Taken from The narrative of company A, 106th machine gun battalion, 27th division, United States army, in the "Great War" : together with its formation and a summary of the activities of its predecessors, Troops K and H, First New York cavalry. [New York] Patterson press, 1919. 

War having been declared on April 6, 1917, against Germany, the men in the regiment realized that it would be only a question of time when they would he again called to the colors. Out of some thirteen hundred men the First New York Cavalry furnished more than seven hundred officers to the United States Army. This necessarily depleted the ranks of Troops H and K of the men who had service in Texas. On July 16. 1917, the National Guard of the State of New York was called into service. General routine work was held at the respective armories throughout the State and on August 15th the regiment mobilized at the Bliss Estate, known as '"Owl's Head" Camp in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and a tough war was here fought. On October 9th the regiment entrained for Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, South Carolina. Up to this time we still had our horses and brought them with us to Camp Wadsworth but on detraining in the "Sunny South" we were informed that the horses were to be turned over to the Remount Station. Thereupon a great transformation scene was depicted and we were christened "Machine Gunners." Seventy-one men of Troop H were transferred, together with the entire Troop K to form Company A of the 106th Machine Gun Battalion. Captain Alson Shantz, who had been so instrumental in bringing Troop H to its high standard of efficiency, was ordered to the new Ammunition Train that was being formed. First Lieutenant Carl Loebs and Second Lieutenant Roger Wellington, both charter member of old Troop H, were transferred to Company A, 106th Machine Gun Battalion.