William Passer
When the U.S. entered the Great War in 1917, millions of America's young men and women felt it was their civic duty to enlist in the armed forces. Many men from right here in Wood County heard the call to enlist to protect the "American Way." They would be fighting with state-of-the-art equipment and weapons, for the first time using tanks, aircraft and chemical warfare.
Every person who enlisted was sent to camp for basic training. Many men of central Wisconsin were put into the 127th Infantry, 64th Brigade, 32th Division, based in Marshfield. The men of the 127th were sent to Camp McArthur, Waco, Texas. At camp the soldiers were organized, trained and equipped to go over seas. The boys were well fed, well quarted and in high spirits.
Other men of our area were also sent to bases throughout the nation. One of these men was Private William Passer of Arpin, who was based at Ft. Riley, Kansas City, Missouri. Passer, like so many others, enlisted to fight for his country. However, he never got the chance. While in camp at Ft. Riley, he fell ill. His father, Ferdinand, received a dispatch informing him of William's sickness and he left immediately to be with his son. He arrived to find his son still alive and was able to spend eighteen hours with him before his passing on October 20th, 1918. Greatly saddened, he returned home and buried his son. Shortly after the services for William, Ferdinand retired and auctioned off his farm and property.
Of the 65 million Americans who served in the war, 116,516, "gave the last full measure of devotion." Of those who gave their lives, 63,114, died of disease, many never even seeing action, or even getting out of camp. They joined to fight but never had the opportunity to strike a single blow for their country. They were casualities of disease and died before even leaving their barracks, but will always be remembered.
Jacob Bord, Student
East Junior High, Wisconsin Rapids
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