Paxton High School - Reflector Yearbook (Paxton, IL)

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Paxton High School Reflector 7 R. O. T. C. at Fort Dodge. He proirptly chose the latter, and no doubt will receive a commission within a short time. Wendell McCracken, '12—U. of I., ’16- Some time before the holidays. Wendell McCracken, '12, enlisted at Detroit. Mich., in the aviation department of the Signal Corps. He expected to be assigned for study and training at some ground school by February 1. 191S. At the last report the assignment had not been received, but he was ex- pecting to be under ordeis in the near future. Mr. McCracken, after completing his high school course, entered the University of Illinois, and graduated therefrom in June, 1910. Since that time he has been successfully engaged in the real estate and insurance busi- ness at Detroit, Michigan. Corporal Donald Moffett, '12. Donald MofTett enlisted in his country’s military service some time last fall or summer. He chose for his branch of army work, the Signal Corps. He was assigned to Co. A. 311th Field Signal Battalion, and since some time in August has been stationed at Camp Grant, Rockford, 111. Indirect reports received through relatives and friends indicate that he is taking a lively interest in his work, and his efficiency is attested by ♦he fact that he has so soon won the rank of Corporal. A friend who recently visited him said: I saw Don at Camp Grant and he was the same eager fellow in soldier life as in times of peace—right up on the bits and doing his best.” Donald entered the U. of I. in September. 1913. after having spent the year immediately following his graduation from high school in travel and in «•roughing it” on a Western ranch with his two elder brothers. He graduated from the University with the class of 1917, having won high honors. Frank Morgan, ’12, and Clarence Morgan. Frank Morgan, who transferred to Paxton High School after three vears at Buckley, and graduated here in 1912, enlisted last June in the am- bulance service. He left July first for Allentown. Pennsylvania, and is now with the 610th U. S. A. Ambulance Section at that place. He is a proficient cometist and plays in the army band. He does not expect to go to France before April. While Frank was at home for the Christmas vacation, Clarence decided to go into the same branch of the service, and now the two brotners are in the tame section at Allentown. Clarence did not graduate from Paxton High .being a graduate of Buckley, but took one year of post graduate work bore. Both brothers were working in banks at the time of enlistment, Frank at Hoopeston. and Clarence at Rankin.

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16 Paxton High School Reflector CLASS OF 1912. The graduating class of 1912 numbered in its membership eleven boys. Five of these have either enlisted or in some other way entered the U. S. army service. These five are Kenneth Hathaway, Swan Swenson. Frank Mor- gan, Donald Moffett, and Wendell McCracken. Corporal Kenneth Hathaway, Class of 1912, the First Paxton Boy to Land in France With the First U. S. Expeditionary Army—Sailed from America Oct. 18, 1917, and Landed Nov. 1st. Corporal Kenneth Hathaway of the graduating class of 1912. has the honor of being the first soldier boy from Paxton to land in France A few brief months have brought to Kenneth Hathaway a variety of new and unex- pected experiences. At the breaking out of belligerent activities along the Mexican border, he enlisted as a member of Battery F which was organized at the Univer- sity of Illinois. For three months or more he was stationed with his com- pany at San Antonio, Texas, but saw no actual service. A short time after the re-opening of school at the University, in September he, with others con- nected with the work of the University, was given honorable discharge. In July, of the present year, after the declaration of war with Ger- many, he re-entered the Artillery service and was stationed at Fort Sheri- dan. Ill, until about the first of September. He was then sent to Garden City Training Camp. Ix ng Island, and from there dispatched to France, Oct. 18th. arriving “somewhere in France” Nov. 1st. The last word from him indicated that the time was rapidly approach- ing when his division would be placed on the firing line. No doubt, before this appears in print he will have won the special distinction and the new honor of being the first Paxton High School graduate to fire a gun in France in the cause of humanity and of liberty universal. Later.—Feb. 21. 1918.—Word has been received from Kenneth Hathaway, who is in France, that he is now in the trenches with other members of the Rainbow Division. Swan Swenson, ’12. Swan Swenson taught school in Ford County one year after his gradu- ation from high school. In the fall of 1914, he entered Franklin College, Ind., where he continued his studies until the call for volunteers to take training in the U. S. Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. His application was accepted, and he entered the camp at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind. As a result of an unusually weak voice he failed to receive a commis- sion. He however, found his way into the service as the result of the se- lective draft and was sent to Ft. Dodge, Iowa. Within e few days Swan was promoted from private to corporal and a little later from corporal to sergeant. At the opening of the third Reserve Officers’ Training Camp, Swan was given his choice of the rank of Head Sergeant or of re-entering

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18 Paxton High School Reflector CLASS OF 1913. The graduating class of 1913 has won the greatest military distinction. This must be evident from the following facts: Of its 13 boys, 9 are in some branch of the U. S. war service. Two of them are West Point graduates— PAUL COLE and LEO WARNER. Three of them are commissioned offi- cers in the Regular United States Army. The third commissioned officer in the Regular Army is Eugene Frederick, son of Mr. Sherman Frederick of Clarence, 111. The other six soldiers of this honored class are Bernard Asper- gren. Randall Bear, Arthur Currie, David Danielson, Claude Stine and Mack Wylie. LIEUTENANT PAUL COLE, U. S. ARMY Lieutenant Paul Cole, P. H. S., '13—West Point, ’17 Paul Cole of Ludlow, 111., after graduating with the Class of 1913, taught school for one year in Champaign county. Having received an ap- pointment as a cadet from this Congressional District and being successful