In The Hunt for Pancho Villa 1916-1917 (3)
Nevertheless, the local inhabitants of Parral continue to assert that their mayor had Pancho Villa's remains moved in the cemetery approximately a meter to the right of the designated grave and substituted with another body to prevent any further removal of Pancho Villa's remains. They maintain that it was the headless decoy body that was subsequently transported to Mexico City. Regardless of whether Pancho Villa's body still lies in the ground at Parral, his tall and dignified tombstone remains intact, and visitors still come to lay flowers at the grave. Thus, even in death, Pancho Villa continues to be elusive.
On April 6, 1917, the United States formally declared war on Germany. Pershing received directives to assemble a division under his command and to deploy this formation to France as the first American unit to engage alongside the Allies. He provided a list of officers he wished to have on his staff, which included Lieutenant Patton's name. However, a few days later, Pershing was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the American Expeditionary Force, encompassing all troops designated for deployment to France.
Consequently, with a small headquarters team, Pershing immediately traveled overseas as a symbol of reassurance and hope to the war-weary Allies, who had endured significant battles of attrition for the preceding three years. Although the entry of the Americans into the war provided a substantial psychological uplift to the Allies, the United States was ill-prepared to engage in the extensive conflict on the Western Front. The positioning of units along the Mexican border and the pursuit of Villa had been a modest initial step toward mobilization, but now the U.S. Army needed to raise, equip, and train a considerably larger force. The War Department intended to send Pershing 2,000,000 partially trained soldiers, and he was charged with preparing them for combat readiness abroad.
Regarding the Georgia units that were deployed to the Mexican Border, some remained in Federal Service while others returned to Georgia. Nonetheless, on July 3, 1917, the entire National Guard of the United States was mobilized for World War I. In August 1917, the Georgia National Guard units underwent reorganization, with the majority being assigned to the 31st Infantry Division, except for the Coast Artillery units, which were designated for Savannah Coastal Defense. However, a special new battalion was to be formed from Georgia.
Requests from National Guard officers and Governors for the early deployment of their state units to engage in combat against Germany inundated the War Department. The demand became so widespread and persistent that the Secretary of War devised the concept of creating a composite Division that would incorporate troops from every State in the Union. This led to the establishment of the renowned 42d (Rainbow) Division, which would later achieve distinction in numerous significant battles during World War I. In August 1917, companies B, C, and F of the 2nd Georgia Infantry were reorganized into the 151st Machine Gun Battalion and assigned to the 42d Division. When the 42d Infantry Division reached France in November 1917, it included National Guard units from 26 States and the District of Columbia. Nearly a year later, on September 16, 1918, the 31st Infantry Division, comprising National Guard units from Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, departed for France and joined the American Expeditionary Force on October 3, 1918.
Regarding Americans, the extensive mobilization of U.S. forces in 1916 and the pursuit of Pancho Villa in Mexico are rarely mentioned in our history books and, consequently, are not studied in schools. Nevertheless, this event holds significance for Georgians as it marked the initial mobilization and deployment of National Guard Units for Federal service, signaling the end of the traditional militia system that relied on recruiting volunteer units of inexperienced individuals for Federal service, as was practiced during the Mexican War of 1846-1848. Furthermore, it served as a precursor to the total force policy, which is crucial for our defense readiness today. If Pancho Villa were alive today, he would likely assert that he taught General Pershing and the Americans from the north how to prepare for combat.
How did Pancho Villa die...
