Henry Frederick Dreyer
Corporal
Company L - 57th Infantry Regiment
Patriotic Volunteers
A patriotic fervor swept over the country when the U.S. went to war with Spain in 1898 and remained strong well into 1899 during the subsequent war in the Philippines. Among those caught up in the excitement to enlist was Henry Dreyer of Port Huron, Michigan. He was eager as a first generation American (both his parents having emigrated from Germany) to show his loyalty to his family’s new home and thus enlisted with the 34th Michigan Volunteer Infantry in July of 1899. Though he stood at only 5’4”, he was in good shape and among the few from the 34th that was deemed fit to serve overseas. The twenty-one-year-old and 10 others from the unit were transferred to the 13th U.S. Volunteer Infantry Regiment (1). They underwent their training at Fort Sheridan in Illinois and merged into Company F., which was made up of almost all Michiganders (1). They trained and drilled until they were deemed fit for service in the Philippines and were subsequently shipped to the Pacific.
Insurgency in the Phillipines
By 1900, Henry Dreyer, had arrived on the large island of Luzon in the Philippines. The close-knit Michigan men of Company F had managed to stay together and were placed in the 30th U.S. Volunteer Infantry Regiment stationed here. The constant unit changes had demonstrated to them the army’s disorganization and their current status was confusing given a “U.S. Volunteer” unit was not a regular army, national guard, or state militia unit (2). It was something coined for the purposes of this war, though Henry and his comrades were probably less concerned with that and more so with the logistical nightmare occurring and with the questionable competency of some of their inexperienced officers (2). The war they were now in was not conducted in terms of conventional fighting like that of the famous San Juan Hill, which had come to characterize the image most inexperienced soldiers had of warfare (2). It was instead a brutal war of counter insurgency against guerrilla fighters in a dense tropical jungle (2). The very motives that had brought them into war now seemed to have been skewed as well and perhaps among the most disheveled men were murmurs of their task being akin to that of the ‘redcoats’ during the American War of Independence. But the job of soldiers is not to make comments or ponder the political motives of their conflict, but to follow orders and most importantly, watch their buddies back.
A closer comradeship could hardly be found among any other Company as that found among the Michiganders of F Company. Perhaps this very trait was what held them together during their time spent garrisoning Taybas province in the southwest of Luzon (3). The area was mostly rugged hill country covered in thick jungle, which proved perfect for guerilla soldiers to operate in (3). It was here they would spend their days trying to maintain control and defeat the local insurgents (3). A combination of strenuous work, heavy rains, and the constant fear of enemy attacks had weakened the men to the point where some “30 percent” of the regiment was on the sick list for a period (3). Henry and his comrades were practically sitting ducks and often found themselves outnumbered in the bloody engagements that occurred with the guerrilla forces (3). |
Though the odds were often against them, the men remained loyal to each other and often managed to come out on top solely due to their bravery. In one engagement, Charles Cawetzka, who had served with Henry since their time in the 13th, refused to abandon a wounded comrade from the Company and stood firm against overwhelming enemy forces, an action which saw him awarded the medal of honor (4). It was acts like this that only strengthened their resolve as a unit and though the campaign in the south was very far from a victory, they returned able to be proud of their own individual heroism.
An Old Patriot
Henry was discharged in April of 1901 and returned to his home of Michigan where he started a career in the civilian world. Some 16 years later, the United States entered the First World War and a patriotic enthusiasm once again made its way across the country. In June of 1917, Henry, now 39 years old, once again volunteered for service in the army. The veteran would find a place among Company L of the 57th Infantry Regiment at Camp Logan in Texas (4). He was one of the few to have prior military experience and likely passed a great deal on to the inexperienced men in his unit (4). The 57th would not go overseas, though it is likely some of the younger men may have gone over as part of the 33rd Infantry Division that had trained there (4). Henry remained a top-quality soldier and was promoted to Corporal as part of a casualty depot unit at the Camp (4). |
In March of 1919, Camp Logan was closed, and Henry was honorably discharged (4). He returned home to Detroit and would marry Edith Marszan that year. He also managed to attain a job at the now world-famous Ford Motor Company. Though he was far too old to serve when the next war broke out, he did spend it helping to build military equipment at Ford and did not retire until the end of the war in 1945 (5). Even at 67, his energy and patriotism were near unmatchable.
Sources:
(1) “Michigans U.S. Volunteer Regiment.” Detroit Free Press, 27 July 1899.
(2) Andrews, Frank L. The Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902): Development of the U.S. Army 's Counterinsurgency Policy. Louisiana State University , 2002, digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2317&context=gradschool_theses.
(3) Ramsey, Robert D. Case Studies of Pacification in the Philippines, 1900-1902. www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/ramsey_24.pdf.
(4) Philippine Insurrection Medal of Honor Recipients for the United States Army. U.S. Army, www.army.mil/medalofhonor/citations8.html.
(5) “Obituaries.” Detroit Free Press, 26 May 1947.
(1) “Michigans U.S. Volunteer Regiment.” Detroit Free Press, 27 July 1899.
(2) Andrews, Frank L. The Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902): Development of the U.S. Army 's Counterinsurgency Policy. Louisiana State University , 2002, digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2317&context=gradschool_theses.
(3) Ramsey, Robert D. Case Studies of Pacification in the Philippines, 1900-1902. www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/ramsey_24.pdf.
(4) Philippine Insurrection Medal of Honor Recipients for the United States Army. U.S. Army, www.army.mil/medalofhonor/citations8.html.
(5) “Obituaries.” Detroit Free Press, 26 May 1947.