Commissioned First Lieut., M.C., July 10, 1917. Entered active
service Aug. 14, 1917. Assigned to M.O.T.C., Ft.
Riley, Kansas, for three month's training. After completing
the training course, was ordered to report to Camp Travis, San
Antonio, Tex., but owing to illness in his family, he was relieved
of that order and obtained a leave of absence and returned home.
Upon the expiration of his leave he returned to Ft. Riley, and
after serving two weeks time in a Camp Infirmary was ordered
to proceed to Camp Cody, Deming, N. Mex., and upon arrival was
assigned to Base Hospital, No. 94, for duty. His work here was
in the pneumonia section, where it was possible to see hundreds
of cases of pneumonia and observe all phases of the disease with
their complications. On Feb. 9, 1918, he was assigned to the
133rd U.S. Inf., 34th Division, "Sand-storm." For six
months during his service here he was privileged to have his
family live with him at Camp Cody. In June, 1918, he was on detached
service for three weeks with the 318th Field Signal Battalion.
He was also on detached service with the 124th Machine Gun Battalion,
in July, 1918. On Aug. 23rd to 25th, the 34th Division left Camp
Cody and went to Camp Dix, New Jersey, preparatory to crossing
to France.
Lt. MITCHELL was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 133rd U.S.
Inf., as assistant surgeon, which was ordered to sea-
board September 15th. The battalion sailed on the 16th on
the S.S. Helenus, a British transport, and was fourteen days
crossing with a convoy of 12 ships. During the trip the battalion
suffered an epidemic of influenza and pneumonia, there being
over 800 cases of the former and more than 100 of pneumonia on
ship-board. Thirty soldiers died during the voyage, of whom 26
were buried at sea, the other four were buried in England. The
battalion landed at Liverpool, Sept. 29th and went from there
to Winchester, where it remained in a Rest camp for one week.
It was then ordered to Southampton, and crossed the English Channel
during the night of Oct. 6th, landed at Cherbourg, France. Remaining
here two days, it then entrained and was taken to a training
camp south of Bordeaux, being billeted it St. Selve, a small
French village. During the period while in this camp the 34th
Division was changed from a Combat to a Replacement Division.
Lt. MITCHELL then became a casual officer and was sent with other
medical officers to a Forwarding Camp at Le Mans, France. From
there he was ordered to proceed to St. Dizier (Haute-Marne Dept.)
to Camp Hospital, No. 97. While proceeding to St. Dizier, he
passed through Paris and was privileged to remain here a part
of the 10th, 11th and 12th of November, 1918, giving him an opportunity
to witness the demonstration following the signing of the Armistice.
He arrived at St. Dizier, Nov. 13th, and was assigned to Camp
Hospital, No. 97, but was detached and assigned to Evacuation
Hospital, No. 3, (French), where he served for four weeks in
the work of evacuation at this point. He then reported back to
Camp Hospital, 97, and was given charged of the infectious wards
for infections and contagious diseases. On Dec. 26th he was relieved
of duty at this place and assigned to duty as the C.O. (Medical)
of the First Anti-Aircraft Battalion, (Light Artillery), who
were under orders to return to U.S.A. While at this station,
Dr. MITCHELL was privileged to make several trips over the famous
battle grounds around Verdun. The battalion remained at this
station, (Behonne, France), until Jan. 30, 1919, when it was
ordered to proceed to Brest, the port of embarkation. Brest was
not a pleasant place on account of the rain and mud and lack
of fuel. On Feb. 17th the battalion embarked on the U.S.S.S.
Ohio, which sailed Feb. 20th. Owing to storms and rough seas
the ship made very slow progress and was finally compelled to
put back to the Azores Islands for coaling and better weather.
He arrived at Norfolk, Va., U.S.A., March 13th, after being on
ship-board twenty-four days. The battalion was quartered at Camp
Stuart until March 22nd, when it received orders to proceed to
the Presidio of San Francisco, California, for final discharge.
Lieut. MITCHELL was given an honorable discharge from the service
at the Presidio of San Francisco, March 29, 1919, having served
his country one year, eight and one-half months.