In June 1917, fourteen steamships and three Navy transports gathered in New York Harbor. They were accompanied by four cruisers, thirteen destroyers, two armed yachts, and two fuel tankers. By the end of the month, the flotilla had reached France, delivering fourteen thousand fresh American troops to join the Allied forces in World War I. By the end of the war, about four million American soldiers had been mobilized. Approximately 117,000 of them died, and two hundred thousand more were wounded. The numbers were staggering, and Americans struggled to grasp how many of their fellow citizens would not be returning home. Every name on the casualty lists meant an empty chair at the dinner table. Each death was a loss to friends, schools, workplaces, and communities.
Leonard Poe was a popular young man well-known in Williston. He excelled in spelling bees, participated on the school debate team, and passed his final exams. He also won prizes for growing corn and potatoes.
Along with many of his friends, Leonard responded to the call for volunteers and joined the Navy. Friends and family hosted a farewell party in July 1918. Later that month, he wrote a letter home, expressing his happiness at meeting other Williston boys at the training station. He also wrote that the new recruits had received vaccinations and mentioned that he was “crazy about getting a chance to ride in a plane.”
Not all military deaths occurred in combat; some servicemen died before they even left the country. On this date in 1918, the community of Williston learned of Leonard Poe’s death at the Great Lakes Naval Station, a victim of the flu epidemic. His death shocked the community. His gold star was the first to be placed on the service flag of Williston High School. The newspaper reported that the star “is placed there with sorrow and a keen realization of our loss, yet not without pride at the thought of the sacrifice it represents.” Leonard was twenty years old. He left behind his parents, a brother, three sisters, and an empty chair at the dinner table.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Williston Graphic. “Williston Schools.” Williston ND. 1/17/18. Page 8.
- Williston Graphic. “Leonard Poe Dies While at Camp.” Williston ND. 11/26/1918. Page 1.
- Williston Graphic. “Local Stories.” Williston ND. 5/18/1918. Page 7.
- Williston Graphic. “Contest Held Saturday Eve.” Williston ND. 4/15/1912. Page 7.
- Williston Graphic. “Society.” Williston ND. 7/25/1918. Page 7.
- Williston Graphic. “The Senior Debate.” 2/7/1918. Page 8.
- Williston Graphic. “Many Williston Boys at the Lakes.” Williston ND. 7/25/1917. Page 1.
- American Battle Monuments Commission. “Remembering World War I.” https://www.abmc.gov/news-events/news/remembering-world-war-i-american-troop-ships-first-arrive-france Accessed 8/12/2024.
- History. “First U.S. Troops Arrive in France.” https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-u-s-troops-arrive-in-france Accessed 8/12/2024.
- History on the Net. “How Many Americans Died in World War I?” https://www.historyonthenet.com/how-many-americans-died-in-ww1 Accessed 8/12/2024.
