World War I

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At left: Memorial Shaft in Crown Hill Cemetery near Coldwater, Comanche County, Kansas. Photo by Bobbi Huck.

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      Something interesting which has turned up from Shirley Brier's research at the Kansas State Historical Society is that there are numerous men from the county, at least one from World War II and several from World War I, whose names are not listed on local monuments to veterans.
      World War I Casualties is a "complete" listing of casualties based on several sources of information.
      The many lists of men in the county published during the war is a valuable source for researchers, as they provide "snapshots" of the male population at different times during the war years.
      There's also a lot of information about families in the county in these news articles, as they identify family members of the soldiers and sailors who are the subjects of the articles.
      Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding and transcribing these WWI articles for this website!
      -- Jerry Ferrin, webmaster.
 

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Play a song popular during World War I: Over There

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World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, Comanche County, Kansas - List of the 1,321 men who registered in Comanche County for the draft.

Adjutant General Department:
List of Comanche County Men Who Died During WWI
Edward J. Burghardt, Jr.
Archie L. Cantrell
John R. Crawford
Ira B. Goff
William Harrison Metzker
Frank Taves.

April 26, 1917:
This Mother Gave Her All: Touching Incident of Sacrifice on the Altar of Her Country's Need.
The Wilmore News, 26 April 1917.

May 4, 1917:
More Volunteers for the Army and Navy

June 15, 1917:
Complete List of Comanche County's "Boys of 1917".

June 17, 1917:
Registration Day in Wilmore.

June 28, 1917:
Red Cross Fund Oversubscribed, The Wilmore News, 28 June 1917.

July 13, 1917:
Complete list of Comanche County boys who are subject to draft.

July 21, 1917:
Virgil McCabe: A Wilmore Soldier Writes

July 27, 1917:
The Great Army Draft Has Been Made.
Comanche County's Honor Roll

August 2, 1917:
NOTICE OF CALL AND TO APPEAR FOR PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
The following named persons are hereby notified that, pursuant to the Act of Congress approved May 18, 1917, they are called for military service of the United States by this Local Board.

August 10, 1917:
Two Sailor Boys Write to Home Folks
Letters from George P. Johnston and Albert L. Fridley

August 17, 1917:
Comanche County's Quota Almost Filled

August 23, 1917:
Bryan & James Raner: Letters from the USN, 1917.

October 18, 1917:
Lawrence York, Letter from Army Training Camp, 1917.

December 27, 1917:
Virgil McCabe's Letter

December 27, 1917:
"The Soldier Boys Don't Worry": Letter from Willard Richardson

January 25, 1918:
WORK OF DRAFT BOARD.
Physical Examination to Begin Soon, 84 in Class I So Far.

January 18, 1918:
Miss Lottie Hollenback Died at Fort Riley

February 17, 1918:
Boys In The New Draft List

October 18, 1917.
Funeral of George Morris, The Protection Post, October 18, 1917.

May 10, 1918:
Death of Harold Hind

May 16, 1918:
CALLED TO THE COLORS:
A list of Comanche County and Clark County, Kansas, residents who had been drafted for WWI service.

May 30, 1918:
PROTECTION'S HONOR ROLL
A list of Comanche County residents who were veterans of the Civil War or Spanish American War along with a list of men serving in WWI at the time of publication.

August 9, 1918:
Among Our Boys
Ralph Bradshaw, Harry Canfield, Ray Canfield, Archie Cantrell, Guy Chadwick, Donald Ferguson, Fred Ferrin, Beryl Hearldson, Bob Keesee, Jacob Kimes, Joseph MaGahan, Everett Masten, George Metzker, Harrison Metzker, Oscar Smith, Ray Swarner, Owen Warburton and Walter Waugh.

August 23, 1918:
Don King
A letter from Donnie King from the front lines in France and the announcement that he had been wounded in action.

September 20, 1918:
"18-45" REGISTRANTS"
A list of 672 men in Comanche County between the ages of 18 and 45 years of age who registered for the WWI Draft.

October 4, 1918:
Letter from Don King
A letter from Donnie King from a hospital in France after being wounded in battle.

October 11, 1918:
FOUR COMANCHE YOUNG MEN ANSWER DEATH CALL DURING PAST WEEK
John R. Crawford and Guy A. Schrock were soldiers; Warren Bratcher and Ernest Fox were not in the service.

October 18, 1918:
From Our Soldiers and Sailor Boys : Harrison and George Metzker
"Mr. and Mrs. Frank Metzker of this county have two sons in France, Harrison and George. We are permitted to quote as follows from letters received recently from the boys who are on active service with the American Expeditionary Forces."

November 1, 1918:
Letter from Don King
A letter from Donnie King from a hospital in France after being wounded in battle.

November 1, 1918:
AMONG OUR BOYS
Madison J. Carter, William Murton Carter, Warren Wilson Day, Edgar Ward Harmon, George Johnston, Stanley Edgar Proctor, Fred Harry Scholle, Guy W. Von Schriltz, Franklin F. Septer, Quincy Virgil Winningham, Leo Isaac Williams and J.H. Wright.

November 22, 1918:
Orlo Moore.

December 6, 1918:
Among Our Boys
Ward H. Butcher, James Crawford, Lawrence R. Hazzard, Claude Janson, Lee Purcell, Dr. W.O. Whitaker and Ernest Wood.

December 19, 1918:
Homer Headlee of Oklahoma Honorably Discharged

December 20, 1918:
FROM OUR SOLDIER and SAILOR BOYS
Letters from Ward Butcher, Fritz Harbaugh, Vernon Pepperd, Fred J. Schenck and Fred Wideman.

December 26, 1918:
Heard From Rufus Leiter

December 26, 1918:
Honor Belongs To Protection
(of having the first Comanche County soldier home from WWI service, who was Grover "Happy" Fralicek).

January 2, 1919:
PROTECTION BOYS KILLED IN ACTION:
Official Confirmation that Ed Burghart is Killed in Action and Ira Goff Died of Wounds

February 6, 1919:
HOWARD HAZEN SAW FIERCEST OF FIGHTING:
Was Wounded at Chatteau-Thierry - Saw River Run Blood

February 7, 1919:
IN HONOR OF ROY GATES   --   Among Our Boys
Robert Asa Cooper, Arthur Fisher, Roy Gates, William Kennedy, Ernest Hecht, Asa Hoofer, Basil Hunt, Oliver McCay, Everett Schultz, Walter Thompson and W.H. Williams.

March 20, 1919:
Memorial for ARLO MOORE
Died in service at 4:15 a.m. Oct. 10th, 1918 of pneumonia, base Hospital No. 101, St. Nazaire, France. He was from Protection, Ks.
Arlo Moore is not listed on the Soldiers Memorial or Heritage Park Memorial.

March 21, 1919:
AMONG OUR BOYS
Lynn Richardson, Carl Schenk, Ralph Tier, William Whitaker and Lawrence York.

March 27, 1919:
BURGHARDT DIED "GOING FORWARD"
Private Edward J. Burghardt, Jr., No. 2200983, Co. E. 353rd Infantry, A.E.F., of Protection, Kansas, was killed in action on the Verdun Sector in France on November 1st, 1918.
He is not listed on the Soldiers Memorial obelisk; he is listed on the Heritage Park Memorial.

March 27, 1919:
PROTECTION'S HONOR ROLL
A list of men who served in World War I from Protection, Kansas.
Died in Action: Edward L. Burghardt, Jr. and Frank Taves.
Died in Training: Archie L. Cantrell; Ira M. Edwards; Harold Hinds; Arlo Moore; George S. Morris and David Taves.
Some of these men are not listed on the Soldiers Memorial or Heritage Park Memorial.

March 21 and March 28, 1919:
HARRISON METZKER MEMORIAL SERVICES.

May 11, 1919:
A Mother's Day Letter, 1919: from Fred A. FERRIN to Alice (Eyerly) Ferrin
On Mother's Day, May 11th, 1919, six months after the Armistice of World War I was signed, many American soldiers were still with the American Expeditionary Forces in France. Among them was Sgt. Fred Ferrin of Wilmore, Ks.

August 28, 1919:
Soldier's Suicide:
Returned Soldier of Near Coldwater Commits Suicide Tuesday Evening

December 31, 1920:
FUNERAL FOR A. E. F. SOLDIER
Body of Eugene Wares Expected to Arrive This week from France

April 22, 1921:
HOW THINGS WILL SOMETIMES "HAPPEN"
Clo. Willard discovered his former teacher, Lottie Hollenback, had died of influenza.

November 11, 1921:
ELZA HOLMES WRITES FROM FAR AWAY FRANCE, The Western Star, November 11, 1921.

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Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news articles to this web site!