Remembering When
by
Jerry Person
Huntington Beach City Historian
Dedicated to the people of Huntington Beach
Remembering Carlos Rodman
“War is not nearly so dangerous an occupation as tradition and our more or less romantic viewpoint leads us sometimes to believe. It is safe to say that the mortality rate is not greater than that of the average large city.”
These words were spoken in an address given on Thursday, September 26, 1918 by Lieutenant Joseph Rodman at the Crazy Theatre in Mineral Wells, Texas.Rodman was one of the first men from Huntington Beach to land on French soil during the last days of World War I. He had been wounded in battle, but had recovered sufficiently to make a public address about the American soldiers in Europe. This reminded me of another young man who went to great lengths to follow his brother into the service of his country.
The “war to end all wars” had begun in Europe in 1914, but it was not until 1917 that American troops would enter the fighting and the residents of Huntington Beach were willing to do their part in ending the war.
City Attorney Alex Nelson, City Treasurer C.E. Levering and Attorney Lewis Blodget were kept busy registering our boys from Huntington Beach for service in Uncle Sam’s army. Huntington Beach plumber H. Mose Tolson was the first Huntington Beach name to be drawn for service and some others included John Eader, Oswald Dennis, Kyle Howard, Roy Blodget, Jack Given, Leonard Livernash and Walter Rigdon.
Walter’s father Frank H. Rigdon owned the Rigdon drug store 102 Main on the corner of Main Street and Ocean Avenue (Pacific Coast Highway).
Walter had no problem getting drafted into service and was sent to Camp Merritt in New Jersey, but his brother Carlos, that was a different matter, for Carlos it would be a difficult process to become a soldier like his brother.
Carlos Eshelman Rigdon was born on June 22, 1887 in Marion, Indiana that made him past thirty years of age when the war began and early on Carlos lived in an artistic atmosphere of classical music, art and books and it was not surprising that he would run a photograph studio on Main Street and played in the Huntington Beach Municipal Band.
But Carlos was anxious to join his brother in the service and when time came for his examination, he failed it on account of not being able to pass the physical part of it. He would next travel to Fullerton to take it again, but again he was denied. He would make several trips to Los Angeles and to San Diego in hopes of inducing officials to accept him, but was still rejected.
It was during this time that he met an officer who told Carlos to enter the Civil Service Department and the officer said that in due course he would have him transferred to a fighting unit.
On August 21, 1918 Carlos left Huntington Beach for Washington D.C. with high hopes and shortly he received a promotion and rejoiced in the fact he would shortly be able to be part of the regular army, but suddenly on October 12, 1918 Carlos died in Washington D.C. without realizing his dream of becoming an American soldier and fight for his country.
A memorial band concert was held for Carlos on May 11, 1919 in Circle Park (Farquhar Park) to commemorate the memory of Carlos Rigdon. Friends and relatives gathered at 2 p.m. in the park, the Huntington Beach Municipal Band that Carlos had been a member would provide the music. Band Director Charles “Pop” Endicott directed the band to start the program with the march “Pontifical.”
Reverend C. Carey Willett from the First Baptist Church said a prayer after which the band played Handel’s “Largo.” City Clerk Charles R. Nutt spoke about the short life of their friend Carlos, paying a high tribute to his memory as appropriate to this solemn occasion. This was followed by “Abide with Me” sung by a local sextette and a closing prayer given by Reverend A.S. Bash from the First Christian Church and closing with the band playing “America.”
Carlos would never see action overseas nor see his beloved Huntington Beach, for he would be buried in Marion, Indiana.
As for those glowing remarks made by Joseph Rodman about war not being as dangerous, he too would not see his beloved Huntington Beach, for at about the time that Carlos died, Rodman passed away in Washington D.C. of a severe wound he received in action. Rodman was laid to rest beside his father in Dallas, Texas.
These two, like so many to come in these future wars, would never again feel the warmth of Huntington Beach’s sun nor the cool ocean water splashing on them as they ride a modern surfboard thru the waves to shore.