The United States did not officially join the allies, but acted as an independent power, supplying major contributions of raw material, money, and soldiers.
During the war, the U.S. mobilized over 4 million military personnel, more than 2 million of those fought in the battlefields in France under General John Pershing, Commander-in-Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces.
During the first World War offensive weapons of mass destruction and defensive strategies and tactics, unlike anything seen in previous wars, were developed. Tanks were built and used in response to the stalemate of trench warfare. Modernized submarines armed with torpedoes and deck guns were used. Giant zeppelins and airplanes were used for surveillance, bombing raids, and aerial dogfight combat. Poisonous gas killed thousands before gas masks were distributed. Flamethrowers, machine guns, field artillery, and skin burning mustard gas unleashed horrific results. Carnage was huge.
Local boards were established to register men. Some of those in Guilford who were too old or too young to enlist joined the Home Guard.
During the war, Guilford sent many men to help end the war. Women were also allowed to enlist and serve, in the Navy and as Nurses. Some of them died, some of them were wounded and/or gassed, and many whose lives were never the same.
The first World War, known as the “war to end all wars” because of the great slaughter and destruction it caused, left over nine million soldiers dead and twenty-one million wounded. The United States suffered 116,516 deaths, more than half of those due to disease.
During the first World War, Guilford lost several young men.
Burton Monroe Lee, born December 2, 1892, was the son of J. Wilson Lee and Edith E. Morse, who lived at 321 Boston Street. Burton Lee was a fireman for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad prior to enlisting as a Fireman in the U.S. Navy. He was assigned to the USS Jupiter and served in Brooklyn, New York. On May 20, 1918, while onboard, he suffered from blood poisoning and was treated at the base in Brooklyn, NY. He died a month later, on June 19th due to blood poisoning and pneumonia, at the age of 25. He is buried in Alder Brook Cemetery.
Frank Havelock Bishop, born October 22, 1895, was the son of Frank Bishop and Sophia Spencer who lived at 77 Broad Street. Frank Bishop was a chauffeur living in New York City when he enlisted in the Signal Corps serving in the Aero Squadrons. He served overseas and was twice promoted. Frank Bishop fell during training and later died from pneumonia while at Blois, France, at the age of 22, and is buried in the West Side Cemetery.
Charles Wesley Darrow, who grew up on Whitfield Street, served with Company D, 102nd Regiment, 26th“Yankee” Division. In the tiny hamlet of Seicheprey, France on April 20, 1918, the men of Company D were located in front of the rest of the Army, in sacrifice positions, when the Germans attacked. These American men, who were told to hold their position at all costs, were among the first attacked by 3,200 German stormtroopers equipped with multiple forms of weapons including flamethrowers. After the fierce fighting, more than 650 Americans were either dead or wounded, and more than 100 were taken prisoner. The village of Seicheprey was left in ruins, not a single building or tree was left intact. At least 80 Americans of the 102nd Infantry, including Charles Darrow, were buried in the village in the immediate aftermath of the battle. His name also appears on his family headstone located in Alder Brook Cemetery. The American Legion post, here in Guilford, is named in his honor.
Herbert Hamilton Hall, born April 20, 1897, was the son of Herbert Hall and Florence Hamilton of North Guilford. Herbert was a motorman for a judge and living in New Haven at the time of his enlistment in Co. D, 102nd Infantry. On his 21st birthday he was captured at the same battle that Charles Darrow was killed in, at the Battle of Seicheprey. Prisoners of war were made to carry not only their own wounded, but also the wounded of their enemy from the battlefields. Herbert Hall was a prisoner of war (Camp Limberg) for 5 ½ months until his death. The prisoners had been detailed to do farm work in the Moussele mountain country to pick grapes for wine making. Hall was taken ill with influenza and died in a few days after several days of unconsciousness, his death occurring October 4, at Bengal, Germany, where he was buried. Fifty people were at the burial including Germans and British, and fellow prisoner Harry Lufkin (being the only American) at the graveside. A small wooden cross was erected at the head of the grave bearing the soldier’s name. On Sunday, October 24, 1920, his body was reinterred in the North Guilford Cemetery.
(Sadly, conflicting news his parents received in November, led to multiple heartbreaks. In November, 1918, the Red Cross telegram indicated he had died of influenza while a prisoner in Germany. On March 13, 1919, they received a second message from the War Department stating that their son had been released from a German prison and was on his way home. The following month, they received a letter from Harry Lufkin of Providence, R.I, who wrote that he was a prisoner in Germany with Harold Hall when he died, October 4, 1918.)
Another man who served for Guilford also lost his life. Harold Curney Davis, born January 1899, New Haven, was the son of Wilbur and Amy Davis. By 1910, the family moved to Springfield, MA. But in 1917, Harold Davis was living at 138 State Street in Guilford when the United States entered the war and Harold enlisted just 17 days later. He was assigned to Company F, 102nd Regiment, 26th Yankee Division, and was promoted to Private 1st class. Harold wrote a letter dated March 4, 1918, “We have just gotten back from the trenches; have been up there for about three weeks. There were some hot times there some nights. The night before we left the trenches the Germans made an attack; and there was a big barrage fire, shells falling all around us. Believe me, I was glad when it was over. We were five days in the front-line trenches, five in the second-line, and 10 in the reserve. We have been in some very large caves. We have seen lots of air battles. We were under gas twice. Oh! it’s a dangerous war.” Five months later, Harold died from wounds while at Vosge, France, August 15, 1918, at the age of 19. He was originally buried in France and later reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery.
Many other Guilford men and women continued to serve until armistice was signed ending the war on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, in 1918.
John J. Sullivan, who was serving along side 6 others from Guilford in the 103rd Field Artillery wrote in his diary on the 11th day of November, 1918:
“Germany Surrendered at 5 A.M. We got word at 8 A.M. Guns fired until 11 A.M. Then the WHOLE front stopped. Big time in evening.”
In Guilford on that day, 10 year-old Phil Dudley recorded the events of November 11th.
“When I woke up, I heard the whistles blowing. I got up pretty quick I tell you. I guessed what had happened, although I didn’t know for sure. It was 6:30 when I got downstairs and I went outdoors and blew a whistle until I had to go to school.”
School session that day for the children was shortened, so they too could celebrate with the adults.
In the evening, Phil Dudley went with his family to celebrate with the others in town where there assembled was Chief Marshall H. E. Jones, mounted on a large horse, a platoon of 4 police, an improvised drum corps, beating time for Company M, Connecticut State Guard (the Guilford Company), Red Cross women, etc. and some citizens, and a long line of automobiles numbering 34. The hose wagon of the hook & ladder truck was there, and plenty of fire crackers were set off.
The parade stopped in front of the Honor Roll, which was dedicated.
The hundreds gathered on the green, along with the Liberty Chorus, sang the Star Spangled Banner and the National Anthem.
Afterwards, a big bonfire in the middle of the green was lit.
Memorial Day, which is the last Monday in May, honors the memory of every service member who gave his or her life in our nation’s wars.
Veterans Day always falls on November 11th and pays tribute to all American veterans—living or dead—but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
From speeches read by Tracy Tomaselli on the Guilford Green, Memorial Day, May 28, 2018 and Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2018.
