Dallas Reece Langley

When the U.S. declared war on Germany in April 1917, its Army was in a pitiable state. With less than 130,000 officers and soldiers, it could not even form 10 divisions, let alone a force that could challenge the nearly 200 battle-tested divisions of the German Army.

There was also concern about how Americans would handle a modern war. The frontier had been closed for nearly 30 years, and the U.S. had no history of conscription. Most recently, it been involved in the Punitive Expedition against Mexico, where it failed in its stated purpose of capturing Pancho Villa. Plus, the last time the U.S. had fought a war, 1.) it had been against Spain, 2.) it was fought just off our coastline, in Cuba, and 3.) even then it was a colossal mess. Consider this picture of the Tampa transport terminal in 1898.

Draft armies need time to figure things out, but with Russia on the verge of collapse, our European allies worried that the war would be over by the time we got up to speed. For the first time, the United States would have to rely on its National Guard to fight a foreign war. As a a result, North Carolina’s 120th Regiment was pulled under federal authority in summer 1917, and mobilized in South Carolina as part of the 30th Division.

At Camp Sevier, the 120th Regiment trained in modern warfare tactics and built up strength during the winter. It left Boston on May 17th, 1918, and arrived in Calais, France on 5 June.

Once in France, the 30th Division gradually integrated with Allied forces. It received new equipment and uniforms, grew more familiar with trench warfare, and eventually assumed a portion of the defense around the Ypres salient.

During this time, the officer in charge of Company K grew to command a particular respect. Following one attack on a pillbox, “a lieutenant of the company was killed and it was 36 hours before his body would be recovered…At length our captain, Ben F. Dixon, went out in broad open daylight in the rain of bullets and carried the body back.” [Courier article]

In September, the 30th Division moved south to Bellicourt. “No one knew what was to take place, but each man in the Regiment felt the time had come for the Regiment to prove its worth.” [Courier article]

When their orders came in for what would be the start of the Somme Offensive, CPT Dixon knew what to expect. The 38 year-old Spanish-American War veteran “called the men of his company together, and they solemnly pledged themselves to carry through to the objective, though only one man be left.” [Official history]

Sergeant Roy Cox described the calm before the storm.

“On the night of the 28th, we trudged through the mud to our ‘kicking off’ place about 75 yards in front of the English trenches, then held by the Australians. From 2:00 in the morning until 5 we lay on the tape, smoked and talked until the zero minute.” [Courier article]

On September 29th, 103 years ago, Company K attacked the southwestern end of the St. Quentin canal tunnel. It was in this action that Captain Ben Dixon was wounded three times.

“The first wound was a machine gun bullet in the leg. He wrapped this up and went on. The next wound was in the throat, but he absolutely refused to go to the rear. He had gone only 15 yards when he was struck in the arm. Again, he bandaged the wound and kept going.” [Courier article]

Dixon continued until “a piece of shrapnel tore out his left side,” killing him instantly. Yet his leadership that morning inspired his soldiers to reach their objective by about noon. The 30th Division would continue fighting for a few more days, until they were rotated out on October 1st.

In writing to the 30th Division’s commander on October 2nd, Australian Major-General John Monash expressed his appreciation for the Americans’ contribution in the Battle of the St. Quentin Canal.

“Now that the fuller details of the work done by the 27th and 30th American Divisions have become available, the splendid gallantry and devotion of the troops in these operations have won the admiration of their Australian comrades. The tasks set were formidable, but the American troops overcame all obstacles, and contributed in a very high degree to the ultimate capture of the whole tunnel system.” [Official history]

CPT Dixon would have been proud of his unit for having achieved its objective on September 29th. He and the rest of his unit helped dispel the doubts about the feasibility of a draft army, and the 30th Division would enjoy the distinction of having the most Medal of Honor recipients from World War I.

But CPT Dixon never came home from the war -- neither in life nor in death. To this day, he remains a “permanent resident” of France; his grave located in the Somme American Cemetery in Bony, France.
I have no relation to Ben Dixon, but I am related to one of the soldiers he led that day in the Battle of the St. Quentin Canal: Sgt. Dallas Reece Langley was my grandfather’s uncle.

Although he too was wounded in the arm and hand during World War I, “Uncle Dal” returned to the United States in April 1919, and was promptly discharged. He got married the following month, and had five children during his lifetime.

When Dallas Reece Langley passed away in 1955, he was buried in the Wilmington National Cemetery, in North Carolina. His headstone bears a record of his military service in Company K, 120th Regiment, 30th Division ...
... just as Ben Dixon's does.