CO. K. HOLDS FIRST REUNION

Sixty-two Members of Original Company Recruited for World War Present

MEET DECORATION DAY

Play Prominent Part in Program For Day

Co. K, the company recruited at LeMars for World War service, held its first reunion in LeMars on Decoration Day. A large majority of the original members of this company were from LeMars and nearby towns and sixty-two of them reported for their first reunion. They participated n the Decoration Day exercises and presentation of the Distinguished Service Cross to Laurence Heiden, under the command of Clay Butler , first sergeant of the company, who also arranged the details of the reunion.

At noon the members of the old Co. K and their families to the number of almost 200, enjoyed a picnic on the college campus at the site of Camp Faber, where they were camped while being recruited in war strength.

In the evening they enjoyed a dinner and reunion at Columbia hall at which they renewed acquaintances and recounted the experiences of service days. So pleased were they with their first reunion they voted to have another next year and named Clay Butler as president of the organization with authority to appoint vice presidents in Remsen, Kingsley, Merrill, Akron, Ireton and other nearby towns which furnished members of the company.

Many compliments were paid the company for the fine appearance they made in the parade and Distinguished Service Cross program and their reunion contributed much to the services of the day.

Co. K, Iowa National Guard, was organized in LeMars Dec. 9, 1913, with J. G. Koenig as captain. On June 20, 1916, they went to Brownsville on the Mexican border, where they remained until the following spring. A picture of the company taken just before they left for the border is printed on page three
of this paper. On March 23, 1917, they were mustered out of service in DesMoines and sent home to LeMars where three days later they began recruiting for World War service. On August 17, 1917, sixty-seven men from the company were transferred to the 168th Infantry at DesMoines and a few weeks later left for France with the Rainbow Division. On August 27, the balance of the company went to Camp Cody on the Mexican border where they remained three days less than a year. They then entrained for the Atlantic seaboard and September 7, 1918, the first detachment sailed for France. The other men were quarantined because of the flu epidemic and held up for a few weeks, but alter joined their comrades in France where they served for several months after the Armistice.

The following members of the original Co. K attended the reunion in LeMars on Decoration Day, 1930.

~ source: LeMars Sentinel Newspaper, LeMars, Plymouth Co., Iowa; 3 June 1930