REFLECTIONS OF THE PAST:  ARTHUR MILTON TUBB, WW I, Coke County, TX

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Submitted by Mary Love Berryman - marylove@tyler.net
17 October 2001
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The Observer/Enterprise, 29 October 1999, Robert Lee, TX

THE EXPERIENCE OF WORLD WAR I

By Ava Lou Davis (Material for this write-up was furnished and obtained
from Bunyon Millican, Wilbern Millican, Clodene Guillary and Tom 
Green Library.)

My dad, Arthur Milton Tubb, was born November 15, 1894, in Leon 
County, Texas, to John Lee Tubb and Bettie Beatrice West Tubb.  He 
was one of three children.  When he was nine years old, the family 
moved to Sanco and later to Robert Lee.  When he was a young boy, 
he helped build the Coke County Jail here in Robert Lee.  As a 
young man, he learned to play the guitar; he loved to play and sing.

In 1917, during World War I he was inducted into the Army and 
transported to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, along with other 
Coke County men.  He was inducted with Willie I. Tubb and Pammie 
Landers.  The three found San Antonio to be a very colorful place 
in 1918.  They lived in tents and trained with whatever was 
available for them.  There was an epidemic of the flu during that 
time; a lot of men had to be hospitalized and many died.

Willie I. Tubb was born to George W. Tubb and Sarah J. Tubb in 
1894.  He grew up in Coke County around the Silver area.  He 
attended school there and graduated there and went to secondary 
school.  He taught school for several years.  In fact, he taught 
some of the men when he was in the service, as they had little 
education.

Pammie Z. Landers was born 1888 in Thrifty, Brown County, Texas to
A. K. and Catherine Landers.  He was one of nine children.  Later 
the Landers family moved to a 200 acre farm north of Robert Lee.  
They became acquainted with other families there, and the area 
later became known as the Friendship Community.

These three men were good friends, and my dad, Arthur, was a second
cousin to Willie I.  They were getting ready to be shipped out
overseas to France to help in the war against Germany.  My dad, 
like the others, had been equipped with all the necessary gear and 
had been trained for war.  Marching by foot or riding by horseback
in the cavalry, my dad, Arthur Tubb, was assigned for certain 
duties.

The unit was to leave in a matter of days for Europe.  My dad was
riding by horseback and the pavement was wet.

The horse slid down, falling on my dad, causing injury to his back.
The doctors' examinations left no alternative but to keep my dad 
from joining the unit going overseas, much to his disappointment,
because he wanted to be with his buddies.

Alta Bilbo of Robert Lee said she remembered when the men left
home to go to war.  She said she was 17 years old in 1918, and it 
was a sad time.  Alta said it was hard times and they couldn't 
buy certain things.  They all got together to help in the war
effort.  They rolled bandages to send to the Red Cross and 
Salvation Army.  She said there was an epidemic of flu everywhere.
Alta told me the drug store was owned by Charlie Goss, and Dr
Coalson was the doctor.  Her husband to be, Alli Bilbo, worked in
the drug store.

Floy Sawyer, also of Robert Lee said she was 5 years old in 1918
and times were hard.  She said her father was a farmer and they 
had to move a lot because of bad crops.  She said a man drove her
and her family from Indian Creek near Brownwood in a large touring
car to the train station in Brownwood.  They went to College Port,
Texas, on the bay, to try with new crops.

Meanwhile, more Yanks had started to arrive in a tired Europe.  
The American Troops had been in Europe since Aug. 1917, when they
had paraded down the streets of London.  Once in France the
Doughboys were put through rigorous training in both trench and 
open warfare.  As they gained skill, they were posted to sentry
duty or sent out on small raids.  As of Dec. 31, 1917, 176,665
American Troops were in France.  Amercia was badly prepared
for the war it entered on April 6, 1917.  Woodrow Wilson was the
President of the United States.

On July 4, 1918, three days after Vaux fell, American G.H.Q. at
Chaumont announced loudly that more than one million Americans
had arrived in France.

Willie I. Tubb and Pammie Landers had left Arthur Tubb at Fort
Sam Houston in San Antonio and they shipped out to Europe.  They
arrived with their division fresh off the boats.  They carried
the Model 1917 rifle, a weapon so awkward and crudely tooled that
their firing was only effective at short range.

They arrived wearing hot O.D. Woolens with choker collars, which
in the July heat, only added another atrocity to the Western front.
However, when they came down the gangplank, they radiated vigor 
and confidence.  They stood tall and appeared all powerful, thanks 
to the campaign hats they were wearing.  There has never been a 
prouder, happier, more talkative army under the American Flag.

As they marched over the Roman Roads, they sang the bawdiest songs 
within memory:  "Lulu", "Frankie and Johnny", and the "Fusiliers",
a ditty that was later cleaned up to become "I've got sixpence" of 
World War II.

World War I was a bloody war and it was then that the Mustard Gas 
was introduced.

Pamie Landers was in the 130th M.G. Bat. 35th Division.  He was
killed 29 Sept. 1918, three days after Armistice; they didn't get
the word in time while fighting in the trenches.  Pammie was a
corageous hero; he paid the supreme sacrifice.  Pammie was buried
somewhere in France, in a place called Ramagne, in a cemetery named
Meuse-Argonne. Clodnen Greer Guillary of Waco, Texas, one of 
Pammie's nieces, was able to go to France to visit his grave.

Although Pammer was unable to return home with Arthur and Willie I.,
his memory lives on.  Pammie has two nephews living in Robert Lee, 
Wilbern Millican and Finis Millican.  Wilbern named one of his sons 
after his uncle Pammie.  Other nieces and nephews have kept some
memorabillia on Pammie.  My dad, Arthur Tubb, was instrumental in
naming the local American Legion Post after Pammie Landers.  
Pammie was the only man killed from Robert Lee during World War I.

After the fighting in the trenches had ended in France and they 
were told that Armistice was signed, according to Willie Il, the
Germans and Americans offered one another cigarettes.  Willie was 
able to get acquainted with several families before returning 
home.

Willie I. lived in Silver, Texas.  He became a rancher and was s
successfully involved in investments in the oil industry until his
death.  Willie has one nephew, Bunyon Millican living at Silver, 
along with great nieces and nephews.

After my dad, Arthur Tubb had the accident on the horse at Fort
Sam Houston, he was honorably discharged and returned home.  He
was in the cafe business and later was involved in stock farming.
He married Mary Maxwell and raised a family.  Arthur was in the
American Legion, serving as adjutant for over 35 years in Robert
Lee.

My dad, Arthur, never forgot Pammie and the time they spent 
together while training at Fort Sam Houston.  When he played the
guitar and sang some of the World War I songs, "Over There" and
"It's a long, long, way to Temporary" he always ended with this 
song he learned while he was in the Army.  He taught this to my
brother, Mack, and I.  It goes like this:

"Oh she promised to meet me
When the clock struck seventeen,
In the stock yard a mile away from town,
Where the pig feet and pig ears,
and the tough old Texas Steers,
Sell for sirloin steaks at 17 cents a pound.

She's my Darlin', my Daisy,
She's hump back, she's crazy,
She's knock knee'd, bowlegged and she's blind.
Oh, they say her teeth are false,
Just from drinkin epsom salts.
She's my freckle faced, sonsumptive
Susan Brown"

In memory of Pammie Landers, Willie I. Tubb and Arthur Tubb.

Permission granted by Observer/Enterprise for publication in the
Coke County TXGenWeb Archives