The "Lancastrians Who Fought For The USA In WWI: Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Its been a little over 100 years ago that close to 500 Lancastrians marched through Penn Square following a flag bearer.  They followed as he took them through the streets of downtown Lancaster singing patriotic songs as they vowed to win the war with Germany.  The day before, April 2, 1917, the President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson had asked all Americans to join the fight in Europe.  Soon after, Congress supported the declaration of war and a patriotic spirit filled the streets of the Red Rose city as it had during the Spanish-American War and the Great Rebellion.  The mayor of Lancaster, Mr. H.L. Trout, told the citizens of Lancaster that between 800 and 1,000 men were needed to respond to the call to bear arms and join the Army and Navy.  More than 5,000 volunteered or were drafted.  Thousands participated in a preparedness parade.  But, the march was silent since everyone knew how costly it would be to wage war.  Thousands marched away to help defeat Germany, but the cost was tremendous with 250 Lancasterians killed and 9 million soldiers and 10 million civilians dying during the war.  Many from Lancaster fought in the Army's 28th Division under a young Lieutenant by the name of Daniel Strickler.  That young man eventually was gassed and wounded, but would survive to become a General in WWII as well as the Korean War and also became Pennsylvania's Lieutenant Governor.  Another young man by the name of Charles P. Stahr, a Lancaster physician, commanded the 28th Division, 111th Ambulance  Company of the 103rd Medical Battalion.  

War Memorial in Buchanan Park dedicated
to those who fought in WWI.

Today, in Buchanan Park in the city of Lancaster stands a memorial to the 111th.  In 1996 the final survivor of that company, Reah Hollinger, died at the age of 101.  Another Lancastrain, Boone Bowman was said to be the first American to plant our nation's Stars and Stripes in a German-occupied territory when he placed a flag behind enemy lines while on an early mission to rig a telephone line.  On the home front National Guardsmen guarded the bridges along the Susquehanna River as well as the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks.  The Red Cross "Gray Ladies" sold Liberty Bonds from a miniature Courthouse in the center of Lancaster and all Lancastrians observed gasless Sundays, meatless Mondays and heatless Tuesdays to help conserve supplies for our troops.  

The miniature Court House where the Red Cross "Gray
Ladies" sold War Bonds.  It now stands in Buchanan Park.

And, German prejudice increased in Lancaster with German Street being renamed Farnum Street and Freiburg Street becoming Pershing Ave.  An F&M professor and a Lutheran minister were forced to resign were forced to resign after being viewed as not patriotic.  People of German heritage were mistreated.  Then on November 11, 1918 at 11:00 am the celebration began when church bells rang out and factory whistles sounded as the fighting ended and surviving soldiers came home.  Rallying around the flag of the United States had worked as it has many times since then.  My stories the next two days will tell of a few Lancastrians who went beyond the call to duty to help our nation.  Follow tomorrow as I tell of those from Lancaster who fought for the USA in WWI.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.