During these months the comforts and pleasures of the men had not been neglected. The Camp
had numerous welfare buildings which offered various forms of entertainment and unusual opportunities
for development and their use was encouraged in the extreme. The Hostess House which took care of
the soldier’s family and enabled many home folks to come to Camp Travis for visits. The camp Library
was also of great value.
A liberal system of passes to the City of San Antonio was perfected giving opportunity for the
men to visit the city and its many forms of entertainment, which did much towards making them
contended with their Camp life.
During March 1918 approximately nine hundred men of the Regiment were transferred
therefrom for immediate duty overseas. Taking these men away from their companies caused an
upheaval, resulting from the desire of the men to remain with their original organizations and the
organizations to retain them, but the necessities of the occasion could not change the situation. As the
winter came to a close the work became more intensive and the regiment speedily showed the effects of
the training it had and became a well oiled organization. From the time of the organization of the
Regiment to the early spring of 1918, many changes occurred in the personnel of the officers, many
officers being assigned to fill vacancies of those who were transferred, the Regiment keeping always its
full quota.
Early in April 1918, the Division having been reported on so favorably by the many inspectors
from the War Department, the work was speeded up for an early departure to France, and the weather
being ideal the schedule was enlarged and included maneuvers, marches and problems on a larger scale,
and each phase of open as well as trench warfare was rehearsed; great improvement being noted in the
general conditions. Night work was not neglected, and the Regiment had night marches when the
compass had to be used, attacks, patrols, scouting and sniping, and all phases of night warfare, which
was gone through with under the direction and supervision of British, French and Canadian officers who
were attached to the Division for instruction purposes. Schools for officers doing this period were
regularly held, as well as schools for the noncommissioned officers and men. These included courses in
bayonet, gas, grenade, mapping, Stokes Mortar, machine guns, liaison and musketry and the work was
as thorough as the time and instructors could make it. The Regiment took part in several Divisional
Reviews and parades of various natures in the city of San Antonio, those in honor of its Divisional
Commander, Major General Allen upon his return from France, and on Washington’s Birthday, being
especially notable.
Early in May 1918, the Regiment received approximately 2500 men from Camp Dodge, Iowa,
and immediately the companies being filled up to their full quota, preparations were made for departure
for France. These “Rookies” were put through a strenuous preparation that put to shame the previous
work of the Regiment. It was necessary to bring them to as near the shape and condition of the
“Veterans” as possible and no effort was spared to prepare them. Starting with recruit drill, they were
hurried through the special work and taken to the range, and due to the excellent work, particularly of
the noncommissioned officers who were assigned from each company as drill masters, they speedily
fitted into the organizations. Equipment for overseas duty was issued, all records were checked and all
preparations for the movement of troops perfected. The work of the entire Regiment was lengthened to
include not only hours of daylight but many after dark.
During the last week of May 1918, the first movement to start the departure for overseas was
made when Lt. Arthur J. Moquin and Lt. (Now Captain) Hopkins P. Breazeale, left Camp Travis as a
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