is a brilhiantly colored picture of the march of -progress in the 19th. and early 2Cth centuries. "it is the last word in a modern military -.st, and one of the :ost beautiful in the United States, located with no thought of Indi;ans or other nearby enemies, but of the availability of transportation and the advantages ofia great city. "The beauty of- Fort Sheridan is the beauty of Nature's own plan. The woods of maple, birch, poplr and more abundant than all the rest, the great sturdy old oaks,.were oldc when the Green Bay Road:iwas a obttawattomie 'trail. "The buildings of -white pressed brick follow in a succession of curves and loops t+he seven or eight dee p wooded ravines that cross the reservation. There are no straight, hard lin-)es or sharp cornerS. ' "It is no marvel that Uncle Iam. hould be a.good housekeeper. It is our pride that everythin7 that bly and .stoically. Training continued s usual. EVon the Docomber 12, 1941,,issue of Tho Shcriadnu, the post's wookly nowspaper. at the timo, gave its headlinos to "War on Traffic Accidonts" and Christias gifts for the non. A "buriod" warning of possible sabotaeo jwas tho only front patgo ovidence of the advent of declroed war. The chiof roason for Shoridan's conposure. in the face of opochm~king evonts was the org.anization of the post, which' had bopy in existence for som ia onths previously. In simplified chart for it .had looked like this: FPost C orn J rndoer Exocutive Officer 40th Sorvico Corps Area Recruit Ant i-ircraft Units Sorvi co R ception Brigado Coranaand Conter Consisting of: Consisting of: Soloctoes Signal Bn. Hospital Staff from I11. 2 Q3 Btrios. Lilitary Polico Wis. and Ordnance Co. Rocruitinc Off. 1'ich, Transport. Corps In addition to the above wore the Bakers and Cooks School and the Quarter- na stor's Lotor Tr'ansport School, doescribod in the preccding chaptor, both urder the direct co :and of Sixth Sorvico Co.mnd Headqurtcrs. And strictly spcak- inc, the Fortieth Anti-Aircraft Br ig dc, latr to be roplcod by an Anti-Air- Cr.aft Training Conteor, vwas not undor the jurisdiction of Post Hoadquartors, but only ",sorvicod" by it. This basic organization was .ideal for.the part Fort Sheridan was to play at the bcginning of actual warfaro. Recruit Rocoption Center JAlthough the Recruit Receotion Centor wias originally estblishod for the procossing of a 1pcoacetilo army", it was an "Opon Seaa.rio to possible foreign service and ycars away froi hon o. No one lknow wht lay on the other side of the --te. Except for respective draft boards, it was an introduction to a ry life for nore than 200,000 non before it was tom or.rily suspended in the late spring of 1943. As such the Roccption Conter was of nagnified intorpst to those non, to the wivos, parcnts,and swootho.arts they had left bohind, and to the public press, who rocognized thle.humnr interest and nows valuo it possessod. The .vorage ago of selectoos was below that of the officor cd'idats who had trooped through the smo garrison gates in. 1917; but their trades, professions, nd pprsonaliti vowere no lots cosnopolitan. Clerks, linguists, truck drivers, stud.ts, lawyors, insurance salosnen, farnors, actors,� nusicians, athletcs, vritors, and nochanics. Nano any occipation'and someone would answer "'Present", Each :and every one of then was thonost inportfant person in the world to sono- body back hono,. Little wonder the Roccption 'ContOr was "nowsworthy" in any sense of the worda Shoridan' s was one of the first four of the thi~rton established in the coLuntry, as a-rosult of the first pocdtiue Cdraft on Octobcr 29, 1940. Of the - "$3 -e fbur, S rida.n was thb first" to opo*,n its doors to selctoos on c Novl r 18, 1940, sihce the other throo-- Fort KlcArthur, C1'ifornia, Tho Presidio of San Fran- cl'sco and Fort Lewis, i shinto-" ali opdrated on Pdcific Tima, two hours 1'.tor. The ChicJ;o D il Newse describod that first nday: 'Eoisoned soldier of the reulnar arrmy and raw recruit .: arked for training under a new kind of selective service in the United States exchanp -oed courtesiCs on- the1 prrade ground of~ this historic fort t ay, inaugur;.ting in Illinois the firs1 actual rliitary phscs of peacetiLe conscriptiot,. "Tho first of the stot.s Si n'too:. -most-.ot .-thor a::ong the earliost vol- unte-- intoned the oa:th of allegianoC in fronit of post headquartcrs. The vct- er.ans stationod at the fort- then-presented rms to these eager young groonhorns, "Nothin. quite like it was over witnessed at an Arta rican milit iry rosor- vationO �The spectacle *had no counte r ort in tho- story ff A ! crica's part in the first Wforld War. Then tLhe draftGo was gcrnOrlly a person apart; hC seOrvd in a natio-l -.rIy division i.:ad up of conscriptod nor, or he was a roplac cent in a division of volunteers, as " rulb never accopted on quite the sa-c tors as the a who :had4 enlisted. .. . "ThTe displaytoday at. Fort- Shridan-- no mor. fcrnality-- soonod to prcsago the sort ofean aradorio desired:byhigh..ranking officers in 1917 and 1918 and consideroCd csentil in the eom~CCaCy which prormpted the governront to cll up civilians between :tho :gos. of2!.an 26 for a. year'.s training, in.the Arnay. "The scloctcs woro sct tthe North Shore.:station..by the 14th Ca valry's 65-piece band a nd :n escort of honor onbracring rnenbors of'the 61st Coast Artillery and details of the Socond.In lfanry,. "The newcoi~ors wore saluted with-all.the onrthusias pernrited by military doccruna. The band plycd stirring tunos, and the color ,guard in impc able dross, cll:e t.o attontion with .iipressiva West.Point .precision, the rcinontal flags -and ntAtional colors waving :nd sapping ple.sa',ntly ,bov it. - 64.- "Thoir introduction to lifeo t a rergulbr amny post having bon attendod by overy rv.rk of respect :.rd good-will, -plus the flourish called for an unpre- cedonted occasion, the selectoees proceeded to the, Rocruit Reception Corter, whcro they com_.pletod the transition fron civili,::an life to .that of a soldier." Forty-two ni-or passed through that first day. As .ino wont on the process- in was stroarilined into one of nlchine-like precision. At first the cLpacity was only about 100 non a day. By the tine the 30,000th .inductoe had passed through, 400 non could be handled daily. As tO c procedure was inprovod upon,the inductees wore transported to the Recruit Roception Contor in trucks, waoro they wcro checked in. The officer in ch.gro welcolned thon and oxplainod the whys and whrofords of the Contcr. For Months the staff had nade a study of typical inforrnation asked for by the nat- urally curious nowon-ors; so nost .of thoe.uestions which wouild have norrrmally core to lips were anticipatod and ianswared before they could be*asked, After assig ioent to barracks, the mnn wore taken to the Quartcrrrstor's Storehouse, whcm they were clothed and issued govorront equipn.lont..- Noext a aa psychological tost, intondod prinarily to ascertain their compa-rative loarning ability, followed by an opportunity to ta1lk to the Chaplain,rand to subscribe to Governriont Lifo Insuranco. The following hurdle was the Classification Section, where sympathetic ex.an- ination and 'cross-exanination evoked information which, rnight be helpful in inak- ing futiure assignmonts; and thor the n ost harrowing ordeal of all.,- if one wore to believe every gory reorninisconco--vaccineation and ignooul.tion against tetanus, typhoid,and smanll pox, The l-.st stop was t th thorough chocking of records in the Record Section. The ,000th solocteoo passod through the Shoridan Reception CCntr on hy 9, 1941; the 30,000th on Soptember9,]41.The last recruit to be procossod - 65 - when the Rocoption Conter wias suspended on!Ly 29,. 1942, zas Nur.bor 211,849. The goEa:t umajority of those 211,849 .pw'littlo of Fort Shcrid-n., Their stAy was brief. Only handful wore assi ed to the station cornplcr.ont :and to the SheridcIn' Anti-Aircra.ft Training Conter; A few r.ore wore sent direct to t.ctical divisions. The vast nmajority trhvolod to roplacoment centers for basic trainingr. No natter where their ultirmte dostinations ray have boon-- on those shores or across the seas-- the inductooees op first donned khaki or olive drab at Sheridan h-d only grateful r:omories of an incubation ocriod that could have boon most unp)1cleasant. The considoration of the staff and the unstintod efforts of North Shore civilians alleviated such of the pain of transition, When Lt. Col, J.A. Haig, last cor: .andor of the Roception COLntor in May, 1943, attaiptcd 'to lock the door of his offico, he found that the koy would not woi. The lock had rusted, The door had never boon closed in more than tthrtsy fontls of operation. Anti-Aircraft Training Center The Fortieth Coast Artillery Brigade had boon broken up in the face of war and its coi:updnont units transforrod to theaters of operations, But anti- aircra-ft guns were to continue to roa:r out of Shoridan and over the wavoC of Liko Michigan, In March.~ 1942,it was officially announcod that the crrison would bcorcne a contor r t he training of -1nti-aircr-aft units. At first the personnel of those units wore assiogned at various replaoors "should have their hoads exoained", or words to that effcot. On Mhy 22, 1943, the Fort Shoridan irfiltration course was opened-- a 100yrd oxprnso over which troops slid on their stonachs, under barbed wiro, evor shell holes, with nLchino r-un bullets viistlin throee foot overho.od , -nd dynra~.ito cl:r- rcs bo,- ning in their oars. The risk did not prove to be a.s or.et as the e on.oral hld soo:od to feaor. The casuoty list was nil; and the rosultant hardcning of nerves provod inv.lu.blo when tr,'o~s so conditionod f.cod actual bttl conditions ovorsols. Such iaily ictivitis-- further punctuated vwith K,P.and .other ftituo do- tails incidental to an:y lifo-- ro no conrproniso w.ith luxury or ease. But to the cnliestd personnol of the A.i.. ..C. those oore only the first 'fa terinr stops tow.rds the rueod existence they oxpcrienced durinr thoe.arly ionths of 1943. At th.t ti o they woro livingC in the section of the post Ii knotn as Camp Lonrd hood". This tented villoo is situatted ,top a bluff ovorlookin~, Lake .ichigan, No troos or other windbrocks stand betw-. oon it and the reat NortVest. llhen thCrncr torstek their annual precipitous table in Fobrua~r, icy blasts fairly ate their way throulgh the c .xvas walls thit were supposed to protect the crn froau the fury of the eleroonts. Snow piled up on their bunkls. Toothpaste tubes had to be thawed out before tooth could be cloncd. Shoo polish h-.rdoned into caks of ox-blood ice. ShoOs wotre reported to be frozen to floors-- but thero was little excuse for riissin2 Assonbly. - 69 - Tie iareca caICo to be Inown- as "Littlo Sibcria-, And w~ile its residents woro not ca.llod upon to ondturo the hardships of :shin:tors V-llcy Fcorgo, they livod through a roa.sorTbl faCsimile of the samic. Dospito th-oso riJ'rs, the A.A.A..T.C. suffered loss sick-oss and fower colds t.-.t wi.ntor th-in :aonbors of-.othe r units liVinr in hoat'od barr'cks. In fact the sanio 'on wore hoalthier t'han t-cy h.d boon roviously undor far ore comfortablo conditions. A nrw experince w-ich cnro to the non of Fort Shoridan durin, this pcriod was the :ddition of thc ar oon'-s Atxiliary ArImy Corps to tho station complo:ant, Thoir oxpoctod ar.rival in the lat'tor part of 1942 was Viowod with misivinc by omny of the post authorities. The naon t . .solves anticipatod ti-c ovent with �nixod enotions, pridoe copotinT ajith- nticip.tion. Novcrth-.oloss .uch. a:-do was iOa do of tLeir coling'. Evory, dotai_ of t heir barracks, located behi.d the Officcrs' Club noth of the ravino, was descibed by th-e Fort Scridan Towor to its cralo clientclo-- ovn down to the walnut st,-inod roof supports, n-:hogany aininn ror. furnituro nd "buttor yellown l.trinos, Chicago prcwspa.pors inferod t-he equally curiouspublic that the 3185,000 layout with its boudoirs, ba-thtubs, nd 'be:uty p-rlor wry's -r 'rdroa:, One hundrod and fifty WAACS arrivod fror m Fort Dos IMoinos, Iowa, At t1io -and of 1942. Thoro is ro tellin i:w :rny variotios of weird cxcoCtations h d boon romping thr u-' ti- ninds cf the on. But whatover they woro, the arrival was .i;'l y n.attor-of-fact. Tho womon sot about th-ir assigncd .orrk with officioncy rand lack of fanfare. Althou"h t-oro :ay L.va bac c. few non with wourodo vanity, as they .now loft ddsks to shouldr runs, the iC s vwon unstintoC praise in their now tasks. By thec tino tihe ,:iC s 6fficially joined the irny and bca:ao the C s in August, 1943, thr was only one question askod, according to the Fort Sheridan Tarrct, the currcnt wook ly -t theo timec: Now that the oACs arc GI, a problon has arisn whic h heretofore had not proscnted itself-- wh.ht to .o b but throvingj ther in the Guardhouse, known hero :s 'Hotel 33'. At present, t .o fate of would-bko AIOL's is unknown. No cconr.odations .are vailo.blo for wo-on-- at least not yet,." The R oCs wore thorc to stay. Spocial rntion ust beo o-de of the kindnrsses lavis.h, u p on Frrt Shcridp-'s non by its civilian noiaibors durinr tlozsc recent years. Copratively few differences ad .rison betwoon to :arrison and the irmcdito world outside since its boinnin in 1887. But front the tine the Reception Centor opened in in 1940 and the civilian-soldiers of the now crr Iy be a. to rrivo, no task or costuro wh ic- riht tdd tb their co'sfort was too rcat or too costly for the noi1_hbors to boar. In tl first flurry of cnthusiasn ainy of thuir activities overl ppod. In Febru:ry, 1942, Austin L. Mymn~ n, David Mocyor, Jr., Ray H. Matson and Frank D. Loonis-- -11 of nearby Gloncoc, Illinois-- orrnrizod the Fort S orian oluntors' Conri ittcc. The purpose of tlis organization was t-ofold: to ccordin,at civilian activitics on the post, and to finance those activitics. It had scarcely opncod its lists to neoiborship before almost every prominent North .'"ore citizrn Iad joined. Money to finance their work was raisod by subscription. North 0Shore croup of busiress exocutives, eost of thern in advertisin:, incorpor.ted in 1942 as the Fort StoridC.n Toweor, Inc., to sponsor the pot newspapor, The Fort Scridan Towor. The corporation :was not for profit :and proceeds fran advertis- in: 'crc contributed to the post's education a-nd recro .ation fund for furnishing ontort in~ ent 'and other conuforts of the soldiers. Theosc peoplc- all of Shorid n's nreighbors, both before and after the oran- ization of the Volvuntocrs, and cspecially the woen-- Ceservod and won the post's sincere appreciation. They furnishod the recreation roon for the Reception Contor and i:,roved the desiZn for livirr in ; cnory nnother dy rrcn. They C!o- tributod books to toe libr-ary in the S.ervice Club.- -hn irls w.re roodod f:r doncos and p.rtics in thoe v..intor -f 1941-,42'it was they who - oundced the ~ltr7n th"A:t broU.ht r.Aidns on tGruhe . . Thoy organizod wOOkly Ob'S. on thO pOSt, sponscrod by -,rious Nrth Sh.oro socio.tics, with everyting furnishod ir.clUinr, the iris. ./hon the ir.ninaont arriva l of the AACs .os nounccd' t..he s.a.o civ ilin nothers furris-hed overythit s if t.heir duhtrs worn the res whoso co: fort wIns .t stlt:e. Th.ere is r.o and to wh.v.,.t thcy di. T.TI.oe Nort'h,_ Sh:.ore ) aid, woll ir the fbrn of tho -c, services or the protcotion Fort S1ori.. n w,.. ir.dir(ctly -ivinc thoern. IX CTONCLUOS ION ilth the coonin of F1ll, 1943, Fort S.horid n fell uncr the full juris- diction of the Sixth Service Co-m.-nd. ~l. troops in the Army Grou.d Forcos had dcpartOd to other clir-s. After almost a half year's susponsion the Recruit Rccction Ocnter wlas roostablishod, brin';ing with t the Reception Conters fror C .aps Custer and Grant, to serve the oetirc Sorvice Corna rnd-- Michian, Illinois, and Wi sc crs in. The Servic ConT:.nd Traini-n, Schocl-- for thoe physical and rontal education of those vwjho h d enrtcrcd the a.rm:y with the mininmun physica-l and litcracy re- quirements-- was 1oved to Shrian from Car.p M cCoy. The Roh'bilitation and Detontion Cotor-- dcsicnod for the readjustment of mon ,who had run f..oul of Army discipline in the face of an entirly r now lifo-- camo to the pst fromn Fort Custer, A now cLhaptor in Fort Sh oridan's history was .bout to be enacted. The post haCd a, now role to ca rry out in the w-ar. No one could toll whit the o.d ing of tis row chaptor would bo, nor the endinCI of all the ow J c'hpters to bo written in yoears to come. Ono cort in fact raind. TIhoro could be no cnding to Fort Sheridan's history-- even should the Tower be razed .nd the p rade ground ploughed undr-- until the l st t:!n to go forth fro,. Shoridea.n is no more. God will that that day mey nrever come. -73- Fort Sheridan, Illinois Sixth Service Command Army Service Forces 'ublic Relations Office Highland Park 5000, Ext. 818 4 March 1946 About two years ago a history of Fort Sheridan was prepared under the direction of this office and a copy was sent to your organization for reference. Recently an addition to this history was written and a copy is attached. It is suggested that this be stapled to the cover of the original history in your files. FED H. DETTAIRl Capt. M. I. rublic ReelAtions Officer Ix In September, 1943, Fort Sheridan and its neighbors further realized their interdependency through the appointment of Col. John T. 'Rhett, Post Coimmand- or, as area commander with supervision over military affairs in Lake and McHenry counties. Also in the fall of 1943, almost simultaneously with the fifty-sixth an- rxiviersary celebration of the arrival of the first troop's on Nov. 8', 1887, Fort Sheridan completely changed its function with the shift from an Army Ground Force to an Army Service Forces installation. This meant that the Post no longer trained treops for combat but supplied personnel and equipment. How- ever, this did not lessen Fort Sheridan's contribution to World War II because Ar y Service Forces design and procure everything that the soldier needs for warfare and habitation in combat areas, as well as in occupied territories and domestic service conmmands. Intermittently since World War I, Fort Sher'idan had been the home of coast artillery units, the forerunners of anti-aircraft, including the celebrated 61st Coast Artillery, organized as the first anti-aircraft regiment in the United States Army, The departure of Casual Detachment No. 3 (AAA) in mid-November, 1943, marked the finale 'of the anti-aircraft artillery organizations at Fort Sheri- dan*, No longer would high-flying bombers tow sleeve targets on long steel cables off the shore, and drone above Lake Michigan, giving the gunners train- ing in marksmanship and use of weapons and auxiliary Equipment. To keep step with this change, the official Post paper, which is to the GI what the hometown paper is to the folks back home, flashed a new name, or rather, reverted to the old family name of "Tower," November 5th, 1943. "The Target" became "The Fort Sheridan Tower," saluting the historic landmark which as a water tower quenched the thirst of the Post's earliest inhab'itants, and today serves as a guide directing purposeful wanderers to locations within the -73J fort. "Sooee the Tower," the P at the gate will say, "through its arch, to the right, to the left," as the case may be. With the installation of the Army Service Forces, the Sixth Service Com- mand, which comprises Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan, took over Fort Sher- idan for its own activities. With .this change, four additional units entered to mako Fort Sheridan their home. Of those, two had boon hero boforo---the Recruit Reception Con- tor and the parent School for Bakors and Cooks. The other two were now to the Post--tho Rehabilitation Contor and the Sixth Service Conimand Training Centor. The latter included a special training unit for physically-capablo men lacking Army educational requirements; a basic training battalion for men with mini- mum physical standards; an officers' pool for the unassigned officers of the Sixth Service Command; a Visual training Aids Section; and a clerical school. The Recruit Reception Cantor returned to the Post Nov. 6, 1943. Only a few months proeviously, May 29, 1943, it had suspondod activities here after receiving 211,849 recruits since its inception Nov. 18, 1940, as one of the first four sot up under the National Selective Service Act. Absorbing the centers of Fort Custer and Camp Grant, Fort Sheridan thus became the recruiting nuclous of the entire Sixth Sorvice Command--ichigan, Illinois, and Wiisconsin. With this consolidation, a now streamlined system was inaugurated wheorby the average inductee Ras made over into a soldier in a day and a half; that is, assigned barracks, tested for skills, dressed into Army uniform, classified, insured and given an Army serial number which became his personal property. Coincident with this reorganization under the Army Sorvioe Forces at Fort Shoridan, the Aviation Cadet Examining Board and the Aviation Cadet section of the Sixth Service Command arrived hero from Camp Grant. This board reviewed the physical, mental, and moral qualifications of prospective cadets and sol- diors assignod to pormanant organizations. -74- In mid-Octobor, 1943, the Rehabilitation Contcr under command of Lt. Col. Eldon W, Stonjom, transferred from Fort Custor. It functioneodas a disciplin- ary unit, allowing first offenders of Army discipline an opportunity to rodeom themselves and thoroby be reinstatod as active soldiers. Without this rohabil- itation contor, throo hundred and fifty men, salvaged in one year, would have beon lost as fighting mon at a time of theo country's groatost nood. Another challongo which Fort Shoridan accoptod with its conversion from an Army Grbund Force to an Army Sorviceo Forces installation was thg schooling of men who lacked the Army's minimum requirements in roeading, writing, and arith- motic, or the oquivaleont of a fourth grade education, This became the duty of the Special Training Unit which was activated at Camp McCoy, Juno 15, 1943, with an initial membership of 90 men, and moved to Fort Shoridan, Oct. 22, 1943, Writh 7S2 men, Courses extended four to tolvo weeooks, the duration de- pending upon individual ability. Visual Aids, another important unit, transferred from Camp McCoy in early November, 1943. Capable of constructing models from battle maps to armored ve- hicles, it undertook the duties of furnishing the Sixth Service Command with toaching aids for courses in internal security, cheaical warfare, radar and electronics, and basic military training. Darly in December, the Orientation Center was ostablishod on Patton Road across from the "Hotel." It aimed to provide facilities for keeping up with the work, past as well as present and future Resoembling a town mooting house, it sponserod lectures, r ound-table discussions, and arranged exhibits on a wide variety of subjects from bayonets used by soldiers in the revolutionary war te present-day clocks showing time in every part of the world. Although remodelled from an old garage, and furnished with salvaged odds and ends, the interior of the Orientation Center took on the appearance of a family living room with cozy qouehos and lounging chairs for reposing and di- gasting the diversified subjects under discussion. For the passers-by, an out- side bulletin board flashed the latest radioroports of the progress of VTorld -7 5. War II. Fort Sheridan noeighbors' woro as curious and interested in the doings of the Post as the general public wore about world events. To moot this civil- ian demand for infdrmation of Fort Shoridan's past and present activitics, a Speakers Buroau was established in December. Officors responded to this need by volunteering, on their off-duty hours, to dolivor informative speeches up- on invitation from civic, fraternal, and service groups within a radius of fifty miles. Thus Fort Sheridan terminated 1943, a year of major change, under the guidtLnco of throe Post Commndors: Col. Frederick C. Rogors (Juno, 1941 to May, 1943) Lt. Col. Fredorick M. Distolhorst (May, 1943 to Juno, 1943) Col. John T. Rhott (Juno 1943 -) 4bf6.. X "With faith, with hope, with firm conviction in our eventual victory over the axis, Fort Sheridan faces 1944 with increased vigor," were the words of Col. John T. Rhott, Post Commander, in initiating Fort Shoridan in the part it was to play in the third year of World lWar II. In February, Fort Sheridan became a Reception Station, one of the first fourteen in the United States to take on the duties of receiving soldiers ro- turning on furlough from overseas duty. Directly from the port of debarka- tion to this station arrived the following for procossing: officers and on- listed mon and woman from the Air, Ground, and Service Forces, who dosignated Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Iowa, Minnosota, and Nebraska as the place in which they desired to spend thi-ir 21-day furloughs. On May 15, 1944, 200 German subjocts, the first group of prisoners of war over to be interned at Fort Sheridan, arrived on the Post from Fort Loon- ard Tood, Iissouri. They occupied the stockade of the rohabilitatioa conter which had moved to Camp Phillips, Kansas, in Tlarch. On Juno 27, 1944, Fort Sheridan was officially designated as the Sixth Service Command Personnel Center. With this change, the training conter, with the exception of tho Roassignment and th(e Special Training Units, moved to Camp Ellis. About the same time, Fort Sheridan becamo the homo of the General Court Martial of the Sixth Service Command--that is, the Post furnished the noces- sary space and equipment for its operation. This meant that important cases for the entire area of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois would be tried hero on the Post. On July 24th, Fort Sheridan Separation Center opened as one of the first five in the country. The objective was to work out the most efficient sopa- ration procedures in anticipation of final domobilization as well as to dis- chargo the small numbor of soldiers eligible for dischargo at the time. In the beginning, Fort Sheridan processed 15 to 20 scparatoos daily, rosidonts -77-v bf 15 midwestern states, The Seopration Conter handled all typos of discharges and roleases for officers and enlisted men and women, except.modical dischargos, which wore issuod .through Army hospitals. However, determination of eligibility for- discharge was not the duty of the Separation Center. It merely served as a procossing agent for the return of the soldier to civilian life after the propor authorities issued the order for his soparation from service. Oxz August 30, 1944, Col. John T. Rhott, Post Commandor, was transferrd to the Presidoo of San Francisco. Ho was succooded by Col. George H., qush- man, rrho piloted the .Post through its first annivorsary as an Army Service Forcos installation and into its second year. -78.- XI Col. Cushman continued in command until Juno 14, 1945, when Brigadier General John T. Pierce,bacame Post Commandor. On March 2nd, 1945, a rodosignation was made in the General Court Mar- tial. Previously, important cases for the entire Sixth Servico Command wore tried hero. With the change, only those in the Chicago area wore hoard at Fort Shoridan. On April 11th, a War Department circular granted Fort Sheridan Station Hospital the status of "Regional," which it assumad about Hay 1st. Now re- sponsibilities included: Treatment of specialized cases which were former- ly transferred to "Genoral"Hospitals; Recoption of cases from station hospi- tals in the area, such as from Camp Grant; Authority to grant discharge to medical officers in addition to their former poiwer of discharging enlisted mOn. On April 16th, members of the first group of liborated Amecrican prison- ers of war arrived on the Post, directly from overscas. Aftor 16 hours of prooossing at Rocoption Station #47, they wore on their way home. Major projects in 1945 included participation in the following nation- wide programs: reconditioning of wounded veterans; reception of inductees through Selective Service and ro-onlistment; progressive domobilization of a wartimo Army; supervision of German prisonors remaining on the Post and in branch camps in 1Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. The reconditioning program began in February with the arrival of the first contingent of 50 woundod veterans returning from the European and Paci- fic theaters. The Post turned over an entire building for the purpose of aiding convalescent patients in their retu'rn to normal activity through phy- sical, educational, and occupational moans, which is known as "rccondition- ing." Building 83, located on Leonard Vood Avenue, opposite the northeast sec- tion of the parade grounds, became tho Occupational and Remodial Section of -7 9.. the Ragional-Station Hospital, the contor of roconditioning activities, pcr- formod under the direction of the medical staff. Various civilian organizations and societios cooperated in the remodol- ling, ro-oquiping, and rafurnishing of this building. Two objoctives were accentod: artistry in decoration for stimulating the mind; utility in cquip- mant for strongthaning and restoring function to injured muscles and norvos. Although the building was in use continuously since its opening in Fabru- ary, final dedication ceremonios tooek placo on Doccmbar 11th. At this time, an outstanding medical authority anticipated Fort Shoridan.s .Reconditioning Saction of the Regional-Station Hospital bocoming a modal for similar projects throughout the country. "Just the right number of pationts for giving each the behost in individual attention," he said. The numbor of paticnts averaged 125 to 150 daily in Decombero Separation Center was another leading interost in 1945. Fort Shcridan had the honor of procssing the first man in the country to be dischargeod un- der the point systom, Nay 10th, at 7:45 A.M. He was T/5 John M. Grant, Qmro, WVisconsin. Motro-Goldwyn-Mayr novwraoIs, Life Magazine, and a dozcn news photographars from papers throughout the Sixth Sorvico Command wore on hand to racord the event. The numbor of dischargacs totallad 213 for that day, The 100,000th soparatoo loft Fort Sheridan Septombor 22nd. He was Pfc. John L. Hamill, 24, a Chicagoan, a native of Iroland, nd a veteran of the Europoan Theater. The 200,000th separatc, Wao Master Sergeant Trudac J. lolsack, another Chicagoan, racoivod her final papers Docmber 1st. Novomber 30th was a record day, with 1,678 mon and women discharged. This rat of discharg showed a marked contrast to the daily rate in the pionor days of July, 1944, when only 15 to 20 wara a daily averago, It cruised along with 17 to 75 a day until shrtly aftr V-E Day when it roached a peak of 239, doublc that numbcr by V-' Dy soard t.to 1,500 as a daily averago in the fall of 1945, -80- RVith the transition of war to peace, Fort Sheridan Reception Center carried in a busy program of processing rookies ad well as stimulating re-enlistment'. Appraximately 430,000 recruits were 'received at Fort Sheridan 'from the date of its opening, November 18, *1940, thrdugh December, 1945. Much of the manual labor and "KP" duty, which was formerly perfor'med by rookies, was delegated to the German Prisoners of W1-ar held at Fort Sheridan Base Prisoner of V~ar Camp. In January of 1945, there was a total of 3,500 of these prisoners here, including those who were sent out to branch camps to work on agricultural and industrial projects where civilian labor was unobtainable. For their services, the government collected the prevailing wage rate, out of which the prisoners were paid eighty cents in coupons for "food products and ordinary objects," allowed by the Geneva Convention. In July, the number of German prisoners totalled 13,000, serving in Fort Sheridan Base Prisoner' of War Camp and in 31 branch camps in Visconsin, 5 in northern Illinois and 5 in Michigan's upper peninsula. In August the number of prisoners increased to 15,000, and branch camps to 46. By the end of the year these prisoners had performed work valued at over eight million dollars. To- wards the end of the year, the number had decreased to 5,600, many having been sent back to Germany since the war terminated Shortly after V-J Day, the Ptst opened its gates to the general public, in- iiting them to come and go as they desired between the hours of 7:45 A.M. and 10;45 P.M., and also to take pictures of anything in which they were interest- ed. To assist them in locating military personnel, information centers were set up in the Service Clubs, Services included information about train schedules, directions in Chicago and suburbs as well as to locations on the Post, and tours to points of interest in Fort Sheridan. Visitors numbered about eighty for an average week-day, and 300 on Sundays, not counting the organizations interested in tours. The latter included Boy Scouts, school groups, Red Cross, civil service representatives, and naval offi- -81- cors studying separation processing. The year of 1945, which began in war, terminated in peace. Brigadier General John T, Pierce, who succeeded Col. George H. Cushman as Post Commander in June, remained in command. -82- This book is a preservation facsimile produced for the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. It is made in compliance with copyright law and produced on acid-free archival 60# book weight paper which meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (permanence of paper). Preservation facsimile printing and binding by Northern Micrographics Brookhaven Bindery La Crosse, Wisconsin 2012