Defeating the Hun Home Page

Due to the passing of Joe Hartwell on February 12, 2020, this site will be for informational purposes and will not be updated going forward.

Remembering the Sounds of my Grandfather's Footsteps

I named this site "Remembering the sounds of my grandfathers footsteps" because as a young boy when grandpa and I would walk down to Fred Meyer's grocery store to get something for grandma, the leather soles of his shoes would make a cracking sound as he stepped on small stones on the concrete sidewalk. I always would walk behind him trying to step exactly where he stepped thinking that someday I might be just like him. This site is dedicated to all the men and women who served in WWI. They gave the best years of their lives and some paid with their lives, so that we could live in a Free Country. It is our duty not to forget what they paid for. Now that the last WWI veteran has passed into the pages of history, we the generations that follow take up this duty not to let their stories fade away into forgotten history, but keep it a living history for the generations who will follow us. This is the History of one WWI Veteran My Grandfather Cpl. Guy J. Edington and the US Army Coast Artillery Corps , US Army Ordnance Department and the US Navy who took them over and brought them back again.

Cpl. Guy Joseph Edington, 2171636
13 Dec., 1917 - 5 June, 1919 Ordnance Repair Shops Mehun-sur-Yevre, France
Ordnance Detachment, 56th Artillery C.A.C.
1st Army Artillery

Site Map

Ships Histories Page

Coast Artillery Unit Histories

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Below are links to recent updates to this website:

I am constantly making updates to this web site. So many so that I have discontinued making note of them here. I maintain this site entirely myself and some of these projects take weeks to research and write and edit to the web site. It is a slow process but I keep at it. Thanks for your help with these many projects.

April 2006 Updates: Made updates to these pages [ USS Jenkins] [ USS South Dakota ] [ USS Charleston ] [ Dewey Dry Dock ] [ HMS Roxburgh ] [ USS Aeolus ] [ 31st Co. Ft. Caswell ]

26 March 2006: Added major updates to the [ Dewey Drydock ] page. New photos and additional history.

12 March 2006: Added the [ 56th Artillery CAC, Battery D ] web page.

10 March 2006: Made major updates to the [ USS Henry R. Mallory ] main page and the [ USS Henry R. Mallory Stories ] page.

25 February 2006: Added updates to the [ 70th Artillery ] web page.

22 January 2006: Added Beer Stein Story to the [ USS President Lincoln ] web page.

10 January 2006: Made major updates to the [ 65th Artillery ] and [ 65th Artillery Muster ] pages.

17 December 2005: Added the [ USS Maryland/Frederick Ships Muster Page ] and made major changes to the [ USS Maryland/Frederick ] main page.

7 December 2005: Added additional history to the [ 50th Artillery ] page.

6 December 2005: Added the [ USS Aphrodite ] page.

4 December 2005: Added the [ Captain John R. Drake, 166th Ambulance Company, 117th Sanitary Train , 42nd Division ] page

3 December 2005: Added the [ Captain George A. Blair ] of Company C, 117th Infantry, 30th Division page.

23 November 2005: Added the [ Pvt. Steenhoek ] of Company K, 325th Infantry, 82nd Division page.

6 November 2005: Made updates to the [ 60th Artillery ] page.

5 November 2005: Made updates to the [ 65th Artillery ] page.

25 October 2005: Made major updates to the [ USS South Dakota ] page.

2 October 2005: Made updates to the [ 55th Artillery ] web page

22August 2005: Made major updates to the [ USS Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh ] [ USS Columbia ] web pages.

20 August 2005: Made major updates to the [ Major John Hoag, 56th Artillery ] web page.

30 May 2005: Added updates to the [ USS Zeppelin ] page.

22 May 2005: Added the [ HMS Roxburgh ] page.

2 April 2005: Added the [ 36th Artillery Brigade, CAC ] page and updated the [ 68th Arty ] [ 69th Arty ] [ 63rd Arty ] pages.

15 March 2005: Added updates to the [ USS South Dakota ] [ 53rd Artillery Muster ] [ 3rd TM Bn ] [ Sub Chaser SC110 ]
[ 61st Artillery ] [ USS Rijindam ] USS Maryland ] [ USS Colorado ] pages.

27 February 2005: Added the [ USS Pennsylvania / USS Pittsburgh ] and [ USS Princeton ] pages.

25 February 2005: Added updates to the [ USS President Lincoln ] page.

21 February 2005: Added updates to the [ 1st Trench Mortar Battalion ] page.

20 February 2005: Added additional individual histories to the [ USS Mongolia ] and [ USS Jenkins ] pages.

16 February 2005: Added additional individual histories to the [ 71st Artillery ] page and the [ USS Ericsson ] page.

15 February 2005: Added updates to the [ USS Charleston ] page and added the [ Charleston Crew List ] page.

9 February 2005: Added updates to the [ USS Covington ] page.

6 February 2005: Added major updates to the [ 3rd TM Bn ] and [ 56th Artillery, Battery A ] pages.

29 January 2005: Added additional history to the [ HMS Campanula ] and the [ USS West Virginia/Huntington ] pages.

1 January, 2005: Added the [ 55th Artillery, Peace Years in Hawaii ] page.

30 December, 2004: Added additional photos to the [ Dewey Drydock ] page.

17 December, 2004: Added additional photos to the [ USS Charleston ] page.

13 December, 2004: Added the [ 52nd Artillery ] page.

6 December, 2004: Added additional history to the [ USS Columbia ] page.

4 December, 2004: Added additional history and photos to the [ HMS Otranto ] page.

12 November 2004: Added additional history to the [ 50th Artillery ] page.

11 November, 2004: Added additional history to the [ HMS Otranto ] page.

6 November, 2004: Added additional history to the [ USS Madawaska / USS U.S. Grant ] page.

31 October, 2004: Added the [ USS President Lincoln ] [ U-90 ]pages.

27 October, 2004: Added additional history to the [ 64th Artillery ] page and the [ USS Mongolia ] page.

26 October, 2004: Added the [ 53rd Artillery, Battery B ] [ 53rd Artillery Regimental Muster ] pages
made additional history up dates to the main [ 53rd Artillery page ] and added the [ USS Nansemond ] and
Fall River night boat steamship [ SS Plymouth ] pages.

6 October, 2004: Added additional history to the [ USS Madawaska / USS U.S. Grant ] page.

26 September, 2004: Added the [ 1st Anti-Aircraft Battalion CAC ] page.

18 September, 2004: Added additional history and photos to the [ USS Mongolia ] page.

7 September, 2004: Added additional history and photos to the [ USS West Virginia/Huntington ] page.

16 August, 2004: Added the [ USS Princess Matoika ] and additional history to the [ USS Colorado/Pueblo ] Pages

30 July, 2004: Added the [ First Army Artillery Park ] page.

11 July, 2004: Added another survivor story to the [ USS Henry R. Mallory ] page.

9 July, 2004: Added additional history to the [ 54th Artillery ] page.

6 July, 2004: Added the [ RADM V. L. Cottman ] page.

4 July, 2004: Added two more survivor stories to the [ USS Henry R. Mallory ] page.

19 June, 2004: Added updates to the [ USS Covington and USS Minnesota ] pages.

11 June, 2004: Added updates to the [ Battery B, 56th Artillery ] page.

29 May, 2004: Added updates to the [ Battery A, 56th Artillery ] page.

25 May, 2004: Added the [ USS California/San Diego ] [ RADM Christy ] [ U-156 ] pages.

21 May, 2004: Added the [ Dewey Drydock ] page.

14 May, 2004: Added updates to the [ 31st Artillery Brigade ] page and the [ Officers Quarters ] page.

29 April, 2004: Added additional photo and history to [ U-117 ] page.

17 April, 2004: Added the [ USS Galveston ] page.

9 April, 2004: Added additional photos of the crew to the [ USS Mercury ] page.

7 April, 2004: Added the [ USS West Virginia/Huntington ] page.

24 March, 2004: Added another update to the [ USS Henry R. Mallory ] page.

23 March, 2004: Added new page about [ Major R. S. Kimball, CO Camp Mills ]

16 March, 2004: Added major updated to the [ USS Henry R. Mallory ] page.

12 March, 2004: Added the [ 71st Artillery ] [ HMS Anselm ] [ USS Jenkins ] [ USS Terry ] pages.

24 February, 2004: Added the [ USS McDougal ] page.

22 February, 2004: Added updates to the [ USS Charleston ] page and the new [ HMS Cardiganshire ] page.

17 February, 2004: Added the [ USS Colorado/Pueblo ] page

15 February, 2004: Added updates to the [ HMS Campanula ] page

15 February, 2004: Added the [ USS Ericsson ] and the [ USS Rijndam ] pages

12 February, 2004: Added the [ USS Mongolia ] page

11 February, 2004: Added updates to the [ 44th Artillery ] [ 51st Artillery ] page.

9 February, 2004: Added the [ USS Virginia ] page and made major updates to the [ 1st TM Bn ] [ 2nd TM Bn ] pages.

30 January, 2004: Added updates to the [ 74th Artillery ] [ USS Henry R. Mallory ] pages.

8 January, 2004: Added the German U-boat pages [ U-86 ] and [ U-117 ] pages.

8 January, 2004: Added the [ 32d Brigade CAC ] page and the [ 42nd Artillery ] page.

6 January, 2004: Added major updates to the [ USS Columbia ] page.

5 January, 2004: Added the [ USS Minnesota ] page.

1 January, 2004: Added the[ Coast Defenses of Galveston, Texas ] and updated the [ 51st Artillery ] pages.

29 December, 2003: Added the [ 31st Company, Ft. Caswell, NC ] page.

28 December, 2003: Added the [ Vehicles of the AEF ] page.

27 December, 2003: Added the [ 39th Artillery Brigade ] page.

26 December, 2003: Added updates to the [ USS Madawaska ] page.

24 December, 2003: Added updates to the [ USS Maryland-Frederick ] page.

22 December, 2003: Added updates to the [ 70th Artillery ] page.

13 December, 2003: Added info about Vietnam on the [ 55th Artillery ] page and added the [ HMS OTRANTO ] page.

11 December, 2003: Added the [ Sub Chaser SC110 ] page.

10 December, 2003: Added updates to the [ 68th Artillery ] page and the [ USS Zeppelin ] page.

27 November, 2003: Added new photos and history to the [ 56th Artillery ] [ 56th Arty, Bty B ] [ Argonne Orders ] pages.

27 November, 2003: Added additional history and photos to the [ USS South Dakota ] and [ USS Covington ] pages.

23 November, 2003: Added additional history on Battery B to the [ 43rd Artillery ] page.

22 November, 2003: Added additional history to the [ 54th Artillery ] page.

19 November, 2003: Added New photos and additional history to the [ USS Zeppelin ] page.

13 November, 2003: Added the [ Officers Quarters ] Page.

11 November, 2003: Added the [ Major John A. Hoag ] page and the [ Captain Higgins ] page

11 November, 2003: Added updates to the [ 57th Artillery ] [57th, 1st Battalion ] [ 57th, 2d Battalion ] pages.

18 October, 2003: Added the [ 58th Artillery, Battery E ] page.

11 October, 2003: Added new updates to the USS South Dakota, USS St. Louis, USS Charleston pages.

20 September, 2003: Added new photos to the [ USS Covington ] page.

5 September, 2003: Added updates to the [ USS Maryland-Frederick ] page

21 August 2003: Added the [ Colonel John B. Bennet ] page.

18 August 2003: Added sailing dates to the [ USS Covington ] page.

17 August 2003: Added Diary excerpts to the [ USS Radnor ] page.

11 August 2003: Added an interview of a member of the 60th to the [ 60th Artillery ] page.

9 August 2003: Added the [ 1st Trench Mortar Battalion ] page.

3 August 2003: Added additionalinformation to Seaman Jenkins personal story on the [ USS Henry R. Mallory ] page.

13 July 2003: Added the [ 70th Artillery ] page.

5 July 2003: Added the [ Mobile Ordnance Repair Shops ] page.

5 July 2003: Added the [ 57th Atrillery Ordnance Detachment ] page.

22 June 2003: Added the [ 50th Artillery ] page.

13 June 2003: Added additional information to the [ 55th Artillery ] page and added the [ Col. Shedd ] page.

7 June 2003: Added major updates to the [ USS Covington ] page.

7 June 2003: Added updates to the [ USS Charleston ] page.

27 May 2003: Added another additional personal stories to the [ USS Henry R. Mallory ] page.

7 May 2003: Added additional information to the [ 55th Artillery ] page.

14 March 2003: Added the [ HMS Campanula ] page to the [ Ships History ] page.

4 May 2003: Added additional personal stories to the [ USS Henry R. Mallory ] page.

15 April 2003: Added additional information to the [ 55th Artillery ] page.

28 March 2003: Added additional information to the [ 75th Artillery ] page.

16 March 2003: Added the [ 9th Trench Mortar Battalion] page.

14 March 2003: Added additional personal stories to the [ USS Henry R. Mallory ] page.

12 March 2003: Added additional information to the [ USS Mercury ] and [ USS Covington ] pages.

9 March 2003: Added additional information about the 3d Battalion to the [ 51st Artillery ] page.

8 March 2003: Added pages for the [ 3d Trench Mortar Battalion ] and [ 4th Trench Mortar Battalions.]

8 March 2003: Added additional information to the main [ Coast Artillery Corps ] Page

3 March 2003: Added a new picture to the [ U.S.S. South Dakota ] page.

20 February 2003: Added additional history to the [ 55th Artillery ] page.

19 February 2003: Added additional history to the USS Henry R. Mallory page.

10 February, 2003: Made major updates to the [ 58th Artillery, Battery A ] page

10 February, 2003: Made major updates to the [ 65th Artillery ] page.

8 January, 2003: Made major updates to the [ Troopships, Battleships and Cruisers ] page.

31 December, 2002: Added the [ 75th Artillery ] page.

16 December, 2002: Added updates to the [ 58th Artillery ] page and added the [ 58th Artillery, Battery A ] page

11 December 2002: Added updates to the [ 54th Arty page ] and added the [ USS Aeolus ] page.

22 October, 2002: Added the [ 69th Artillery ] page

14 October, 2002: Added updates to the [ USS Maryland -Fredrick page ] page

11 October, 2002: Added the [ USS Zeppelin ] page.

10 October, 2002: Added the [ 43rd Artillery ] page.

7 October, 2002: Added updates to the [ 155mm Filloux Gun ] page.

6 October, 2002: Updated the [ 51st Artillery ] page, Added the [ Forts of the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic Coast Artillery Districts ] page.

3 October, 2002: Updated the [ 44th Artillery ] page with a new photo of the entire regiment.

29 September, 2002: Added updates for Lawrence Shaldenbrand to the [ Doughboy Buddies ] page.

28 September, 2002: Added the [ 64th Artillery ] page, [ HQ CO 56th Artillery ] and [ Battery B, 56th Artillery ] pages.

22 September, 2002: Added the [ Coast Artillery Ammunition ] page.

21 September, 2002: Updated the [ 53rd Artillery ] [ 8-inch Howitzer ] [ 9.2-inch Howitzer ] [ Coast Artillery History page ] and added the [Railway Artillery Projects ] [ 400mm Railway Artillery ] pages.

13 September, 2002: Added the [ 53rd Artillery ] page.

9 September, 2002: Added the [ 8-inch Howitzer ] page, [ 9.2-inch Howitzer ] page, [ History of the Ordnance Repair Shops, Mehun, France ]

7 September, 2002: Added the [ 65th Artillery ] page.

30 August, 2002: Added updates to the [ 58th Artillery ] page and [ 155mm Filloux Gun ] page.

8 August, 2002: Added updates to the [ USS Maryland -Fredrick page ] page about the film A Sailor Made Man

4 July, 2002: Added photos to the [ 62nd Artillery ] page

1 June 2002: Added new photo of the[ USS Radnor ]

9 May, 2002: Added the [ 62nd Artillery ] page

28 April, 2002: Added the [ 61st Artillery ] page

27 April, 2002: Added the [ 44th Artillery ] page

21 April, 2002: Added updates to the [ USS Maryland -Fredrick page ] page

 8 April, 2002: Added the [ 73rd Artillery ] page

10 February, 2002: Added a new picture to the [ U.S.S. St. Louis ] page

17 January, 2002: Added a new picture to the [ U.S.S. South Dakota ] page

16 January 2002: Added updates to the [ USS Maryland -Fredrick page ] page

7 December 2001: Added the [ Strathfillian ] page

18 November 2001: Added the [ USS Maryland ] page

28 October 2001: Added the [ USS Charleston ] page

6 October 2001: Added the [ 51st Artillery ] page

22 September 2001: Added the [ 68th Artillery] page and updates to the [45th Arty Page]

9 September 2001: Added the [ USS Columbia] page

7 September 2001: Added updates to the [ HMS Andiana page ] and [ HMS John Ebbs ] page

3 September 2001: Added updates to the [ 54th Arty page ]

31 August 2001: Added updates to the [ 49th Arty page ]

3 August 2001: Added updates to the [ 55th Arty page ]

3 July 2001: Added the [ USS Covington page ] [ Camp Mills Page ] [ Mitchel Field ]

8 June 2001: Added the [ Added page on Emma Sjögren (Sjogren) who was a nurse at Camp Merritt ]

26 May 2001: Added the [45th Arty Page] Content to [58th Arty page], content to [54th Arty page]

19 May 2001: Added new CAC Personnel tidbits.

12 May 2001: Added the HMS Andania page

11 May 2001: Added the 57th Artillery page.

28 April 2001: Added new Link on links page Darlene McClendon

14 April 2001: Added new photo of the USS Radnor

16 March 2001: Added new reports to the Returned Morning Reports Page. Added photos of 60th Arty.

12 January 2001: Added history of the 63rd Arty., Added Photos of 155mm GPF Gun. Added new CAC Personnel tidbits.

28 December 2000: Re -Design of the Defeating the Hun page

15 October 2000: Added additional history to the SS Henry R. Mallory page.

11 October 2000: Added a new picture of the U.S.S. South Dakota

10 October 2000: Added additional history to the SS Henry R. Mallory page.

9 October 2000: Added additional history to the USS Radnor page. and the links page.

7 October 2000: Added new reports to the Returned Morning Reports Page.

1 October 2000: Added Link to 88th Division History

30 September 2000: Added photos of the 31st Brigade Band.

27 September 2000: Added the Charles Graves Story, Americas Known Soldier

24 September 2000: Added a Picture of Camp Merritt

2 September 2000: Added the Returned Morning Reports Page.

18 August 2000: Added a picture of the U.S.S. South Dakota

14 August 2000: Added a new link to the Powers Museum on the links page.

5 August 2000: Added the 55th Regiment C.A.C. History Page.

4 July 2000: Added information to the 31st Brigade Officers Page. Also Added new links to the links Page

12 April 2000: Added Doughboy Buddies page.

9 March 2000: Added Service Timeline page and added Officers of 31st Brigade CAC page

29 December 1999: Added links to 56th Regiment history page to the Field Orders for Argonne Sector.

19 December 1999: Updated site map and home pages.

16 December 1999: Added pictures to the page "Duties after the War".

13 December 1999: Added pictures to the home page "Merry Christmas".

12 December 1999: Added notation about the 59th and 56th Regiments CAC sailing together on the RMS Olympic. Completed adding the names of all the men in the 26th Ordnance Casual Company.
Added new links to the "Links Page"


This web site was last updated on: Sunday, February 21, 2016