Gordon D. Kimes
Date: 17 May 1984
Interviewer: Don Weckhorst

KIMES: I was born and raised in Bloomington and in 1917 I knew a couple friends in the war and was patriotic and I wanted to do my part. So, on December the 14th, 1917, I enlisted at Chanute Field.

WECKHORST: Was there a recruiting poster or something that caused you to want to enlist?

KIMES: My father and I had a business and it was hard for me to get away earlier that year, but I decided that I [sic] to get in before I was drafted. So I enlisted on the day which was the last day of enlisting in the Army and everybody from then on was drafted.

WECKHORST: Did you get your entry training or basic training at Chanute when you enlisted there?

KIMES: Well, I started with regular squadron duty. I didn't go for any training, I became just one of the enlisted men for regular squadron duties.

WECKHORST: Was there any soldier type training and marching?

KIMES: Oh yes, we had the regular Army discipline, early morning reveille and regular army procedures, right away. We all were assigned, the recruits were assigned different jobs on the base. They were mechanics that worked on the airplanes, even though at that time, it was mid-winter, and by the way that was a terrible winter.

WECKHORST: Did you sign up to be an airplane mechanic?

KIMES: No, I signed up to be just another soldier or personnel as part of the Army. We did as we were told. I was assigned in the supply department. That was my first job.

WECKHORST: Mr. Kimes, do you remember when Chanute was built in 1917? When the farmers came from all around with their mule teams and helped the government build the base up?

KIMES: I understand, if I can find them someplace, I don't think that I will. I can show you a picture that was taken in July, 1917. You know the corn crop enough that the 4th of July the corn is knee high. You've heard that?

WECKHORST: Yes.

KIMES: I have a picture someplace of the flying field on the 4th of July where no equipment, where it might have shown in the background, a grade, other than that the flying field was full of corn, at that time. But of course it was just a few days or a few weeks that building would start. You know it went up overnight, practically.

WECKHORST: Yes.

KIMES: Well there was a lot to get the contracts started. They did all they could to get going. I have a picture someplace, it isn't a big one, it is one of those 3 x 5s, but it is a picture of the cornfield, and it's pretty funny, I hope I can find it.

WECKHORST: That is interesting. I have been looking for a picture with some farmers with their mule teams to help to clear the ground and to build the field.

KIMES: I haven't seen the picture and I didn't see it happen. I didn't come until December the 14th and all that was over with. All those barracks and hangars was all set up in running order in just three or four months, they were going.

WECKHORST: As the war proceeded, did you stay in the supply department at Chanute, into 1918?

KIMES: Yes.

WECKHORST: Do you have any recollections of people and personal experiences? That you think are interesting.

KIMES: Well, all through 1918, everything was paced to train those pilots. Everybody did their part. Supply, Engineering, to keep those airplanes flying and to turn out pilots.

WECKHORST: These pictures that you showed me that are of wagons coming to Chanute with the large boxes being unloaded, do you know if these airplanes are brand new?

KIMES: Oh yes, they came right from the Curtis Airplane Company.

WECKHORST: Were they brought in by railroad?

KIMES: Yes. That was a siding, that was a sidetrack.

WECKHORST: The railroad siding came right into the base?

KIMES: Yes.

WECKHORST: Ok, I have another interesting picture here that you talked about, one of the earlier pictures of Chanute. This is showing recreation at the soldiers club called the Pop Hinds Saloon. How about talking about that place?

KIMES: Well, it was a post exchange where they served lunch or sandwiches, but it was a hangout. It was patronized mostly by the officers that I didn't know and didn't become familiar with any of those. But later on most of that personnel that you see there was regulars. It turned out to be a regular eating joint, and I patronized it a lot. It was the only place you could get food without being at home or in the barracks.. At that time, the world war was going on, I was an enlisted man living in the barracks. You have the picture of the barracks there.

WECKHORST: Was this taken inside the building where we saw the picture called the Army Club?

KIMES: Yes.

WECKHORST: It's close to the officers quarters, I guess.

KIMES: Well, I think it was, Yes.

WECKHORST: Did you stay at Chanute all through World War I, Mr. Kimes?

KIMES: Yes, basically I'll give you my story. You know where I enlisted. I enlisted on December the 14th 1917. After the emergency of the war was over, I was discharged April the 14th 1919. That was when everybody was getting out. They would knock you down, to get to the discharge table. Of course, the United States had about 4 million men they discharged after the first year. Right after the D-Day, I don't know, I could tell by the men in the squadron. They want to get out right away, if they would let them. If they were discharged, they were gone the next day. They did their part, and it was right. Nobody would be held up. But all through, like I said I was discharged April the 14th 1919, and as a soldier I was through with World War I. But, they were going so fast that some of the officers who had things to do, requested me to stay a little bit longer. I said yes I left home and didn't leave much of a business with my father, and I said I would stay awhile, but just a short while. I'll stay at Chanute. So, I was employed the very next day under what they call temporary civil service. You're familiar with civil service?

WECKHORST: Yes.

KIMES: I was employed with Civil Service on April the 15th 1919. Now there wasn't no lapse there. I was discharged April the 14th and was employhed on temporary civil service April the 15th. Now there was no contract, so I could have stayed one day or 35 years. I kinda liked it. What I did in that time. Even then I would stay until June the 30th 1962. Thats [sic] solid employment with the Government from when I enlisted. I never lost a day. That's why I take them one at a time. I am the only man that I know of, who enlisted at Chanute, stayed at Chanute, and stayed there 44 1/2 years. Do you see what I mean?

WECKHORST: Yes.

KIMES: Because only 16 months of that was military. 42 year [sic] for Civil Service. So there is other people in World War I that enlisted at Chanute, went out and came out to Chanute, but they had broken service.

WECKHORST: During your 47 [sic] years as Civil Service, what jobs did you hold through those years?

KIMES: Well, I filled every position beginning in 1917 I was issue clerk in the base supply. Every bit of this was in the supply department. Those 44 1/2 years. I started as an issue clerk and filled every position in the supply all the way up until I was discharged as the Supervisor of Supply. It is trivial to mention. The stock clerk, the permanent party accounting clerk, theres [sic] lots of jobs in there.

WECKHORST: That is a remarkable achievement, to work that many years in continuous service. I would like to take you back to before we started our interview. Do you recall some very serious fires that we had at Chanute? Do you remember the first one, when one of the hangars burned down? There are one or two pictures and I don't know which pile I put them in.

KIMES: One was the Base Supply building and there was several pictures.

WECKHORST: Here are some pictures. We think a lot of important Chanute records were burned up in the fires. You say one of the first that you remember was the Base supply?

KIMES: Yes. There's one.

WECKHORST: Do you remember what year that was?

KIMES: No, my wife could verify that. We were in Florida at that time, word got around that there had been a great big fire at Chanute. I said My god, now what? So I called up from Florida to talk to the Supply Officer, Capt Geroge [sic] H. Steel [sic]. I said Is that So? He replied Yes. Should I come back? He said, No you don't need to come back, finish out your stay and we'll get along. You can't do anything here, your desk is all burned up, your desk and everything. We were down there about amonth. There is a picture here that says the hangar and the guard house. They were right side by side.

WECKHORST: Do you recall what year, was it in the 1930's?

KIMES: Yes, it was in the thirties. I was married in 1932. I'd say 1935 or 1936.

WECKHORST: Were there two big fires at Chanute? One at Base Supply and the other one at the hangar? That might have been 1933?

KIMES: I would say around 1932-1935, it was a big surprise. My wife and I were married in 1932.

END OF TRANSCRIPT