Havre and the War Involving World

Editor's note: This is the third in a series of three articles by Keith Doll. The first ran in the Havre Daily News Dec. 28 and the second Feb. 2.

In Havre, the celebration started as soon as the news was heard. As the Havre Plaindealer wrote: "... all the bells and whistles available were put to the welcome use of proclaiming liberty to the world so far as their tones could reach." They held a parade on First Street and Third Avenue where in the last year soldiers were bid farewell by family, friends and girlfriends. Stores were closed, the Rev. L.J. Christler spoke, the Havre Band played with the audience singing along. In the evening, thanksgiving services were held at some of the churches.

The poem "In Flanders Field" was written by John McCrae May 3, 1915, during the second battle of Ypres. He was impressed by the poppies to be some of the firs flowers to grow and bloom around the war-torn shell holes and freshly dug graves. Inspired by the poem, an American woman, Molina Michael, a volunteer at the YWCA, wore a poppy for remembrance on Nov. 9, 1918. She would hand poppies out and accept donations for disabled veterans. Soon, she was known as the "Poppy Lady." In 1921, the American Legion Auxiliary adopted the poppy as a symbol of remembrance for the war veterans. 120 countries now wear poppies, America is one of them. The poppy is worn on Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

Many soldiers saw the horrors of war and came home a hero, only to die a few months later from influenza. The 1918 flu pandemic was from January 1918 to December 1920. The influenza outbreak was worldwide and is said to have killed more people than in the Great War. The soldiers at war were not told how bad it was "back home." Spain, a neutral country, gave the false impression that Spain was hard hit, thus the nickname "Spanish Flu." Another nickname often used was "La Grippe," short for the French phrase "avoid la grippe," which meant to have the flu. The virus attacked the healthy adults between 20 and 40. It didn't attack the young and elderly like most viruses do. Trenches in the war were great for spreading the influenza virus; so were the field hospitals and crowded trains. It was figured that 43,000 U.S. soldiers in the war died of influenza. Even President Wilson got it when he went to France to sign the Treaty of Versailles. Some of the stores couldn't have sales, funeral were to be 15 minutes long, even some schools, churches and lodges were closed. You were to wear a gauze mask if you went out in public. Some homes were quarantined.

Havre had its fifth and final Liberty Loan campaign, only this time it was called the "Victory Loan." The sale of Victory Bonds started April 17, 1919. The government wanted $4 billion and Montana was given a quota of $11 million. Hill County's share of it was $85,000; once again it was oversubscribed. A military tank was here for the victory loan drive and area solders were to dress in uniform for a parade.

The Great Northern Stampede and Victory Celebration was held July 3, 4 and 5 of 1919 here in Havre. A plane was sent here from Chicago and a local soldier from WWI, Lt. Ennis, was to fly the plane for all three days.

March 4, 1921, Congress approved the burial of an unidentified soldier from WWI in Arlington National Cemetery. A soldier was exhumed from an American cemetery in France and buried in Arlington National Cemetery, thus creating "The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier." His body was placed by a tomb of white marble. The inscription on the tomb reads: HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD. On May 30, 1958, two more unknown soldiers were buried there, one from WWII and one from the Korean War. Inscribed on each marble top is 1941 - 1945 and 1950 – 1953 respectively. Thanks to DNA, the soldier from Vietnam was identified and disinterred. A body was never replaced in the crypt. The cover was replaced with the inscription: HONORING AND KEEPING FAITH WITH AMERICAS MISSING SERVICEMEN 1958 – 1975. The white marble tomb weighs 79 tons and has been guarded 24/7 since 1937.

Congress approved the changing of Armistice Day to Veterans Day June 1, 1954, to honor all the veterans.

Even today, graves, unexploded bombs and artifacts are found from WWI. On March 19, 1014, two construction workers were killed by an unexploded bomb from WWI in the former Flanders battlefield. Flanders in WWI was the northern region of Belgium and France. It covered dozens of cities, Ypres was one of them.

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I want to thank the Havre-Hill County Library and the Montana Historical Society Research Center for me getting the information to write this article. Many, many thanks to all you veterans both living and dead for keeping this country a safe place to live through the years. Thank You!

Keith J. Doll

Havre/Hill County Historic Preservation Commission