Traveling Back: Call for National Guard enlistment follows war, flu deaths
World War I had ended, and the toll on Door County in young men lost to the war combined with the number of young people in general that had died as a result of the Spanish flu had traumatized the county in many ways.
Even though Door County residents had been forewarned — the talk of the state setting up a National Guard company in the city had been floating for a while — it had been just talk. Now it was real. A call for 100 men to fill out a National Guard company had been announced.
It was May of 1920 and Lt. Col. Byron Beveridge, a Wisconsin National Guard veteran of three wars, was in Sturgeon Bay, and he began the work of organizing the company. Colonel Beveridge was adjutant of the 127th Infantry during the late war and later was in command of the Third Battalion of that regiment. He had been wounded twice.
RELATED:Traveling Back: In 1928, stove explosion sets multiple Valmy structures on fire
RELATED:Traveling Back: Mysterious explosions rocked Sturgeon Bay in 1961
The 1920s were an age of dramatic social and political change. For the first time, more Americans lived in cities than on farms, but Door County was still rural, and that meant young men were needed to work the land.
There was lumber to harvest and mills to operate, and families that had said goodbye to these young men just a few years ago for war were reluctant to let their men go, even if it was only for short periods of time.
Local attorney Grover Stapleton, former top-sergeant of old Company F who returned as a captain, was willing to command the local company. Attorney Stapleton handled enlistments, and it was anticipated that enough men would enlist in time for the members to attend the summer encampment at Camp Douglas scheduled for the middle of August.
During the colonel’s visit, he interviewed ex-servicemen, members of the Home Guards and businessmen and found their sentiment to be very enthusiastic regarding formation of the company. Six former members of the old Company F stated they would join up, a half-dozen of the home guards also said they would go in, and at least that many high school boys wanted to join.
It was the younger element that was wanted — those young fellows who had not been of required age during the late war.
The monthly drill pay of enlisted men varied from $3.75 for privates to $12 for a first-sergeant.
The question of an armory would be settled as soon as the matter of organization had progressed sufficiently to warrant the state taking a lease on some building in the city.
Door County stepped up and enough young men signed up to serve. That was hardly a surprise. Door County residents had always strongly supported their country and patriotism ran deep in a county filled with families from many countries.
They appreciated their freedom, and when their young men stepped up to serve, their willingness was celebrated.
From the pages of the Door County Advocate of years gone by.