Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
U.S. Army soldier in camp, presumably World War I. Photo part of the Ruth Bengston collection and could be her father, Ed Bengston.
Harry Hall, of New Rockford, mans the big guns near Kelib, Tunisia, Northern Africa. Hall's photo album offers insight into daily life in military camps and surrounding villages in 1944.
As we move further and further into the 21st century, we also move further away from some of the most impactful events of the century before. Countless books and movies have been made about the two world wars that devastated much of the world in such a short period of time. Still, it is too easy to lose touch with these monumental events. That is why this summer, while cleaning the Stavanger Church, the Eddy County Museum staff worked to create a permanent exhibit to highlight the impact these conflicts had, even here in Eddy County.
On exhibit
• Two dozen U.S. Army uniforms, including one that belonged to Karl Utech who served during WWI.
• Photographs and materials from Camp Lewis training camp for draftees, located in Tacoma, Wash.
• A variety of training booklets issued by the U.S. Army during and after WWI: "Soldier's Songbook," "French Phrases for Soldiers" and "Returning to Civilian Life."
• Service records for Eddy County.
• Various medals and service records for area soldiers.
• Scrapbook featuring political cartoons and commentary surrounding WWII.
• Censored letter from Carl Anderson of Sheyenne, dated April 9, 1944.
• U.S. Army footlocker owned by H.O. Wilson of New Rockford.
• Photo album prepared by Harry Hall detailing his training in West Palm Beach, Fla., and his deployment activities in Tunisia.
• Photo book titled, "Thunderbolt Across Europe: A History Of The 83rd Infantry Division 1942-1945"
World War I
(1914-1919)
In 1914, Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated by a Bosnian Serb nationalist.
When Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, a domino effect took hold: Germany v. Russia, France and Belgium. Britain v. Germany. Austria-Hungary v. Russia. Japan v. Germany. Austria-Hungary v. Belgium. Britain and France v. the Ottoman Empire. It truly was a world war, and the U.S. declared and maintained neutrality.
April 1, 1917, German forces attack and sink a U.S. merchant ship bound for France. Within days the U.S. enters the war.
Mechanized transport and chemical weapons paired with trench warfare, Spanish Flu and foot-rot made for unparalleled combat conditions.
Nov. 11, 1918, Germany surrendered and all nations agreed to cease fighting during the negotiations. On June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles brought the war to a close.
World War II
(1939-1945)
On Sept. 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. Britain and France declared war. German forces began the invasion of Norway and later Belgium. By June 1940, Paris had fallen.
• July 10–Oct. 31: The Battle of Britain brought defeat for Germany.
• Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese forces bombed Pearl Harbor. The U.S. entered the war. Japan held the Philippines, Indochina, Singapore and Burma.
• June 1942, the U.S. halted Japanese forces at Midway. Allied forces then took Tulagi and Guadalcanal.
• June 6, 1944, Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, and by September had reached the German border.
• In December 1944, German forces attempted to re-take Belgium. By Jan. 1, 1945, the Battle of the Bulge was over and the Germans were in retreat.
• May 7, 1945, Germany surrenders.
• Aug. 6, 1945, U.S. drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and three days later on Nagasaki. On Aug. 14, Japan formally surrenders.
