San Antonio in the Great War (Images of America) - Historical Book About WWI Military Life in Texas - Perfect for History Buffs & Military Enthusiasts

In August 1917 approximately 1500 young men graduated from the First Officers Training Camp at Camp Funston, (later designated Camp Stanley) Leon Springs, just twenty miles north west of San Antonio, Texas. More than 3000 had enrolled when this training camp began some ninety days earlier in May. The United States had entered the First World War and had very little standing Army and the immediate need for officers was crucial. Most of the officer graduates of this camp were intended for the United States Army's 36th Division whose enlisted men were primarily from the State of Texas and other southwestern states. The military infrastructure already in place in San Antonio as detailed in this book led to the Leon Springs Camp being one of the first to answer this need for military officers. Many years later the First Officers Training Camp Association was formed. Annually these men met alternatively in San Antonio, Dallas, Ft. Worth or Houston. Part of their formalities at these annual meetings was the Silver Bugle Ceremony. All of the officers' names who were already deceased were engraved on a silver bugle. Each year the last year's deceased were recognized at this ceremony and these names were added to the silver bugle. Both my Dad and Uncle were graduates of the FOTC and members of the organization. Eventually it was realized that the surviving officers were becoming too old to continue this annual meeting. As the silver bugle had exhausted it's space for names a silver plaque was prepared with all of the names of the men still living engraved on this plaque which could be hung below and suspended from the bugle. Thereupon the bugle and plaque were given to the Alamo Museum in San Antonio where they can be viewed today upon request. These 1500 men were a "Who's Who" of Texas in the early to middle of the Twentieth Century.