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| | SERGT. GALON M. WILSON
Serial No. 2,026,619
Merrill, Mich.
Inducted September 23, 1917, he was one of the first men in the Battery.
Was promoted to Corporal December 7, 1917.
On January 23rd, Corp. Wilson was sent to Machine Gun School with 2nd Lieut. Combes, and completed his course February 13, 1918. On August 13th, Corp. Wilson, with Sergt. Schmuck, Corp. Cooper, 1st Cl. Pvts. Wood and Whalen, and Privates Allen, Brown. Owen, Maier (Albert) and A. Miller, was put on special duty under Sergt. Kelley to go to Le Havre for motor trucks. Loading their trucks with needed supplies, they returned to us at Bain via Paris.
In a little town outside of Paris this troop had a very thrilling experience. The natives had never seen American soldiers. It was necessary to billet for the night, so they requisitioned a barn and went to sleep. They were presently awakened by the men of the town armed with all kinds of firearms, some of them samples of Napoleon’s time, surrounding the barn. The French believed they were Boches and were taking them prisoners. No one in the crowd could talk good French, but after considerable parleying the mayor of the village realized they were Americans and so informed the irate Frenchmen. Their malevolent attitude soon changed to respect and courtesy. The boys were given wine and smiled on generally.
The commanding officer in charge of this convoy was 1st Lieut. Jewett. On the fourth day they purposely got lost so they could see France and possibly the one adventure had awakened a thirst for more. The incident occurred at the little town of Amerige.
At Coetquidan Corp. Wilson was made Section Chief, No. 1 Gun, in which capacity he acted throughout our fighting activities at the front.
Sergt. Wilson’s gun fired the first shell into enemy territory from our Battery.
At Pont-a-Mousson Sergt. Wilson was one of our Battery B quartettes.
He contributed greatly to the good spirits of the men by his vivacity and love of fun. On the way from Drouillard to Vibraye the train stopped in a woods for a few minutes. The cars were crowded and all men leaped out to get some needed exercise. Bugler Rose and Sergt. Wilson gave a clown-like few minute movie of a dog chasing a rabbit. They had the whole train laughing as one barked like a dog while the other ran before him in imitation of a frightened rabbit. He had the rare combination of being a leader
and a commander of his men, who held him in respect; but could relax into fun and light merriment without loss of dignity.
If ever a man won his stripes Wilson did when he was promoted at Camp Mills just before discharge. |