Part one of two.
Frank Cecil Davenport was the son of William and Emma (Adamson) Davenport.
Frank was 28 years old when he enlisted on Feb. 22, 1918, at Camp Dodge.
In April, he sailed from Long Island, and trained in England before arriving in France with the 139th Iowa Infantry, 35th division.
Camp Mills. I took $10,000 of U.S. war risk insurance so I am worth more dead than alive. I figured if I got out I would not miss it and if I got hurt I would have something to keep me. I am getting anxious to get into it and yet I know what it means.
Somewhere in France, July and September 1918.
I seen a letter in the Sentinel I was sent about Isaac Davis being killed. I want to live and get one that got Ike (Isaac) any if I don’t do anything else.
Have just been relieved from the trenches. Were there about a month. I want it to end for I sure want to be home by Christmas. I can hear the noise of the big guns but they are not very close to me.
On Oct. 29, 1918, word was received that Frank was reported lost or taken prisoner at the Battle of Argonne. His family did not know until weeks later that he had survived and was a prisoner.
Frank’s platoon had become separated from the company during the battle. He and 22 others were captured while trying to hold the line. They were marched towards the Rhine and arrived in Rastatt Oct. 18. The “Bull Pen” only held about 500 prisoners. Other than poor food, carrot or turnip soup twice a day and a fifth of a loaf of dark bread, they were not treated badly.
Oct. 28, 1918, from German prison camp I am in good health. When you write you might send me two cartons of Camel cigarettes and about five pounds of Hershey bar chocolates. Put them in a good box and they will come through all right. I can write one card every Sunday and every other Sunday one card and a letter as well. Hoping that this will find you as well as it leaves me.
The armistice was signed Nov. 11, but the prisoners didn’t find out until a few days later. They had Frank working at a gas plant.
Vichy, France, Dec .14 — We left Germany the 8th traveled through Switzerland. The Red Cross had a nice feed for us. We are in the Base Hospital. I do not know where we go from here but I hope it is for the good old USA.
Dec. 25 — I think what a wonderful Christmas it is.
By March 1919, he was still in France, and arrived in the states before May 1919, when he was discharged at Camp Dodge.
Frank married Margaret Fox, a 1911 Woodburn graduate, on Feb. 8, 1920. They lived in Des Moines where she was a college teacher and he owned a grocery store at one time. Frank passed away on April 16, 1966.