"My father enlisted at age 17 in the 1st NY Infantry on April 10, 1917 at Oneonta, NY. His mother signed that he was 18 so that he might enlist. In July the 1st was sent to VanCortland Park, N.Y. where other units of the 27th Div. were training. In August 1917 the 27th Division had a Farewell Parade down 5th Avenue in New York City.

Next stop was Camp Wadsworth outside of Spartanburg, S.C. for training. While there the 27th Division was reorganized and most of the 1st NY Infantry were transfered to the newly organized 107th U.S. Infantry. In May 1918 they sailed for France.

Pop said that the British tried to train them but they had all kinds of fights as the British kept treating them as if they were British subjects and the Yanks did not take kindly to this. They next trained with the French who Pop liked very much.

Pop said they were having a break one day and they heard a pig squeal over the hill. Since they had been eating out of cans for quite some time they grabbed their rifles and took off over the hill to kill this pig for dinner. Upon reaching the hill top they looked down and saw this guy in a skirt blowing up a bag. This is the first time they saw a Scottish Bagpiper and Pop said they felt like killing him.

Anyway, Pop was gassed (not badly) and then got shot in the right knee in the Battle of the La Selle River (Oct 17, 1918)."

     
Fred Pierce (on left in both pictures) at "Camp VanCortland", VanCortland Park, NYC


 





1917 War Bond Drive pamphlet







Farewell Parade Pass



Farewell Parade of the NEW YORK DIVISION







"The camp colors. The arrow points to
 Major General O'Ryan's tent
with the guard in front"
from note on rear of postcard 




Regimental Colors and Band at Camp Wadsworth


 
Gas Mask training at Camp Wadsworth


Fred Pierce (standing, 2nd from left) with squad at Camp Wadsworth



Sgt Clinton B. Higgins calling roll



Guard mount at Camp Wadsworth






G Company Thanksgiving menu



Christmas card from Camp Wadsworth




Trenches at Camp Wadsworth



The guardhouse at Wadsworth, know as "THE BULLPEN"







On the troopship bound for France. Pvt. Pierce is directly above the white "X"



Training in France
G Company 1st. Lt. with French officer







Regimental Order 898 authorizing the wearing of a wound strip for Pvt 1cl. Pierce



Clipping from a NY paper listing Fred Pierce as wounded in action



News photo of Fred Pierce (center, at desk) at Debarkation Hospital No. 5 in NYC



Fred Pierce (left) at hospital in Oswego, NY



Discharge



Enlistment Record (reverse side of Discharge)



Statement of Service certificate

Fredrick Pierce wrote home often starting in recruit camp at Van Courtland Park, NYC through Camp Wadsworth, France and from Base Hospital in England. He talks frankly about the possibility of his own death and writes about the death of friends. Many of the pictures refered to in these letters are above. Thanks to his son Daniel for sending me transcripts of these letters and allowing these important documents to be shared through this website. The originals are hand written; these are scans of the typed transcripts. The grammer and spelling are as in the originals.