History of the Dieterich Machine Gun Company

History of the Dieterich Machine Gun Company

The beginnings of the regiment that the machine gun company was a part of reaches back as far as the Black Hawk War. Abraham Lincoln’s company was a part the regiment. During the Mexican War the 4th Illinois Regiment captured a villa at the battle of Cerro Gordo Mexico and took possession of a wagonload of General Santa Anna’s wooden legs. Many of these wooden legs were used to cook their lunch over. One leg was brought back to Illinois as a trophy and is still on display in the Illinois National Guard museum in Springfield Illinois. During the Civil War the 4th Illinois did not serve. They were revived and served in the Spanish American War.

In the early 1900’s the Regiment became an Illinois National Guard regiment 4th Illinois and many men from Dieterich enlisted. They were sent to Texas to protect from boarder incursions from Poncho Villa. When the United States entered the First World War the men returned to Dieterich to raise a machine gun company.

Dieterich has the distinction of being one of the smallest towns to raise an entire machine gun company in the nation. The men after training here in Dieterich for forty days loaded their machine gun trucks on rail cars and shipped off to Texas for more training. The town of Dieterich turned out for a farewell at the Dieterich train station. The unit arrived at Camp Logan in Texas and trained from October till May. While at Camp Logan the regiment was formed into the 130th Infantry. The regiment was made up of men from around the Central Illinois area. The regiment was placed into the 33rd Division, known as the Prairie Division. This Division was made up entirely of men fro the State of Illinois. This Division was placed in the 3rd Army.

The Machine Gun Company was moved by troop train to Hoboken New Jersey where they boarded to troop transport U.S.S. Agamemnon and made their voyage across the Atlantic to Brest France. They were soon shipped by boxcar on the French railroad to Oisemont France. The boxcar was crammed with 40 men. This meant that only a few men could lie down at a time during the two day trip. The men reported there were no restrooms or even a hole in the floor. The company received training in British commands and trench warfare in several places in this sector of France.

Upon being moved to the front of the war the company served at the Somme front from July 1918 through August of 1918. Here they were involved in fighting and aerial attacks. Many of the men wrote about the extensive rains and the very sticky mud they had to endure. They were always ready to note the attacks by plane. This was a new technology and a notable experience. They wrote of the places they slept, such as in pup tents or many times the mud in the trenches. The company was moved around quite a bit in the Somme Sector.

Alphonsus Wooley wrote in his diary: June 27, 1918. A German plane came over tonight. He flew directly over us twice. This place is near the English Channel & we have to go out in the sand dunes when an enemy plane comes over. The anti-aircraft guns fired at him & he left.

July 25, 1918. I was relived by Carl Mason today. I walked over to a balloon. I wanted to see just what the things look like. It was quite a large thing.

August 7, 1918. We slept in mud last night & marched to Molliens au Bois today. It looks like another bed of mud tonight. I’m getting used to it.

The company was moved from the Somme Sector to the Verdun Sector and served in and around the Meuse, Argonne Consenvoye and Troyon Fronts where they were involved in several actions until the signing of the armistice. After the armistice the company served in Beaufort Luxemburg to insure the terms of the armistice. The men served here from December 1918 till the end of April of 1919.

The company was sent back to Brest France where they boarded the troop transport U.S.S. Siboney for Hoboken New Jersey. They were sent to Camp Grant in Illinois were they were discharged from the service.

Upon returning home they received a hero’s welcome and the entire town turned out for a parade and celebration. During their time in the service no member of the Dieterich machine gun company was killed in action, although some were wounded. In honor of their service the village erected a memorial arch at the entrance of Liberty Park in Dieterich. Since then the arch has been incorporated into the Dieterich Community Veterans Memorial.