Historic Moment: World War I
By Jorge Batlle
Village Historian
One hundred years ago, this April, the United States became involved in “the Great War” – the “War to End All Wars.” This war began June 1914 when Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Turkey (then called the Ottoman Empire) and Germany joined them. They were called the Central Powers. August 1914, Germany invaded Belgium. Britain declares war on Germany. President Woodrow Wilson declares the United States as neutral. Austria-Hungary invades Russia. November 1914, Britain and France declare was on the Ottoman Empire. Britain, France, were joined by Russia, Italy and Japan. Together they were called the Allied Powers.
May 7, 1915 a German submarine fired a torpedo at the passenger ship the Lusitania on a trip from New York to Liverpool, England. It sank in about 18 minutes taking 1198 lives, including 128 Americans. The Germans claimed it was carrying ammunition to England. This was soundly denied, but much later proved to be true. Among those lost was Catherine and Allen Loney from Skaneateles. Their daughter Virginia survived being pulled from the water into a lifeboat.
April 6, 1917 after the sinking of 3 U.S. Merchant vessels by German U-boats, President Wilson urges Congress to declare war on the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. On June 26, 1917 American troops began landing in France.
Due to the slow response to join the military, the Selective Service Act was passed on May 18, 1917. All men ages 18-30, and later raised to 45 were required to register. Between Sept. 1917 and Nov 1918 – 2,810,296 registered. The draft ended in 1920. Two hundred and thirty-two men from Skaneateles responded to the “call to arms.” Robert S. Feeley was one, and drew pen and ink drawings of his experiences.
Every citizen was asked to pitch in for the war effort. Posters were everywhere encouraging participation. Women were asked to take over the farms with the Women’s Land Army of America. Locally there were called “farmerettes.” Another avenue of participation for women was nursing. Skaneateles’ Maude Kelly & Carrie M. Weeks were Army nurses, serving their country even before they had the right to vote. Vera Howard was a military dietician. Even the kids were asked to help out by saving quarters to by War Savings Stamps. Many musical tunes were written to promote patriotism.
The War was extremely brutal. Machine guns, armored tanks, and huge guns came into use. There were two large cannons in Shotwell Park until they were scrapped for the metal drives of World War 2. Gas warfare was also a big issue. Standard issue were gas masks for the soldiers and their mules and horses. The U.S. Death toll was 116,516 with 204,002 wounded. Six Skaneateles soldiers lost their lives: Charles Harden, Robert J. Hydon, Edward Manley, Valentine Meyer, Sidney Tucker & J. Francis Pendergast. The American Legion Post 239 is named in honor of Robert Hydon, and Post 217 in Skaneateles Falls is named in honor of Valentine Meyer.
An Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918 at 11am. The eleventh month, eleventh day, at the eleventh hour. Electa Loveless McNamara, a nurse trainee in Syracuse, remembers the reaction to this event. She said that “the City went wild. Bells were sounding all over the City. We danced, sang and marched” A parade was held in Skaneateles. Armistice Day was renamed in 1954 and is now called Veteran’s Day.
Skaneateles remembers the “Great War” with a large plaque in Shotwell Park. The approach to this plaque is guarded by a bust of a soldier and sailor. The Plaque reads “Sons of the Town of Skaneateles Who Answered Their Country’s Call in the World War.” Notice that it does not say ‘World War One,’ as this plaque was installed in 1935 – before the start of the Second World War. There are 232 names on this memorial.
