World War I

PART I - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Interview conducted by Royal Jackson and Jennifer Lee at Peavy Hall on the Oregon State University Campus, November 2, 1978.

Royal Jackson / Jennifer Lee: Let's start by having you tell us where you were born and what you remember from your early childhood.

Paul M. Dunn: I was born in Lennox, South Dakota in 1898 and lived for about 13 years in that area. My father was in the grain-buying business for grain companies. In 1913 we moved to Le Mars, Iowa, north of Sioux City, where I graduated from high school in 1917. When war was declared most of the young fellows in the area were members of the Iowa National Guard, and the Guard was called out. In August 1917, our unit was merged into the Federal Service and we were moved to Camp Cody in Deming, New Mexico, about 30 miles north of the Mexican border, where a large divisional group was being organized. I was there for a year. In fact, my brother and I were both members of the Company, but he left in June of 1918 with a replacement unit for the expeditionary forces in Europe. I left in August and went East to Camp Dix in New Jersey, and then overseas with the first battalion of our regiment. It was in August that the influenza epidemic occurred.

Royal Jackson / Jennifer Lee: What year was that?

Paul M. Dunn: 1918. The influenza epidemic broke out and it's interesting that our battalion moved out at 6:00 a.m. from Camp Dix to Hoboken to board a convoy for Europe and the health authorities closed the camp down at 7 o'clock. Our group of about 1,000 men, was the only one that left at that time. We boarded a ship at Hoboken. After about twelve days we landed in Liverpool, England, and then we were transported to the southern part of England. We were there for a week in a rest area, then moved on to France. Being separated from the Division, we really didn't have any base organization. We were moved around from one area to another, but in October a portion of our group was added to a training program for the next "push." It was called an infantry weapons school, and we were there at school headquarters in Chatillion-sur-Seine for the month of November. During that time the Armistice was