One hundred years ago today, the United States was close to declaring war, but it wasn’t the European war.  On March 9, 1916, Pancho Villa had raided Columbus, New Mexico.  Sixty to eighty of Villa’s men were killed, along with a dozen Americans.  President Wilson ordered 5000 American soldiers into Mexico as a punitive expedition to capture Villa.  By June, the state militias had been called up and sent to the border.

Among the skills desperately needed were telegraph operators, both landline and wireless. This item appeared in the Washington Times, June 19, 1916.

According to the article, the D.C. National Guard had a need for “men who can speak two languages that are not United States: the Morse code and the persuasive expletives that awaken the potential dynamic forces of the festive army mule.”

In other words, in addition to mule skinners, the Guard needed trained telegraphers. “The telegraph is playing an increasingly important part in the conduct of war, and the men in the telegraph corps of the signal company of the District national guard are given the best sort of inducements to join the organization.” The article noted that pay ran as high as $76 per month, “considerably more than men employed in similar work in civilian employments receive.”

In addition to landline telegraphers, the army needed radio men. “There are more than 250 amateur radio operators in Washington who are members of the national organization of wireless telegraph operators. Inducement have been offered a number of these men to join the national guard, and several inquiries were made today regarding the chances for radio work. It is understood that wireless equipment is much in use on the Mexican border.”

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