Military Record for David Nemetzky 1904-1931

Below is the complete (as far as I've been able to find) military record for David Nemetzky. This list of where he served throughout his military career is taken from Monthly Muster and Roster Rolls (1912-1931), Unit & Post Returns (1904-1912), Enlistment Records, Final Payment Vouchers and Troopship Manifests.

1. General Service Infantry, Mounted Service Infantry White; Fort Slocum, New York: January 14, 1904 to February 9, 1904

2. Troop A, 7th Cavalry, Camp George H. Thomas, Georgia: February 11, 1904 to September 10, 1904.

- Deserted April 17, 1904 to May 21, 1904 New Orleans, Louisiana

- In confinement at Jackson Barracks, Louisiana May 22, 1904 to June 17, 1904

- Tried by GCM June 23, 1904 for Desertion - found guilty & sentenced to two moths confinement

- Transferred to 99th Company, Coast Artillery Corps September 10, 1904

3. 99th Company, Coast Artillery Corps, Fort Morgan, Alabama: September 14, 1904 to March 14, 1906

- Arrived September 14, 1904 as transfer from Troop A, 7th Cavalry

- Sick at Hospital Barracks, Washington, D.C.; from May 4, 1905 to July 24, 1905

- On Duty at Fort Barrancas, Fl., as G.C.M Witness from December 28, 1905 to January 11, 1906

- Transferred to Hospital Corps March 14, 1906

4. Hospital Corps, Fort Morgan, Alabama: March 14, 1906 to Dec 1906

5. Hospital Corps, Fort Moultrie, South Carolina: Dec 1906 to May 28, 1907

- Discharged May 28, 1907 – Expiration of Term of Service

6. General Service Infantry, Foot Service Infantry White; Fort Slocum, New York: June 3, 1907 to June 19, 1907.

- Reenlisted June 3, 1907

7. Company B, 12th Infantry; Fort Porter, New York: June 19, 1907 to February 20, 1909

- Discharged January 4, 1908 – Conv of Government; Reenlisted January 5, 1908

- Transferred to Hospital Corps February 20, 1909

8. Hospital Corps; Fort Porter, New York: February 20, 1909 to March 1909

9. Hospital Corps; Fort Wadsworth, New York: March 1909 to August 1909

- Promoted to Private 1st Class

10. Hospital Corps; Fort Howard, Maryland: August1909 to September 25, 1909

- Discharged September 25, 1909; Purchase

11. General Service Infantry; Jefferson Barracks, Missouri: March 30, 1911 to April 4, 1911

- 14th Company (1 Reenlisted March 1911 Post Return)

12. Hospital Corps; Fort Wadsworth, New York: April 6, 1911 to Nov 1911

13. Division Hospital; Manila, Philippines: January 7, 1912 to June 20, 1912

- Arrived at Division Hospital, Manila from USAT Logan

- Sick in Hospital from date of arrival through May 1912

- Tried by GCM on March 18, 1913 for AWOL - Found guilty & served two months confinement at Cuartel de Espana, Manily, Philippines

  

14. Hospital Corps, Tientsin, China: from June 20, 1912 to January 4, 1914

Promotions: - Private to Private First Class: between July & October 1912

Temporary Duty:

- Wali, China: from October 31, 1912 (date of available return) to November 8, 1912

- Kuyeh, China: November 8, 1912 to January 4, 1913

- Kaiping, China: June 24, 1913 to September 2, 1913

15. Hospital Corps, Fort Wm. McKinley, Manila, Philippines: January 15, 1914 to February 9, 1914

16. USAT Logan: February 16, 1914 to March 16, 1914 (en route from Philippine Islands to Ft. McDowell, California for Discharge.)

17. Fort McDowell, California: March 16, 1914 to March 24, 1914 (Enlisted March 30, 1911; Discharged March 24, 1914. Rank at date of discharge: Private 1st Class)

18. General Service Infantry; Recruiting Station, 660 Market Street, San Francisco, California: April 11, 1914 to May 23, 1914 (Re-enlisted April 11, 1914; Rank at time of re-enlistment, Private)

19. Presidio of San Francisco, California: May 23, 1914 to June 26, 1916 (Enlisted April 11, 1914, Recruiting District, San Francisco, California)

Promotions:

- Private to Private 1st Class October 13, 1914

- Private 1st Class to Sergeant May 22, 1916

Temporary Duty:

- USAT Buford: June 15, 1914 to August 15, 1914

- USAT Logan: May 19, 1915 to August 26, 1915

20. Med Dept; Fort Baker, California: June 26, 1916 to August 12, 1916

21. Med Dept; Fort Bliss, Texas: August 12, 1916 to February 1917

22. Med Dept, Base Hospital #5; Nogales, Arizona: February 8, 1917 to April 20, 1917

23. Med Dept; Presidio of San Francisco, California: April 26, 1917 to March 6, 1918

- Promotions: Sergeant to Sergeant First Class July 10, 1917

- Tried by G.C.M. February 21, 1918 - Acquitted

24. Med Dept; Vancouver Barracks, Washington: March 6, 1918 to September 14, 1918

- Promotions: Sergeant First Class to Hospital Sergeant July 1918

25. Med Dept; Letterman General Hospital, San Francisco, California: September 16, 1918 to November 6, 1918

26. Base Hospital #162; Camp Lewis, Washington: November 15, 1918 to December 23, 1918

27. USA Base Hospital; Camp Lewis, Washington: December 24, 1918 to February 1919

- Promotions: Hospital Sergeant to Master Hospital Sergeant January 1919

28. Post Hospital, Army Supply Base; Brooklyn, New York: February 10, 1919 to May 17, 1919

29. USA Embarkation Hospital #4, New York City, N.Y.: May 17, 1919 to June 13, 1919. (Furloughed to reserves June 13, 1919. Discharged August 27, 1919)

30. USA General Hospital #2, Fort McHenry, Maryland: September 13, 1919 to November 1919.

(Re-Enlisted New York City September 9, 1919)

31. USA General Hospital #41/Hoff General Hospital, Staten Island, New York: approx. November 1919 to October 21, 1920

- Rank Adjustment: Master Hospital Sergeant to Sergeant July 1, 1920

32. Attending Surgeon's Office, New York City, New York: October 22, 1920 to August 1921

- Promotions: Sergeant to Staff Sergeant December 15, 1920

33. Med Dept; Letterman General Hospital, San Francisco, California: August 1921 to July 16, 1923. (Re-enlisted September 9, 1922)

Detached Service:

- Platsburg, Pennsylvania: June 24, 1922 to July 13, 1922

- Salt Lake City Utah: March 22, 1923 to May 17, 1923

34. Med Dept; William Beaumont General Hospital, El Paso Texas: July 18, 1923 to January 25, 1924 (Re-Enlisted January 22, 1924)

35. USAT Thomas: February 20, 1924 to March 1924

- in route from San Francisco California to Chinwangtao, China

36. Med Dept; Tientsin, China: March 31, 1924 to October 11, 1925

37. USAT Thomas: Oct 1925 to November 4, 1925

- in route from Chinwangtao, China to San Francisco, California

38. Station Hospital; Camp Lewis, Washington: November 13, 1925 to January 21, 1927

(Re-Enlisted January 22, 1927)

39. USAT Chateau Thierry: February 9, 1927 to February 26, 1927

- in route from San Francisco, California to Brooklyn, New York

40. Med Dept; Fort Hancock, New Jersey: March 5, 1927 to December 21, 1927

41. USAT St. Mihiel: December 21, 1927 to January 7, 1928

- in route from Brooklyn, New York to San Francisco, California

42. Med Dept; Letterman General Hospital, San Francisco, California: January 1928 to January 27, 1931 (Re-enlisted January 22, 1930)

- 90 day furlough from October 6, 1930 to January 6, 1931

World War One Military Rosters for James R. Dodge

Here is a very interesting find...and just in time for Veteran’s Day. I’ve always been interested in finding out about my great-grandpa Jim Dodge’s time in World War One. I have posted other blogs on research into his service in the past, but this gives greater insight into the time he spent overseas. Family Search has recently published the monthly muster and roster rolls from 1912 to 1939. These records are not indexed but the images are searchable by regiment. Grandpa Jim served in Company F, 9th Infantry Regiment. He enlisted on August 6, 1918 and sailed for France in late September. According to the regiment  rosters, he was assigned to Company F in the 9th Infantry Regiment in November of 1918, presumably after the armistice was signed on the 11th. The regiment was stationed in Bendorf, Germany, along the banks of the Rhine River. The Regiment returned to the U.S. in July of 1919. In early August of 1919, Jim was transferred to Fort D.A. Russell in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he was discharged on the 16th of August.

Below are the monthly rosters from November 1918 to August of 1919. The first few rosters appear to have been redone in the 1930’s. In addition to the monthly regimental rosters, Family Search also has the Depot Brigade roster images available to search through. I am hoping to find Grandpa Jim in these rosters as well.

November 1918

December 1918

January 1919

February 1919

March 1919

April 1919

May 1919

June 1919

July 1919 - en route to Hoboken, New Jersey - aboard the U.S.S. Princess Matoika

August 1919

Berenice Elizabeth Newitt (1902-1982) - 2nd Lt. Army Nurse Corps

2nd Lt. Berenice Elizabeth Newitt - Army Nurse Corps; 1924

Here is a post I have wanted to prepare for some time, but I've never been quite sure how to piece it together. After some research and review of a recently obtained complete 201 file (which included the picture shown above - a jewel find for any genealogist), this post will focus on my Grandpa Dodge's half-cousin, Berenice Elizabeth Newitt, and her service in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps.

Berenice Elizabeth Newitt was born February 24, 1902, in Leadville, Colorado, the daughter of James Newitt (1869-1952) and Maggie Meteer (1867-1904). Her mother, Maggie, passed away February 25, 1904, in Leadville, after being ill with typhoid fever for nearly the previous two months. In August of 1906, James Newitt remarried and was wedded to Rachel Elizabeth Dodge (1887-1977). Berenice spent her time growing up in Buena Vista as well as Leadville. Following graduation from Leadville High School, Berenice went to Salida, Colorado, where she worked and was educated as a Nurse at the Red Cross Hospital there. The nurse training she participated in at Salida took three years. Berenice finished training in 1920.

In November of 1921, Berenice applied to become a Nurse with the Army Nurse Corps. The requirements at that time included earning a High School Diploma, being a licensed Registered Nurse, be at least 21 years of age, and unmarried. In her application to become a Nurse with the Army Nurse Corps, Berenice lied about her age and stated that she was born in 1899 (she was actually only 19). Berenice was accepted and commissioned as 2nd Lt. and appointed as a Reserve Nurse. Berenice was assigned to Fitzsimons General Hospital in Denver, Colorado.

In September of 1925, Berenice requested transfer to Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco. Her request was granted and she was transferred to Letterman General Hospital. In the transfer approval, Berenice was described as follows: 'Her services and general conduct have always been "excellent." ' By this time, her brother, Keith Newitt, was living in San Francisco, which may have been one reason for the requested transfer. In March of 1926, Berenice requested appointment as Nurse, which was granted. In completing the application for appointment, Berenice changed the year of her birth from 1899 to 1900 (she still lied about her age, perhaps to avoid the possibility of being kicked out of the Corps for joining while being under the minimum age requirement). This transfer was granted and Berenice was transferred from Reserve Nurse to Nurse.

In November of 1927, Berenice was transferred from Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco to Schofield Barracks in Honolulu, Hawaii. She arrived by Army Transport aboard the vessel St. Mihiel, arriving November 8. In her annual physical examination from 1929, it was noted that Berenice was beginning to suffer from some slight deafness in both ears. She was recommended for medical treatment at that time. Also in 1929, Berenice requested, and received, a continuation of service in the Army Nurse Corps. At this time, Berenice was described as 'conscientious, energetic and a capable nurse.' Berenice continued with her duties at Schofield through the first part of 1930; she is even enumerated there in the 1930 Census.

In early 1930, Berenice was asked by the Surgeon General regarding her preference for her next assignment. Berenice responded that her first preference would be assignment at Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, D.C. This transfer was granted and Berenice was to be assigned to Walter Reed General Hospital. In making arrangements for travel to Washington, D.C., Berenice was initially supposed to travel by Army Transport from Hawaii to San Francisco, and from San Francisco continue to New York via the Panama Canal. In June of 1930, however, Berenice requested to travel overland from San Francisco. Berenice was also granted a leave of absence upon arriving at San Francisco. These requests were granted. 

Berenice arrived in San Francisco in early July of 1930. During her leave of absence, Berenice arrived at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, in early November. When she arrived at Fort Snelling, her assignment was changed and she was relieved from duty at Walter Reed and reassigned to Fort Snelling. In November of 1931, Berenice requested that her name be considered for service in the Philippine Department. Although this request was granted, Berenice continued her service at Fort Snelling. Another continuation of service was granted in late 1931 and again in early 1935.

By this time, even though her hearing was still slightly defective (there were no noted improvements or deterioration), it was noted that there were 'no defects which have or do interfere with the performance of full military duty.' In 1932, Berenice took another leave of absence. The Star Tribune, from November 6, 1932 (a local newspaper from the Fort Snelling area) reported: 'Miss Bernice Newitt of the army nurse corps, returned to Fort Snelling Wednesday after a month’s leave spent visiting at Denver, El Paso and San Antonio.'

1935 was a notable year for Berenice in her service with the Army Nurse Corps. In February of that year, Berenice contracted German measles. She was hospitalized and received treatment from late February through March (this was in the years before penicillin and vaccinations). In July she requested transfer back to Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco, as well as a 60-day leave of absence. The leave of absence was granted and Berenice took leave to spend time with her father and family in Tacoma, Washington. Upon expiration of leave of absence, Berenice was to report back to Letterman General Hospital.

By 1936, Berenice's hearing problems had grown worse. Even though she was still able to carry on her duties, further examinations were conducted and she was advised accordingly of this medical issue. It is likely that her bout with measles the year before exacerbated her hearing problems. Following her physical examination in early 1937, it was recommended that Berenice be brought before a retirement board to determine whether medical retirement from the Army Nurse Corps was warranted.

In March of 1937, a retirement board was convened for 2nd Lt. Berenice Newitt. Following review of her medical record and testimony from the examining doctors, it was found 'that 2nd Lieut. Berenice E. Newitt, A.N.C., is permanently physically incapacitated for active service because of Defective hearing.' It was found that the incapacity was incident to military service. Upon completion of the retirement board, Berenice was granted her final leave of absence before her retirement, which was effective on July 31, 1937. Berenice made use of her final leave of absence, which was 101 days, by requesting travel to England and France. This request was granted. On the civilian ship manifests (for both the U.S. and England), Berenice lists her correct year of birth, which is 1902. Berenice returned to the United States on July 9, 1937, arriving in New York.

The News Tribune: May 27, 1937 Tacoma, Washington) reported: To Leave for Europe: Mr. and Mrs. James Newitt of the Biltmore apartments have with them both their daughter and son, Miss Bernice Newitt, who leaves Friday for an extensive trip, and Keith Newitt, here from San Francisco until after June 1. Miss Newitt, a nurse in government service for the past 16 years, has planned a vacation that will last until autumn. She sails from New York June 4 on the Laconia, for Europe, and will not return until September (newspaper articles are only as accurate as the reporters who wrote them).

Upon retirement on July 31, 1937, Berenice was granted a retirement pension of $187.50 per month, which pension she received for the remainder of her life. Following retirement, Berenice lived in San Francisco until 1939, when she moved to Glendale, California. She lived in Glendale for the remainder of her life, continuing to work as a Nurse at the Monte Sano Hospital in Los Angeles until she retired in the early 1960's. Berenice passed away September 7, 1982 at the VA Medical Center in Sepulveda, Los Angeles County, California. She is interred at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.

A few important things to note took place prior and during Berenice's service as a Nurse in the Army Nurse Corps. In 1920, just one year before Berenice enlisted, Army Nurses were given relative rank from 2nd Lieut. to Major. They were allowed to wear their rank insignia on their uniform. However, their pay was only half of male officers of the same rank and they were to be addressed as 'Nurse' or 'Miss'. In 1926, Nurses were authorized retirement based on their length of service. In 1930, Retirement for disability incurred in the line of duty was authorized for nurses, with no minimum length of time requirement. These changes which were instituted during this time allowed Berenice the opportunity to serve as an officer in the U.S. Army as well as receive the retirement pension which she had earned. (see http://e-anca.org/History/ANC-Eras/1901-1940 and Highlights in the History of the Army Nurse Corps 'U.S. Army Center of Military History. Washington, D.C., 2016.)

Dwight H. Dodge in the 'Visalia Times-Delta' and other recent finds

I recently found the 'Visalia Times-Delta' newspaper online. This is a newspaper that was published in Visalia, California, a town near Woodlake, California, where Dwight lived between the early 1920's and the early 1950's. There is another newspaper, the 'Woodlake Echo', that I would like to peruse someday, but right now, this newspaper is not available online. Both newspapers are held in the local public libraries in Tulare County, California. There are only two newspaper articles from the 'Visalia Times-Delta', and both tell unfortunate chapters that occurred during his life while in California.

Here is the first article from the 'Visalia Times-Delta', dated October 20, 1941: 'Highways made slippery by yesterday's showers boosted the weekend accident toll in Tulare County, according to reports in the California Highway Patrol office here today. Nine persons were injured over the weekend, none critically. Cars driven by Jimmy Green, 19, of Visalia, and Dwight Dodge, 50, of Woodlake, collided near Orosi at 8:30 p.m. Sautrday, Green's car striking a pole after the collision.'

The other article from the 'Visalia Times-Delta', dated July 10, 1950, reads: 'Dwight Dodge, 59, Lemon Cove, is in the Sequoia Hospital in Woodlake with major injuries after an unknown vehicle ran his pickup truck off the road in Lemon Cove early Sunday morning and it hit a culvert. Jimmy Burchett, 15, also of Lemon Cove, received minor injuries.'

The towns of Woodlake and Lemon Cove are just a few miles apart in Tulare County, California; a rural county in central California, between Fresno and Bakersfield. The second newspaper article is very important because it confirms where his residence was when the 1950 Census was taken (three more years before this Census is released). 

Within a couple of years, he was divorced and living in Midland, Oregon. His wife, Ruth Edgington, divorced him in Nevada and was married to a widower named Donald A. Maxon, a life-long resident of Tulare County. They married in Las Vegas, Nevada in September of 1952. According to her marriage license, she divorced Dwight in September of 1951 in Reno, Nevada, on the grounds of desertion. I am in the process of locating their divorce record. 

There is a reason why Ruth filed for divorce in Nevada; at that time, the residency requirement for divorce in Nevada was only six weeks, as opposed to one year nearly everywhere else. Reno in particular was the divorce destination from the 1920's through the 1960's because it was so much easier to obtain a divorce in Nevada then almost anywhere else. I'm hoping that I can locate their divorce record. Once I do so, I will finally be able to locate their marriage record.

1926 Canada Census for Clara Belle (Dodge) Morgan

The 1926 Canadian Census for the Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta is now released and available for public search. I just finished searching the census database and was only able to find Clara Belle Morgan and her daughter Mary Anne Morgan. Below is the image of the 1926 Canada Census that I found.

The 1926 Census shows where Clara lived after their homestead was foreclosed on in 1922. At that time, they were living near the town of Wilkie, where they had resided since 1911. The exact location of their homestead was the Southwest corner of Section 10, Township 41 North, Range 18 West of the 3rd Meridian.

At the time William John Morgan was served with notice of the foreclosure proceedings in 1922, he was located at Section 34, Township 39 North, Range 16 West of the 3rd Meridian, near the hamlet of Cando, approximately 30 miles southeast of Wilkie. In the 1926 Census, Clara and her daughter Mary were living near the hamlet of Red Pheasant, which is 7 miles north of Cando and 20 miles east of Wilkie.

I was only able to find Clara and her daughter, Mary, in the 1926 Census. Clara and Mary were living with the family of Arthur Amor. The exact location of their residence is Section 22, Township 40 North, Range 16 West of the 3rd Meridian. Clara is listed as a lodger and Mary was working as a Domestic. One discrepancy in this census is that Clara's age was listed as 38 years old (she would have been 42 years old - born in 1884) and Mary was 16. Another discrepancy is their year of immigration to Canada. Clara's year of immigration is listed as 1910 and Mary's year of immigration is listed as 1909 (one year before she was born!). They, along with her son William Hiram, immigrated to Canada in June of 1911. Although certainly still of school age, Mary did not attend school during the previous year.

I was not able to find William John Morgan, Clara's husband, or their son, William Hiram Morgan, in this census.

Below is a map showing the locations of where Clara and her family lived in Saskatchewan during the 1910's & 1920's. This comes from the Cummins Rural Map Directory (my previous post looks at these maps). I have outlined where their homestead was (which was still owned by the mortgage company as of 1930) and where Clara and Mary are found in the 1926 Census. It makes me wonder where they will be found when the next Census (1931 National Census) will be released in five years.

Cummins Rural Directory Maps - Saskatchewan, Canada

Here is an interesting find I came across last night. Rural Directory Maps for the province of Saskatchewan that were published by the Cummins Map Company during the 1910's, 1920's and 1930's. (http://www.saskgenealogy.com/databases/cummins/Cummins_Rural_Director_Map.htm). 

These maps are landowner maps that show who owned which parcel of land. I was able to find the maps for William John Morgan in 1917, 1920 and 1922. He owned a 160-acre homestead in western Saskatchewan, not far from the town of Wilkie. (Section 10, Township 41, Range 18, West of the 3rd Meridian), which he applied for in 1910 and obtained in 1913. He and his family lived on the homestead until 1922, by which time the homestead appears to have been abandoned and was foreclosed on. William John Morgan took out an $800 mortgage on the homestead in 1917 and failed to pay back the mortgage. (I have detailed the homestead application and foreclosure in earlier blogs). I also found a rural directory map for 1930 and found that the foreclosed homestead was still owned by the mortgage company. 

(Just a brief review, William John Morgan came to the United States in the early 1890's and went to Colorado. He married by great-great aunt, Clara Belle Dodge, in 1906 in Buena Vista, Colorado. Following a few years in Silver City, New Mexico, William returned to Canada in 1910. Clara and their children followed in June of 1911).

On a related note, I am anticipating (as are many others) the release of the 1926 Census for the Canadian Prairie Provinces. According to Library and Archives Canada, this census should be available sometime in March (fingers crossed). I am hoping to find William John Morgan and his family in this Census, as I am not sure where they moved to or were living at after their homestead was foreclosed on several years earlier. Perhaps after I find them in the 1926 Census, I will look for them in the later directory maps as well.

Below are the Cummins Rural Directory Maps that I have found. I have outlined their property to make it easier to find. (To get a closer look at each map, click on the map, and then right click and select 'open image in new tab'.)

1917 Cummins Rural Directory Map

1920 Cummins Rural Directory Map

1922 Cummins Rural Directory Map

1930 Cummins Rural Directory Map 

Even after several years, the land was still owned by the mortgage company