Today’s war news clips come from the 9 August 1917 issue of the Courier Democrat. The first documents the commissioning of Dr. G. E. Tolle of Seneca.
DR. TÖLLE COMMISSIONED A FIRST LIEUTENANT
Dr. G. E. Tolle of Seneca has received notice from Adjutant General Martin that he has been commissioned a first lieutenant in a sanitary corps. This corps consists of the first lieutenant, a sergeant, and seven enlisted men. Dr. Tolle’s corps is made up. His sergeant who will be his right-hand man has had one year’s study in a medical school. This corps of eight men serve a command of 400 engineers.
Dr. Hibbard of Sabetha has received a similar commission, except that his corps will serve a body of signal corps. Dr. Tolle does not know at what minute he will be called. He has been serving on the local examining board and is afraid that he will not have much time to take care of his private business affairs. The first lieutenancy pays $2,000 a year.
The second clip is about how the regional Kansas National Guard unit became part of the U.S. Army.
Capt H. J. Weltmer: When Company F enters the federal service Aug. 5, it will cease to be a part of the Kansas National Guard, but will be part of the regular army. Our regiment will not be known as the 1st Kansas but will be given a new number by the war department. The Kansas brigade will be in the regular army until the war is over. Then the men will be discharged from service.
The updates from August 1917 provide a glimpse into how World War I reshaped military service in Kansas. From local doctors like Dr. Tolle receiving commissions to entire National Guard units, such as Company F, being absorbed into the regular army, these changes reflected the growing national effort. As men from Nemaha County and surrounding areas prepared for deployment, their lives—and the communities they left behind—were profoundly affected. These stories remind us of the sacrifices made on both the battlefield and the home front, shaping the history of the region and the nation.