On May 4, 1919, thousands of people in Kansas City greeted troops from the Maryville-based 129th Field Artillery. They paraded up Grand Avenue, passing under a Victory Arch built en route to a celebration at Convention Hall (in the former parking area across from today’s Municipal Auditorium).
Maryville and the 129th, the most famous soldier, are not mentioned in the story (although his sister, Mary Jane Truman, is mentioned in a presentation of a silver urn to the unit). Harry Truman always attributed his meteoric rise to the presidency to his involvement in the unit.
Per wikipedia
The 129th Field Artillery Regiment is a regiment of the Field Artillery Branch of the United States Army, part of the Missouri Army National Guard. The 1st Battalion is the only active unit of the regiment, with the battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery in Maryville, Battery A in Albany, Battery B in Chillicothe, and Battery D in Independence. The battalion is a subordinate unit of the 130th Field Artillery Brigade, headquartered in Manhattan, Kansas.
The 129th is notable for its service in World War I. with Battery D under the command of then-Captain Harry S. Truman, later President of the United States from 1945 to 1953. In recognition of this fact, this unit has the official designation “Truman’s Own.”
Truman maintained a lifelong friendship with members from Maryville including Edwin Condon who visited Truman in Washington shortly after he became President.
129TH RECEIVED IN HEARTS AND ARMS OF HOME Tumultuous Joy Displayed as Veterans of World War Arrive From Fields of Glory Across the Waters. K. C., K., ALSO GREET SONS AND BROTHERS 110th Ammunition Train Welcome Culminates in Joyous “Jazz” Dance on City’s Streets. It was Greater Kansas City’s big joy day. And Greater Kansas City just opened up its big old loving arms and squeezed and petted triumphant heroes back from fields of glory in France.
While the thousands who lined downtown streets in Kansas City, Mo., cheered and sobbed a welcome to the boys of the 129th field artillery, Kansas City, Kas., did a little hugging and kissing, too, then threw in a jazz street dance to emphasize its joy over the return of the 110th ammunition train. The thousands who greeted the troops defied the rain, and the bluff worked. When the parade started, the sun came out, and the blustering clouds parted not to bluster again that day. Roses and lilacs by the wagon loads were scattered under the feet of the hobnail-booted warriors who came back to their own. They marched with thundering cheers over flower-throated thoroughfares, with dramatic shrieks and sobs as mothers, fathers, or sweethearts spied “theirs” and bolted through the lines to claim them. Marching in the togs of the battlefield. Their copper-topped helmets glistening in the sun, Greater Kansas City’s heroic legions presented a spectacle that bespoke the grim horrors they had left behind. Crowds assembled at the Union Station early in the morning, while the rain pelted, threatening to muss up the welcome plans.
But the crowd stuck it out, and soon after the 129th arrived, shortly before 7 o’clock, the downtown streets were beginning to fill. Before the parade started, downtown Kansas City was alive with happy humanity. Eyes turned south on Grand Avenue, eager for the First glimpse of the marching heroes. The start was signaled throughout the parade by a cheer that began at the station plaza and was taken up by the throngs of relatives awaiting their own in the Convention Hall. lines moved forward, the cheering swelled into a din.
When the procession finally reached the downtown section, the noise had attained a volume that seemed to rock the buildings. From every window, cheering groups waved flags and tossed flowers into the swinging rhythm of troopers. FORGET PAST HARDSHIPS. And maybe the gunners who won honor in the Argonne didn’t appreciate | it. As the sweat poured down their faces, they smiled, despite marching orders, loved ones smashed through perfect marching columns to greet them, and they seemed to forget the army, the business of obeying orders, and stooped to plant a kiss, or 10 engineer a well-directed hug.
But this was not all. It is all very well to tramp in triumph over garlanded paths in the old hometown, and even under triumphal arches to the tunes of wild cheers from the proud homefolks. And it is quite another thing for the soldier who has just returned from hell to paradise to see those loved ones whose hearts had been aching for the caress these huskies can give. And that, they knew. was awaiting them at the Convention Hall.
The cheers of the throngs in the street probably were not heard by many of the men, but that din from the inside was heard, and steps quickened, and they double quickened it by instinct, not by order, when the doors to the big hall were thrown open to them. Down the lobbies they clattered. through the doors and into the big arena where, after relieving themselves of the heavy packs and the heavy helmets, the wild scramble for mother and father and sweetheart began. As they spied their loved ones, the scenes were impressive. Up over the boxes and into the balconies they hauled, hurdling chairs, and everything and everyone in the path.
Unrestrained affection held sway. Proud fathers kissed happy sons, and few eyes were dry. Mothers and sweethearts cried with joy. And many of the gunners of hard experience gave way to their feelings, and the tears streamed down their faces. Then the bands started a jazz number, and the dance was on.
Kansas City’s own gunners seized happy sweethearts and glided off into the crowds on the floor. For more than two hours, the reception continued -dancing and feasting over loved ones. At noon, they got a “mess call” they won’t soon forget. It was “chow” cooked by the folks at home in the old hometown. At 2 o’clock, the regiment started for the Union Station.
An hour later, they were on the way to Camp Funston to get their discharges. These days, these heroes will be back in their homes, civilians again, in peacetime, eating and sleeping and loving and dancing like humans. 110TH ALSO WELCOMED. The men of the 110th ammunition train arrived in Kansas City, Kas., at 8:45 o’clock. and detrained at the Missouri Pacific station at Third Street and Washington Boulevard.
Minnesota Avenue was jammed with thousands of cheering well-wishers, who had also braved the rain. To the Masonic Temple, the 110th marched. In their war togs, while men, the throngs along the course cheered. ‘The parade was interrupted frequently by relatives and loved ones rushing into the lines to greet a hero. A jazz band was at the temple, and before the breakfast call started, they began playing. “C’mon!” A soldier dropped his helmet and pack, seized a girl from the crowd, and started to dance in the street. In instant hundreds were milling over the pavement, one-stepping and foxtrotting-yes, and some were shimmying.
It was hard for some to quit dancing for breakfast, but they did, and after bolting the food, returned to the street, strewn with flowers, to continue the dance. The 110th left at noon for Camp Funston. About forty men of Battery E of the 128th Field Artillery, known as the “Orphan” battery, participated in the parade of the 129th. The 128th passed through Kansas City on Wednesday, but they were disappointed with the parade because no stopover orders had been received. The men who participated in the parade yesterday had been discharged and had come home from Funston.
The 129th field artillery was commanded by Col. Emory T. Smith, for twenty years an army man. Colonel Smith was high in his praise of the runners, who participated in the battles of Charpentry, Cheppy, and the Argonne, winning eternal glory in every action. The 110th ammunition train was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Fitzpatrick. Senator Capper and Congressman Little welcomed the 110th home.
Boy Scouts Hold the Crowd From Parade Line “Git back! Git back! I can’t let you by. Orders is orders!” Over and over again, surging crowds at the parade and reception of the 129th Field Artillery heard shrill little voices piping “Git back!” And the crowd accordingly stepped back, obeying a perspiring but very serious youngster in Boy Scout uniform, who had orders to keep his strip of the line of march clear, with ropes and staves as equipment. More than 300 Scouts, assisting the traffic police, did splendid work in clearing the line of march for the parade of the 129th. At Eleventh street and Grand avenue, where the parade of the 110th engineers was virtually stalled, a flying wedge of fifty Scouts split the crowd, pushed it back to the curbing, and so kept the streets clear for the march.
Long before the parade reached the bad points along the line of march, the Scouts were on the job with ropes and staves. Husky traffic cops stood back with grins, watching the crowd cheerfully before the plunging, bucking little group of Scouts who worked their way through ahead of the motorcycle police. Again, at the Convention hall, they held the line, guarding the entrances to the dinner tables, so the soldiers could eat in peace, without having roast chicken and dressing mussed up by the kisses of their pursuing family and friends. Battery A Presented With Flag by D. A. R. The triumphal march of the 129th field artillery halted a moment yesterday at the welcome arch, Eleventh street and Grand avenue, while the Daughters of the Revolution presented Battery A with a silk flag. Battery A was adopted by the Kansas City chapter and was equipped with comforts throughout its foreign service. Mrs. Gilmore Meriwether, regent of the chapter, presented the gold-fringed flag to Capt.
Keith Dancy, commander of the battery. It flashed in sunlight as it was carried along the rest of the parade route. During the presentation, the memorial bell on the post office rang gladly. The bronze bell was placed on the federal building by the Daughters of the Revolution during the dark days of the war. Announce the silent prayer moment each day. It now rings in all the victorious troops who paraded through Kansas City.
SILVER URN PRESENTED TO 129TH FIELD ARTILLERY. A handsome silver urn was presented to the 129th Field Artillery by Fred A. Boxley of the 129th auxiliary as the men stood in military formation in the arena of Convention Hall. Miss Mary Jane Truman accompanied Mr. Boxley, bearing the 129th auxiliary flag.
