Dakota Datebook Stories: The Great War
Millions of Americans served in World War I — soldiers, sailors , nurses — and many at home provided support, suffered scarcities, and grieved for loved ones lost. The United States entered the Great War April 6, 1917. Prairie Public’s Dakota Datebook commemorated the 100th anniversary with stories from North Dakota, thanks to historian Jim Davis and other Dakota Datebook writers. Hear the stories here, or download a pdf to read the entire collection.
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Slightly over one year after the First and Second Regiments of the North Dakota National Guard departed from the State, the war was over. An announcement…
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By the end of October in 1918, the people of North Dakota held an apocalyptic view of unfolding events. The whirlwind pace of an incredibly violent year…
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“No Man’s Land,” the area between the trenches, was a concentrated killing field that had to be crossed if any advance was going to take place. Sentries…
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The Germans were steadily being forced back towards their homeland, giving up much of the territory they had gained since 1914. As the Allies advanced,…
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As the Meuse-Argonne offensive began, the letters from the North Dakota soldiers in France were now only lightly censored. Life on the battlefield was…
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On this date in 1917, Europe was at war. America had not yet joined the fight, but there was another war to be waged: the war against hunger. Europe was…
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On September 29, 1917, throngs of people had stood amid garlands of red, white and blue bunting, waving flags and banners as they crowded on the railroad…
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Three days after the drive for the Fourth Liberty Loan began on September 28, 1918, the citizens of North Dakota had subscribed to $12 million of the…
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From the American perspective in September of 1918, the allies in France needed to take the offensive instead of continuing the battle of attrition…
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On this date in 1918, many North Dakota soldiers were serving their country in the War, and when they wrote home, it was common for the recipient to give…