Today's Tidbit... Memorial Day Weekend Tribute to 362nd Infantry Regiment Officers’ Football Team

Before the 91st Division at Camp Lewis formed a football team in the fall of 1917, the officers of the 362nd Infantry Regiment created a team, opening the season with a 0-0 tie against Washington State. The team picture from the game program shows fifteen of the twenty-three officers who played for the 362nd during the season.

The 362nd shipped to France with the 91st Division, arriving in late July 1918. In late September, the 91st was among the divisions launching the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, taking heavy casualties and being pulled from the line after a week or two. Shortly after that, they went to and fought in Flanders (Belgium) until the Armistice.

Of the twenty-three officers who played for the team during the season, nineteen served in Europe, nine were wounded in action, and three were killed in action.

The officers, the colleges they attended, the years playing football or rugby, and some elements of their war service are below.

As listed in the caption:

Lt. Thomas May | Oregon State ‘08 - ’11 | Wounded in France

Lt. Harry Evans | Harvard | Served in France

Lt. Frank Gard | Stanford rugby ’10 - ’13 | Killed in action, Gesnes, France, Sept. 29, 1918

Lt. John Burgard | Oregon | Wounded in Belgium. Distinguished Service Cross.

Lt. William Hutchinson | Stanford ’15 rugby | Served in France

Capt. Charles Thorpe | Stanford ’06 - ’07, ’09 rugby | Wounded in France

Lt. Frederick Campbell | None | Served in France

Lt. William Bell | Cal ’20 - ’22 | Wounded in France

Lt. John McLean | McGill ’14 rugby | Wounded in France

Lt. Dick Kapple | Utah State ’13, ’15 - ’16 | Served in France

Lt. William Russell | Cal ’13 - ’16 | Remained stateside

Capt. James Montgomery | None | Wounded in Philippines (1899), Wounded in France (2X)

Lt. Benjamin Dorris | Oregon | Wounded in Belgium. Belgian Croix de Guerre.

Lt. Rhodolph Esmay | None | Wounded in France

Lt. Carl Middlestate | None | Remained stateside

Not pictured

Lt. Howard Angus | Occidental ’10 | Wounded in France

Lt. Arthur Duerr | USC ’16 | Served in France

Lt. Samuel Hays | Idaho ’13 - ’16 | Remained stateside

Lt. Vernon Heilig | None | Remained stateside

Lt. Ralph Hurlburt | Michigan ’09 - ’10 | Killed in action, Gesnes, France, Sept. 29, 1918

Lt. Wellslake Morse, Jr. | Cincinnati ‘13 - ’16 | Served in France

Maj. Walter Tuller | Cal ’07 | Served in France

Capt. Elijah Worsham | Purdue ’04 | Killed in action, Gesnes, France, Sept. 29, 1918

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