Scope and Contents
The Paul B. Hendrickson World War I collection contains correspondence written by Hendrickson to his family back home during his time in service. The letters were to his mother and to the girl next door, Cecil Frances Rife, whom he later married. There is a diary kept during the year he was in France and almost 300 postcards which were sent home either individually or in envelopes.
The collection also includes negatives and photographs taken at Camp Parker in Quincy, Illinois, and at Camp Logan in Houston, Texas, and maps he drew of both camps, military uniforms and military kit.
Also included are digital files created by James V. Gill in creation of a website documenting Hendrickson's wartime experience.
Biographical Note
Paul B. Hendrickson was born October 8, 1896 in rural Crawford County, Illinois near the town of Palestine. He attended school in Crawford County until 1905 when the family moved to Newell Township in Vermilion County. He graduated April 28, 1911.
Hendrickson enlisted on April 12, 1917 in Danville, Illinois in the Band, Headquarters Co, 5th Illinois Infantry National Guard, serving in the first enlistment. The regiment initially trained at Camp Parker in Quincy, Illinois. While there, he studied bugling and map drawing. On September 14, 1917, he travelled to Camp Logan, a newly created training camp in Houston, Texas. Hendrickson arrived at Camp Logan on September 17, 1917. Upon arrival, he was appointed Sgt Bugler, instructing the Buglers of the Regiment, mounted and drilled with the Scouts, studied visual signaling and Telegraphy, continued map drawing, completing a large and detailed map of Camp Logan and surrounding territory.
The Illinois National Guard was mobilized at Camp Logan, Texas, and there, except for four units, was reorganized into the 33d Division under the command of Major General George Bell, Jr. The insignia for the 33rd is a yellow cross on black circle, a combination of the divisional colors. Yellow was chosen because it was the only color paint available in Texas when the division was assembling its equipment. Hendrickson joined the Headquarter Company 3rd Illinois Infantry. He received a Commission on November 12, 1917 and was made Corporal in Signal Platoon. While at Camp Logan, he trained in trench warfare, open formation maneuvers, and rifle range practice.
He arrived in France on May 24, 1918. He served in the Amiens sector, July 21-August 18; Verdun sector, September 9 - October 17; and St. Mihiel sector, November 7-11, 1918. He returned to the U.S. on May 22, 1919 and was honorably discharged from the Military Service on June 6, 1919.
He married Cecil Frances Rife on March 25, 1923. He worked as an electician for the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad until 1961. He died on September 4, 1990.
2.90 Gigabytes (Nearline access: MS0694aip_001, MS0694aip_002, MS0694aip_003)
