Gone for Soldiers: United States Formally Declares War on Germany - April 6, 1917

President Wilson declared war on Germany 101 years ago today. Newspapers in Greenwood County, Kansas, where my Slater kin were living at the time, were weeklies published on Thursdays but their readers wouldn't have been surprised because of articles like this one from the preceding day's Democratic Messenger:

[5 Apr 1917, Page 1 - Democratic Messenger at Newspapers.com]

Seven months later a letter from my maternal grand uncle George Logan "Pete" Slater was published on the front page of the Severyite:

[8 Nov 1917, Page 1 

The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

I've written several posts about Pete's military record which you can find here and here. He had joined the U.S. Marines in 1915 at the age of 29 and had been just promoted to Corporal around the time of this letter.

I haven't found any more reports from Corporal (later Sergeant) Slater so I don't know what he experienced during his tour of duty abroad.

This is the man who ran for the U.S. Congress as a Socialist several times in the 1930s.




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