m a r k e r i c k s o n p a i n t i n g s Family Photographs - 1865 - 2017 Sweden * Italy * England * France * Germany New York City * California * Colorado * North Dakota
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My grandfather Frank Gustaf Severin Erickson (on the left) when he was an Oregon Railroad Deputy out of La Grande, Oregon in 1917. Frank was visiting his brother Ernest Julius Erickson (standing). Ernest Julius was just about to go into training at Camp Lewis in Washington State having joined the AEF the previous Summer. Their cousin Carl 'Charlie' Erickson is on the right. Both Frank and Ernest had joined the American Expeditionary Forces while they were living and working in Baker, Oregon. Ernest & Frank awaited their call up duties since the previous June. Ernest was called up first and would complete his training at Camp Lewis in June of 1918. He then was off to Camp Mills in New York for his embarkation out of Brooklyn Harbor to Europe, which would occur on July 8th, 1918 abroad the ship 'Karoa.' Ernest Julius arrived at port in Liverpool, England and within a week headed by train to a troop ship, crossing the English Channel for France. Ernest was a member of the 361st Infantry, Company C in the intelligence section of the First Battalion. He served from July through the Meuse Argonne Offensive that commenced on September 26th till his last day on October 10th of 1918. Ernest also contributed to the 361st as a scout, sniper, observer and runner. Read Ernest Julius's diary entries from the Argonne, written from September 26th through October 8th, 1918. Frank received his orders and reported to Camp Lewis for induction and training, eventually he would be off to Camp Kearney and then for his final training he left by train for Camp Upton in Yaphank (Long Island) in Suffolk County, New York. Frank would ship out of the same Brooklyn Harbor as Ernest Julius did the previous month across from Hoboken, NJ on August 8th, 1918 aboard the ship 'Nestor.' He was with the 308th Infantry, known as the "Liberty Division," of the 77th Division. Frank was a runner / rifleman with Company H and would become part of an elite group, as a surviving soldier of what is referred to as "The Lost Battalion." What he and Ernest Julius experienced in the Argonne would follow Frank for the rest of his days. His stories of those times are in the span of time and memory, truly haunting. |
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