A Thanksgiving Apart: A Century of
Overseas Service for Georgia’s Citizen
Soldiers and Airmen
As families in Georgia sit down for Thanksgiving dinner
this year, nearly 700 Georgia Guardsmen will observe
Thanksgiving away from their families. Among those
currently deployed are aviators of the Georgia Army National
and Airmen of the Georgia Air National Guard’s Warner Robins
Wing. These Soldiers and Airmen are the latest to experience the
Georgia National Guard.
World War I
In the summer of
National Guard was
called to active service
along with other
National Guard states to
provide security along
the Mexican Border.
Georgia’s Citizen
Soldiers mobilized
was Sgt. Robert Gober
based Company H,
2nd Georgia Infantry
Regiment. The
Guardsmen enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast, but as Burton wrote
dinner, but for duty.
“We certainly had a Thanksgiving dinner today. We missed ours
Thursday but made up for it Friday. We missed it because we were
on outpost duty. We had all the things that go with a Thanksgiving
dinner: chicken, dressing, cranberries and everything…
Your devoted son,
Gober
The Georgia Guard returned from border duty in the spring of
1917. By then, the United States had declared war on Germany.
Presently, Burton and the newly formed 151st Machine Gun
Battalion would be dispatched for overseas service in October
1917. By Thanksgiving Day, Burton and the 151st MGB were
| December 2019 | Real Hero Report
in Uruffe France. Writing the day before Thanksgiving, Burton
requested comforts from home.
Somewhere in France
November 28, 1917
My dearest mama,
I wrote you to send me something for Christmas. Well don’t
forget to send me a big fruitcake. The amount that you can send is
limited but just send another box.
By all means, send me some chewing tobacco. Some toilet
articles, soap, shaving soap, talcum powder, and don’t send over
one towel at a time.
Don’t you worry about me for a minute for I am getting along
Your devoted son,
Gober
For the next 12 months, Burton the 151st endured unspeakable
conditions along the western front until the Armistice of
November 11, 1918 ended the war. Writing home to his mother
the day after Thanksgiving 1918, Sgt. Burton gave voice to the
Septfontaine Luxemburg
Nov 29, 1918
My dearest mother,
It has certainly been a busy year for me. It has also been rather
full of thrills and adventure.
Well mother dear, it seems that it won’t be long till we are back
in the dear old U.S.A and home. Can it be possible that the war is
over? I can hardly believe it. But the Germans have given up their
their big guns and all the material asked for so it must be so. God
has certainly been good to me. I have been blessed.
Well mother dearest, I can’t think of anything else to write
tonight.
As ever, your devoted son,
Gober
Sgt. R.G. Burton
Co. A. 151 M.G.Bn.
World War II
Burton returned home in 1919 along with his fellow Soldiers
of the Georgia National Guard. A generation would pass before
the Georgia Guard was again called to mobilize for overseas
service. In September 1940, nearly 5,200 Georgia Guard Soldiers
were brought to active duty due to events in Europe. Soldiers
of the 118th Field Artillery and 121st Infantry Regiment would
Soldiers of Company F, 2nd Infantry
Regiment Georgia Guard eat Sniders Pork
and Beans from the can within site of
the Mexican Border while mobilized in
(Photo courtesy of Georgia Guard
Archives)