New Years Day, 1919

Leyendecker portrayed the New Year letting the dove of peace out of its cage, which was appropriate if not universally true following the end of World War One in Europe.

It was January, 1919.

The dawn of the year following the Great War. . . not that peace reigned everywhere by any means.

117th Field Signal Battalion perssonel (1st Bn, Signal Corps, Missouri National Guard) Bachem, Germany.  January 1, 1919.

A large number of those Americans woke up in Germany that day, in uniformed service.  1919 would see the draw down, but not the end, of occupation duties in Germany for the U.S. Army.

Dinner at Chateau Villegenis, the home of Mrs. Corey New Years Day, 1919.  Mrs. Corey loaned the home to the American Red Cross as a convalescent home for Army Officers. It was officially known as "Officers Convalescent Home #8."

Quite a few were in France.

Red Cross canteen in France, New Years Day 1919.

Some with the Red Cross spent the day visiting villagers returning to their wrecked villages in France.

Some were hoping to return home, but were finding that journey perilous.

Rescuing the stranded from the S. S. Northern Pacific, which ran aground off of Fire Island, Long Island, New York.  January 1, 1919.

For some, that journey would never complete that day.

The Admiralty yauch HMS Iolaire which wrecked off the Outer Hebrides on New Years Day while returning sailors to their homes with the loss of over 200 lives.

The Wyoming State Tribune offered a helpful tip for writing the date of the new year correctly.

The Cheyenne paper was reporting that Chancellor Ebert favored a republic of new men.  While that was in fact Ebert's desire, he was facing a Communist revolution that was on the verge of taking over in Berlin.  The Cheyenne paper was hoping that the pen was mightier than the sword at the same time, which Ebert likely was at that point too, but which he'd have to reconsider shortly.

And in case you wondered, a team of Marines played a team of Sailors that year in the Rose Bowl.