Show A large ‘’Welcome Home” sign greeted the men as they swung up Center Street to the U A C— Courtesy of New West Magazine Jfie History of the 145th By George Croft The history of the 145th Field Artillery dates back to the days of the Spanish American War where meritorious services in the Phillipines put Utah artillerymen down in history as first-clas- s fighting men When war was declared with Germany in April 1917 Utah’s organized fighting forces consisted of “First Separate Battery Utah Held Artillery” — the successors of the Spanish war “vets” — and several excellent troops of cavalry which like the Battery had but recently returned from a tour of duty On the Mexican Border Shortly after this a “machine gun” comincorporated pany was organized at Salt Lake City All the units were 1917 in the officers field and a into regiment of light early July artillery a and “noncoms” of the respective units were called to training camp at Jordan Narrows Utah to be instructed in the principles and practice of artillery combat On August 5 1917 the regiment was mobilized at the National Guard Armory at Salt Lake There followed several days of “rookie training” — close order drill and rudimentary instruction at Liberty Bark Salt Lake and after a week the regiment went into camp in a tent city at hort Douglas Here they were issued uniforms and given intensive training From daybreak until sunset was an endless session of gun drill equitation “monkey drill” (mounted calesthenics) “cuffing the mounts” (currying the horses) kitchen police double time and all the other attractive features of army life and before long the enthusiastic efforts of the men began to show results They looked and acted like real soldiers It was here that the new men learned the traditions of old Border days They found that Col Richard W Young Lt Col Webb Capt Johnson Capt Meyers and other officers of the regiment were veterans of real battles in former times |