115th Cavalry, WY Nat'l Guard

[Sam Cox]

Can anyone help with a roster of the 115th Cavalry prior to Pearl Harbour?

Im interested in any information about a Lawrence Cnossen,before during and after the war.

I recently uncovered an Ike with the name written on the tag and some 115th DIs in the pocket.The left shoulder has a Constabulary patch and the jacket has 1st Sgt rank.

The ike came with a set of spurs and an overseas cap made from officers dark shade elastique with POP written inside.

There may be a 7766th Horse Troop connection as the lot came from Schweinfurt in Germany.

[Pat Holscher]

Can anyone help with a roster of the 115th Cavalry prior to Pearl Harbour?

Im interested in any information about a Lawrence Cnossen,before during and after the war.

I recently uncovered an Ike with the name written on the tag and some 115th DIs in the pocket.The left shoulder has a Constabulary patch and the jacket has 1st Sgt rank.

The ike came with a set of spurs and an overseas cap made from officers dark shade elastique with POP written inside.

There may be a 7766th Horse Troop connection as the lot came from Schweinfurt in Germany.

Is there any chance that last name might be misprinted on the tag? I'm familiar with some of the 115th member's namees, and a roster may exist at the state society in Cheyenne. Determining senior NCOs shouldn't be too hard, depending upon the time frame.

The 115th went through a personnel change in 1941. The unit was very highly regarded in 40 up to some point in 41, and then the Army used a bunch of its members for cadre for other units, leaving it with a bunch of new members. At the time of Pearl Harbor, the unit had so many fresh troops in it that its effectiveness was seriously degraded and a decision was made not to deploy it. The unit was built back up, but as its effectiveness improved this continued to be the case.

In other words, the original Wyoming National Guard unit lost some men immediately prior to, and during mobilization. It was still mostly a Wyoming unit, however. Truscott mentions it as being a very good unit in Twilight of the Cavalry. But, in 41 that unit was partially cannibalized and officers and NCOs went off to other units. Some of the NCOs were commissioned. One I knew ended up in the USAAC as a pilot. After Pearl Harbor it patrolled the Pacific Coast, but the decision was made not to deploy it due to the new troops in the unit not being trained. The unit continued to experience this through 42 and 43, ie., it was trained up and the trained men were often sent off to other units. It was finally deployed in late 1944 as an armored cavalry unit, by which time only a minority of men in it had been in the Wyoming National Guard unit.

[Pat Holscher]

Well, there was a Lawrence Cnossen in the census, age 50, for Newcastle Wyoming in 1940.

Newcastle was the site of a 115th Cavalry troop. I recently posted a photo of their stable, which is now a museum.

Cnossen is an unusual name. If that trooper was in the 115th since the time of the unit's mobilization in 1940, he'd almost certainly have to be related, or have to be that individual.

[Pat Holscher]

Well, there was a Lawrence Cnossen in the census, age 50, for Newcastle Wyoming in 1940.

Newcastle was the site of a 115th Cavalry troop. I recently posted a photo of their stable, which is now a museum.

Cnossen is an unusual name. If that trooper was in the 115th since the time of the unit's mobilization in 1940, he'd almost certainly have to be related, or have to be that individual.

He apparently was a stockman. See upper right hand corner of this newspaper:

http://nlj.stparchive.com/Archive/NLJ/N ... 935P03.php

[Pat Holscher]

Here you go:

http://www.fold3.com/image/195515225/

He was a NCO in the Newcastle unit. His name is mentioned here, as one of the troopers going to Pole Mountain for annual training in 1937.

[Pat Holscher]

Cnossen must have been really game for equine service. He stayed on post war:

Sarge Signs Again for Hitch With Mules

FT. Colo. An Lawrence Cnossen already has Army sergeant who has spent most of his life around horses has signed up for another six years with Ft. Carson's 4th field artillery put the 31 of his 66 years in with U.S

Long Beach Press Telegram Monday, August 22, 1955

I'm surprised that a person could still be doing reserve duty at 66 in 1955, let alone sign up for six more years.

This means that 50 year old stockman Cnossen, from Newcastle, was the one you were looking for, almost certainly. The data all works out. There was a Sgt. Lawrence Cnossen, in the 115th in 1937. In 1940, one Lawrence Cnossen, of Dutch birth, was living in Newcastle. 15 years later, one 66 year old Sgt. Cnossen was signing on for six more with the 4th. That must be him.

[Pat Holscher]

Cnossen was interviewed about his reenlistment in the 4th Pack here:

http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/25084090/

You'll have to sign up for a temporary subscription to view that one. Could be interesting.

The Newcastle, Wyo., stable sergeant believes there still is a place for the mules and horses in the army. And he doesn't think they are so dumb. "When it's time to eat," he said, "they sure let you know." The 4th Field Artillery Battalion is one of two remaining mule pack units.in the Army and Cnossen is in charge of 18 horses and 11 mules*'

[Pat Holscher]

And here he is:

http://books.google.com/books?id=zGo659 ... my&f=false

[Sam Cox]

on the right,this may be our man

looks to be about the right age

[Pat Holscher]

Born: September 12, 1889
Died: March 25, 1967

He is buried at the Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver. Just from what I'm seeing, he doesn't appear to have ever married. Indeed, the Newcastle paper, which used to, in small town fashion, run a very detailed social page, reports that he was a guest for Christmas dinner, along with several others, at the home of a Newcastle resident, before the war. Everyone else is listed as "Mr. and Mrs.", but he's just listed as Lawrence Cnossen.

I wonder when he immigrated, as he would have been old enough to have served in World War One, but his tombstone is not indicated as reflecting World War One service.

Here's another photo of him with Hambone:

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1 ... -218469095

That photo is supposedly 1967, but I doubt the correct date is 57. Here's the same photo in an newspaper article from the disbanding of the unit:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 41,2522190

[Pat Holscher]

on the right,this may be our man

looks to be about the right age

That's him.

[Pat Holscher]

I see he had 31 years of service, when he reenlisted at age 66, in 1955. He must have come into the country after World War One, as his first enlistment with the Wyoming National Guard was until he was 35 years of age.

Pretty remarkable soldier.

[Sam Cox]

and a lot of time with horse and mule units

i cant find much info regarding the 7766th Horse Troop,they existed from August 1948 until late 1949

the same name,the right rank so im guessing its the same fella

[Pat Holscher]

Bump.