Grygla Eagle subscriber, Keith Mork, shares WWI history

Keith Mork, a Skime resident, and Grygla Eagle subscriber, stopped in to the newspaper office last week. He brought in pieces of his family history that date back to the early 1900’s, during the First World War, that he wanted to share with you, our readers. 

Keith’s father, George Mork, and his uncle, John Mork, both homesteaded around the Skime area in approximately 1905-1906. John was drafted into the war first, but both brothers served time in France, according to Keith, who said his dad, George, was in the artillery, while John was in the 2nd division infantry. 

George and John both came home from the war and continued to live in the Skime area. George passed away in 1985. Keith didn’t recall the exact year his uncle, John, passed, but said it was prior – possibly 1980.

Keith brought in clippings from the Roseau newspaper that date back to 100 years ago! The following was written by his uncle, John Mork, and was published in the Roseau paper on January 7, 1919.

 

Courselles, France; 

Jan. 7, 1919

To the Editors of the Times-Region:

We, the All-American 82nd Division have men from all over the USA. The Roseau county boys of this regiment would appreciate some recognition from your paper, as we always were readers of it.

The 82nd was the second National Army Division in France, and also in action, participating in both the St. Mehiel and Argonne drives. We trained at Camp Gordon, GA, and landed in France on May 8th, 1918. We joined the British on the Somme sector on May 12th and on our departure for St. Mehiel, Sir Douglas Haig reviewed us. Our men captured Montsec and other important objectives on the right flank of that salient with the aid of our artillery, which did splendid work all through, and added to our success.

The enclosed clipping will tell you of our Argonne operations. Coming from no one state this division has had no paper to give it credit for what it has done and we feel as if the men who fought and died for our country under the most severe conditions are being slighted. Can you blame them?

One lad, when shot to pieces, said to one of our corporals before he died, “Say, Corp, my head is toward Germany, isn’t it?” When answered yes, he said, “That’s good enough. I went as far as I could.”

Another fellow I know, said, when shot through the leg, “I just blew out an inner tube, but will come along on the rim,” and started crawling gamely after us, but he didn’t get far before a couple of stretcher bearers picked him up and took him to the hospital, and he was cussing like a Turk.

That’s the kind of men who fought and gave their lives for Uncle Sam and they were just pencil pushers and farmers. Put this through if you think the 82nd have it coming, as it will greatly oblige the men. 

Yours truly,

Pvt. John Mork,

Co. C, 326 Inf.,

Am. E.F.

 

The following articles correspond to the above, and were also published in the Roseau newspaper.

 

John Mork returned last week from overseas and left for his home at Skime. John saw a good deal of fighting and speaks highly of the Red Cross Salvation Army and K.C. He also speaks well of the German civilians while he was stationed in the occupied area. He escaped unhurt, although once his ammunition belt full of cartridges kept a piece of shrapnel from going through him. (June 1919)

Four Roseau County boys have landed in New York this week. They are: Torvald Green of Greenbush, Helmer T. Anderson of Badger and Alton Gould and John P. Mork of Skime. Roy J. Hagen of Roseau landed last week. (June 6, 1919)

John Mork returned home last Friday after spending 22 months in the service of Uncle Sam. He spent 13 of the 22 in France. John left with the first contingent of Roseau county boys a year ago last September, going to Camp Dodge, Iowa, and later to Camp Gordon, Atlanta, Georgia. He was assigned to Co. C. 326 Inf. 82nd or all-American division. Leaving with that division in April 1918, arrive in France the early party of May. A short time after landing in France, the division showed its mettle by taking an active part in the big offensive against the Germans, the offensive that smashed the famous Hendenburg line. John took part in the Verdun, Meuse, St. Mihiel and Argonne drives, the Argonne being one of the bloodiest drives of the whole war, as the 82nd advanced with very little artillery preparation. But in spite of the handicap, they more than obtained their objectives, fighting continuously for 24 days without relief, the only division that fought for such a long time without relief. John’s company came out of the Argonne with only 30 men, the rest being either killed or wounded. He missed two days of the fighting as he was slightly gassed and also shell shocked the 22nd day in the Argonne. He was then sent to a base hospital, where he was a sick man for some time, but pulled thru, however, and joined his company shortly before Christmas. John admits that the happiest moment of his life was when their ship came in sight of the statue of Liberty and “God’s Country.” And last but not least Roseau County, which looked better than ever to the returning boys. (June 20, 1919)

 

Soldier Letters

George Mork wrote a letter to his mother while serving in the war. The below letter was published in the Roseau newspaper in 1918 and is courtesy of Keith Mork.

 

Camp Hunt, France, 

December 3, 1918

Dear Mother,

Suppose you have been looking for a letter for a long time. We expected to leave for the U.S. so did not write for awhile. Looks now as though we will eat our Xmas dinner in France. Am well as usual and hope this will find you all the same.

We still have nice weather here. One morning there was a thin sheet of ice on the water about the thickness of paper, so you see it don’t get very cold. At present we are located 42 miles southwest of Bordeaux. This used to be a Russian infantry camp but the Americans changed it into an artillery camp. It is a very pretty country around here, not as open as other parts of France. A pine grows here something like a Norway pine. In places it is sort of a thick jungle. This is about the only timber of France and you have to have a written order to get a stick of wood so it’s not at all like Roseau County in that respect. Two miles from here is a French aviation camp on the edge of a lake. Was down there once and watched the seaplanes fly. They raised from the water. They also had the large bomb-carrying planes.

We did not see any action at the front. The Germans quit just when we were ready to take a crack at them. Would have liked to seen some real fighting, but I am glad it is over. Don’t think there will be any fighting again, since Germany gave up her fleet.

Guess I can tell you now that one of the ships in the same convoy we came over in was torpedoed by a submarine. There were no casualties. When we crossed the English Channel it was full of subs. Some of the troop ships were chased back. Only one ship at a time crossed. They were not large ships but they certainly had the speed. Speed is what they counted on. Troop ships always crossed at night. If a sub was sighted, these little ships would just jump across.

About the first thing I seen in France was a couple of French soldiers taking a big bunch of German prisoners to work. When we left the ship and marched to camp, about all one could hear was “Penny, Penny,” children begging for pennies. Suppose their father and perhaps brothers were killed in the war, or maybe it was a habit as the Americans always give them money. We stayed there a day and rested, then we took the box car special to Bordeaux. Some ride. Stopped for a little while at a village near camp. Seen the Frenchman go to work with a loaf of bread tied to his back and when meal time came he would reach back and cut off a piece of bread and that was all he had. No dinner pail for him. The French are still on bread rations and we thought it was awful to eat barley bread. 

Guess this will be all for this time. Hope it won’t be long until we sail. Imagine it is pretty cold across the ocean now. Hope you all have a Merry Xmas. I have already started to look for that Christmas box.

Your son,

George

Pvt. George Mork,

Battery C 331st F. A.,

American E.F.

 

(January 24, 1919) George Mork returned last Wednesday from overseas where he spent five months with the field artillery of the 86th Division. On their return home the “Black Hawk” Division had a parade in Chicago. On reaching Minneapolis, the Minnesota boys of the 86th were met at the train by the mayor of that city. A free breakfast was served to the boys and they were also given tickets to the auto show, so their return to their home state was a pleasant one. 

 

Skime, Minn., 

July 17, 1919

Will write a few words concerning additional pay for our returned boys, and will say every true American should deem it his duty to see that the boys are paid full civilian compensation for their time spent in the service. We could not attempt to pay for the hazards they have faced or stood ready to face, but the men can be paid for their time at something like its commercial value.

In order to accomplish this, everybody must do their utmost to help pass such a measure, and see the the boys are paid for a fair price for the time they spent. Practically all the boys return to civilian life without a cent and an additional payment of $50.00 a month for every month in the service would give the boys a chance to get a fair start in life again. And another thing, the boys will think we really appreciated their fighting for Old Glory and freedom of the world. Put on your thinking camp, Mr. American, and see if you don’t think the boys have it coming. 

Yours truly, Emil Mork

 

World War I 

Skime Community has big service Flag

A service flag bearing 32 stars, representing 31 young men in the service, and one Red Cross Nurse, was dedicated shortly before New Years at Skime. The Flag is a community one, and represents the boys from the area adjacent to Skime. Twenty of the community’s young men are in France. This is a war service record for a small inland community and folks around Skime may well feel proud.

That above article appeared in the Roseau Times - Region in December of 1917.

To understand how extraordinary this record was, you need to know something about Skime. Skime was not a town, or a hamlet. Skime was a postoffice in a country store, one house, a barn, a woodshed/icehouse and one outdoor privy. The Skime community consisted of homesteader families who got their mail at the postoffice and traded at the store; the population density in the surrounding area was no more than two or three families per square mile.

Those 32 stars represented almost every able-bodied young man for miles around. These were the first and second generation Americans serving the country they were helping to build. Nobody ever served it better. The homesteaders went through many hardships so we could be free and live the way we do. No generation had more of a struggle to make a living than they did. 

(According to a print out provided by Mr. Keith Mork.)