Just over 100 years ago, the United States was preparing to send troops to France for the first time as part of the Great War.
President Woodrow Wilson and top Army officials were trying to figure out the best way to mobilize a division of 27,000 men to be sent to Europe as quickly as possible. As it stood, the small regular Army — which was supposed to be provide four divisions — was scattered across the country in regiments of 1,000 men each, according to U.S. Army records. Some were also stationed in Hawaii, the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico. It would take too much time to get enough men in a central location for training.
The National Guard’s 122,000 members had been mobilized in July 1917, but now — one month later — they would still need to be brought up into fighting shape. The New York and Pennsylvania National Guards had just returned from fighting on the Mexican border less than a year earlier and were used to fighting, but Wilson didn’t want to show favoritism by singling out these units.
Major Douglas MacArthur suggested combining National Guard units from across the country into one division which could then be deployed to France without slighting any state or region. Wilson liked the idea. He promoted MacArthur to Colonel and had him put the idea into action, forming a division whose members would stretch across the country “like a rainbow,” as MacArthur put it.
Division numbers 1 through 25 were reserved for the Regular Army and numbers 26 through 41 were reserved for National Guard units of individual states, so this new Rainbow Division was designated number 42. The troops would come from 26 states and the District of Colombia and assemble on Long Island on Aug. 20.
Major units from New York and Ohio were joined by their counterparts from Iowa, Indiana and Alabama. The Civil War’s 50th anniversary was only four years behind them, and the divisions of New York and Alabama had faced each other at Gettysburg. Tensions were definitely present.
Notable, also, was the refusal of the inclusion of the 15th New York Infantry, an African-American regiment in a segregated Army. The colonel was reportedly told black was not a color of the rainbow.
The Rainbow Division was the fourth unit to land in France and one of the war’s most famous. Newspaper articles and poems about the division were plentiful. Songs were written about them — “The Rainbow Lads,” “A Tribute to the Rainbow Division,” “The Rainbow Division,” “When the Rainbow Division Arrives” and “There’s Green in Every Rainbow.” Post-war books sold well and a 1940 movie “The Fighting 89th” starred Jimmy Cagney and Pat O’Brien.
In 1943 during World War II, the division was reactivated and liberated the Dauchau concentration camp in spring 1945. Since 1947, the division has been part of the New York National Guard and still serves as part of the Army’s strategic reserve.
Back in 1917, prior to the Rainbow Division’s first deployment, Major-General William A. Mann, commanding officer of the division, published a roster of his men.
“Having found, after three weeks in our mobilization camp, that there was a great desire on the part of the officers and men of individual organizations to become acquainted with their co-workers …, I have undertaken to compile the Roster,” wrote Mann.
“To be among them is an honor of which any man can justly be proud, for being so chosen is significant of the proven ability that our country appreciates. One hundred million people depend upon the Rainbow Division,” he wrote.
Listed as part of the 167th Regiment (4th Alabama) Infantry was Pvt. Paul R. Williams, from Chunky, Mississippi.
The famed Rainbow Division — virtually hand-picked, immortalized in poetry, song, article and film — included a young man from a little town on the east edge of Newton County, our hometown.
Are you part of Williams’ family? Do you have more you can add to this story? If so, please let me know.
And to all men and women who have sacrificed so much to defend families, homes and country, thank you.
Brett Campbell can be reached at ChunkyBrett@mail.com or 601-934-0901.
