Hector Boys Who Enlisted Early Make a Change at Last Are Now at Camp Dix, N.J., After 4 ½ Days Travel

On April 26, 1917, The following Hector boys enlisted for the war: John S. Nelson, Dick Reidler, Chaucney Jerpe, Louis Beske, Rudolph Anderson, Carrol Hess, and Carl Wells. They were sent to Camp Cody, Deming, New Mexico and have been there until just recently when they were transferred to New Jersey. The Camp Dix Times of August 29^th publishes the following regarding the “Sand Storm Division.”

“After a 2,500 mile trip across nine states the advance regiments of the 34^th Division commenced arriving from Camp Cody, Deming, New Mexico, Sunday and by Thursday nearly the entire division or almost 25,000 men were in Camp Dix and quartered in the barracks of the old 57^th men. Though it required four and a half days to make the long and dusty trip the Westerners marched into camp singing and cheering.

The largest part of the new division consists of former National Guardsmen enlisted from Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa, although the regiments were partially filled during the past month with men from the drafts. They have been staioned on the Mexican border, where they acquired the name of “Sandstorm Division,” on account of the frequent violent sandstorms of the New Mexican desert. No doubt the 34^th men will be surprised at the mimic sandstorms of the local parade ground deserts.”