Smith, Clarence, PFC

Clarence C. Smith 1,246,544 enlisted in the Pa National Guard at Carlisle Pa on 23 July 1917. He was assigned to Co G of the 8th Pennsylvania National Guard Regiment and went with his unit to Camp Hancock, GA where he was mobilized into the National Army,

In the fall of 1917, his company was organized into the 112th Regiment of the 28th Division. He shipped out of NY with Co G on 7 May 1918.

In France he had action in the Champagne-Marne defensive, 15-18 July '18 in the Oise-Aisne offensive, 18 Aug - 8 Sep '18 the Meuse-Argonne offensive, 26 Sept - 9Oct '18 and in the Thiaucourt defensive sector, 16 Oct-11 Nov '18. During these campaigns he was wounded with gas and shrapnel, but was not taken out of action and hospitalized. His rank was PFC.

He returned to the states 20 Apr '19 and was discharged 7 May '19. Besides the Victory Medal, he was awarded the Wound Chevron.

I knew very little of my grandfather, he died when I was one year old. I sure wish I would have had the opportunity to record his reflections. RIP Pap, you were a hero!

Order of Battle - American Forces - World War I
Twenty-Eighth Division (National Guard)

Known as the "Keystone Division." Insignia, a red keystone. Organized from units of the Pennsylvania National Guard at Camp Hancock, Ga., August 5, 1917. The majority of the officers and enlisted men were from the State of Pennsylvania. On November 15th the division was reorganized to conform to the new Tables of Organization.
The division commenced leaving the States April 21, 1918, moving through Camp Upton. It landed at Calais May 18th and trained with the British in the vicinity of Nielles les Blequin for about two weeks. It then moved to Gonesse where it trained with the French for another two weeks' period, and then moved to a sector near the Marne.
On July 1, 1918, two platoons of the 11th Infantry took part in an attack on hill 204. On July 16th part of the infantry entered the line on the Marne River and the entire division was in sector on the Ourcq River by July 27, 1918.
The division was relieved on the night of July 30th-31st, and from then to August 6th was in rest in the vicinity of Jaulgonne on the Marne. On the night of August 6th-7th, it again entered the line on the Vesle River, the sector extending from about Courlandon on the east to Fismes on the west. Here it remained actively engaged until Sept. 8th, when it was relieved by a French division.
Upon relief of the division, it moved to a position south of the Argonne forest, and on Sept. 20th took part of the sector extending from Boureuilles on the east to Cote 285 on the west. It was one of the attacking divisions in the offensive of Sept. 26th, pushing as far as Chatel Chehery, where it was relieved on Oct. 9th. It then moved by bus to an area northeast of Commercy.
On Oct. 16th it took over a sector near Thiaucourt extending from northeast to Jaulny on the east to the southern end of Etany de Lachaussee on the west. It held this sector until the signing of the armistice and then went to the divisional training area.
To include May 15, 1919, the division's casualties were 2,531 battle deaths, and 13,746 wounded. Seven hundred and twenty-six individuals of this division were taken prisoners by the enemy.

Distinguished Service Crosses awarded, 58.

112^th Infantry Regiment (1st Battalion)

On 3 July 1916, the regiment was called to service for Mexican border duty. The unit was transported to and garrisoned at El Paso, Texas for training, but was never utilized due to the ending of hostilities. The unit was mustered into federal active service on 16 July 1917 for service in World War I. On 11 October 1917 the 16th Regiment was re-designated as the 112th Infantry Regiment, became part of the 28th Infantry Division, and was the first war-strength National Guard regiment in the United States. The regiment reached France in May 1918 as part of the American Expeditionary Force. It went onto the line, 4 July 1918, in the Second Battle of the Marne. From that day on, the names Fismes, Fismette, Fond de Mezieres, and Argonne will never be forgotten. Company G and H lost a combined total of 200 men out of 230 when cut off at Fismette and fended off a frontal attack by a thousand German soldiers. The 112th Infantry Regiment returned home in April 1919 and was mustered out of federal service on 6 May 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey. The Regiment was awarded Battle Streamers marked Champagne 1918, Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Oise-Marne, Lorraine 1918, and Meuse-Argonne for their service in France.