CAMP DODGE

Camp Dodge, Des Moines, Iowa


Photo of Pvt. Edington at Camp Dodge, Iowa while serving in the 2nd Provisional Battalion. (see non-divisional units: Ordnance Department: 2d Provisional Battalion at bottom of this page) He is in the back row on the right end. I can remember him telling stories about a group of guys that were friends while at Camp Dodge. Grandpa called them the "WWWWW Gang" (We Won't Work Will We). This may be the gang he talked about. The other 5 soldiers in this photo are unknown. The handwriting at the bottom of the photo "Camp Dodge 2nd Prov." is my grandfathers handwriting. His handwriting is easy to recognize as I remember that when he wrote he took his time and wrote each letter very clearly and in the same style. I think that he learned this while drawing blue prints for the U.S. Patent office on Bristol board that had to be developed in a special box exposed by the light of the sun before the War.


Camp Barracks and Army Trucks

Birdseye View of Camp Dodge


Future Soldiers arriving at Camp Dodge


Partial view of the camp


Morning exercise


Back side of previous post card.
The stamp is 2 cents and is addresses to
Miss Lena M. Howard, G.J.E's future wife.


Game of Push Ball at Camp Dodge


Recreation at Camp Dodge


Washing mess kits after noon mess


Main Street, Camp Dodge

Wide angle view of Camp Dodge, Iowa 1917

During the WWI years, Arthur S. Mole and John D. Thomas made some incredible human pictures by using thousands of sailors or soldiers in uniform to create images. The above depicting the Statue of Liberty, was photographed on the prade grounds at Camp Dodge using 18,000 Officers and Enlisted men in August of 1918. Colonel William Newman was camp commander at the time.

History: Named in honor of Maj. Gen. Grenville M. Dodge, U. S. V., who commanded Iowa volunteers during the Civil War. Established, June 18, 1917, to serve as training camp for 88th Div. (N. A.), which occupied the cantonment, Aug. 1917-July 1918. Construction started, June 19, 1917 and continued through 1918. The first inducted men reported Sept. 1-15, 1917; the last, Dec. 1-15, 1918. Approximate numbers received from States and other sources : Ala., 3,403 ; Ill., 10,855 ; Ind., 3,436 ; Iowa, 37,111; Minn., 21,622; MO., 9,246; Mont., 4,000; Nebr., 7,568; N. Dak., 5,823; S. Dak., 4,000 ; Okla., 4,286 ; Tenn., 2,000; other States, 5,279 ; other camps, 8,319.

Designated as demobilization center, Dec. 3, 1918. Retained as permanent reservation. Description': Reservation located 12 miles north of Des Moines, in Polk County. Facilities-Camp Base Hospital: Organized Aug. 28, 1917. Located at western extremity of camp. Construction completed toward end of Oct. 1917. Treated all cases arising in camp, and medical, surgical, and venereal cases from overseas. See p. 264. Oficers' Training Schools: Third Series-In operation, Jan. 5-Apr. 19, 1918. See pp. 81, 82. Fourth Series-In operation, May 15-Sept. 1, 1918. See pp. 83, 84. Demobilization Center: Number processed-About 208,800. Other Facilities: See p. 678.

Cantonment of 1,409 buildings. Troop capacity-42,227. Costs of construction to June 30, 1919-About $10,000,000. Area-Cantonment site proper, 3,354 acres ; entire reservation, 5,209 acres. Command Status: Commanding officer reported direct to War Department; also exercised jurisdiction of general courts-martial till Sept. 24, 1919.

Camp Commanders:
1917
Aug. 25, Maj. Gen. Edward H. Plummer;
Nov. 27, Brig. Gen. Robert N. Getty (ad interim).
1918
Feb. 19, Maj. Gen. Edward H. Plummer;
Mar. 15, Brig. Gen. Robert N. Getty;
May 24, Brig. Gen. William D. Beach;
July 26, Brig. Gen. Stephen M. Foote;
Aug. 13, Col. William Newman;
Sept. 1, Col. William C. Bennett;
Sept. 26, Cal. Armand I. Lasseigne;
Oct. 25, Brig. Gen. Benjamin T. Simmons.
1919
Jan. 13, Brig. Gen. Stephen M. Foote;
Feb. 9, Maj. Gen. Charles C. Ballou;
May 15, Col. William C. Bennett;
May 16, Brig. Gen. Edwin B. Babbitt;
May 18, Maj. Gen. William M. Wright;
May 30, Brig. Gen. Edwin B. Babbitt (ad interim) ;
June 7, Maj. Gen. William Weigel (ad interim) ;
June 9, Brig. Gen. Herman Hall (ad interim) through June 20.

Troops

STATION COMPLEMENTAux. Rmt. Dep. 322 ;
Bkrs. & Cks. Sch. ;
Base Hosp. ; Cp. Hq. ;
Depot Brigade 163; Devlpt. Bns. 1, 2;
Engr. Dep. Det. 417;
F. Trk.
and H. Co. 313 ;
M. Sh. Trk. U. 346 ;
Med. Sup. Dep. ;
M. T. Co.
346;
Ord. Dep. Co. 113;
Provost Gd. Co.;
Res. Labor Bn. 414;
Sig. Sup. Det. 6;
Util. Det. 

DIVISIONAL UNITS

4th Division: Div: garrison duty.

8th Division: 320th F. Sig. Bn., mobilizing for overseas.

12th Division: 42d Inf., mobilizing for overseas.

19th Division: Div. (less 19th F. A. Brig., 19th Am. Tn.), mobilizing for overseas;
Div. (less 2d Inf., 14th Inf., 19th F. A. Brig., 19th Am. Tn.), demobilizing;
2d Inf., 14th Inf., garrison duty.

34th Division: 59th F. A. Brig., 109th Engrs., 109th F. Sig. Bn., 109th Am. Tn.,
109th Sup. Tn., 109th Engr. Tn., demobilizing.

41st Division: 161st Inf., 148th M. G. Bn., 147th F. A., 116th T. M. Btry., 116th Sn. Tn., demobilizing.

42d Division: 84th Inf. Brig. Hq., 168th Inf., 151st F. A., demobilizing.

87th Division: 312th T. M. Btry., demobilizing.

88th Division: Div. (less 338th Engrs.), mobilizing and demobilizing.

89th Division: 314th T. M. Btry., 340th M. G. Bn., 314th Am. Tn., 314th Sup. Tn.,
314th Sn. Tn., demobilizing.

90th Division: 315th Engrs., 315th Engr. Tn., demobilizing.

92d Division: 366th Inf., mobilizing for overseas. 

NONDIVISIONAL UNITS

Coast Artillery: 4th A. A. Bn.

Engineers: 55th Regt.; 527th, 528th Bns.; 468th Engr. Pon. Tn.

Infantry: 804th, 809th Pion.

Medical Department: Base Hosps. 11, 15, 49, 81, 88, 104, 108, 109, 120,121, 144 ;
Camp Hosps. 6, 14, 15,42, 48 ; Evac. Hosps. 12, 25, 33.

Motor Transport Corps: 308th M. Rep. U.

Ordnance Department: 2d Provisional Battalion

Quartermaster Corps: Bkry. Cos. 331, 343, 344, 345, 365, 370, 396, 420; F. Rmt. Sqs. 340, 341, 342.

Signal Corps: 404th, 408th Tg. Bns.

Transportation Corps: lst, 2d, 4th, 5th, 6th, 27th, 28th, 48th, 57th, 59th, 69th, 87th, 132d, 143d Cos.

Veterinary Corps: Vet. Hosp. 18.

 

Source: ORDER OF BATTLE OF THE UNITED STATES LAND FORCES IN THE WORLD WAR

Zone of the Interior: Organization and Activities of the War Department

Volume 3, Part 1

CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY UNITED STATES ARMY

WASHINGTON, D.C., 1988


[Site Map]  •  [Sign the Guest Book]

Date this page was created on 14 August 2000 and last updated on 12/5/07

If you have research comments or additional information on this page e-mail them to: Joe Hartwell