Luke Lea in the Great War

By Doris Boyce

Luke Lea of Nashville, Tennessee believed in doing the right thing. He had been elected to the U.S. Senate in 1911 when he was 32 years old. As a Senator he voted to punish espionage acts and to arm merchant ships. When Congress declared war in April, 1917, he formed a group of Tennessee volunteers to fight against Germany, the aggressor.

Within three months after their final training in Brittany, Colonel Lea and the 114th Field Artillery he commanded were transported to the front lines. They were in constant battle until the cease-fire of November 11th.

Following the armistice, peace talks were being held in Paris; tension and accusations were rampant. Lea was convinced that the Kaiser should be held accountable for the death and destruction he had caused. He believed that harsh terms levied against the German people would sow the seeds for yet another war.

Deciding upon a course of action, Lea took a five day leave along with several of his officers and men, who had no idea what they were about to do. He confided in no one. He arranged passports and transportation. They travelled in two cars from Luxembourg, through Belgium, to neutral Holland to where the Kaiser had fled.

As the castle came within sight Lea said, “Men, I have come to convince the Kaiser that he must come forward before the peace conference and take responsibility for his actions.”

“But,” Luke went on, “if he won’t come willingly then we will take him unwillingly.” Cheers went up as the men agreed.

They drove up to the castle door and got out of their cars and knocked on the door. They were admitted and asked to state their business. Lea, the publisher of The Nashville Tennessean, stated his name; the men did likewise. “We are here on a journalistic investigation and request an interview with Kaiser Wilhelm Hokenzollern,” they said. They heard their words repeated and replies by the man who must have been the Kaiser, who was in the next room.

Lea surmised that the Kaiser was surrounded by German military personnel. He knew then that his mission would have to be aborted. There was not a single chance of success.

They were treated politely and served water and cigars. However, the Germans referred to them as uninvited guests and asked them to leave. In the meantime their cars were now completely surrounded by Dutch civilians bearing arms. Luke and his men stepped into their cars and calmly drove away. The civilians fell away on either side as they sped on through and cleared the village.

Immediately upon returning to his regiment, Lea was faced with charges of military misconduct. His defense was that he acted as a private citizen. “Never once,” he said in his own defense, “did I state that I represented the U.S. Military.”

As Colonel he took full responsibility and a reprimand from General “Black Jack” Pershing. He would have taken punishment for doing the right thing; however, the charges were dropped.

(Condensed by the author from her larger story for publication in the NHN)