Veteran Spotlight: Steiner Speaks

STEINER SPEAKS
4 June 1893 Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland
April 22, 1954 Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland

Son of George W. Speaks and Mary E. Sweeney Speaks

Inducted 25 May 1918
Honorable Discharge 11 June 1919
Served with 154th Depot Brigade, hospital and sanitation group

The Maryland War Records Commission in 1933 published the Maryland In The World War 1917-1919. It is a WONDERFUL resource!!! It is a two volume set gathered from military reports as well as survey responses from the soldiers and sailors themselves. 

Here is the entry for Steiner:

Maryland In The World War 1917-1919
Volume II, page 1968

Steiner died 22 April 1954 and was buried 24 April 24 at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland.

Frederick News Post
23 April 1954

Mount Olivet Cemetery, Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland
My personal collection

Steiner Speaks is on the War War 1 Memorial at Memorial Park, Baker Park, Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland.

World War 1 Memorial
Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland
My personal collection

World War 1 Memorial
Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland
My personal collection

Steiner Speaks....thank you for your service

Veteran Spotlight Series

VETERAN SPOTLIGHT SERIES



Frederick Elks Lodge 684
11 November 2011
My personal collection

Years ago I started cataloging the various war memorials in the area as the result of a blogger' call to submit entries of war memorials and their transcriptions. From there, I became particularly fascinated with World War 1 again.

Over the years, I started  gathering various information on the people listed on those monuments. I am going to start to spotlight the veterans that I have found in my journeys. For some I have lots of information, for others not so much.

But I feel ALL should have their day in the spotlight and be remembered.

So I hope you all join me in getting to know more about the men and women who served, whether stateside or overseas, during the War to End All Wars. If you have any information about these folks, please feel free to contact me.

Let the journey begin..............

Memorial/Monument: Boonsboro, Maryland

From one of my other blogs, Denise's Two Cents, my post on the World War 1 Memorial in Boonsboro, Maryland:

World War I Memorial
Town Hall Annex
Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland

World War I Memorial
Boonsboro, MD

The World War I Memorial is located in front of the Boonsboro Town Hall Annex on North Main Street in Boonsboro, Maryland. For those Nora Roberts fans, it is right across the street from her bookstore, Turn The Page Bookstore. I found this out because when I hit the roads and got to Boonsboro I encountered lots of folks for the small town. Then I found out there was a Nora Roberts book signing going on later that day. Note to self:  check for any book signings going on for future trips to Boonsboro!!

World War I Memorial
Boonsboro, MD

The memorial was one of the first memorials erected in area on July 4, 1919. There was a delay in the monument arriving so the installers worked until 2:00 on the morning of the July 4th to have it ready. The Honor Roll plaque did not arrive in time for the ceremony but was placed on at a later day. The monument cost $1,400.00 in 1919 and today the cost would be $19,255.66 (1275.4% rate of inflation!!!).

World War I Memorial
Boonsboro, MD

Here is the Honor Roll:

Honor Roll
World War I Memorial
Boonsboro, MD

ERECTED IN HONOR OF THE BOYS FROM

BOONSBORO DISTRICT

BY SOUTH MOUNTAIN COUNCIL NO. 88, JR. O.U.A.M.

AND CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY

JULY 4TH 1919.

FIRST LIEUTENANTS

Louis Mc C Young -- Roger E. Martz

	Baker, William L.		Kennedy, George S.
	Beachley, William H.		Kuhn, Paul V.
	Beard, Frank		Maddren Richard T.
	Bomberger, Richard W.		Martz, Earl D.
	Brown, Frank E.		Martz, Hubert L.
	Cross, Max. A.		Martz, John N.
	Doub, Earl W.		Moser, Alva H.
	Doub, Kieffer C.		Moser, Kieffer M.
	Dubel, Alvey R.		Moser, Russell E.
	Easterday, Robert C.		Mullendore, Harry W.
	Easterday, Russell C.		Netz, William H.
	Fockler, McKinley		Olsen, Victor A.
	Flook, Charles K.		Reeder, Clarence R.
	Foltz, Clarence W.		Reeder, Elmer M.
	Ford, Grover, L.		Shifler, Ralph M.
	Garrott, William H.		Shoemaker, George D.
	Griffith, Earl V.		Smith, Lester S.
	Gross, Elmer T.		Smith, Luther J.
	Grove, J. Richard		Smith, Wilbert W.
	Grove, Mark D.		Snively, Howard W.
	Harp, Fayette R.		Snyder, John S.
	Hines, John H.		Snyder, Roy M.
	House, Oliver C.		Storm, John M.
	Huffer, Albert L.		Stouffer, Earl D.
	Huffer, Alfred G.		Stouffer, Guy E. L.
	Huffer, Silas E.		Taylor, Carl V.
	Hutzell, Ellsworth		Thomas, Harry A.
	Hutzell, Frank L.		Toyer, Daniel W. (Colored)
	Hutzell, Gorman		Wade, C. Hubert
	Itnyre, Roy E.		Warrenfeltz, Frank T.
	Keadle, Ralph D.		Young, Ernest E.

DIED IN SERVICE

John F. Clopper --- Austin G. Michael

C. Robert Kline

On the opposite side of the monument reads:

World War I Memorial
Boonsboro, MD

THAT THE MEMORY

OF THE BOYS WHO

GIVE THEIR LIVES

AND THEIR SERVICES

IN THE DEFENSE OF

THEIR COUNTRY

AND TO PERPETUATE

ITS IDEALS SHALL

LIVE AS AN INSPIRA-

TION TO COURAGE

AND PATRIOTISM

So, what's your two cents?

Registration Day - June 5, 1917

Today is the day that millions of American men registered for the draft. It was mandatory with the threat of imprisonment if you did not register. It also applied to aliens living in the United States. 

Here are some of announcements I found in the newspapers of the time:

Frederick Post
Frederick, Maryland
Page Four

The Adirondack Record
Au Sable Forks, NY
Page One

There are just a few of the announcements I came across but they all wanted to make sure that men understood there would be consequences if you did not register. 

But as an amateur genealogist, I LOVE the draft cards. They provide valuable information for those searching for ancestors. In many cases, you are able to see the signature of an ancestor and also when they use their mark. You get birthdays, place of birth and what occupation they had on June 5th. 

This was just the beginning the actual draft number have yet to be called!

Draft Exemptions Have Started

The Selective Service Act passed on May 18, 1917 authorizing the temporary increase of military personnel. But before the Selective Service Act was enacted, many men began to file for exemptions. Below is an article from April 19, 1917:

The Daily News
Frederick, MD
April 19, 1917 page 5

FEWER EXEMPTION CLAIMS; 14 FILED
--------------
More Than 200 Have Claimed Immunity From Service.
--------------
MANY REJECTED, HOWEVER
--------------
Now Believed That Nearly All Who Seek to Avoid Military Duty Have So Recorded Themselves in Compliance With law.

     Judging by the records that have been filed in the Clerk's Office at the Court House it seems that about all the persons who intended to claim exemption from military service have done so. Since yesterday there have been but fourteen applications for exemption filed, and of this number eight were allowed and six were thrown out.
     Considerably more than 200 claims for exemption have been listed in the Clerk's Office, but of this number it is believed that at least one-third have been thrown out. All claimants for exemption must file their claims enrollment notices from the enumerators. These claims must be verified by affidavit.
     Considering the number of person who have claimed immunity from military service on the grounds of being the support of parents or families, within fifteen days after receiving or on the grounds of physical disability, it would seem that a number are not yet familiar with the law. Neither of these reasons entitles any one to exemption. If a man had both legs off, he would not be exempt. The question of physical condition is one that must be passed upon by the surgeon at the time the enlistment is made, and over which the clerk of court has no authority.
     Likewise, persons who have others dependent on them for support are not immune. Only government officials, those exempted by the laws of the United States, persons holding a religious belief contrary to bearing firearms, and paupers, lunatics, persons addicted to the use of narcotic drugs and persons convicted of infamous crimes and the like, are exempt from service.
     Those recently exempted follow:
     William L. Waters, religious belief; William H. Delauter, railway mail clerk; William F. Fisher, religious belief; Robert E. Fox, religious belief; Welty K. Grossnickle, Church of the Brethren; C.C. Hite, postmaster at Frederick Junction; Gaven E. Metcalfe, substitute rural delivery carrier; W.C. Repp, German Baptist church.
     Those not exempt:
     J.A. Horan, B. and O. engineer; Adam B. Martin, support of wife and five children, bad eye, bad ankle and other physical disabilities; Charles R. Schneider, physical; William A. Wagaman, employee of Du Pont Powder Works.
     Ralph Hotter also filed a written statement explaining that he had given the incorrect age to the enumerators.
=========================================================
For those doing genealogy, if you are unable to find a draft card for a person try looking for lists of those who were exempted from the draft. This would be on a local level so look at newspapers and court records.

An Appeal To The Residents of Essex County, New York

I am noticing all the announcements and appeals that have started to show up in various newspapers now the the United States has entered the Great War in April 2017. Below is an appeal that appeared in the April 13, 2017 edition of the Adirondack Record:

The Adirondack Record, Au Sable Forks, NY
April 13, 1917, page 1

AN APPEAL TO THE RESIDENTS OF ESSEX COUNTY

It is hoped that our farmers here in Essex County will plant {illegible} land this year and raise larger crops than ever before, tilling every available acre with staple food supplies such as potatoes, beans and onions; plant wherever you can; raise hogs and cattle, and not only raise them, but fatten them so as to obtain as much of the best producing meats as possible.

The Home Defense League are planning and hope to furnish seed to those unable to buy them, but who will agree to cultivate them, and repay from the crop raised the amount of seed furnished, and from every ten bushels raised one bushel or its equivalent in money?

People owning land or parcels of ground not being cultivated are earnestly urged to offer such ground to people who will agree to plant and cultivate it.

Every little helps, and every bushel of food raised will help just that much in the emergency. Every one doing this will be doing his bit to help, not only himself but the whole country. Your country needs your help, more perhaps in this way than your presence on the firing line. Will you help?

WALTER C. WITHERBEE,
Chairman Home Defense Committee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Of course back in 1917 there were no 24 hour news sources so the newspapers of the day were THE vehicle to get information out to the people. When I am reading the papers, especially from the area my family is from in northern New York, I often wonder what was going through the minds of my relatives when they read (or were read to) these announcements and articles. Did they agree? Did they disagree? Were they just going with the flow? Were they aware of what was going in Europe? 

So begins the Great War for America........

Welcome to Denise's World War I HQ!

Welcome!

The focus of this blog is World War 1 aka the Great War aka the War to End All Wars. It has also fascinated me beginning with dressing up as a World War 1 solider for Halloween in a REAL uniform!! My interest was reignited in 1914 for the beginning of the Centennial of the start of the War in Europe. It was further sparked by the various podcasts and videos that started coming out at that time.  In my journeys searching for cemeteries, I come across many war memorials. I started taking photos of them as well. Then I started a mission to photograph all the World War 1 memorials and monuments that I could. I am still on that journey and have still have many more to go!

I also plan to incorporate newspapers from the time to highlight the what was happening at the home front. I plan to use my personal photos of not only monuments but old family photos from the time. 

So let's get this Centennial started!!