Harrison Taylor Wells

Submitted by: COL Ret. Arthur N. Tulak

Harrison Taylor Wells served in World War 1 with the the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known June 24, 1918 to March 1, 1919.

 

2LT Harrison Taylor Wells, U.S. Army, E Battery, 72d Field Artillery Regiment, Camp Henry Knox Kentucky, and later assigned to the HQs and Headquarters Battery, 81st Field Artillery Regiment.

Born April 3, 1889 in Rea MO, at the opening of the War, Harrison T. Wells, a graduate of Drury College in Springfield MO, was the Principal of Greenfield High School, Greenfield, MO.

Harrison Wells was inducted into the Army on June 24, 1918, and reported to Company 32A, at Camp Pike Arkansas until July 10, 1918 when he reported to 24th Battery, at Field Artillery Central Officers Training School (F.A.C.O.T.S), at Camp Zachary Taylor, Louisville Kentucky.

2LT Wells completed the Artillery Officer’s training on October 9, 1918 and received orders to the 72d Field Artillery Regiment, 11th Infantry Division.

2LT Wells served in Battery E, 72d Field Artillery Regiment, 11th Division, at Camp Knox Kentucky, until February 7, 1919. Camp Knox was established on land acquired by the Army at West Point and Stithton Kentucky to establish the Army’s Artillery Training Center. The Camp was named after the first U S Secretary of War, General Henry Knox, who also held the distinction of being the chief of artillery in the Revolutionary War.

The 11th Infantry Division was commanded by a fellow Missourian, Major General Jesse McIlvaine Carter. While advance elements of the Division began deploying to the European Front on 25 October 1918, arriving 8 November 1918, the Armistice resulted in the curtailment of the deployment of forces.

2LT Wells then reported to 81st Field Artillery Regiment and served with this unit under Captain G. P. Cummings, until honorably discharged on March 1, 1919.

2LT Wells was awarded the World War One Victory Medal by the Department of the Army, and the State of Missouri Victory over
Germany Medal by General Harvey C. Clark. Awarded one silver War Chevron upon discharge at Camp Henry Knox, Kentucky on March 1,
1919. Awarded the War Department WWI Bronze Victory Lapel Button [pin] by Captain Lester T. Carris, U.S. Army, on November 19, 1919 in Springfield MO.

After returning to Springfield, 2LT Wells joined the American Legion, Post #69 (Goad-Ballinger Post), which formed August 1, 1920. Veteran 2LT Wells was a member of the WWI Last Man’s Club, where he served as “Admiral” presiding over the club’ s meetings in the 1970s.

During WWII, Veteran 2LT Wells served in the Citizen’s Defense Corps as a Civil Defense Air Raid Warden, and also received training for leading decontamination squads. The Office of Civilian Defense was established May 20, 1941. Prior to this, Missouri Governor Lloyd C. Stark created the Missouri Council of Defense by executive order on January 17, 1941.

Veteran 2LT Harrison Wells, died June 12, 1981, in Springfield MO, and is buried at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens in Springfield MO.